ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania — With just six days until the kickoff of the DCI World Championships in Indianapolis, Blue Devils left J. Birney Crum Stadium in a familiar place, atop the leaderboard on day one of the DCI Eastern Classic.
"I feel so energized after tonight's run,” Blue Devils drum major Corey Castillo said. “Huge crowd here at J. Birney Crum, and we've been looking forward to this big regional. For the last couple days we’ve really been doubling down on rehearsal but haven't gotten to perform. So it feels good to have let that energy out."
As the Concord, California corps took first place in all scoring captions overall, they may be glancing over their shoulder as the Bluecoats managed to pull in just over a half a point away from the top spot, the closest any corps has finished against the undefeated corps this summer.
View the scores and recap from day one of the DCI Eastern Classic
1. Blue Devils » 95.775
2. Bluecoats » 95.250
After finishing 1.35 points behind last weekend in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Bluecoats’ Friday night result — just 0.525 points shy of the top spot — is the closest any corps has scored to the Blue Devils this season. Only one other corps, the Boston Crusaders (0.85 points July 28 in Murfreesboro) has managed to score under a point of the unbeaten California corps.
“We've been all gas no brakes for the last two and a half months now,” Bluecoats drum major Finley Muela said. “But every night is just culminating into something better and better. It's all working toward when that number is announced on Finals night, so we don't have any plans on slowing down.”
3. The Cavaliers » 91.050
4. Troopers » 88.525
5. Blue Stars » 87.550
The Cavaliers earned a third-place finish Friday night. Their percussion section continues to impress, as the Rosemont, Illinois corps earned another first-place mark in the percussion caption, marking the third time the corps has won said caption at a major regional event this season.
READ: Cavaliers percussion has a clear focus as 2023 hits final stretch
Troopers outscored Blue Stars for the first time this season by a total of 0.975 points. The Casper, Wyoming corps finished ahead of Blue Stars by nearly a point in both general effect and music.
Blue Stars had the edge on Troopers in the visual caption by a margin of eight tenths of a point, which speaks to the work the Wisconsin corps has recently been putting in on the rehearsal field.
“There's been a lot of changes we've been implementing recently and a lot of things we’ve been wanting to put in the show finally, and they really achieved those things at a high level tonight,” Blue Stars drum major Mattie Kleespies said.
6. Blue Knights » 84.688
7. Pacific Crest » 83.825
8. The Academy » 82.025
In the latest installment of a season-long, competitive race, Blue Knights finished ahead of Pacific Crest for the seventh time in 10 meetings this season. As the latter stages of the 2023 season unfold, both corps have continued to score in the vicinity of the top-12 cut-off that determines who advances to the DCI World Championship Finals.
View the latest #DCI2023 rankings
The Denver, Colorado corps’ lead over Pacific Crest Friday night was largely fueled by advantages in the general effect and visual captions. Pacific Crest outscored Blue Knights by a slim margin in music, though, to help keep things close.
In eighth place, The Academy showed strong numbers in the percussion caption, outscoring the Blue Knights.
"Very energetic,” Academy drum major Sammy Rodriguez said about Friday night’s performance. "I loved seeing their energy right off the field especially in that last hit. And you could see it in the members as well when they got that standing ovation.”
9. Genesis » 78.275
10. Seattle Cascades » 74.625
Genesis landed in ninth place at Friday night’s event. The corps outscored its 2022 Allentown output by more than three points, and nearly topped its season-ending tally from a year ago, 78.813, earned at the 2022 DCI World Championship Semifinals.
“We haven't had the best runs lately,” said Genesis drum major Antonio Fox. “But the last couple days of rehearsal have been absolutely amazing. To come out here with one of the best crowds in Drum Corps International, it was awesome to put it all together.”
Rounding out the World Class leaderboard Friday night was Seattle Cascades. The corps arrived late to Allentown due to an equipment truck breakdown, but was able to push through unexpected challenges and deliver a memorable performance for the J. Birney Crum Stadium audience.
“One of our biggest struggles was maintaining our composure and our world-class mentality through all of that,” drum major Dallan Heard said. “Obviously, when our equipment truck broke down, it changed a lot of our logistical plans, so we were just kind of vibing it out and feeling it for all of tonight. But we made the audience stand up, and that's what I’m most proud of.”
1. Bushwackers » 79.850
2. Fusion Core » 75.650
A pair of all-age drum corps kicked off the 2023 DCI Eastern Classic, representing Drum Corps Associates with strong opening performances.
According to Fusion Core drum major Jenna Foley, performing at Allentown’s storied venue was a memorable experience, and a dream come true.
“I’ve always had the dream of being a drum major and conducting at J. Birney Crum,” she said. “The audience couldn't have been more responsive, they were fantastic. The corps was fantastic, and I cannot say my praises enough.”
For both corps, the focus for the 2023 season points toward the DCA World Championships, scheduled for September 1-3 in Rochester, New York. At 2022’s championship event, Bushwackers earned third place in DCA’s Open Class division, while Fusion Core earned an “A” Class championship title.
“We've been through a lot in the past couple months — a lot of rewrites, a lot of changes,” Bushwackers drum major Kevin Ramsey said. “This felt like our Finals, and we still have a lot more to go.”
The DCI Eastern Classic continues Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET at J. Birney Crum Stadium, with performances from 11 World Class ensembles, as well as the Reading Buccaneers, Hawthorne Caballeros and Sonus Brass Theater.