Marching Trojans playing to their strengths

By enrollment, Center Grove is among the state’s largest schools.

But its band is routinely outnumbered during competition.

The Marching Trojans will take 130 members to the Class A state marching band finals Saturday in Indianapolis. Bands from division rivals Ben Davis and Avon are nearly twice that size.

But the Center Grove musicians say their size will be a strength, not a weakness, when they compete for an Indiana State School Music Association state title at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Their band placed fifth of 10 bands in last year’s finals, and students say they are aiming for the top spot this year.

“We base our show around our strengths and maximize the potential of every kid,” band director Kevin Schuessler said. “It has been a blessing. We have been ranking very high on individual marching and music.”

Their show is written with more chances for small sections to be heard, something a larger band can’t pull off, said Hanah Sloan, a junior flute player. And it’s easier to polish the music of fewer band members, she added.

This story appears in the print edition of Daily Journal. Subscribers can read the entire story online by signing in here or in our e-Edition by clicking here.