March 6, 2023
By: Bill Conger
The D.C.H.S. Winter Guard took home a fourth-place finish at Summit High School competition in Spring Hill over the weekend. The team improved from 8th place in its class two weekends earlier.
“The team pumped up the crowd with their enthusiasm and exciting performance,” Winter Guard Coach Shannon Johns said. “The members getting into character really brings the show to life and pulls the audience in with them. By the time we get to “Boogie Shoes” (our 4th song), the crowd is ready to come join the soul train line we form to close out the performance.”
“I’m so proud of our students and what they have accomplished so far,” Band Director Don Whitt said. “They keep on improving every week. Shannon Johns is doing a tremendous job. What I love about our team’s mentality is that the show is so relatable. I like our teams to play to the audience. People know the movie “Saturday Night Fever,” and they like the music of that era.”
“Another thing I love about our Winter Guard is that they use people’s strengths,” Whitt adds. “In this show you can see everyone who will do dance moves from the 1970s. You will see hula hoops and even roller skating. I loved hearing the people in the stands around me that were saying wow they really put a lot of thought and research behind this. I bet they will score high. They were amazing. This is a marvelous and talented young team. If you have a chance to get to go to a Winter Guard competition you need to.”
The guard competes next at Columbia Central on March 18.