South Jones High School Band students return home as world champions

JONES COUNTY, MS (WDAM) - The South Jones Indoor Winds Group returned home to a roaring crowd of proud supporters on Monday after winning the world title at the Scholastic Open Class indoor band competition.

“Incredible, I’ve never imagined in my entire life we’d do this and to do it as well as we did it is just mind-blowing,” said Brian Joyce, the South Jones High School band director.

“Unbelievable to be honest, I mean the support we get from our community and administration is incredible," said Jared Bush, a member of the South Jones High School Band. “When we heard about that everybody was going to be here about five minutes ago, we were just blown away.”

Joyce said the huge win for the South Jones Band of Braves is a result of hard work, dedication and commitment.

“The kids put in countless hours and dedication of nights and weekends," Joyce said. “We were just talking on the way here and this is the first weekend since January that we’re going to have a coming weekend off.”

“It’’s really cool that a group of kids from south Mississippi can work that hard and go to Dayton, Ohio and show everybody what they could do," said Tim Bower, an assistant to the band the director.

Joyce said the band members at South Jones put in tons of work but as a band they can’t take all of the credit.

“We wouldn’t be anywhere without the community administration and band parents that we have," said Joyce. “Without all of this we will be stuck with nothing and so were absolutely honored and humbled to have all these people that care so much about our band program.”

Ellisville Mayor Lynn Buckhaults was there among hundreds to welcome the students back to town. He said for what this means in Ellisville and south Mississippi, he had to come be apart of the celebration.

“We just couldn’t be any prouder," Buckhaults said. “I don’t think any better group, the hard work they’ve done the the effort they’ve made, the effort together as a team, the practice, the work the instructors, the parents that provide and make all of this possible. We’re just so proud of them.”

Copyright 2019 WDAM. All rights reserved.