PCHS Winter Guard brings home second state title

Brooklynn Deckman - PCHS Bulletin

Spring break brought a time of rest for many Parrish students. However, for the Parrish Community High School Winter Guard, their spring break was a bit busier than usual. 

The 12 girls, under the direction of Stephen Alia, traveled to the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach for the Florida Federation of Color guards Circuit (FFCC) championships. 

They would end up reeling in their second state championship in three years (the first coming in 2022), representing the Scholastic AA Class Harlow Division. 

According to the Manatee County School District’s “Good News” article (which covered the Manatee County presence at the competition), “this class of performers represents the first step towards becoming a nationally competitive team and is expected to develop a greater skill set in movement, equipment, and performance.” 

The guard’s routine was Taylor Swift’s “Invisible Strings.” 

Winning a championship, let alone two in three years, is no small feat. 

“The difference was having a bigger team and also having a bigger friend group,” junior Bella Purdy stated. 

The Guard was also a part of the Pride of Parrish Marching Band season, whose “Beautifully Broken” performance earned them a 3rd place finish in the FMBC Championships. 

Purdy mentioned that the Winter Guard season looked drastically different from the marching band season.  

“Just having to learn all the work at a slower tempo than it was for marching season,” she said. 

Check out the “Good News” article from the Manatee County School District covering the championships: https://www.manateeschools.net/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=5204&ModuleInstanceID=20701&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=46752&PageID=10848