08-02-2011
02:33

Competitive Edge: 7/25-7/31

by Drum Corps International

Blue Devils

The 2011 Drum Corps International Tour Monday, July 25 through Sunday, July 31

High scores of the week

World Class:

Blue Devils (94.80), July 30, Atlanta, GA

Open Class:

Blue Devils B (87.65), July 31, Battle Creek, MI

High caption scores of the week by section

World Class:

Brass: Carolina Crown (18.90), July 29, Murfreesboro, TN

Percussion: Blue Devils (19.40), July 30, Atlanta, GA

Vanguard Cadets

Open Class:

Brass: Blue Devils B (18.00), July 31, Battle Creek, MI

Percussion: Vanguard Cadets (18.00), July 30, DeKalb, IL

Color Guard: Spartans (18.30), July 31, Battle Creek, MI

View all scores and recaps.

Storylines to watch

Blue Devils B kept its winning streak in tact on July 31 in Battle Creek, Mich., but finished just 0.70 above Oregon Crusaders. Compared to one year ago, BDB’s narrowest margin of victory over the Portland corps was a whopping 3.55 points at the World Championship Finals in Indianapolis.

The Vanguard Cadets are scoring less than a point away from Blue Devils B right now when looking at scores from different events, however the two corps will not see each other head-to-head again until the Open Class Prelims on Aug. 8 in Michigan City, Ind.

Carolina Crown

The Cadets put an end to the Cavaliers’ 37-day winning streak on July 26, after edging the corps 91.65 to 91.25 in Yukon, Okla. In four subsequent meetings, the Cadets have kept their lead on the Green Machine, by as little as 0.35 on July 27 in Little Rock, Ark., but by as much as 0.75 on July 29 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

After tying the Cadets for first place on July 29 in Murfreesboro, the Blue Devils pushed ahead the next day in Atlanta to be the outright winners by eight tenths of a point. This was only the sixth time in 17 meetings this season that the Blue Devils scored above the Cadets.

In Carolina Crown’s last three events, the corps was 1.45 points away from the first place corps on July 27 (Hattiesburg, Miss.), 1.80 away from first on July 29 (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), and 2.20 away from first on July 30 (Atlanta, Ga.).

Spirit of Atlanta, who has been battling it out regularly with the Troopers and Glassmen for a spot among the top 12 corps, put up its widest margin of victory over the Troop all season on July 31 in Atlanta by 1.45 points.

Blue Stars

The least amount of improvement when comparing scores from San Antonio and Atlanta was made by the Blue Stars who improved by just 1.45 points. Three other corps had less than two points of improvement, including Blue Knights (+1.85), The Academy (+1.65) and the Colts (+1.80).