Education

Cypress Creek band wins first place at FFCC Gaither competition

By Wesley Chapel Record staff · October 14, 2026 · 1 min read

Marching band with red color guard flags in a circular formation on a stadium field, viewed from above. — The Cypress Creek Band of Coyotes performs on a stadium field during a marching band competition, with color guard members in a circular formation. The Wesley Chapel band won first place at the FFCC Outdoor Gaither Competition on Oct. 10. Band Parent (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons

The Cypress Creek Band of Coyotes took first place at the Florida Federation of Colorguard Circuit (FFCC) Outdoor Gaither Competition on Saturday, Oct. 10.

The Wesley Chapel marching band competed at Gaither High School in Tampa against bands across six classification divisions. The school announced the win on its @TheCoyoteWay social media account on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

The first-place finish followed a top-10 result at the 29th Annual Lion's Pride Marching Band Competition at King High School in Tampa on Oct. 3.

The FFCC Outdoor circuit, which held its first marching band championships in November 2024, wraps its 2026 season with state championships Saturday, Nov. 14. The 1A through 3A divisions compete at West Orange High School in Winter Garden, and the 4A through 6A divisions compete at The Villages High School.

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Megan O'Neill

Editor

Megan published her first poem in the Sun Sentinel at the age of 11 and has been locked in ever since. She attended UF and FIU and has a degree in Communication Arts. Her professional background includes photography, editing, writing, translation, and graphic design. Megan enjoys learning language, art and vegan foods.