'Best In Show' For Second-Straight Year Won By Ridgewood Marching Band

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Performing in its first competition of the school year, the Ridgewood High School Band Program took the top spot in the Marching Band Competition Saturday at Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan.

As the jumping-off point for the season, Marching Band Director John Luckenbill said, this competition, against eight other performing bands, allowed Ridgewood to premiere its field show, "The Maroon and Gold Parade," for the competitive community.

"So, now we make small detailed changes, make the show more cohesive, and polish the show as much as we can," Luckenbill said.

Ridgewood won "Best in Show," meaning the band had posted the highest score among all of the competitors. This was the second consecutive year Ridgewood had won the top title, Luckenbill said.

NVOT Marching Band competition is a local show in USBands, the nation's largest competitive Marching Band circuit. The goal now, Luckenbill said, is to improve every competition, which will take place every Saturday until National Championships on Nov. 6.

Next week, the band will be performing at a competition at Randolph High School, and on Oct. 8, will perform at The Ludwig Musser Classic at MetLife Stadium.

Ridgewood High School Bands is marking its 100th anniversary this year, and this year's show, along with many planned events, helps celebrate that, Patch previously reported.