Winter Guard had their first performance at Hendrickson on Saturday, January 26. The guard placed first out of seven teams.

“We have such a high standard because we were state champions last year,” Shilo Criswell, sophomore, said. “You just want to live up to all the expectations the directors are giving you and despite all the other schools who want to beat you, so it’s definitely nerve-wracking.”

The guard has been practicing their show since November. The show combines the use of their flags, rifles, and dancing. It is called “On the Lighter Side.” The song used is “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Annie Lennox. “We have over half of the guard are new people so it takes a lot of practice to get to a certain level, to make sure everybody has all the same skills,” Criswell said.

The practices are long and differ from day to day. Monday has a practice of four hours and 30 minutes, Wednesday is two hours long, and then, of course, practice in class everyday.

“I was very stressed out when they were announcing scores, but right after they announced second place… your heart is speeding so fast and it feels so great once they announce your name under first place, it’s just great,” Criswell said.

The next competition will be at Cedar Park High School against five teams on Saturday, February 2, and the guard will perform around 3 p.m.