In the light of recent competitions, Ripon High’s JROTC drill team has done quite well for themselves this year. Although a few of the starting competitions have been centered around lower level cadets, more recent drill meets have been more expansive. JROTC’s success at the Rio Linda meet, just a week before state, came to prove that we were a force to be reckoned with in our area, taking first overall.
This competition, being located at North High School, was a far more complicated endeavor than any other competition this year. Being located in the Los Angeles area, the venture had to be a three day trip, leaving Friday the 31st, and coming back Sunday, right before the super bowl. Although taking up the weekend, the actual competition was held Saturday, and yielded good results.

Overall Ripon took second place, and took home numerous third place medals, for teams like unarmed platoon and unarmed exhibition. Although we did not take first, the entire team did its best to unite in the end, and besides a few mistakes, Ripon did well. Normally this may have or completely would have interfered with going to nationals, luckily though that is not the goal of the drill team this year. Due to budget cuts, the Army will not have a national competition housing for the West Coast division, or possibly at all. Meaning that this meet is just good practice for what is ahead.

The last competition of the year, Golden Bear, will have 25 or more schools attend, some will be American, foreign, marine, army, navy–all will show what they have got. Golden Bear will come to be the goal of everyone on the drill team as well as just doing well. This state competition proved to many that they are not invincible, but rather with a little work, attention to detail, and some leadership, Ripon High’s JROTC can do even better.

By: Kennie Hitchcock