Hey all you FMA’ers out there! It's Frank here, and let me be the first to congratulate each and every corps on a wonderful season! I’m back from a long hiatus with a special three post analysis and preview of the Championships! I want to ask everyone to at least try and go through and read all of the posts so we can support all the Divisions! I know that I personally only worried about Division 1 and it’s progress until I started writing these articles. Maybe you guys out there are smarter than me and were thinking about the development of the site as a whole, but I sure wasn’t. Send the hardworking Division 3 corps a PM to congratulate them on their commitment to a site that gives us enjoyment! We definitely don’t have as many people as we did when we opened up, so anyone who joins and works to join our FMA community should be encouraged to stay and contribute to the growth of FMA! Anyway, done with the preaching.

In this first post of the series we will be looking at the Division 3 Corps! Here goes nothing!

Division III

Predicted 1st Place:
Corps: Silver Falcon Drum and Bugle Corps
League: CAMA
Predicted Finals Score: 77.895

So, Silver Falcon Drum and Bugle Corps, you’ve had quite the run this season haven’t you? You started out 4th in CAMA in this, your inaugural season, and you have only been surpassed a few token times. You hold the Captions of Winds, Percussion, and Visual Performance. I am awarding you first place in my prediction not only because of your current placement, but also because of your incredible point gains this season. You’ve gained around .8 - .9 points every day in this past week, so you should easily take 1st by around 2 points!


Predicted 2nd Place:
Corps: Specter
League: CAMA
Predicted Finals Score: 75.600

Specter! You are sitting pretty in second place after a late start in your first season last season! You’ve actually had 21 wins this season, which surpasses the Silver Falcon’s mark by 11! While you don’t actually own any single category you are well placed and consistent across the board, which as we can see is more than enough to put you in medal position! Your score gains have been far more inconsistent than Silver Falcon’s. So that’s why I gave you a far more modest Finals score gain than that which other Corps will get. Still… a silver medal is good, no?


Predicted 3rd Place:
Corps: Low Reds
League: RNG-DC
Predicted Finals Score: 74.460

Low Re(e)ds. Much like Specter you are sitting high in the placements because of a well-balanced approach to the season. While you aren’t winning in any single caption, you are still high enough in each caption to remain in 3rd overall at this point, a placement I believe you’ll manage to keep going into Finals this Season. While 4th place is close to you in score, I don’t believe they’ll manage to overtake you, and I think you’ll pull 3rd in by a close margin. You’re doing amazing well for your second season. Bravo good sir!


Predicted 4th Place:
Corps: Sinfonian Scouts
League: CAMA
Predicted Finals Score: 74.140

I’m sorry Sinfonian Scouts, you miss out on medaling by three tenths of a point. You have a great accomplishment this season in holding the Color Guard Caption! I expect you to hold on to this Caption going into Finals, okay? I would prefer it that way, so I look better. *Ahem* So why did I give you 4th? Well, honestly your score gains are higher overall than that of Low Reds, yet Low Reds have a head start that your score gains, if they hold, will not be able to surmount.

Predicted 5th Place:
Corps: System of a Crown
League: CAMA
Predicted Finals Score: 71.115

What a clever name sir! This Season’s clever name award goes to System of A Crown! This won’t be the only award they’ll bring home though. They currently hold Music Ensemble, Visual Ensemble, and General Effect in both Music and Visual captions! System of a Crown, will take home 5th this season, but very narrowly because of the inconsistency of their score gains. This past week they went three days in a row without a score gain. It’ll be close.

Predicted 6th Place:
Corps: Carolina’s Regiment
League: USDC
Predicted Finals Score: 70.950

Carolina’s Regiment has started out slower than some of the Corps above them, but the gains in scores they have been raking in may allow them to pull off an upset for 5th, but this reporter believes they will fall just short of reaching that upset, because of the lead System of a Crown has. Carolina’s Regiment is also representing their league USDC well, being the only Corps in that league to make Finals.

Predicted 7th Place:
Corps: Sinfonian Regiment
League: CAMA
Predicted Finals Score: 68.795

This corps seems to have taken a few days off recently, with very modest score gains recently with flashes of greatness here and there. They currently sit in 7th place, with a 67.255, which is a nearly four point lead over 8th place. While I have them in 7th place, I must be blunt in my assessment that they should count their blessings that they are currently so far ahead of 8th. Otherwise, they would need to schedule some intense practice blocks to hold on to their place.

Predicted 8th Place:
Corps: Wildcat D&BC
League: DCI
Predicted Finals Score: 65.025

Wildcat D&BC, you currently hold 8th place and nothing will change that when Finals rolls around. I believe that a combination of your lead over 9th place and your score gains will allow you to maintain your position.


Predicted 9th Place:
Corps: Spirit of the Wind
League: DCI II
Predicted Finals Score: 64.205

Spirit of the Wind! You’re the first Corps in this countdown to rise above their current position! 8th place through 11th place were all close to begin with and it’s Spirit of the Wind’s score gains that will propel them forward over the current 9th place Los Conquistadors! Congratulations for theoretically jumping a position!


Predicted 10th Place:
Corps: Speedway
League: ACE
Predicted Finals Score: 63.910

Speedway! You’re the second Corps to pull of an upset! Just like Spirit of the Wind, it’s because of your score gains. Your predicted finals score is far closer to Los Conquistadors, but I think that you’ll still be able to beat them going into Finals.

Predicted 11th Place:
Corps: Los Conquistadors
League: CAMA
Predicted Finals Score: 63.780

Los Conquistadors. Shape up man! All you need to do is schedule some practice time before Finals! You will drop two spaces unless you buck up. Los Conquistadors score gains are so low and inconsistent that I think they’ll barely rise at all in this late hour.

Predicted 12th Place:
Corps: Blue Guards Regiment
League: CAMA
Predicted Finals Score: 61.525

Blue Guards, I’m taking a risk with you. You haven’t gained scores in a while, but I’m going to take a leap of faith and say that you will practice before Finals rolls around and finishes. If you don’t you’ll probably be knocked out by Nova Titan Sound who currently sits in 13th place.

That concludes part 1! Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3.

This is great! I love looking up the Division II and III corps, because the competition between them can actually be much more interesting.

Thanks!

It took me 4 hours just to do Division III. I just hope I don't fall asleep while writing these lol.

Its interesting to see how well CAMA has recruited in the top of Division III. That could become a great strength to that league once those groups start competing in Division I. We could see leagues like Unspecified and CLASS get overtaken. Should be interesting to watch.

I must say that I do intend to prove you wrong in your predictions for my group. We hope to finish Top 4, and in the next 3 days that could easily happen. We've made some large adjustments to our staff in the past few hours and intend to have an intense schedule the next few days. It should be easy to score at least a 71 if not a 72

Not a problem! I always enjoy reading these, although I wouldn't blame you for falling asleep.

I really hope CAMA can keep all of those groups and start moving towards Division I. They're super competitive, absolutely dominating Division III. It's very impressive!

Good luck to Division 3!!

As the director of the Silver Falcons, thanks!!! It has been quite a season. I didn't think we would do this well for our first time out! I was active in the original FMB though so it's fun to be back! Hopefully we will take Div III! Looks like we will be second in marching band Div III though, still great for a first season!

I've been out due to semester exams in school. But don't worry. As the director of the Blue Guards Regiment, I promise that we will turn heads at the semifinals and finals.