When Drum Corps International published an article in the fall of 2023 featuring the “Top 5 Allentown scores of all-time,” its data spanned decades. A holistic list of results from one of the DCI Tour’s most iconic venues — these scores had withstood the test of time.
Iconic competitive showings in the last two years, however, have continued to rewrite the history books.
The longstanding DCI Eastern Classic event series — hosted annually at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown, Pennsylvania — serves as a key final stop before corps make their way to the DCI World Championships.
Here’s a look back at the five highest-scoring corps of all-time in Allentown, which as of 2026 now includes six highest-scoring corps thanks to a tie for the number one spot.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The DCI Eastern Classic presented by Yokohama Tire will return to J. Birney Crum stadium August 6 & 7, 2027. Two-night ticket packages for the event are now on sale through November 24, with single-night tickets set to go on sale November 25.
Buy your two-night ticket package to the 2027 DCI Eastern Classic
5. 2022 Blue Devils | 96.050
It was a close race for the fifth spot on this list, but the 2022 Blue Devils took the cake by a slim margin of 0.05 points over the 1998 Santa Clara Vanguard (96.000).
One of the corps on this top-five list to end up winning a DCI World Championship, Blue Devils earned standout marks at 2022’s Allentown event, going head-to-head with eventual co-silver medalists Bluecoats and Boston Crusaders and winning by over a point and a half, sweeping all captions except color guard in the process.
4. 2005 Cadets | 96.225
In 2005, The Cadets became the second-ever corps to break 99 points at season’s end — a list that now includes five entries. At the time, The Cadets’ final score of 99.150 tied an all-time record with the 2002 Cavaliers.
At 2005’s Allentown event, The Cadets handedly won the latter day of competition, toppling second-place Phantom Regiment — who went on to take that year’s bronze medal — by nearly two full points.
3. 2025 Boston Crusaders | 96.375
Boston Crusaders’ Allentown performance in 2025 came on the wings of a string of second-place finishes during head-to-head matchups with the Bluecoats. The two went neck-and-neck toward the end of the season.
After late-July results saw Bluecoats expand the corps’ lead over the Crusaders into the vicinity of a full point, Boston’s strong score in Allentown signified that the race would be close all the way down the stretch.
In Allentown, the corps went head-to-head with Santa Clara Vanguard, outscoring the season’s eventual bronze medalist by 0.975 and sweeping nearly all captions. Ultimately, a week later in Indianapolis, Boston took home the corps’ first-ever gold medal, scoring just over two points higher than this tally with a final mark of 98.425.
2. 2025 Bluecoats | 96.475
The only corps on this list to not end up with a World Championship title, Bluecoats impressed on the opening night of Allentown competition in 2025.
The Ohio corps held a strong lead at 2025’s Friday night event with the Blue Devils (94.650) and Phantom Regiment (93.225) in second and third.
1. 2014 Blue Devils & 2026 Bluecoats | 96.825
Blue Devils’ 2014 season was one for the record books, as the corps went on to set an all-time record score of 99.650. The Devils’ Allentown output was one of the many steps in their record-breaking season.
Untouchable across the scoresheets, the Blue Devils dismantled the field during the first night of 2014’s Allentown event, outscoring the second-place Santa Clara Vanguard by an impressive 2.75 points.
Twelve years later, the 2026 Bluecoats entered J. Birney Crum Stadium on a similar tear. Undefeated and pulling away from the competition all summer, the Canton corps arrived in Allentown with fans legitimately wondering if the record could finally be broken.
At the end of the night, the Bluecoats found themselves 1.375 points ahead of the nearest competition and taking first place in all captions across the scoresheets. Their final score of 96.825 matched the 2014 Blue Devils to the exact decimal point, forging a legendary tie atop the Allentown record books.
READ: Bluecoats rewrite the Allentown history books once again
