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July 21 Rundown Dover, PA Three corps made their season debuts: Jersey Surf (68.000, 25th); Raiders (57.800, 35th); Les Stentors (57.500, 36th). These scores put the two Jersey corps ahead of where they were this time last year (4.850 for Surf and 14.700 ahead for Raiders). It will be interesting to see whether these scores are inflated as they pushed Spartans (+2.800) and Southwind (+4.700) up quite a bit over their last performances just about a week earlier. Houston, TX There were no head-to-head placement changes. In fact, Carolina Crown and Bluecoats both decreased by the same 0.100 points to stay exactly even at a tight margin. The 0.600 point increase for Blue Devils means there is even more room between the leader of the pack and those hoping to catch up. Colts put up the largest score increase (2.650 points) after a few days off the competition field. July 22 Preview San Antonio, TX All World Class corps except Jersey Surf appear together for the first time this season. No corps has moved up more more than two spots from San Antonio to finals since at least 2016. With this in mind, the very tight 14-17 or 14-18 range is something to watch. Sewell, NJ This is the same line-up as last night in Dover with the addition of 7th Regiment which is returning to competition for the first time since July 2nd.

The whole point of this exercise (over several years now) is to help show what does and does not matter year over year in terms of score comparisons. All in good fun and to feed the overanalysis before and between regionals.

July 20 Rundown Austin, TX There were no placement changes, however there were several 2+ point score increases. Guardians improved by 2.150, Madison Scouts by 2.350, and Phantom Regiment by 2.450. Denton, TX Boston Crusaders became the second corps to break 90, one show day earlier than a second corps broke 90 last year. Carolina Crown moved back into the lead over Bluecoats by a 0.100 margin. Madison Scouts caught back up to Crossmen with a tie score after Crossmen took the lead in the two corps' last match-up. July 21 Preview Dover, PA This is the first DCI competitive appearance for Jersey Surf, Les Stentors, and Raiders. Columbians will be the only corps awaiting its competitive debut (June 28th). Houston, TX The Bluecoats-Carolina Crown match-up continues, this time with Blue Devils in the mix instead of Boston Crusaders.

July 18 Rundown Abilene, TX Pacific Crest made a statement that it is at a level above the Spirit of Atlanta and The Academy and, potentially, other corps in the heated race for the last finalist spot. In their first head-to-head match-up, Spirit of Atlanta established itself as clearly ahead of The Academy in that same battle. Broken Arrow, OK The only surprise on the night was Phantom Regiment pulling out of the show. Remarkably, the first clash from corps across the country led to placements exactly as they were coming in. Blue Devils broke 90 for the first time, a few day before Blue Devils and Carolina Crown broke 90 together on July 22, 2022. Blue Devils hold a 1.550 point lead over second place Boston Crusaders. The latter corps is in a very close battle with Bluecoats and Carolina Crown with all three separated by just 0.800 points. The Cadets (2.200) and Blue Stars (2.100) put up the greatest score increases. Both corps were in competition for the first time since July 15th. Interestingly, Blue Devils and Boston Crusaders came in from the same previous show and put up nearly identical score increases (0.850 and 0.800 respectively). The same is true for Bluecoats and Carolina Crown (1.950 and 1.900 respectively). July 20 Preview Austin, TX The main intrigue here continues to be the corps vying for a finalist spot. Blue Knights (13th), Spirit of Atlanta (14th), The Academy (17th), and Music City (19th) are all within three points of another heading into this contest. Denton, TX Here, all eyes are on the 2-4 spots with some secondary attention paid to whether Crossmen and/or Madison Scouts can close the gap with Pacific Crest in head-to-head competition for that last finalist position.

July 17 Rundown Canyon,TX Blue Knights used every hundredth of a point of its gain and the score decrease of Pacific Crest to move ahead in the battle for the 12th spot. Olathe, KS No big moves in this show. Modest score increases and even two modest score decreases for the Colts' organization. July 18 Preview Abilene, TX The excitement is in the race for finals here. Pacific Crest, The Academy, and Spirit of Atlanta are all more or less within striking distance of that spot and certainly want to send a message to the other corps in this grouping. Broken Arrow, OK This is the main event of the season to this point with seven of the current top eight in direct competition. The Blue Devils put up a 1.500 point margin over Boston Crusaders three days ago. When Boston last saw Bluecoats and Carolina Crown on July 5th, those two corps were 0.100 and 0.400 points ahead respectively. If those spreads were in place tonight, Blue Devils would over a one point margin over its next closest competitor. Heading into the first regional, all three corps want to put some pressure on the California standard bearer.

July 16 Rundown Blue Devils B, Golden Empire, Impulse, Vessel, and Blue Devils C concluded their seasons at this show. Gold will now spend a week traveling across the country to its next show in Fairfield, Connecticut on July 23. July 17 Preview Canyon, TX The closest competitive corps seeing each other in this show from a placement perspective are Pacific Crest (12th) and Blue Knights (13th). The Academy (16th) is actually closer to Blue Knights (0.700 points) than Blue Knights are to Pacific Crest (2.000 points). Olathe, KS There aren't any two corps within two points of each other in this show so it is mostly about seeing how each corps does against its own previous score.

July 15 Rundown Fort Collins There were no surprises in actual placements as the corps finished in the order of the rankings as they were coming into the competition. Boston Crusaders put up a big score increase (3.500 points) over its previous performance three days earlier. This was less impactful than it might otherwise have been with Blue Devils having the second largest score increaes (2.250 points) and over the same time period. Blue Devils defeat Boston Crusaders by 1.500 points. This is slightly less than margin Blue Devils had over its nearest east coast competitors when they matched up last year (1.700 points). Little Rock Carolina Crown increased its score by 3.100 points after taking nearly a week for rehearsals, but it was not enough to overcome the score gains Bluecoats have had in the meantime. Bluecoats edge Carolina Crown by 0.500 points, winning the match-up for the first time this season in the fourth head-to-head meeting. Guardians made its season debut with a 60.600, good for 30th place. Last year, the corps debuted with a 60.550 and 27th place just a couple of days later in the season. Rockford Very small score increases and one decrease. While this is typical most seasons, it has not been happening much this year so far. Of note, Crossmen defeated Madison Scouts for the second night in a row. Vista The penultimate show for every corps in competition except Gold. No changes in placements or notable score shifts. Wetumpka Spartans put up a 3.000 point increase night over night with Southwind nearly matching that at 2.950 points. Saturday Showdown Caveat - It's way too early to analyze scores. In one week, we will begin the regional process and get actual comparisons. The reason I first started this method of data comparison was to create a data-based year-over-year comparison. So, here we go anyway! This is shaping up to be a very intriguing competitive season with several corps currently placed above their historic (or recent) high placements. Some of that room was created by the absence of Santa Clara Vanguard, however, when there are multiple corps making big jumps, that means others must be falling. Let's take a look. Competitive Landscape Blue Devils lead the way with breathing room. This time last year, the top 4 corps were all within 1.100 points. This year, the second place corps is not even within 1.100 points of the lead and there is a large 3.400 point spread from first to fourth. The main question here is whether Boston Crusaders can close the gap on Blue Devils to make it a two corps battle at the top or whether Boston is more closely competitive with Bluecoats and Carolina Crown who have now traded victories for the bronze medal spot. We will know on Tuesday when all four corps line up together for the first time. The next grouping appears to be emerging as a 5-7 group. There have not been any head-to-head match-ups among Mandarins, Phantom Regiment, and The Cadets. We will get Phantom Regiment and The Cadets on Tuesday, but not the full group until Saturday. Blue Stars, The Cavaliers, and Troopers have seen each other four times with the outcome in that order in three of those shows. In one (July 8th), The Cavaliers finished ahead of Blue Stars. The rankings from different shows make it a tie for Blue Stars and Troopers right now with The Cavalires ahead by 0.150 points. Colts is right behind this group and actually beat Troopers once in head-to-head competition (July 9th). Pacific Crest is solidly in the #12 spot at the moment with a full two point spread over 13th place Blue Knights in head-to-head competition. Things get really tight in that 13-16 range with all four corps (Blue Knights, Crossmen, The Academy, Spirit of Atlanta) within a point and Madison Scouts and Music City not too far behind. On the Rise (2+ spots higher than 2022) Pacific Crest leads the way. Currently situated in the coveted 12th place spot, Pacific Crest is seven spots higher than last year (19th), two spots higher than its highest ever placement (14th in 2019), and six spots higher than its average over all of the years at Lucas Oil Stadium (18th). The next most impressive rise goes to another California corps although this one feels less surprising. Mandarins currently sit in 5th place. This is five spots higher than each of the last three years which were all the highest and only World Class finalist placements for the corps (10th place in 2022, 2019, and 2018). It seems conclusive that Mandarins will have its best finish ever. Troopers are three spots ahead of last year's exciting finish (12th). A ninth or tenth place finish this year would be the highest for the corps since 1985. Phantom Regiment's sixth place ranking is two spots higher than last year's eight and would mark the first time in the top 6 in a decade (6th in 2013). Holding Steady (+1 to -1 spots away from 2022) Blue Knights, The Academy, and The Cavaliers are all currently one spot ahead of their 2022 finish. Blue Devils, Boston Crusaders, Carolina Crown, and Colts are even. Bluecoats, Crossmen, Genesis, and The Cadets are one spot lower. In what seems like a mathematical impossibility at first glance, despite winning 8 of the 12 championships at Lucas Oil Stadium, Blue Devils have never won three in a row. The corps has never placed below second in this current era and seem well positioned for another gold medal. Following its highest placement ever with the shared silver medal last year, Boston Crusaders holds a 1.400 point edge for sole possession of that spot this year. Certainly Boston would like to join Bluecoats (2016) and Carolina Crown (2013) on the list of corps that won their first championships at Lucas Oil. Two weeks ago, The Cadets were in the "On The Rise" section. Since then, the corps has dropped from fourth to seventh. Falling Back (2+ spots lower than 2022) Blue Stars and Music City currently sit two spots lower than last year. Blue Stars dropped into a tie for ninth with Troopers last night in separate shows. Given the fact that Blue Stars have not lost head-to-head to Troopers this year, it is more likely that Blue Stars belong in the "Holding Steady" category, but it will be interesting to see what happens when they next cross paths in San Antonio. If the season ended today, Madison Scouts would have fallen the furthest, finishing in 18th place after a 15th place finish last year. That said, Madison Scouts and Music City will both benefit from Blue Devils B's season ending as they will gain at least one spot in the rankings as their scores improve against a static BDB corps all else being equal. Back in Action Spirit of Atlanta (16th) and Seattle Cascades (24th) returned to competition this year. Spirit is three spots behind its last two finishes (13th in 2019 and 2018) while Seattle Cascades is just one spot behind its last placement (25th in 2019). Coming back from a year away is difficult and the fact that both corps have done so with little competitive change is notable. More Data Needed Jersey Surf makes its competitive debut on July 21st. Open Class When you take out corps not on moving on to Indianapolis, the current Open Class rankings are: 1st - Gold (72.050); 2nd - Spartans (71.700); 3rd - Southwind (65.100). There are still three corps yet to compete that will be making their way to championships - Columbians (July 28th), Les Stentors and Raiders (July 21st). July 16 Preview The only show on the docket tonight is the final one for most California Open Class corps.

July 14 Rundown Cheyenne The Batallion led the way in score improvement (2.250 points) followed by Seattle Cascades (2.050 points). Troopers defeated Pacific Crest by a solid 2.200 points, however Pacific Crest maintains the #12 spot in the rankings with an eye on the corps' first finals placement. Dubuque Genesis jumped two full points, the only corps in this show to pass that threshold. Crossmen did enough to move ahead of Madison Scouts for the first time this season by 0.450 points. Riverside Blue Devils B began its final weekend of the season with another win, nearly two full points ahead of Gold, which is the only corps in this group that will move beyond California. Gold led the way in terms of improvement (2.100 points). July 15 Preview There are a whopping five shows tonight with 33 corps in competition. All corps currently on the field (except 7th Regiment) will appear along with Guardians in a season debut. We'll have lots to digest tomorrow! Fort Collins This is a line-up to watch with Boston Crusaders completing a westward trek to join the west coast tour corps which were already joined by Troopers just last night. All eyes must be on the Blue Devils-Boston Crusaders match-up. This will give us a sense not only of these two corps but a ballpark of where Bluecoats and Carolina Crown might be relative to Blue Devils as well. A definite focus of tomorrow's Saturday Showdown analysis. Little Rock Carolina Crown re-enters competition after nearly a week on the rehearsal field. We'll see what that means relative to Bluecoats. When the two last met, Carolina Crown had a 0.400 point edge. This will be the first competition for Guardians this season. Rockford This is a repeat line-up from last night and in exact reverse order of current placements. The main head-to-head match-up continues to be Crossmen and Madison Scouts. Was the Crossmen win a one-time thing or is the corps on the move? Vista Another exact replica of a line-up from Friday night and again in exact reverse order of current placements. Will Blue Devils B set itself up to finish undefeated in the corps' short season or can Gold make a run and build some momentum before heading east? Wetumpka A small, three corps open class show with three corps pretty far apart in scores and placements. If you haven't noted the World Class style tour Spartans have been on yet, take a look at their history so far this season. Only Gold will equal the same number of competitive appearances in Open Class this year (20 scheduled).

July 13 Rundown Just one show to report on. The Cadets came out on top and became the seventh corps to break 80. Southwind made its season debut with a 62.150 and 26th place in the rankings. This is pretty close in line to last year's debut (63.950 and 27th place) but comes more than a week earlier in the season. July 14 Preview We have three shows on the docket tonight. Cheyenne, WY This show features the most intriguing match-up of the night with Pacific Crest and Troopers. From a points perspective, Pacific Crest is nearing the Colts/Troopers grouping in the 10-12 range. This match-up should tell us whether that is true when the corps are in the same stadium on the same night. Dubuque, IA The closest competitive race here is between Madison Scouts and Crossmen. In their last meeting, Madison Scouts edged Crossmen by just 0.100 points. Riverside, CA This Open Class show features a nice line-up of California corps, most of which will be finishing up their season this weekend while sending Gold off to Indianapolis as a representative.

July 12 Rundown Ankeny, IA Scores were pretty consistent night over night, but Troopers improved just enough more than Colts to go back on top in the head-to-head match-up after Colts were up on July 9th. Eau Claire, WI Nothing of significant to report - same results as the night before with essentially the same spreads. Salt Lake City, UT Pacific Crest made a big move with a 2.600 point increase, jumping over Blue Knights for the first time and into the #12 spot. This score puts Pacific Crest closer to 11th (1.000 points) than 13th (1.350 points). Seattle Cascades return to competition with an opening score of 62.800, good for 24th place in the rankings. The Batallion made its season debut with a 59.650, which places the corps at #28. July 13 Preview One show tonight. Southwind makes its season debut. The Cadets and The Cavaliers, currently ranked 8th and 9th respectively, meet head-to-head for the first time at this show.

Good catch - thanks for that!

July 11 Rundown There were no changes in head-to-head rankings at the July 11th shows. There were a few significant score increases to note although historically when these jumps happen at shows without the top of the top tier corps present they often reset within a few days. Spartans led the way on that front with a 4.250 point increase from a show two days earlier. Music City jumped 3.450 between the same two shows. Colt Cadets improved by 3.100 over a score from three days before. July 12 Preview There are three more shows tonight including the season debut of The Battalion.

July 10 Rundown Just one show and no changes in placements or noteworth changes in scores. Mandarins became the sixth corps to break the 80 mark. That did not happen last year until July 14th and it did not happen for the Mandarins last year until July 18th. July 11 Preview There are three shows tonight. Only three of the current top 12 corps are in competition.

July 9 Rundown There were two head-to-head placement changes. First, Colts defeated Troopers by 0.300 points thanks to a 2.000 point night over night increase. This is the first head-to-head win by Colts this season. In Open Class, Vessel jumped over three points in one night to tie Impulse. Impulse won the night before by 2.450 points. Blue Devils B (3.600) and C (5.950) saw the largest score increases although it had been a week since the last score for the C corps. Nearly every corps is currently outpacing its 2022 score at the same time. The only two exeptions are Crossmen (-1.250) and Colt Cadets (-1.450). July 10 Preview Just one show tonight in California with the same corps as last night less Blue Devils C and Vessel.

July 8 Rundown And the second of seven Saturday competition days has come and gone. Lexington Very modest score improvements in this show even for corps that had not performed in several days such as The Cadets (1.700 since 7/2) and Spartans (1.050 since 7/2). Bluecoats joined the 80+ club on the same night of the season as the corps passed this threshold in 2022. Spirit of Atlanta returned to the field of competition with a 70.500, good for 17th place, four spots behind the corps' placement in the 2019 finals. Heat Wave made its season debut at 53.450 and 29th place. This is pretty much in line with last season when the corps was at 52.150 and 27th place. Pasadena No major surprises in California. The Academy and Pacific Crest tied in their first match-up in a week. In their two previous head-to-head competitions, The Academy bested Pacific Crest by over a point each time. Impulse had the largest point increase at 6.950 points since the corps' previous performance on July 2nd. The Academy (4.200) and Pacific Crest (3.100) had the next largest improvements in score. This was expected for The Academy with no score since July 3rd but quite a bit more impressive for Pacific Crest after performing just one night earlier. Whitewater Phantom Regiment just made it to 80.000. This time last year the corps was at a 73.600. It would not be until July 18th when the corps would break the 80 point mark in 2022. The Cavaliers finishe atop Blue Stars for the first time this season by a 0.600 margin. Blue Stars won all three head-to-head match-ups prior to last night. There were no placement changes or significant score changes in this show. River City Rhythm made its season debut at 58.200 points, just slightly ahead of the corps' score this time last year (57.950). This puts the corps at 25th place, one spot behind its place this time last year. Saturday Showdown Caveat - It's way too early to analyze scores. The reason I first started this method of data comparison was to create a data-based year-over-year comparison. So, here we go anyway! So where are we after our second Saturday? This year's top four are the same as last year's top four with a pretty tight head-to-head battle for the bronze medal spot and Phantom Regiment making a case for a return to the top five for the first time since 2012. On the Rise Mandarins are currently seated in 6th place, four spots higher than the corps' 2022 finish which was already its highest finals placement ever. While impressive from a level of competition standpoint, Pacific Crest is leading the "on the rise" conversation at the moment in 14th place, five spots higher than the corps' 2022 finish in 19th. July 9 Preview We have pretty much the same competitive landscape tonight that we had last night with the most notable exception being no performance from The Cavaliers.

July 7 Rundown DeKalb Nothing crazy happening in terms of placements. The season debut for Crossmen (70.650 - 14th) is pretty close in line with the corps' score this time last year (70.550) although that score was good for 11th place at that point. Genesis made its debut with a 65.400, good for 18th place. This is almost identical to the corps' debut score last year (65.450), but that score came eight days further into the season and meant a 21st place ranking at the time. Colts saw the largest score increase (4.400 points) in the corps' first performance since July 2nd. Boston Crusaders became the third corps to break 80 points, two days earlier than last season. Fresno Blue Knights opened the season with a 71.900 and the #12 spot in the current placements. There were no significant changes in relative placements among the corps in competition. Pacific Crest had the largest score increase (3.850 points) in the corps' first performance since July 2nd. July 8 Preview Every corps currently placed in the Top 18 is in competition tonight making this a busy Saturday. I'm out of the country traveling so my analysis may be a little bit limited or delayed tomorrow, but I'll be here at some point! Lexington Heat Wave makes its season debut and Spirit of Atlanta returns to competition for the first time in two years. Pasadena Whitewater River City Rhythm makes its 2023 debut.

Same color = same show. Nothing more to it than keeping that together.

July 5 Rundown Carolina Crown won the first match-up with Bluecoats and Boston Crusaders, becoming the second corps to break the 80 point mark this season. Carolina Crown edged Bluecoats by 0.300 points with Boston Crusaders just 0.100 points behind the Bluecoats. This is the same order of finish the first time the three corps matched up in 2022, which was on July 19th. Crown was ahead of Bluecoats by 0.325 points with Boston another 0.375 points back from there. These placements did not hold though as Bluecoats and Boston ultimately shared the silver medal with Crown falling to fourth place. Music City made its 2023 debut at 66.250 and 14th place. This performance came a few days later in the season than 2022. With those extra days, Music City put up a score 6.000 points higher and two places higher in the initial rankings. July 7 Preview There are no shows on July 6th so let us look ahead to July 7th. Crossmen and Genesis make their season debuts in DeKalb while Blue Knights make their debut in Fresno. With Blue Knights and Crossmen on the board, we should have our first sense of where the battle for finals will be with one important caution. This time last year, Troopers were ranked 17th.

July 2 Rundown Correction Vessel should have been listed as tied for 18th place with 7th Regiment. July 3 Rundown Cedarburg Holy Troopers! The corps put up a huge 5.200 point increase after a rehearsal day and pulled to within 1.000 point of The Cavaliers after trailing by 3.600 points when the two corps last met on June 30th. For those wondering, the answer is 1974. The question? The last time Troopers placed ahead of The Cavaliers in DCI finals. The two meet again on Friday, July 7th. Mesa The Blue Devils broke 80 four days earlier than the first day in the 2022 season with scores above that threshold (Bluecoats, Boston Crusaders, & Carolina Crown). July 5 Preview Happy 4th of July everyone! No competitive appearances today. Looking back through some memories from this day I see July 4, 2011 when I was volunteering with Crossmen and they fed the Madison Scouts after a day of parades due to some Madison food truck issues. And I see July 4, 2015 when I went to Bristol as a spectator and learned that even 7am is too late to get a primo spot on the parade route! Here's to all the corps out there on the pavement today! Just one show on July 5th but it's an important one. Music City pulls a raw scheduling deal for its season debut with the only World Class slot before intermission, but then we see the season debut of Bluecoats and the corps' first head-to-head match-up with 2022 co-silver medalist Boston Crusaders. With Carolina Crown also appearing, three of last year's top four provide quite a treat for the Cincinnati crowd. For those marking your calendars, Tuesday, July 18th will be the first show with this group plus Blue Devils in the same show.

July 2 Rundown Sunday was a pretty straightforward night. No debuts to report on and no change in placements in head-to-head competition. Note that Blue Stars and Troopers did not compete so any change in placements should be taken with a grain of salt in the 7-10 range. Colt Cadets had the largest single night point increase at 4.100. In a good night for the organization, Colts had the second greatest single night point increase at 3.050. The largest increase outside of Iowa went to Carolina Crown (2.950), but that increase came with a rehearsal day since the last scored show. The only significant point decrease went to Golden Empire at -1.150. July 3 Preview There are two shows tonight with six corps going in Cedarburg and three in Mesa. No new match-ups to report on.

July 1 Rundown And the first of seven Saturday competition days has come and gone. Because of the importance of Saturdays as regional and championship event days, I like to use the Sunday rundown as an opportunity to take stock of the competitive landscape in a bit more detail. I'll call that section "Saturday Showdown." This is meant to look across the shows more than the daily rundown does. When time permits, I'll dig into historical trends in that section as well. Lynn Boston Crusaders came out punching with a 77.150 opening salvo. This is 4.250 points higher than the equivalent performance last year. The Cadets also debuted with a strong score of 73.750, 4.600 points higher than the same time last year which was also a debut performance. Year-over-year debut scores were similarly up for the Open Class competitors in Lynn with Spartans at 61.400 (compared to 58.300 last year) and 7th Regiment earning a 52.650 (compared to 46.750 last year). Madison The gradual layering of additional corps continued in the midwest with the debut of the Madison Scouts. The corps opened with a 64.800, almost exactly in line with last year's debut score of 64.500 on the same night. The placements between and among Blue Stars, Troopers, and Colts remained consistent with only slight score increases. Colt Cadets also joined the fray with an opening score of 47.900, nearly identical to lats year's debut of 47.750 on the same night. All corps in Madison with comparable scores last year are within a point of those scores year-over-year. Vista Blue Devils make the headlines and that is true today as the corps debuted with a 77.300, nearly two points higher than its equivalent score last year of 75.450. Mandarins also came up strong with an opening score of 71.200, 3.550 points higher than last year's score at this time although it should be noted that that was not a purely year-over-year comparison. The Academy is 2.050 points above its 2022 on this date. The biggest World Class debut might be Pacific Crest as its 64.050 point opening is 4.150 points higher than its score on the same night last year. In Open Class, Blue Devils B begin with a strong 62.100. The corps had not yet performed this time last year. Gold is 5.300 points ahead of last year with its 61.650 point score. Further down, we see even greater year-over-year jumps for Golden Empire (56.750 vs. 47.050) and Impulse (52.650 vs. 38.500). Vessel successfully returned to the competition field and Blue Devils C made its season debut as well. Lots of action in California! Saturday Showdown Caveat - It's way too early to analyze scores. The reason I first started this method of data comparison was to create a data-based year-over-year comparison. So, here we go anyway! A competitive landscape missing Santa Clara Vanguard and Vanguard Cadets means that there are places to be filled in finals in both classes. The corps most looking to capitalize in World Class are Crossmen and Blue Knights, two finalist regulars that got knocked out by the surging Colts and Troopers last year. Then you have Madison Scouts looking to get back to finals for the first time since 2017, or perhaps The Academy, looking to recapture the magic of the 2016 season. The only 2022 finalist yet to compete is Bluecoats who we will see on July 5th. With Santa Clara Vanguard out, Crossmen having been in 13th last year would be the next closest finalist performer yet to compete. We will see them on July 7th along with Blue Knights. Genesis and Spirit of Atlanta also debut this week so the next Saturday Showdown will feature all World Class corps except Seattle Cascades and Jersey Surf. So where are we after our first Saturday? The more things change, the more they stay the same. Blue Devils are in the top spot with last year's co-silver medalist Boston Crusaders right behind. Carolina Crown is about two points behind the leaders but did not compete on Saturday night, suggesting the corps would be in the same medalist conversation at this much too early stage of competition. Assuming Bluecoats are in this same conversation seems safe. But that's where things begin to get more interesting. On the Rise The Cadets currently sit in 4th place, four spots higher than this time last year and two spots higher than the corps' 2022 finish. A fourth or fifth place finish would be the highest for the corps since 2015. Next up is Phantom Regiment in 5th, four spots higher than this time last year, and three spots higher than finals. A fifth or sixth place finish would be the highest for the corps since 2013. Mandarins open up in 6th place, four spots higher than this time last year and last year's finals placement. A sixth or seventh place finish would be the best ever for the Mandarins. Troopers currently sit in 9th place. The corps had not yet debuted this time last year, but when it did on July 8th, the corps was in 17th place before ultimately finishing in 12th. A ninth or tenth place finish would be the best finish for Troopers since 1985. Similarly, Colts currently rank 10th, two spots higher than this time last year and one spot higher than last year's finals. Colts have only been at 10th or better three times - 1995, 1996, and 2007. Holding Steady Blue Stars currently sit in 7th place, the same spot as this time last year and the same spot as the 2022 finals. A seventh or eighth place finish would match the corps' finals placement for each of the past three seasons. The Cavaliers begin the 2023 season in 8th place, two spots lower than this time last year but one spot ahead of last year's finals' placement. An eighth or ninth place finish would be on the lower end of the corps' modern history. More Data Needed Until Blue Knights and Crossmen enter competition, there are many open questions about the lower end of the Top 12 and since that day is coming soon, I'll hold off until next week to go into those two corps along with The Academy, Madison Scouts, and Pacific Crest. Not to mention, we will see how the return to the field for Spirit of Atlanta and the season debut of Genesis shake things up. Open Class With last year's gold medalists off the field, Blue Devils B, Gold, and Spartans must be the front runners for the finalist spots in Open Class. Right now, those three corps are one, two, and three, in that order with a somewhat surprising Golden Empire in fourth. Golden Empire is ranked 17th overall at the moment, up from 23rd this time last year and 33rd from the 2022 finals. While this is going to fall numerous spots as the rest of the World Class field enters competition, there's something fun to watch here as well. July 2 Preview Lisle Carolina Crown, Phantom Regiment, and The Cavaliers return to competition after being off on Saturday night, giving us our first same night scores of these corps against others currently sitting in the top 8. San Bernardino and Quincy Both shows are exact rematches of last night's contests so the main thing to watch is the impact of getting that first competitive run out of the way.

June 30 Rundown There was just one show, but it added The Cavaliers and Carolina Crown to the mix from opening night. Crown debuted with an even 75.000, 1.050 points higher than its 2022 debut on the same night. The Cavaliers debut of 70.100 is just 0.100 points lower than its score on the same night last year. That being said, that 70.100 was worth a lot more in 2022 than it is in 2023 with two corps (Blue Stars and Phantom Regiment) ourscoring The Cavaliers this year. Phantom Regiment saw the largest night-over-night point gain at 1.250 points. Troopers fell back by a quarter of a point, allowing Colts to close the gap to within one point. July 1 Preview This is a big night! We have our first multi-event day. This includes the debut of 16 corps, including every 2022 World Class finalist sans Bluecoats (and Santa Clara Vanguard, of course).

You are correct and I appreciate it. Unfortunately, I do not think I can edit a subject so we are all going to spend the next 6 weeks knowing that it should be changed for next year!

Welcome to DCI 2023! Another season is upon us! For those who may not remember or who joined since the close of the 2022 season, I keep careful day-to-day statistics of show results and compare how things are going today to how they went on the same relative day of competition last year. From time to time, the analysis expands back to previous years for which I've been logging data. Does it mean much? Probably not. Does it give us something to ponder as the season moves along? Absolutely! Schedule Alignment The first hiccup this year is that the season is 5 days shorter than 2022 and 6 days shorter than 2015-2019. Specifically, there are 45 days from show 1 to finals night this season compared to 50 last year and 51 for the previous five full competitive seasons. My analysis method always aligned these calendars so that we could make relative judgments based on where we were in the competitive cycle. Because of the importance of lining up the big shows later in the season, I have decided to align 2023 Day 1 (June 28, 2023) with 2022 Day 4 (June 28, 2022), and, in the event I do multi-year analysis along the way, with Day 7 of the 2015-2019 seasons. The practical impact is that for a little while we will be comparing first read scores from this season with performances that have had a few opportunities to work out some kinks in previous seasons. June 28 Run-Down Despite all of that preamble, the season debuts for Phantom Regiment and Blue Stars line up with where they were in the overall schedule last year. Phantom Regiment opens this year 5.550 points ahead of its opening score last year while Blue Stars is 4.750 ahead. Troopers opened up quite a bit earlier than 2022 (July 8). Even with that, Troopers opening score this year is a point ahead of its start last year. Colts opened up a few days earlier this year with a first score about 3 points ahead of last season. It will take a few shows to determine whether opening scores are inflated this year or if we happened to see four corps all trending up to open up the season. Given the leaps ahead taken by Troopers, Colts, and Phantom Regiment last year, the latter option would make for some excitement later this summer. June 30 Preview There are no shows on June 29. Last night's four corps will be joined by Carolina Crown and The Cavaliers on June 30th in Muncie.

I actually think this is a nice perk. Low impact on stadium operations for what might be a smoother way in and out. It has the added benefit of everyone who is NOT a Friends of DCI member seeing a very visible way the program works for people. I also agree that a special concession line would be really helpful although I'd pay double the price to have access to good quality food with some healthy options in a separate room somewhere!