Hornets Take the Stage: Hooks Bands Reflect on UIL Performances

Brendan Hicks, Reporter

March 10, 2026

On March 4, 2026, the Mighty Hornet Band buzzed away to two contests at Pleasant Grove (PG). However, the Hooks bands weren’t the only bands to compete for ratings.

The Non‑Varsity Band left Hooks High School to go to Pleasant Grove High School for the Pre‑UIL contest on February 23, 2026, from 9:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Non‑Varsity Band started their warm‑ups at 10:35 a.m. and rehearsed their three pieces: “March of the Samurai” by Michael Golemo, “Great Beginnings” by Michael Kamuf, and “The Gauntlet” by Doug Spata. They began their performance at 11:15 a.m. and received all 2’s (2‑2‑2) from the three judges. They then went to sight‑reading at 11:45 a.m. and received a 1. They boarded the bus at 12:05 p.m., returned to the high school, and arrived at 12:30 p.m. The Non‑Varsity Band returned to Pleasant Grove High School for the UIL contest on March 4, 2026, from 8:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. The Non‑Varsity Band started warm‑ups at 9:20 a.m. They began their performance at 10:00 a.m. and received mostly 2’s (2‑2‑3) from the three judges. They then went to sight‑reading at 10:30 a.m. and received a 1. They boarded the bus at 10:45 a.m., returned to the high school, and arrived at 11:15 a.m.

“I think the scores we got were unfair. I think we worked really hard on that; we should’ve gotten better scores,” non-varsity clarinet Callie Jones said.

The Varsity Band left Hooks High School to go to Pleasant Grove High School for the Pre‑UIL contest on February 23, 2026, from 1:40 p.m. to 4:20 p.m. The Varsity Band started their warm‑ups at 2:20 p.m. and rehearsed their three pieces: “Jazz Venture” by Steve Hodges, “CBCS March” by Brian Rhodes, and “Midnight Zoomies” by Emily Graham. They began their performance at 3:00 p.m. and received all 1’s (1‑1‑1) from the three judges. They then went to sight‑reading at 3:30 p.m. and received a 1. They boarded the bus at 3:50 p.m., returned to the high school, and arrived at 4:20 p.m. The Varsity Band returned to Pleasant Grove High School for the UIL contest on March 4, 2026, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. The Varsity Band started warm‑ups at 11:50 a.m. They began their performance at 12:30 p.m. and received mostly 2’s (2‑2‑3) from the three judges. They then went to sight‑reading at 1:00 p.m. and received a 1. They boarded the bus at 1:15 p.m., returned to the high school, and arrived at 1:45 p.m.

“We did good, but we could’ve done better,” varsity clarinet Khloe Roy said.

Donate to The Buzz

Your donation will support the student journalists of Hooks High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

About the Contributors

Brendan Hicks, Reporter

Brendan Hicks is a sophomore at HHS. This is his first year working with the Buzz and in journalism. He plays the trumpet in the “Mighty Hornet Band” and tries his best to do what is right. He enjoys gardening and being by himself.

Laila Harmon, Assistant Editor

Laila is a senior at Hooks High School who is taking journalism for the third year in a row. Her favorite activities consist of drawing, painting, helping her peers, and participating in art or UIL competitions. She hopes to get into photography this year and participate in taking photos for The Buzz. She’s not sure if she’s going to pursue a career in journalism, but she enjoys writing and editing stories for The Buzz.