The Mineola, Quitman and Winnsboro high school marching bands will compete Saturday, Oct. 24, in the UIL Class 3A Area C Marching Contest at Wildcat Stadium in Whitehouse, with six spots at the state competition up for grabs.

The three Wood County bands are among 23 competing in the preliminary round. Mineola is scheduled to perform at 10:15 a.m., followed by Quitman at 10:45 a.m. and Winnsboro at 11 a.m.

All three bands have spent the fall preparing their shows, competing in marching contests and making adjustments ahead of Saturday’s competition.

Quitman High School Band Director Michael Barron said his students have taken to heart a motto the band has used throughout the season.

“Our motto has been “do your job” and the kids have been really buying into that concept. We all understand that if we as individuals do our job that our show should be great. The kids love the show. They love to perform it and absolutely love the process of learning it. They are getting ready for area this week. They know that they need to march and play well to put on a good show,” Barron said.

Quitman finished sixth Saturday at the Battle for the Spear marching contest in Winnsboro. Barron said the finish was particularly meaningful considering the competition.

“The kids were super excited to place 6th this past weekend at the Battle for the Spear in  Winnsboro. We’ve placed higher at the other 3 competitions but the 6th place spot with the competition on Saturday was huge to us,” Barron said.

Mineola High School Head Band Director Donald Myers said his students are continuing to work on the details of their show as they prepare for area competition.

“We’re excited about the opportunity ahead of us this weekend. Our students have worked incredibly hard to get to this point, and we feel good about the progress we’ve made throughout the season. Right now, our focus is on refining the small details, staying consistent, and putting together our best performance yet. We’re proud of these kids and excited for another portunity to showcase their hard work. Our goal is simple: go out, do our jobs, and make it better,” Myers said.

Winnsboro, under the direction of Cameron Warren, will perform immediately after Quitman. The Red Raider band is scheduled to be the fifth band on the field Saturday morning.

According to the official contest schedule, 33 Class 3A bands qualified at the regional level, including 23 open-class and 10 military-style bands.

The 23 open-class bands will compete Saturday, with the top 12 advancing to the evening finals. Preliminary performances begin at 10 a.m. and conclude at 4:45 p.m. Finalists will be announced at approximately 5 p.m., with finals performances beginning at 7:15 p.m.

Six bands will advance to the UIL Class 3A State Marching Band Championships Nov. 4 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Wood County will also have a band competing in Class 2A. Alba-Golden High School will participate in the UIL Class 2A Area C contest Saturday, Oct. 31, at Panther Stadium in Spring Hill.

CONTEST INFORMATION

The Class 3A Area C contest will be held at the Whitehouse Stadium Complex, 406 W. Main St., Whitehouse. The stadium is separate from the Whitehouse High School campus.

General admission tickets are $8 and are available online through GoFan.

Spectator parking will be available on the home side of the stadium, with overflow parking on the visitor side.

Visitors should use Whitehouse Junior High School, 406 W. Main St., Whitehouse, for parking directions. Parking is limited, and spectators are encouraged to allow extra time.