Walled Lake Marching Band takes home second-straight state title

(Photos: MCBA)

The Walled Lake Competitive Marching Band shined on Saturday at Ford Field claiming its second-straight MCBA Flight 1 State Championship with an incredible performance of its program, Charmed.

The combined marching band from Walled Lake Central and Walled Lake Western tallied an overall score of 92.20o, edging Rockford by nearly a half point. The band also took home four of five caption awards in Music, General Effect, Visual and Auxiliary. It’s also the first time the district has won back-to-back state championships since Walled Lake Central won in 2010 and 2011.

“I am incredibly proud of our team,” said co-director Grant Prater. “The Walled Lake Marching Band is truly comprised of the most dedicated, focused and hard-working individuals. While I was thrilled to see that their dedication, artistry and commitment to getting better was reflected in the judges scores and caption awards, I just love that I get to work with these students and see their personal growth every day.”

"I am so proud of not only the students earning their second straight state championship, but the hard work, discipline and dedication it takes to perform at the level that they do,” added co-director Michael Wolf. “Moreover, I am proud of how the students have approached every rehearsal and competition with a Walled Lake v. Walled Lake attitude, meaning we strive to be better every day than we were the day before. It is an honor to work with these students, families and community.”

The Walled Lake Competitive Marching Band will now prepare to head to Indianapolis on November 14 to compete at Bands of America’s 2025 Grand National Championships. Their prelim performance of Charmed will be on that Friday, 1:15 p.m., at Lucas Oil Stadium. The semifinals and finals then take place on Saturday beginning at 7 a.m.