For the sixth time in its storied history, the Hoover Tornado Marching Band can call itself division champions.
The HTMB won the 3A Division Championships on Saturday night at Bolsa Grande High School, earning additional awards for High Music, High General Effect, and High Percussion—an honor the band has now secured for 12 consecutive years. Hoover flute soloist and junior Irene Seo also won the Outstanding Soloist Award and a $500 scholarship.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the HTMB has spent four years rigorously rebuilding its program. For many seniors, winning a division championship was a dream that began their freshman year.
“At first it was more so [to continue] the legacy of old Hoover, but after I joined junior staff, it became a goal of [wanting] to make my own history,” said drum major Erin Lee. “This is a huge step for the HTMB because we showed all the other bands that Hoover is back. We’ve grown not just in size, but in the way we perform as well.
“I’m just very grateful for all the people in this program—Ms. Campbell, staff, techs, students—everyone made this possible… I couldn’t thank everyone enough for how amazing this season has been so far and what State Champs will look like.”
Battery captain Adonis Stone shared similar thoughts.
“The pandemic had really destroyed this program, so it’s been insanely difficult to build all the bricks back up to this goal,” Stone said. “Finally winning that banner has felt like four years well spent for the seniors, and it really felt like this season paid off for all the members of the [band].”
Color guard captain Selia Noshadian also reflected on the fulfillment of the victory.
“Both I and the rest of the seniors have been through so much and worked so hard to earn this [during] our four years in the program. We finally brought to life the expectations our seniors and alumni set for us when we were freshmen,” said Noshadian. “It all feels real now, like we truly made an impact on the HTMB.”
Band director Melissa Campbell shared her perspective on the program’s growth.
“The HTMB’s history included a successful rebuild with a dedicated Director and Admin that led to five consecutive division championships,” said Campbell. “Since 2021, the band has been building, being challenged, and tasked with upholding the legacy of those that came before us. But as my Assistant Director [and alumni] Mr. Alex Abraamyan has said, this is a new chapter in the Hoover legacy. And it’s just getting started.”
The State Championships will take place on Saturday. The Tornados enter with the second-highest score in Divisions 1–3 and will perform at Bolsa Grande High School at 8:02 p.m.
