The guard performs with the band during the fall, twirling their flags and dancing across the field to create a visual appeal to the band’s marching show. However, during winter and spring, they have a season dedicated to competing in this visual art alone.

Winter guard’s season began in late January. The guard consists of two teams, varsity and junior varsity. At a recent Texas Color Guard Circuit competition at Cedar Park High School, Feb. 20, both teams placed, with varsity taking third and JV fourth, in their respective classes.

“I feel pretty confident being my first year,” junior Ryan Almond said. “In my opinion the guys and me are doing pretty well compared with doing it with people who have been doing this for three years, we’re hanging in there and we are learning as a team.”

The varsity team has an astronomy-based theme for their show.

“The theme isn’t just that we’re stars,” junior Angelica Culver said. “As you look at it, you can see us forming shapes of nebulas. There’s a lot of interesting and complicated stuff about stars, like when they get bigger they explode, so we have a lift in the show to present a nebula and a star forming and coming about just like a normal star would.”

The JV team’s theme is “Wildest Dreams,” based off the Taylor Swift song.

“We have made wonderful progress,” junior Carlos Tafur said. “We have over half our show choreographed and it’s amazing.”

This year the guard welcomed a new director, Lewis Flores, making this year’s show very different than past ones.

“It’s different mostly in the choreography,” Culver said. “It’s not complicated, a lot fast paced. Our past years shows have been fun shows, where you usually have a big, fat smile on your face, and this year it’s more serious, which I think everyone really wanted since freshmen year.”

The two teams practice during fourth or eight period, as well as afterschool to prepare for the season.

“[It’s] A lot of physical work,” junior Michael Navares said. “And making sure you actually know all the counts, because if you’re not even remotely in tempo, everything is going to mess up for everyone. Everyone is essential in the guard, so everyone has to know what they are doing.”

Through all their endeavors, they always remember to have fun and support each other, whether they take home a win or loss.

“I want to have fun because it’s my first year and I really don’t know what I am doing,” Tafur said. “I’ve gotten hurt a few times, so I just want to make it worth it.”