ST. GEORGE — Green Canyon and Ridgeline high schools captured state championships Friday at the Utah Red Rocks State Marching Band Championships, capping a successful season for Cache Valley marching bands at Utah Tech University’s Greater Zion Stadium.
Green Canyon not only claimed the 5A Open division championship but also earned the highest score of any marching band competing at the state championships, edging perennial powerhouse American Fork by just 0.012 points.
The Green Canyon Wolves finished with a score of 91.275, narrowly surpassing American Fork’s 91.263, which earned the Cavemen the championship in the 6A Open division.
Under the direction of Jake Andersen, Green Canyon delivered a dominant performance with its 2026 show, “Festivity,” sweeping all four caption awards in the 5A Open division. The Wolves earned honors for outstanding musical performance, outstanding visual performance, outstanding percussion and outstanding color guard.
Green Canyon’s season will continue next week when the Wolves travel to Indiana to compete in a national marching band competition. American Fork is also scheduled to compete at the national event.
Meanwhile, Ridgeline captured the 4A Open state championship, ending Ogden High School’s three-year reign atop the division.
The Ridgeline Riverhawks, under the direction of Randall Beach, earned a score of 82.138 with their show, “Organic Mechanics,” to secure the championship over the Ogden Tigers, who had won the previous three state titles.
Ridgeline also took home two caption awards, earning recognition for outstanding musical performance and outstanding percussion.
Two other Cache Valley schools delivered strong performances in the 4A Open division.
Mountain Crest, directed by Thomas Biggs, finished fourth with a score of 79.1. The Mustangs performed their 2026 production, “The Playground.”
Sky View, under the direction of Brian Carpenter, finished fifth with a score of 75.6. The Bobcats presented their show, “We Come in Peace.”
The results gave Cache County School District two state champions and four top-five finishes at the season-ending state competition.
The accomplishments represent months of preparation by hundreds of student musicians, percussionists and color guard performers throughout the district. Marching band members began rehearsing during the summer, investing hundreds of hours in learning music, developing choreography and refining their performances.
The competitive season began Sept. 19 at the Nebo Tournament of Bands in Payson and concluded Friday, Nov. 6, at the state championships in St. George.
While the state competition marked the end of the season for most of Cache Valley’s marching bands, Green Canyon will have another opportunity to showcase its award-winning production at Saturday’s Bands of America competition in St. George and on the national stage in Indiana next week.