History
The NYS Field Band Conference promptly moved Victor up to division SS1, a move the Marching Blue Devils welcomed. After only 5 seasons, the Victor Marching Blue Devils won back to back State Championships in SS1 in 2006 & 2007. By now, Victor’s rise to the top ranks of the NYS Field Band Conference was evident. As luck would have it, Victor Central School’s enrollment surpassed the Large School threshold, and the Conference moved Victor once again. This move to division LS1 (Large School division1), which is known as the National Class, because bands in this top division compete on the national level.
The Victor Marching Blue Devils Marching Band was formed in 1982 by Director Tim Stohs. They started in their first season in the Novice Class, and then began competing in what is now Small School Division 3, or SS3. In 1987, David Bills took over as Director, and in 1989 & 1990, the Marching Blue Devils won back to back State Championships in that division. In 1996, assistant director Eric Everhart took over as Director, and guided the band to back to back State Championships in division SS2 in 2000 & 2001.
In only 3 seasons, the Victor Marching Blue Devils brought home the Governor’s Cup with a National Class state championship in 2010! Additionally, the group traveled to Navy Stadium in Annapolis MD for National Championships, placing 4th in the country in their division.
In 2015, the Victor Marching Blue Devils again brought home the Governor’s Cup and State Championship in the National Class. The group also won the Bands of America (BOA), Class AA Regional Championship at Bowling Green University in Ohio, and won that regional championship a second time in 2016.
In 2020, percussion caption head & East Rochester HS band director Mark Gowman took over as the first new VMBD director in a quarter-century. In his first season, he guided this program through its most challenging year, as they navigated a cancelled Field Band Conference season, a nearly cancelled program, and the many obstacles of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A storied program and the pride of the Victor-Farmington community, the Victor Marching Blue Devils continue to strive for excellence. They are the embodiment of all that is good about our students, parents, teachers, and community.
