Ridgeview High School's Panther Pride Marching Band earned first place overall in the 3A division at a competition this season, its first top finish in the classification since 2021, Clay Today reported.

The band also earned visual and color guard caption awards during the season and received an overall superior rating at the Florida Bandmasters Association District 21 Marching Music Performance Assessment, the highest rating available. Ridgeview High School separately confirmed the superior rating in an announcement recognizing the band's achievement.

The program has reached its largest size in band director Arnaldo Colón's 14-year tenure at the Orange Park school.

"This year is probably the largest that I've had it. On the marching field were about almost 90, but in the classroom it's well over 100," Colón told Clay Today.

Colón said the band was one of the few programs to grow during the pandemic, when many schools lost the in-person element. Ridgeview's numbers increased and have continued to climb since.

"It's hundreds if not thousands of hours for a show that's seven and a half minutes long," Colón said.

That work starts well before the season, with weekly practices, summer band camps and daily rehearsals.

Seniors set the tone

Two seniors anchor the ensemble. Daniela Turrent plays alto saxophone and conducts during marching season. Dre Dunbar plays tenor saxophone and tuba.

"You can play notes on a page, but I think love and passion for everything that you do is what truly makes a piece," Turrent told Clay Today.

Both plan to carry music forward after graduation. Turrent plans to attend Florida State College at Jacksonville to study radiology. Dunbar plans to study nursing or music education. Both said music will remain part of their lives.

"I want to continue music for the rest of my life. Music's my life," Dunbar said, according to Clay Today.

Competition results

At the Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit outdoor event hosted at Orange Park High School on Oct. 17, official competition results show Ridgeview placed second in 3A with a score of 72.225, behind Sandalwood High School's 75.625.

Ridgeview earned the Best Visual caption at that event, while Fletcher High School received Best Color Guard.

The Oct. 17 results are separate from the first-place 3A finish reported by Clay Today. The specific competition where Ridgeview earned that first-place finish has not been independently confirmed.

The Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit schedule lists the 1A-3A championships for Nov. 14, with the competition season still underway.