HIGH LIFE : A WEEKLY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS : Marching Bands Take Honors in Tournament

Orange County high school marching bands won a number of awards at the 15th Tournament of Champions competition Saturday at Santa Ana Stadium.

The tournament culminates a season of competition during October and November throughout Southern California.

Twenty-four of the top marching bands in the Southland, along with auxiliary units, were selected to compete in the Tournament of Champions, which was held in conjunction with The Times Orange County Holiday Parade.

The 11 county teams chosen to participate won these awards:

* Drill team sweepstakes--Esperanza High School.

* Rifle sweepstakes--Magnolia.

* Drum majors military--Mater Dei (first place), Valencia (second), Magnolia (third), El Dorado (fourth).

* Drum majors mace--Kennedy (tied for third).

* Percussion Class A--El Dorado (first), Savanna (second), El Toro (third); Class AA--Mission Viejo (second); Open--Magnolia (first), Mater Dei (third).

* Drill team--Savanna (third), Loara (fourth), Mater Dei (seventh).

* Rifles--Mission Viejo (second), Esperanza (third), Cypress (fourth).

* Tall flags Class A--Kennedy (first), Esperanza (second), Cypress (third), Savanna (fourth); Class AA--Mission Viejo (third); Open--Mater Dei (first), Magnolia (second).

* Band review Class A--Cypress (first); Open--Magnolia (third).

* Field tournament Class A--El Toro (third); Open--Magnolia (third).

* Combined band review and field show Class A--Cypress (first), El Toro (third), Kennedy (fourth); Open--Magnolia (second), Mater Dei (third).

Poway High School of San Diego County was named the competition’s grand champion.

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“Frankly,” Parker writes, “I can’t say that all of these rules of thumb work. Consider these a treasury of inventions that work for the people who sent them in.”

--Walter Pitkin, literary agent, Weston, Conn.

Dealing With Dogs: Anything over 45 minutes seems like forever to your dog. You will be greeted as enthusiastically coming back from a 2-hour shopping trip as you will coming back from a 2-day vacation.

--Andrea Frankel, computer scientist and engineer, San Diego

“Dogs come when they’re called; cats take a message and get back to you.”

--Mary Bly