The Walled Lake Competitive Marching Band claims MCBA State Championship

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

The combined marching band from Walled Lake Central and Walled Lake Western beat out the 6-time defending state champion, Rockford, by nearly two points earning an overall score of 92.20. The band also took home four of five caption awards in General Effect, Visual, Auxiliary and Percussion. It’s also the district’s first state championship since Walled Lake Central won in 2013.

"I am extraordinarily proud of the students, staff and parents of the WLMB, not because the band won a State Championship, but because of the work they put in throughout the season,” said co-director Patrick Dudzinski. “The message to the students from the beginning of the season has been to focus on rehearsing well, getting better every day, chasing excellence and competing against ourselves.”

“The Walled Lake Marching Band is truly comprised of the most dedicated, focused, and hard-working individuals,” said co-director Grant Prater. “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 could not be more proud of them, and I am so lucky I get to teach in Walled Lake.”

The Walled Lake Competitive Marching Band will now prepare to head to Indianapolis on November 14 to compete at Bands of America’s 2024 Grand National Championships. Their prelim performance of Enchanted will be on Thursday, 4:15 p.m., at Lucas Oil Stadium. The semifinals and finals then take place on Saturday beginning at 7 a.m.