Retrospect: JCHS band won first title

Twenty-five years ago this week, the Jay County High School Marching Patriots won their first Indiana State Fair Band Day championship.

The victory came by four tenths of a point over four-time defending champion Monroe Central. Franklin Central, which had won the Jay County Lions contest a couple of weeks earlier, finished third.

Drum major Jeff Jutte jumped when the results were announced and raised his fist in a victory salute to the crowd, which responded with shouts of “You deserve it.”

“We finally got it done,” said band director Dave Humbert, whose Marching Patriots would add a second title in 2001 before his retirement four years later. “The music we played was more difficult (than in past years), and the marching was more difficult. The kids just pulled it off.”

Winning at the state fair was a breakthrough for Humbert and JCHS, which had been in the top 16 every year since the school opened in 1975 and was the runner-up to Monroe Central in 1989, 1990 and 1991. It had been in the top five eight times, but had never held the big trophy.

The victory was the Marching Patriots’ first of the summer after placing third at their home contest and Delaware County, and fourth at Anderson. The group of 136 Marching Patriots, who earned $3,000 in addition to the trophy, also brought home caption awards for marching and musical performance.

The 1992 show featured selections from the musical “West Side Story.” Humbert’s staff included Kelly Smeltzer, who took over as director in 2005, Lori Mark, Bev Arnold and Pete Vogler. Laurie Miller and Jutte served as drum majors.