Giving the Marching Knights their due

While The Reporter does a great job covering local high school sports, I think it’s also important that we recognize the accomplishments of the 82 members of the North Penn Marching Knights, who have recently completed a distinguished competitive season.

These young people have dedicated countless hours practicing, improving, and perfecting their performance in spite of grueling heat and humidity, rain, wind, and cold. They rehearse throughout the summer culminating with Band Camp in August. In the fall, they have evening practices three days a week, Friday night football games, and Saturday rehearsals followed by evening competitions.

Their accomplishments this year include five first place wins and one second place finish, with scores improving every week. Throughout the season, they won many caption awards for Best Color Guard, Best Music, and Best Visual Effect. They finished the season as the Class IV Open PA State Champions and placed fifth out of nine bands at the National Championships.

Of course, their accomplishments would not be possible without the dedicated staff and volunteers who support them. Each staff member uses his or her particular expertise to elicit the best in each student. Volunteers build props, sew flags, transport equipment, feed band members, run football refreshment stands, and raise funds to help pay staff salaries and other expenses. Thank you to all the staff, especially band director Ted Heller, show designer Eric Kitchenman, and show design coordinator Rich Hammond. And thanks to all the parents and grandparents who carted their kids to and from practice.

Since I can barely walk and chew gum at the same time, I marvel at the ability of these teenagers to make beautiful music and intricate formations at the same time.

Congratulations, Marching Knights! You can be proud.