The sounds of brass and woodwinds mingled with the beat of drums and the cheers of the crowd, filling the crisp mountain air as spectators gathered in the stands. Student performers hustled on and off the field, flags shimmered under the stadium lights, and the synchronized pulse of marching feet moved through the stadium. From the first blast of the morning warmups to the final note of the night, the Tournament of Champions buzzed with energy and school spirit.
E.J. Whitmire Stadium came alive with music on Saturday, Oct. 19, as Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band hosted the 24th annual Tournament of Champions. Students from 21 high school bands from across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida competed for top honors.
After a full day of preliminary performances scored by nationally recognized judges, 12 bands advanced to the finals round.
And the best of the best this time are:
· Clover High School from Clover, South Carolina, earned the Grand Champion title.
· Pope High School from Marietta, Georgia, finished second.
· Green Hope High School from Cary, North Carolina, placed third. Green Hope also received the North Carolina Honour Roll trophy, awarded to the highest-scoring band from the state.
The competition reached audiences far beyond Cullowhee, with more than 15,000 viewers tuning into the Whee TV livestream to watch the performances and awards ceremony. Hundreds more filled the stands throughout the day, cheering on students and celebrating a shared passion for marching music.
“It felt really great! All the hard work we did this season really showed up for all of us, and I genuinely had fun performing,” said Jordyn Morris, a color guard member from Cox Mill High School. “ToC is different because it’s the biggest competition of our season, and performing on a college field makes it more of a big deal for us. Our goal was to make finals and have the two best runs of the season.”
Now in its 24th year, the Tournament of Champions competition is deeply embedded in the history of Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band. What began as a regional showcase has grown into one of the Southeast’s premier high school band competitions, reflecting the band’s long tradition of musical excellence and outreach.
The Pride of the Mountains performed their 2025 field show, “CONNECT,” in two exhibition performances, first before the finals and again to close the evening, earning a standing ovation from the crowd of high school marchers and parents.
“The Tournament of Champions has a special place in my heart,” said Olivia Haley, a flute player in the Pride of the Mountains. “I was first introduced to the Pride of the Mountains when I performed at ToC as a high schooler in 2022 and thought their show was phenomenal. So, I appreciate being to make an impact on potential Pride of the Mountains members.”
Lizzy Bargher, woodwind caption coordinator for Pride of the Mountains, said the event is an opportunity to inspire the next generation of musicians.
“Now that I’m a caption coordinator, ToC has morphed into a way to encourage my own students and peers to share their love of music with these high schoolers,” Bargher said. “It’s so much more than recruitment; it encourages these young students to keep music in their lives. For some, this is one of the only safe spaces they have, so if we can encourage music and the arts through any means possible, we absolutely should.”
The Tournament of Champions highlights exceptional musicianship and serves as a recruitment opportunity, inspiring high school musicians to consider continuing their passion at Western Carolina University.
The reporter is a member of POTM.
