KOKOMO, Ind. — It's the final week of the Operation Football regular season. That means it's time to highlight the last Band of the Week of the season. This week, we're showcasing the Kokomo Marching Wildkats.
The Marching Wildkats are the reigning champions of Indiana State Fair Band Day, having won their second title in a row back on Aug. 11 with their show "A Young Person's Guide to a Farmer's Life." The show featured music depicting the life of a farmer and saw band members dressed as farmers using wheelbarrows, pitchforks and cornstalks.
Band director Brandon Anderson described the show to our newsgathering partners at The Kokomo Tribune in August.
“The whole intention in using theatrical material is that farmers are a very hard-working people but who are quiet,” said Anderson. “We put a lot of focus on choreography and acting. We are creating a trend in our group.”
In 2022, the group set the record for the highest score ever received in Band Day competition with a 96.300, narrowly beating runner-up Winchester who scored 93.950.
This year's group consists of 93 members, the largest since Anderson took over as director.
Check out the Kokomo Marching Wildkats' performance in the video player above, and click here for complete Operation Football coverage.
Make sure to tag your photos from the games on social media with #OPFB. 13News could feature your images on the air and online.
Spirit Award
WTHR will select a Game of the Week based on quality of match-up and potential storylines.
The host school is automatically entered into the contest for the Operation Football Spirit Award. The contest ends with the final Operation Football regular season game on Oct. 13.
A panel of judges will select a winning school based on participation, amount of school spirit, energy and effort during 13News' coverage of the school.
Grand Prize: The 2023 Spirit Award Trophy (estimated retail value of $270.) Winner will be notified by Dec. 1, 2023. Odds of winning are 9:1 if your school is selected.
No purchases are necessary to enter or win.