The Panther Band is currently trying to make room in their trophy case for two more awards they won at the National Association of Military Marching Bands on Saturday at SFA’s Homer Bryce Stadium.

This is the first time Lufkin has won first place in NAMMB. Many of the students were very excited, but the band man Scott Williams was confident even before the competition.

“I think we’re going to win. I just think we’re going to win,” Williams says days before the competition. “We’ve practiced all the way since the end of July.”

The band put in many hours of practice. They started the last week of July and are still practicing for future events. Students say that the sweat and leg pains paid off in the long run.

“Practice was in overdrive,” senior tuba player Josh Aberle said. “Sweat was everywhere, and I think it went very well. We were the first people in Lufkin to do it, so we kind of set the standard for the next few years at least.”

In Texas, to compete at NAMMB, marching bands have to make straight ones at UIL marching competitions. Lufkin has qualified four times to compete before this victory.

“I was pretty darn proud and happy that we won,” junior tuba player Typhanie Shepherd said. “It felt pretty darn amazing being the first Lufkin band to win.”

The band is still hard at work with practicing for Honor America Night Nov. 8, at Abe Martin Stadium and working on a change up in the drill for any future playoff games.