An airtight Thousand Oaks High School marching band took home the sweepstakes trophy with a score of 86.35, but it was Hart High's band that posted the highest point score in Saturday's 28th annual Rampage field show competition at College of the Canyons while West Ranch took top honors for its auxiliary and percussion sections.
Hart wasn't eligible for trophies because it hosted the event. But the band's score of 87.65 out of a possible 100 counts toward its overall placement against other Division 4A schools for the year, Hart Band Director Anthony Bailey said.
"It was a great day," he said. "First and foremost, we want to create a great event for all of the bands, and we did that."
Thousands of spectators braved frigid temperatures to watch 30 high school bands and flag teams take to the field at Cougar Stadium for a full day of musical pageantry.
The West Ranch Wildcats wowed the crowd with a visually stimulating repertoire called "White Out" that culminated with Colorguard Capt. Kimberley Irby conquering a snow-capped peak — the peak consisting of the entire marching band covered with a white cloth material.
West Ranch garnered three separate sweepstakes trophies for the performance, besting all other ensembles in all divisions: one for its percussion section (92 points), one for its auxiliary section (flag and dance team) with 85 points, and one for overall visual presentation.
The lone SCV band in Division 5A, West Ranch's musical performance was judged second to Westlake High School's.
Division 3A marching band results were tight, with 0.6 points separating first-place winner Valencia High School (68.95) from third-place finisher Canyon High (68.35), with Golden Valley in the middle (68.65).
Saugus High School walked away with the top trophy in Division 2A with 69.6 points, besting Monrovia, Buena, San Pedro and Dos Pueblos high schools.
A thundering drum corps capped the evening as host Hart High led the percussion sections from all 30 schools in a unison finale.
"We keep hearing every time we host this event that it really is the premiere event in Southern California," Bailey said, praising the parent volunteers who organize the Rampage competition each year.
"One of the band directors came up to me and said we should really be teaching all the other schools how to host events like this, and that kind of compliment really makes me happy," he said. "My (band) parents did a great job."
2011 Hart Rampage Tournament Results
CLASS 1A Black
57.60 Littlerock
55.30 Santa Barbara
54.50 Rosamond
54.35 Fairfax
39.20 Canoga Park
CLASS 1A Red
64.35 Simi Valley
59.20 Lancaster
57.80 Highland
57.70 El Camino Real
54.50 Nordhoff
CLASS 2A Black
56.20 Van Nuys
53.90 Bakersfield
53.70 Centennial *
53.70 Arvin
44.60 Birmingham Charter
* music breaks tie
CLASS 2A Red
69.60 Saugus
63.55 Monrovia
62.25 Buena
60.80 San Pedro
56.00 Dos Pueblos
CLASS 3A
68.95 Valencia
68.65 Golden Valley
68.35 Canyon
67.00 Liberty
62.35 South
CLASS 4A
60.10 Quartz Hill
CLASS 5A
85.85 Westlake
83.40 West Ranch
HOST EXHIBITION
87.65 William S. Hart
SWEEPSTAKES
Auxiliary — 85 West Ranch
Percussion — 92 West Ranch
Visual — 163 West Ranch
G.E. — 320 Thousand Oaks
Music — 385.5 Thousand Oaks
BAND — 86.35 Thousand Oaks (6A)
