After a successful season, Crescenta Valley winter guard team competed on Saturday in the Winter Guard Association of Southern California (WGASC) championship finals at Huntington Beach High School. 

Two days before heading to Huntington Beach the team had to cope with the loss of two members, one due to an injury and the other who tested positive for COVID-19. The team, which was already short one member, met this challenge head-on.

This would be a setback for any team but for a group composed of only nine members it was a huge dilemma. The team is a tight group and practices so often they can anticipate each other’s moves. With two regular members missing and already down one member, they not only had to find replacements and rehearse but also had to modify their routine. In addition they needed to find people to assist with props during the show.

With help from Mathew Schick, CV’s Instrumental Music director, three individuals stepped up to help. The students who came forward were all involved in CV’s Instrumental Music Dept. They had to rehearse and learn the intricacies of the program the night before they were to perform at the championship. They also had to learn while looking the part, wearing the correct costumes and requiring show-quality makeup and hair design.

Adding to the pressure, the remaining seven regular winter guard members had to re-work and learn a new show, which was designed by winter guard director Joey Leon. Determined, they learned the new choreography, rehearsed enthusiastically with the new members, and pulled off what many might call a “Hollywood ending” to their season. CV’s winter guard was the best high school competing this year in High School Level A, scoring first out of 55 teams that competed. In addition, CV winter guard was the only team to break a score of 90. It earned first place and received gold medals; no instrumental group has earned medals for the entire team at a competition. 

In addition, team captain senior Thalia Miller (right in red mask) received a scholarship from the WGASC for excellence in academics. Miller is headed to Wellesley College in the fall.

By Leila BELL and Mary O’KEEFE