2022 West Virginia State Marching Band Invitational Championship Winners Announced

News Release
November 7, 2022

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Forty-six bands from around the state, including one exhibition band, showcased their talents in the eleventh annual West Virginia State Marching Band Invitational Championship at the University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field on Saturday, Oct. 29. The Milton and Barboursville middle school bands opened the event with the national anthem.

A complete list of winners is included below.

Cabell Midland High School won the Overall “Honor Band” Award and Old Gold Division Grand Champion, and Paden City High School won the Blue Division Grand Champion award. Bands were judged on general effect, marching and maneuvering, music, music effect, percussion, drum major, color guard, majorettes and feature twirler.

Cabell Midland took home the 2022 Governor’s Cup Marching Band Series Championship trophy with a first-place finish in the overall standings. The Governor’s Cup consisted of 12 local competitions, along with the Marching Band Invitational finals. Points were awarded at each competition and then the winner was determined by the band who received the most points throughout the series.

This year’s event also included a drumline competition, with Philip Barbour High School winning first prize.

Participating bands were Bluefield High School, Bluefield, Mercer County; Braxton County High School, Sutton, Braxton County; Buckhannon-Upshur High School, Buckhannon, Upshur County; Cabell Midland High School, Ona, Cabell County; Calhoun County Middle/High School, Mt. Zion, Calhoun County; Capital High School, Charleston, Kanawha County; Chapmanville High School, Chapmanville, Logan County; Doddridge County High School, West Union, Doddridge County (exhibition); Elkins High School, Elkins, Randolph County; Greenbrier East High School, Lewisburg, Greenbrier County; Greenbrier West High School, Charmco, Greenbrier County; Hurricane High School, Hurricane, Putnam County; Independence High School, Coal City, Raleigh County; James Monroe County High School, Lindside, Monroe County; Liberty High School, Clarksburg, Harrison County; Liberty High School, Glen Daniel, Raleigh County; Lincoln County High School, Hamlin, Lincoln County; Martinsburg High School, Martinsburg, Berkeley County; Musselman High School, Inwood, Berkeley County; Nitro High School, Nitro, Kanawha County; North Marion High School, Farmington, Marion County; Oak Hill High School, Oak Hill, Fayette County; Paden City High School, Paden City, Wetzel County; Parkersburg High School, Parkersburg, Wood County; Parkersburg South High School, Parkersburg, Wood County; Petersburg High School, Petersburg, Grant County, Philip Barbour High School, , Philippi, Barbour County; PikeView High School, Princeton, Mercer County; Poca High School, Poca, Putnam County; Princeton High School, Princeton, Mercer County; Ravenswood High School, Ravenswood, Jackson County; Richwood High School, Richwood, Nicholas County; Robert C. Byrd High School, Clarksburg, Harrison County; St. Albans High School, St. Albans, Kanawha County; St. Marys High School, St. Marys, Pleasants County; Scott High School, Madison, Boone County; Shady Spring High School, Shady Spring, Raleigh County; Sissonville High School, Charleston, Kanawha County; South Charleston High School, South Charleston, Kanawha County; Wayne High School, Wayne, Wayne County; Webster County High School, Upperglade, Webster County; Westside High School, Clear Fork, Wyoming County; Williamstown High School, Williamstown, Wood County; Wirt County High School, Elizabeth, Wirt County; Woodrow Wilson High School, Beckley, Raleigh County; and Wyoming East High School, New Richmond, Wyoming County.

The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) also inducted two into the State Marching Band Directors Hall of Fame. Honorees include Gail Kennedy, former band director at Spring Hill Junior High School, South Charleston High School and Poca High School, and the late Thomas Eschbacher, former band director at Washington Junior High School and Parkersburg South High School. The inductees were selected from a list of nominations submitted to the WVDACH.

The West Virginia State Marching Band Invitational Championship was sponsored by the WVDACH in participation with the Save The Music Foundation, Conn-Selmer Division of Education, the West Virginia Department of Education and the Higher Education Policy Commission. The State Marching Band Championship helps to promote, encourage and celebrate arts education throughout West Virginia.

For more information about the State Marching Band Championship, contact Andrea Nelson, public information specialist for the department, at (304) 558-0220 or Andrea.E.Nelson@wv.gov.

The winners of the State Marching Band Invitational Championship are as follows:

Governor’s Cup Marching Band Series