While the San Benito High School football team has put together another successful end-of-season run, the band has been on a hot streak of its own.
The San Benito High School Scarlet Regiment Band – while competing in a parade format – has marched its way to three sweepstakes awards at regional competitions and other awards in October and November. It has been a particularly successful year for the Baler band as it performed a song called “Carry On,” said Jim Zuniga, the longtime SBHS band director.
Zuniga said the band has experienced success despite the fact that it is often grouped with schools that have similar enrollments but much larger bands. He said before the recent success, San Benito had not won three sweepstakes awards in one year.
“Consequently, what happens is, a lot of groups two to three times size of us get beaten by us and don’t understand how,” Zuniga said.
He said San Benito won the sweepstakes for marching at Cupertino – meaning it was judged the best at marching among the competition – and then won for showmanship at Selma and showmanship at Newark.
The band is done with its competitions for the year, and will turn its attention to the Lights On Parade after Thanksgiving and the Santa Cruz Holiday Parade the following weekend. The band also plays at all of the home football games, while there is a winter drum line and winter guard as well.
Zuniga said he is continuing to challenge the students. Next year, they will work on a piece called “Sentar” – named after the mythological figure.
“They just dive into this,” he said. “They dive into the challenge.”
