Michael Powers has had many moments in his 25-year career in music education to make him proud of his students. But right now he is so proud of his Thorndale Bulldogs Marching Band that words escape him—almost.
“Oh, gosh. I don’t have the words to express how proud I am of these kids. They have worked so hard all school year through COVID-19. It has postponed some events. It has cut down practice time,” he said a few days after the high school band had won the state 2A UIL Marching Band Championship in San Antonio.
“They never cease to amaze me. They just push harder. They have such a great work ethic—a drive to do well,” he said. “I don’t think they could make me any prouder than I feel right now.”
COVID-19 did more than postpone events, it hit Powers hard.
“I was out for two weeks with it,” he said. “Kendall Freeman, the assistant band director, had to keep things rolling.”
Then Freeman’s wife had a baby not long afterwards, so the students went for about a month with only one director.
But the band members kept on pushing, Powers said.
“It’s the coolest thing just to watch them. You can feel the energy,” he said.
But senior Evelyn Valdez wasn’t feeling that energy when it came time to hand out the awards.
“After performing our show for the last time, I was satisfied we had done our best,” she said. “Yet, at the awards, much of the band was unsure if we even placed in the top seven. The anticipation as they called out third, then second—our heads fell.”
Amber Unnasch, another senior, shared Valdez’s sinking feeling before they called out the winning band.
“I knew our performance was good from the way it felt while marching, but I still didn’t know if it was enough to place in a top spot. The announcer started with who got number seven, then six, five, and so on. When third place was called and it wasn’t Thorndale, I lost all hope and believed we had gotten a place below seventh,” Unnasch said.
The Thorndale band won the bronze medal in 2018.
McKenna Biar, who is now a senior, remembers the third-place finish that year and was doubting the band’s chances this year after this year’s bronze medalist was named.
“We were convinced this was the peak of our band career,” she said of the 2018 finish, as it played through her mind and others’ minds as they waited for the announcer to call the silver and gold medalist. “I suppose we were all a little pessimistic, because we would have never thought our senior year we would win the state marching championship.”
But they did. “Then, they called first and it was…Thorndale! I couldn’t believe it, hearing Thorndale being called. The whole band went crazy. I’ll never forget the feeling I had standing and yelling with the band,” Unnasch said. “The excitement was electric and we didn’t settle down until we got on the bus. I’m really happy we made it to state and won my senior year, it’s something I’ll always think back on and smile.”
“We screamed and cried, hugging each other tight. It was the most pure moment of true disbelief, excitement and pride,” Valdez said.
Biar was also proud, but for an added reason.
“I joined the band because of my late brother Jacob’s passion about it,” she said. “He inspired me with his enthusiasm throughout the years. During his time in the band he got the opportunity to go to state in 2009 and in 2011. I was determined that I, too, had to go to state twice because I wanted to see both of our pictures hanging side by side on the band hall wall and I know he helped us make that happen.”
The students can now relish that they are state champions and that is something they will always have, but in a few months they will end their high school careers and go their separate ways.
“The hard work and fun that has been given this year has made me realize how hard it’s going to be to say goodbye to Mr. Powers, Mr. Freeman and those who will continue to give their time to the Thorndale band,” Valdez said. “I am so grateful and proud that I am able to say I was a member of the 2020 state champs of the 2A bands of Texas.”
Biar agreed.
“I am extremely proud of the band because they stayed strong and pushed through even though there were a few bumps along the way and I am immensely grateful for everyone in band and for our wonderful directors Mr. Powers and Mr. Freeman,” she said. “Taking home the first place trophy at the 2A state marching competition represented the past six years I have dedicated to the Fightin’ Band from Bulldog Land. There at the Alamodome was the last time I marched with my band family.”
The state championship was also especially meaningful to Powers.
“I am so lucky in that in 2018 and 2020 when we went to state and brought home the bronze and the gold that I got to do that with both my sons,” he said of his boys, Trace and Garrett, who were on the squad.
While the senior band members will move on, Powers, who has been at Thorndale for six years, will march on with the returning members and a new crop of first-year students.
There is no topping a state championship, so the goal becomes to stay on top of the mountain.
“We brought home the gold, so I would like to see our composite scoring get closer to the single digits,” Powers said of his plan for next year.
So that means working on the music while continuing the excellence in marching reflected in this year’s championship scoring.
There are five judges with three of them scoring on music and two scoring on marching, he said.
There were 18 teams that made it to state and each judge gave them a ranking from 1 to 18. Thorndale got two sixes and one five in music while the marching judges gave them a one and a two.
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