The history of the Weddington Marching Warriors begins with the opening of Weddington Middle School in the fall of 1998 with Mekel Rogers assuming the position of Director of Bands after a three year tenure at Parkwood Middle School. Weddington Middle was created to relieve the population overflow from Sun Valley Middle. Because of a delay in construction, Weddington High School did not open until the fall of 2000, essentially meaning that WMS 8th graders marched at Sun Valley High School in their freshman year before moving back to Weddington High School for their sophomore year.
BEGINNINGS (2000-2006)
In 2000 Weddington High School officially opened and fielded its first marching program under the direction of Tom Moncrief. Sporting dark blue pants, a white top with green trim, and white shakos, Weddington established its identity over the next several years. Show concepts were diverse and relied heavily on visual effect. Marching shows attempted during this time included:
2000 - Ultimate Spy Show
2001 - History of Flight
2002 - Na Na Shi
2003 - Jump, Jive, and Wail
2004 - Pirates of the Caribbean
2005 - The Shadow
Winter percussion was also a focus of the program during this time, with several unique show concepts including a "Billiards" theme in which percussionists were dressed as various billiard balls performing on a "pool table" tarp.
After six years Tom Moncrief left Weddington High School and made way for a new chapter in the marching band's evolution.
REBIRTH (2006-2012)
The year 2006 saw a major shift in the Weddington Marching Warriors with the arrival of new director Robert Owens. With an emphasis on clean marching technique and characteristic tone quality in the music, the Warriors began an impressive run of shows that abandoned gimmicks, focused on basics, and succeeded competitively.
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| 2006 |
Grand Champion awards were won at various competitions in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Weddington also enjoyed a long string of high scoring drum majors during this time who led well both on and off the field.
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| 2008 |
Further, the color guard section developed into a strong competitive group, utilizing more dance and weapon work in their routines and enjoying several winning seasons.
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| 2009 |
Shows performed by the Warriors included:
2006 - Grease
2007 - Quidam, Cirque du Soleil
2008 - Flight
2009 - Video Games
2010 - American Salute
2011 - Dark Classics
The winter program during this time shifted its focus from percussion to color guard. With the competitive success of the winter guards in 2009 and 2010, as well as the increased quality of the fall guard program, the visual impact of the Marching Warriors was greatly improved.
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| 2010 |
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| 2010 |
Despite having the band program split twice in six years to populate first Marvin Ridge HS, and then Cuthbertson HS, the Weddington program not only survived, but continued to achieve a high level of success. After six seasons, Rob Owens said farewell to Weddington High School and ushered in the next era for the Marching Warriors.
PROSPERITY (2012-2020)
Jill Brooks took over as the Director of Bands for Weddington High School in 2012 with Mekel Rogers continuing to provide quality music students from Weddington Middle School. The Marching Warriors under Jill Brooks immediately began moving in new directions. A larger staff, more concept based shows, complex visual demands, and an expanded percussion section all contributed to a final product that broadened the competitive possibilities for Weddington.
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| 2012 |
Success in South Carolina competitions during the 2012 season as well as performing in larger classes during the 2013 season allowed the Marching Warriors to experience new competitive challenges. A huge improvement in the percussion section led to many caption wins in 2013 and 2014. Strong showings during the 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019 seasons in the music, color guard, and drum major captions continue to establish the quality and longevity of the band program over the years. Shows performed during this era included:
2012 - Impressions of Spring
2013 - Stone By Stone We Rise
2014 - Manifest Destiny
2015 - The Ties that Bind
2016 - The Other Side
2017 - Chroma
2018 - The Woods
2019 - Classically Twisted
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| 2013 |
The 2019 season also brought a new look to the Marching Warriors with a fresh uniform design featuring more modern elements such as black pants, a black and gray jacket with silver trim, and various shades of green on the upper body and shakos.
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| 2019 |
The 2020 marching season was severely restricted due to the Covid19 pandemic. Competitions and parades were cancelled nationwide, and events were limited to essentially small pep band performances during the spring. After a record nine year tenure, Jill Brooks departed Weddington High School to focus on raising her two children.
REGENERATION (2021-present)
In 2021, Mallory Norton assumed the position of Director of Bands for Weddington High School with Mekel Rogers continuing to serve as the Director of Bands at Weddington Middle School.
As Weddington moves forward, the Marching Warriors continue to maintain their educational goals of performing quality music well and demonstrating high marching standards while providing audiences with entertaining productions year after year.
In 2021, Mallory Norton assumed the position of Director of Bands for Weddington High School with Mekel Rogers continuing to serve as the Director of Bands at Weddington Middle School.
As Weddington moves forward, the Marching Warriors continue to maintain their educational goals of performing quality music well and demonstrating high marching standards while providing audiences with entertaining productions year after year.
