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The 2012 Class 3A Grand Champion Ripley High School Marching Band.
It was the school’s second state marching title under RHS band director Sam Cunningham. They last won the title in 2006. Cunningham is assisted by Tammy Hight and Tim Jackson.
Just seven Class 3A schools made the state championships. Ripley qualified for the finals along with four other northeast Mississippi schools—Booneville, Kossuth, South Pontotoc and Alcorn Central—after Saturday afternoon quarterfinals.
Following their final marching performance of this year’s show, “The Cost of Freedom”, Ripley was 3rd place in color guard, 2nd place in percussion, 1st place in general effect, 1st place in marching, and 1st place in music before the final announcement of Grand Champions.
The RHS Band competed in five marching competitions around the north Mississippi area in the run-up to the statewide competition. They had two second place and two third place Class 3A finishes in four of the five events and received all superior ratings in the other.
Read more in the Wednesday, Oct. 31 edition of the Southern Sentinel.