History of The Force

The Force competition was first visualized by new band director, Mr. Jason Umberg, in 2004 when the high school moved to it’s new 63 acre campus on State Rt. 122. With the wide open facilities, Mr. Umberg saw the campus as the perfect venue for a marching band contest. After getting the OK from FAMA during the 2004-05 school year, Mr. Umberg attended the Mid States Band Association annual meeting in November of 2005. The first Force Competition was scheduled as a MSBA Sanctioned event (link to www.midstatesba.org).

The dream that Mr. Umberg and the members of FAMA once saw in their minds became a reality on Saturday, September 16 th, 2006. The Inaugural Force competition brought in 8 competing high school bands along with the University of Dayton’s Pride of Dayton marching band to perform in exhibition. This first event was a great success, raising enough money for FAMA to purchase a new 20 foot equipment trailer for the music program.

With the success of the inaugural competition, FAMA decided to allow the event grow to a prelims/finals format competition in 2007. On September 15 th, 2007, The 2 nd Annual Force Competition was hosted at Fenwick. 12 high school bands attended from as far as Columbus, Indianapolis, and Kentucky to compete for title of grand champion. Oak Hills High School, from Cincinnati, also attended to perform in exhibition. Of the 12 competing bands, the top 6 scoring bands moved on to compete in finals. For a second year in a row, the competition brought in more than $5,000 for FAMA. It became official that The Force competition is already a tradition that is alive and well.

September 16, 2006
^Denotes Exhibition Performance

Stephen T. Badin High School
Archbishop Alter High School
Edgewood High School
Miltion Union High School
Madison Consolidated High School (Indiana)
Rising Sun High School (Indiana)
Sycamore High School- GRAND CHAMPION
Springboro High School
^University of Dayton, Pride of Dayton Band

September 15, 2007
*Denotes Finalist
^Denotes Exhibition Performance

Archbishop Alter High School
*Southwestern Middle and High School (Indiana)
Edgewood High School
*Hamilton Southeastern High School (Indiana)
Madison Consolidated High School (Indiana)
LaSalle High School
Elder High School
Westerville South High School
*Lebanon High School
*Ryle High School (Kentucky)- GRAND CHAMPION
*Carlisle High School
*Sycamore High School
^Oak Hills High School

September 20, 2008
^Denotes Exhibition Performance

West Carrollton High School
Mt. Healthy High School
Westerville North High School
Carlisle High School
LaSalle High School
Walnut Hills High School - GRAND CHAMPION
West Clermont High School
^University of Dayton, Pride of Dayton Band

September 19, 2009
Moeller High School
Roger Bacon High School
Blanchester High School
Bishop Ready High School (Columbus)
Archbishop Alter High School
Clinton Massie High School
Elder High School
LaSalle High School
Twin Valley South High School
Glen Este High School
Monroe High School
Westerville North High School (Columbus)
Middletown High School
Stebbins High School
Lebanon High School
Turpin High School
Miamisburg High School

September, 2010
^Denotes Exhibition Performance

McNicholas
Roger Bacon
Carlisle
Rising Sun
West Carrolton
Alter
Worthington Kilbourne
Glen Este
Edgewood
Clinton Massie
Indian Hill
LaSalle
Lehman Catholic
Monroe
Brookville
Elder
Loveland
Northmont-Grand Champion
Miamisburg
^University of Dayton, Pride of the Dayton Band

September, 2011
^Denotes Exhibition Performance

Norwood
McNicholas
West Carrollton
Carliste
Clinton Massie
Indian Hill
LaSalle
Elder
Monroe
Stebbins
Sycamore-Grand Champion
Miamisburg
^University of Dayton, Pride of the Dayton Band