With a theme of "The Search for El Dorado," Donegal High School marching band did much more than find a mythical city during its most recent season. The band also earned its third consecutive Cavalcade Championship on Nov. 1 at Dallastown Area High School. Additionally, the band took home awards for High Music, High Overall Effect, Best Percussion Section and High Visual.

This year's band featured about 30 students, who delivered a show full of drama and flair.

"We traveled through the jungle and over a river and through the mountains to find El Dorado," said Abigail Waldron, a senior who is the band vice president and woodwind section leader and plays the alto saxophone.

Senior Samantha Alampi, who is the band president and percussion section leader, plays electric keyboard in the band. She explained the qualities judges consider when awarding the honors.

"High Music is the highest score overall for music," she said. "It's focused on what the musicians are playing, disregarding any visuals. High Visual judges the color guard, partially on technique and partially on form. Are we in straight lines, and things like that."

Best Percussion ranks the percussion section out of 200 points, and Overall Effect considers the show as a whole.

"It's like a vibe check of the show," Samantha said. "It's focused on how impactful our choices are and how impactful the design is."

Donegal's visuals included costume changes for the color guard members, when they transformed from wearing beige safari outfits to glittery gold costumes, as well as backdrops that included curtains constructed of artificial vines that parted to reveal a digital image of El Dorado.

The band members expected to do well going into the competition, because the season had already been a successful one for the group.

"We won all of our other competitions, and we also got the highest scores out of our division," shared Rita Engel, a junior who is the band secretary and plays the mellophone. "We were in first place for our whole season. We had to just make sure we were in the right mindset to work hard and get the job done. Most of the band was confident we were going to win."

She noted that having elaborate scenery and props worked in the band's favor to win over the judges, but it required extra effort from the band members themselves.

"Usually, bands march onto the field," she said. "We had to sprint onto the field, pushing props and boxes, and set it all up before the show started. We were usually out of breath before the show even began."

When it was time for the announcement of the winners at the Cavalcade, the band members knew they had done their best, but they were still nervous to hear the results, Samantha said.

"We stood there, holding hands really tight while they were announcing every other score possible except for our division," she noted. "It was a long wait to hear our name, and then a couple of us were crying. We were all really excited to win."

In the past, the band members have been greeted by supporters when they returned to the high school after the competition, and they've even been treated to an escort through town.

"This year, we didn't get back to school until about midnight, so it more low-key this time," Samantha said. "We did go to McDonald's with the whole band on the way home."

The girls emphasized that their success would not be possible without the support of many people, including director Dale Sellers; visual director Nicole Witmer; color guard instructor Yasmine Moyer; and Stan Tucker, who helps in a variety of ways.

"Shout out to all of our directors, the parents who help get us on and off the field and pack up the band, the band moms who keep us fed and the other high school students who help with props," Samantha said. "Everyone who helped who isn't in the band also deserves a huge shout-out for winning the championship. Without them, we'd all be hungry, tired, annoyed, and we wouldn't be able to perform our best."