CENTRAL'S BAND IN WINNING SEASON

More than 100 Central Marching Tiger Band members lined up for practice Tuesday afternoon in front of the high school.

Cape Girardeau Central High School's largest team is also one of the winningest teams at the school this year.

Band director Ron Nall said the 100 students who make up the Marching Tigers -- the high school's marching band -- are as much a team as any sports group at the school. They work together and develop discipline and endurance skills just as other teams do, he said.

And they've been recognized in several competitions for their efforts.

"I think this is the best marching band we've had," said Nall, who leads the team alongside Mark Ellison and marching-band director Neil Casey. The three share "coaching" duties with all bands, he said, with Casey serving as head coach for the marching band.

The 100-member band is hoping to end their season with a win when they travel to St. Louis for a competition held in the Trans World Dome this Saturday. The Marching Tigers will take the field for competition at 11:30 a.m.

The Marching Tigers have won top honors and numerous categorical awards three times in four major competitions this year. In the only competition they didn't win, the band placed a close second.

Band members said their wins were hard-earned because of long hours of practice and dedication. "It is a lot of work," said junior Cecilia Kuntz, one of three drum majors on the field with the band. "When marching season comes, you're basically committed to that and nothing else."

Senior Keri Woodall, who is a member of the color guard auxiliary unit, said the marching band is the only thing she thinks about through the end of marching season in early November. "Basically, you eat, breathe, sleep and twirl," she said.

Nall said the hours probably aren't that bad, but marching band does take a dedicated effort. Students began daylong practices for two weeks daily before the start of school to learn marching skills and performances that take place throughout the year, he said.

Besides a daily one-hour class during which students practice show music, students also attend marching practices for one and one-half hours three days each week, he said. Various sections may also meet for extra practices, and the auxiliary units meet once each week for an extra practice, he said.

This year's band has been committed to giving total efforts to each performance, and more importantly, to coming to all practices, he said. In fact, this year's success can largely be attributed to a nearly 99 percent attendance rate by members at all practices, he said.

"We sometimes wonder, are we good or are we just lucky?" he said. "Their attitude is perfect, their work ethic is perfect. We're really thrilled this year with the attitude and the commitment of our whole crew."