On Saturday, October 4, 2025, the Queen Anne’s County High School Marching Lions and the Kent Island High School Marching Buccaneers traveled to Colonel Richardson High School to compete in the Maryland Marching Band Association (MMBA) Week 3E Competition—and made district history.

Both ensembles earned 1st place finishes in their respective group classes, with Queen Anne’s competing in Group 1A and Kent Island in Group 2A. In addition, both bands secured 1st place awards in the specialty categories of Percussion and Color Guard, marking the first time in district history that both high school marching bands have swept their divisions on the same day.

“This was a huge moment for our district’s music programs,” said Michael Bell, Supervisor of Visual and Performing Arts. “For the first time ever, both of our high school bands earned top honors at the same event—an incredible reflection of the outstanding teaching happening in both programs and the dedication of their students. The Marching Lions have made remarkable strides this year under Mr. Wright’s direction, and to see their resurgence alongside the outstanding work of Kent Island’s Marching Buccaneers truly shows the strength of our music communities—recently nationally recognized by the NAMM Foundation as a 2025 Best Communities for Music Education.”

The Marching Buccaneers, directed by Kimberly Scully, continue to demonstrate growth and perseverance this season.

“The 2025 version of the Marching Buccaneers is a special group,” said Scully. “They have worked through much adversity this season, and their hard work is paying off at each competitive show as they demonstrate their individual and ensemble improvements.”

At Queen Anne’s County High School, Director of Bands Eric Wright shared similar pride in his students’ performance: “Our Marching Lions have been working tirelessly to rebuild the program and redefine what excellence looks like. To see their commitment rewarded with first-place finishes in every category was nothing short of inspiring.”

Both bands will advance to compete at the MMBA Eastern Regional Championships at Wicomico Stadium on October 25, 2025, followed by the Maryland State Championships at Towson University on Saturday, November 1, 2025.