Rain didn’t hold back the 27th annual Autumn Classic competition
Saturday, which was moved inside to the Bradford Area High School
auditorium from nearby Parkway Field.

“The weather forecast was calling for thunderstorms sometime in
the day,” Marching Owls band director Kathy Thumpston said Sunday.
“So for everyone’s safety, we figured it was best to move it
inside.

“Everyone was notified in advance, and we’ve all performed at
indoor competitions so we knew what to plan for. The bands did an
outstanding job regrouping in the morning and making everything run
very smoothly inside. Everything went as smoothly as expected when
you move it indoors.”

The competition began at 4:30 p.m. and ran until about 9
p.m.

Award winners for the Class A Division were Kane Area High
School, taking first place; Seneca High School, second place; and
Otto-Eldred Junior-Senior High School, third place.

Award winners in the Class AA Division were Elk County Catholic
High School taking first; Coudersport High School, second; and the
Port Allegany Gator Marching Band, third.

There was only one competing Class AAA Division band so
Thumpston said all the awards in that category went to Fort LeBoeuf
High School.

Meanwhile, performing exhibition shows in the Class AAA Division
were Smethport Junior-Senior High School and the Cameron County
“Red Raider” Marching Band.

In the Open Class Division, General McLane of Edinboro took
first place; McDowell High School Marching Band and Color Guard
from Erie, second place; Harbor Creek High School of Erie, third
place; and Iroquois High School of Erie, fourth place.

The Bradford Marching Owls closed the show by performing its
exhibition “Midnight in the Garden of Jazz.”