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Elizabethton High School’s Betsy Band claimed the Class AA Sectional championship during the Bands of America competition held on Saturday, Oct. 19, at East Tennessee State University’s Ballad Athletic Center.

The Betsy Band, under the direction of Jonathan Valentine, also finished sixth in the overall competition, which included high school bands from several states in the Southeast and Midwest.

In the Class AA competition, Elizabethton took first place for Outstanding General Effect for its performance of “Euphoria.” The Outstanding Music Performance Award was won by Cass High School from Georgia and Outstanding Visual Performance honors were won by Whitewater High School, also from Georgia.

In the overall competition, Lafayette High School, from Kentucky, took first place with a score of 87.550 points. James F. Byrnes High School, from South Carolina, was second with a score of 87.300, followed by Kingsport’s Dobyns-Bennett High School (86.950), Ohio’s Lakoda West High School (83.750), Cass High School (81.100) and Elizabethton at 80.550 points.

The Betsy Band will host the 3rd Annual Elizabethton Classic Marching Band Competition on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Citizens Bank Stadium. The following Saturday, the Betsy Band will travel to Smyrna to compete in the state competition. The band is seeking its third consecutive state championship.