SBHS band wins Carolina Forest Classic

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY)– A few days ago South Brunswick’s Pride of The South Coast Marching Band got a really big win, several in fact at the Carolina Forest Classic band competition. To make the win even more spectacular, it was the first for new director Anthony Covelli who started with the band just days before the school year began.

That is The Pride of The South Coast Marching Band from South Brunswick High School taking the win at the Carolina Forest Classic band competition.

“It was a great feeling for them to be rewarded for all their hard work. Swept the whole thing,” Covelli said.

Covelli is so brand new that just his being here is a miracle.

“Principal Hodges called me on Friday and said you’re good to go for Monday can you be here? and I moved 900 miles in a weekend. yeah, I ended up coming to on Monday at seven,” Covelli said.

It’s a move South Brunswick Principal Chip Hodges says he’s very happy about.

“Very impressed, very proud of the students and the job Mr. Covelli’s done since he’s been here,” Hodges said.

For the band members a new director on such short notice was nerve racking, but drum major Hannah Savidge says it went better than expected.

“when Mr. Covelli arrived we were all very relieved that the transition was very smooth and nerves just kinda went away,” Savidge said.

When he arrived Mr. Covelli hit the ground running.

“Yeah, we had a month to get everything together,” Covelli said.

But something they all wanted, was to win.

“These guys the first meeting we ever had was what are your goals for this season, what do you want to accomplish? They all pretty much said win and so we went into our first competition with that in mind,” Covelli said.

Boy did they ever! The show is called Weight of The World.

“It’s a Tour De Force,” Covelli said.

It’s a winner.

“It was really amazing,” Savidge said.

“It was a nice feeling, a little surreal just because our first go, you know looking at the kids reaction and having them behind us and screaming was a great feeling,” Covelli said.

So now that the first win is behind them, what is Mr. Covelli’s message to his students?

“I hope that they can say they really enjoyed it, that they had fun,” Covelli said.