The Booneville band is a state champion again. The Booneville High School Blue Devil Band won its seventh straight Class 3A state marching championship on Saturday, Oct. 24, in Brandon. It is the 17th state title in the program’s history.
Booneville Band Sweeps Most Captions
The Blue Devils finished more than four points ahead of second-place Seminary High School, according to the Booneville Banner-Independent. Along with the overall title, the band took top honors in several judged categories:
First place: color guard
First place: overall effect
First place: visual performance
First place: musical performance
Second place: percussion
A Streak Years in the Making
In 2023, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported that the band had won its fourth straight 3A title and the 14th in school history, and that it was the only Northeast Mississippi marching band to win a state title that year. Wins in 2024, 2025 and now 2026 have pushed those numbers to seven in a row and 17 overall. The state championships are run by the Mississippi High School Activities Association, and bands compete against schools of similar size.
A Modern Take on “Swan Lake”
This season’s show puts a modern spin on “Swan Lake.” Directors Will Curry and JJ Curry built the program around classical music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Camille Saint-Saëns, with a contemporary feel. Backdrops and costumes move from black and white swans to a colorful finale.
JJ Curry described the show as “a very cinematic and story-based approach.”
Community Support Behind the Streak
Both directors credited Booneville and Prentiss County for backing the band. Will Curry said the community’s support is “so high, it’s unreal.” JJ Curry called that support “absolutely essential” to the program’s success.
That support is paying for the band’s next big trip. Sponsors are covering students’ costs to travel to Memphis in January for Liberty Bowl events, including:
A field show competition at the Liberty Bowl
A pregame performance if the band wins that competition
A parade on Beale Street
A halftime performance
Moving Up to Class 4A Next Year
The streak will face a new test next fall, when Booneville moves up to Class 4A for marching competition. Will Curry said he is excited about the challenge of competing against larger schools.
The win adds to a strong fall for Booneville schools. Booneville High School earned an A in the state’s latest accountability ratings, and the district has been working on plans to expand its stadium.
Congratulations to the students, directors, color guard and band families who made the seventh straight title possible.
Jon R Myers is the executive editor of Alcorn County News and the founder of the Mississippi News Group, which he started in 2013 to cover communities across North Mississippi. He also founded the Mississippi Sports Group in 2006, which grew from a single community publication into a statewide network covering high school and college athletics. He reports on local government, public safety, schools and community life in Corinth and Alcorn County, working from public meetings, agency records and interviews with the people involved. Contact him at editor@alcornnewsms.com with news tips or corrections. For a correction, include the article link and supporting source material.
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