Pride of the Dutchmen band earns bronze in Phoenix
By Tim Gallaghertgallagher@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Tuesday, January 06, 2009
ORANGE CITY, Iowa -- The Pride of the Dutchmen Marching Band from MOC-Floyd Valley High School in Orange City earned third place Saturday at the 2009 Fort McDowell Fiesta Bowl Parade in Phoenix.
"It might have been the most enjoyable parade that we have marched in over the years," said director Steve Connell. "The streets were lined six or seven deep on both sides for almost the entire parade route, and the crowd really loved the band. The band was very strong and loud on Saturday, and the wooden shoes are always a big hit."
MOC-Floyd Valley High School was the smallest school to enter the 2009 competition. It was the most competitive field of bands in the history of the Fiesta Bowl, according to Connell, as two former and one current national champion band competed.
The Pride of the Dutchmen also competed at the Fiesta Bowl National Field Championship competition in the University of Phoenix Stadium at Glendale, Ariz., on Thursday, finishing ninth overall.
"We knew that the weather in Iowa over the past two months put us at a distinct disadvantage in the competition. The snow, ice and poor weather prevented us from any kind of field rehearsal since early November," Connell noted. "We rehearse for a few hours on New Year's Eve just to try to see if we could remember the show. ... I could not have been more pleased with the performance."
"It might have been the most enjoyable parade that we have marched in over the years," said director Steve Connell. "The streets were lined six or seven deep on both sides for almost the entire parade route, and the crowd really loved the band. The band was very strong and loud on Saturday, and the wooden shoes are always a big hit."
MOC-Floyd Valley High School was the smallest school to enter the 2009 competition. It was the most competitive field of bands in the history of the Fiesta Bowl, according to Connell, as two former and one current national champion band competed.
The Pride of the Dutchmen also competed at the Fiesta Bowl National Field Championship competition in the University of Phoenix Stadium at Glendale, Ariz., on Thursday, finishing ninth overall.
"We knew that the weather in Iowa over the past two months put us at a distinct disadvantage in the competition. The snow, ice and poor weather prevented us from any kind of field rehearsal since early November," Connell noted. "We rehearse for a few hours on New Year's Eve just to try to see if we could remember the show. ... I could not have been more pleased with the performance."
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