Saugus High Marching Centurions take 7th place in Southern California championships

The Saugus High Marching Centurions capped their competition season with a seventh-place finish in Division 4-A in the Southern California Schools Band and Orchestra Association championships at Valencia High School in Placentia on Saturday night.

There were 12 high school bands competing in the Division 4-A Southern California championships. The Saugus High band, performing “All The Queen’s Roses,” was making its second trip in a row to the Southern California championships. They were sixth place in Division 4-A in 2021.

The Southern California band championships were canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic.

The Hart High band won the Division 4-A Southern California championship. It was Hart’s 15th Southern California band championship. Hart also won the high music and high auxiliary awards in Division 4-A.

The Saugus High Marching Centurions came into the Southern California championships with impressive showings at the Valencia Field Tournament and Oxnard Field Tournament.

The Saugus High band was first place in Division 4-A at the Valencia Tournament on Nov. 11. The Saugus High band won first place in auxiliary, general effects, visual performance, music and band sweepstakes at the 36th Keepin the Music Alive Field Tournament at Oxnard High School on Nov. 12.

“It’s a great way to finish,” Saugus High band director Bob Grigas said after the Oxnard tournament. 

In other Southern California band championships, Castaic was first in Division 1-A at Downey High School. It was the first Southern California band championship in school history for Castaic. 

Valencia took first place in Division 2-A at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside. Golden Valley took fourth place in Division 2-A.

West Ranch took fifth place in Division 5-A at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside. Chino High School was first place in Division 5-A. West Ranch won first place in Division 4-A in 2021. 

The Saugus High Marching Centurions have been invited to participate in the Memorial Day parade in Washington, D.C. in May. Follow the band’s journey to Washington, D.C. on the Road to Washington podcast available at https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ZI2ShOIOyiATjsm107sJt?si=f456dbb82cbb4c46

The Saugus High Marching Centurions are having a donut decorating fundraiser at the California Bakery and Cafe, 23021 Soledad Canyon Road,  at noon on Saturday, Nov. 26. Funds raised will be used for the Saugus band and color guard’s trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Memorial Day parade at the White House in May. 

Saugus High Marching Centurions headed to Southern California championships

The Saugus High Marching Centurions are headed to the Southern California Schools Band and Orchestra Association Championships for the second year in a row.

The Division 4-A Southern California championships will be at Valencia High School in Placentia on Saturday, Nov. 19. There are 14 high school bands competing in Division 4-A, including Hart High School.

Saugus High is ranked No. 5 in Division 4-A. Hart is the No. 1 ranked school in Division 4-A for the Southern California championships. The schools are ranked by their top two scores in competitions prior to the Southern California championships.

Saugus High made its first appearance in the Southern California championship in five years in 2021. The Saugus High Marching Centurions finished in sixth place in Division 4-A in 2021 in the competition at Ramona High School in Riverside.

Hart High finished in second place in the Division 4-A Southern California championships in 2021. 

The Saugus High band and color guard is coming off a pair of first-place performances. The first was in Division 4-A at the Valencia Field Tournament on Friday, Nov. 11. The Saugus band and color guard won sweepstakes awards in auxiliary, general effects, visual performance, music and band at the Oxnard Field Tournament at Oxnard High School on Saturday, Nov. 12.

“It’s a great way to finish. What they’re doing now is consistent,” said Saugus High band director Bob Grigas. “I would not be surprised if they made top five. And that is kind of what we were hoping for this year. Just getting one place above where we were last year. Last year, we got sixth. I was hoping we would get to fifth this year.”

The Saugus High Marching Centurions have been invited to participate in the Memorial Day parade in Washington, D.C. in May. Follow the band’s journey to Washington, D.C. on the Road to Washington podcast available at https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ZI2ShOIOyiATjsm107sJt?si=f456dbb82cbb4c46

Saugus High Marching Centurions put together pair of impressive performances

The Saugus High Marching Centurions might have been a little under the weather, but they put on a pair of sick performances at Valencia High School and Oxnard High School this weekend, taking first place in a number of categories, and heading into the Southern California championships with plenty of momentum.

The Saugus High Marching Centurions, performing “All the Queen’s Roses,” all but swept the sweepstakes awards at Oxnard on Saturday, Nov. 12. The Saugus High band and color guard won first place in auxiliary, general effects, visual performance, music and band sweepstakes. The only sweepstakes award the Saugus band didn’t win was percussion. That award went to San Marcos High School.

The Saugus band, however, won the overall percussion award.

“They played really well. More energy today, a little more hype,” Saugus High band director Bob Grigas said. “It was good. It felt nice.”

San Marcos won the auxiliary award and the band award. Quartz Hill High School was the winner in Division 4-A.

There were seven schools competing in two divisions at the 36th Keepin the Music Alive Field Tournament at Oxnard High School, the last scheduled competition for Saugus High before the Southern California championships at Valencia High in Placentia on Saturday, Nov. 19.

The Saugus High Marching Centurions took first place in Division 4-A at the Valencia High School Field Tournament on Friday, Nov. 11, at Valencia High School. The Saugus band and color guard was also third in overall open auxiliary and fourth in overall open percussion.

“I wasn’t expecting as low as we got,” Grigas said. “I wasn’t expecting higher than Bakersfield.”

The Saugus High band and color guard won the high general effects award, in addition to sweeping first-place awards in band, auxiliary and percussion in Division 4-A at the Music in Motion Field Tournament at Centennial High School in Bakersfield on Nov. 5.

About 20 members of the band and color guard were missing for the Valencia Field Tournament. They were out sick after a week of rehearsing in cold and rainy conditions. 

“Today they were just off. It was an off day,” Grigas said after the Valencia Field Tournament on Friday. “A lot of kids were sick, a lot of kids were out. Electronics didn’t work. Malfunctions. Stuff just happens. They’ve been improving every single week, working on consistency. This was just a bad show.”

Castaic High took first place in Division 1-A.

Golden Valley took second place and Canyon took fourth place in Division 2-A. Cleveland High won first place in Division 2-A.

Santa Monica took first place in Division 5-A.

West Ranch High won the overall percussion award, and the sweepstakes awards in auxiliary, high visual effect, high music and high visual performance.

There were 15 schools competing in four divisions at the 10th Valencia Field Tournament.

The Saugus High Marching Centurions are having a donut decorating fundraiser at the California Bakery and Cafe, 23021 Soledad Canyon Road,  at noon on Nov. 26. Funds raised will be used for the Saugus band and color guard’s trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Memorial Day parade at the White House in May. 

The winner of the donut decorating contest will receive a first-place diploma and a cash prize. Elementary, middle school, high school students and members of the community are invited to participate. 

Follow the band’s journey to Washington, D.C., on the Road to Washington podcast available at https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ZI2ShOIOyiATjsm107sJt?si=f456dbb82cbb4c46

Saugus High Marching Centurions Reach New Highs

The Saugus High Marching Centurions made an impressive showing at the Music in Motion Field Tournament at Centennial High School in Bakersfield on Saturday, Nov. 5.

The Saugus High band and color guard, performing “All The Queen’s Roses,” won the high general effects award, in addition to sweeping first-place awards in Division 4-A at the competition.

There were 19 schools competing in six divisions at the Music in Motion Field Tournament.

Saugus High, the only school from Santa Clarita competing in the Music in Motion event, took first place in band, auxiliary and percussion in Division 4-A.

The Saugus High Marching Centurions earned their highest marks in the competition season at the Bakersfield tournament, setting them up for qualifying in Southern California regionals and championship tournaments.

The Saugus High band is coming off an impressive performance at the Simi Valley Spectacular Field Tournament on Oct. 20, when they swept first-place awards in band, auxiliary and percussion in Division 4-A. Saugus High band director Bob Grigas said the Simi Valley performance was the best of the year for the band before the Bakersfield event.

“Students were able to put the final movement on the field which helped us with our score,” Grigas said after the Simi Valley tournament, adding the band members are “polishing” the third movement and improving their endurance for the whole show.

The Saugus High Marching Centurions have a busy weekend coming up. They are entered in the Valencia Field Tournament at Valencia High School on Friday and the Keepin the Music Alive Field Tournament at Oxnard High School on Saturday. 

There are 16 schools entered in four divisions in the Valencia Field Tournament. There are seven schools entered in two divisions in the Oxnard Field Tournament. 

The Saugus High Marching Centurions have been invited to participate in the Memorial Day parade in Washington, D.C. in May. Follow the band’s journey to Washington, D.C. on the Road to Washington podcast available at https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ZI2ShOIOyiATjsm107sJt?si=f456dbb82cbb4c46

Saugus High Marching Centurions hit high note in Simi Valley

The Saugus High Marching Centurions swept the awards in Division 4-A at the Simi Valley Band Spectacular Field Tournament at Simi Valley High School on Saturday night.

The Saugus High band and color guard, performing ``All The Queens Roses,’’ recorded its highest score of the competition season at the Simi Valley field tournament and took first place in auxiliary and percussion in Division 4-A.

Santa Monica High School, competing in Division 5-A, won the sweepstakes awards in band, auxiliary and percussion.

There were 22 bands competing in seven divisions at the Simi Valley field tournament.

Valencia High School took first place in band, auxiliary and percussion in the 2-A Gold Division. 

Golden Valley High School was second in auxiliary and third in band and percussion in the 2-A Gold Division.

The Saugus High Marching Centurions are headed to Bakersfield on Saturday for the 26th Music in Motion Field Tournament at Centennial High School. There are 20 high school bands entered in six divisions in the Music in Motion competition.

The Music in Motion field tournament starts at 2 p.m. Saugus High is scheduled to perform at 5:45 p.m. in Division 4-A.

The Saugus High band won the percussion sweepstakes award at the Music in Motion competition in 2021. The band also took first place in Division 4-A and the color guard took first place in auxiliary in Division 4-A.

Saugus High is the only school from Santa Clarita competing in the Music in Motion field tournament.

The Saugus High Marching Centurions have been invited to participate in the Memorial Day parade in Washington, D.C. in May. Follow the band’s journey to Washington, D.C. on the Road to Washington podcast available at https://open.spotify.com/episode/4sP5pRVINnMC6PPi0nxVhX?si=DCi32A0SR3yaT3UnJlEf6Q