SPRING-FORD- Last weekend, the North Penn Marching Knights achieved first place at Spring-Ford High School’s Pageantry of Sound. This was their first of seven competitions for this season. Band Director Ted Heller, though extremely happy with these results, admitted he was surprised at how well the Marching Knights did at this first competition.

“[This year] there is a new director, a new staff, [and] a new rehearsal schedule. With so many elements that are new, I just did not know what to expect. It was a nice surprise,” said Heller.

Not only did they get first place in their division, but the North Penn Marching Knights scored the highest out of all twelve bands that attended this competition. Within their division, which is based upon the size of the performance, they competed against Perkiomen Valley High School, Central Bucks High School South, Nazareth Area High School, and Phoenixville Area High School. North Penn’s score was 83.075, and the point spread between North Penn and the second place scorer, Nazareth Area High School, was 3.425. This difference is very substantial for the band, and they were proud of this victory.

“With the large point spread between first and second place, it was a decisive victory and it caught us all off guard,” Heller said.

Senior Nick Neu is in his fourth year playing the trumpet in the North Penn Marching Knights and was also excited to have done so well at their first competition.

“Last year was a down season for us. Starting this season, to go out and win like that, it’s a big confidence booster and good way to get the season rolling,” said Neu.

Though the Marching Knights’ competition season ends in November, you can find them performing all year at various events such as the football games, the Mardi Gras parade, the Memorial Day Parade, and a Mayfair performance. As they progress through their season, they’re sure to continue working hard to produce more victories. For updates on their competition season, be sure to follow them on Twitter @NPHS_NPMK.