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No bonding bus trip. No final performances. No…cheese fries?

That’s just part of a what a group of Kingfisher High School seniors will be missing out on later this month.

When the State Department of Education earlier this spring canceled the remainder of the school year and all extra-curricular activities due to COVID-19, the OSSAA band competitions were included.

And five KHS seniors still had one final contest on their calendars.

Jaelle Farrell, Jackson Leffingwell, Monica Mojica, Sarah Sanders and Coltyn Young had qualified for the state contest, which was scheduled April 21-23 at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.

They were part of a large group of KHS band members who took part in the district solo and ensemble contest March 7 in Mustang.

Seven KHS soloists and a quartet earned a “superior” rating at district to advance to state.

Farrell was one of the soloists as she earned the highest mark with her clarinet performance. “It was an amazing feeling to finally make

“It was an amazing feeling to finally make it to state,” she said. “I have been working on making it since my sophomore year and I finally made it this year. It felt like a huge accomplishment and I was honored.”

Said Leffingwell, who played the baritone saxophone: “It felt amazing.”

Like Farrell, Mojica played the clarinet.

“I had been so nervous that entire day and I was so scared that my nerves had gotten in the way of performing the best I could,” Mojica said. “When Mrs. Owens said that I got a ‘superior’ rating, I was honestly shocked, but I was so happy.”

Young would have performed twice at state. He qualified playing the trombone as a soloist and was part of the depressed bass quartet along with Sanders, Brenden Hill and Tyler Roman.

“It feels pretty good to know that our hard work was recognized and appreciated,” Young said of qualifying.

Added Sanders, who also played the trombone in the quartet: “When we first heard the news, we all screamed and congratulated each other; it was just an overwhelming flood of excitement and energy. It feels great to know that all our hard work payed off.”

Preparation for the district contest began for most students in January – some even earlier – as they picked their music.

In years past, one of the criteria to qualify for state was memorizing the music.

The OSSAA relaxed that rule this year, which led to higher participation at the district contest. Kingfisher Band Director Mandy Owens said 38 high school and middle school students from Kingfisher competed this year.

The lack of needing to memorize music didn’t cut down on practice.

“I would practice my solo several times a week before class and after school,” Farrell said. “We also practice with our accompaniment the two Fridays before our competition. I spent an hour and a half with him along with other students playing with him as well.”

Mojica pushed herself her senior year when she chose her piece last December.

“I would practice my solo at home whenever I could and it was a lot of hard work,” she said. “This has been the hardest solo I’ve done for this contest and it was also longer than my past solos. I would listen to recordings of others playing it to see how others performed the song and I tried to make it my own.”

Those playing in ensembles had to schedule times to work together.

“Our ensemble practiced several times a week for a few months and then as we approached district, we started practicing every morning before class and for a couple of hours on Friday afternoons,” Sanders said.

As COVID-19 began to force the cancellation of more and more events, the band students knew their state competition could very well be one of them.

That didn’t stop them from working.

“For state, we learned pretty soon that it would probably be at least postponed, if not canceled,” Young said. “But we would still practice our music just in case something came up.”

That cancellation eventually was handed down, meaning there would be no final payoff for the countless hours of work put in by the band members.

“I have been working towards making it to state for three years now and to finally make it and have that taken away is such a gut-wrenching feeling,” Farrell said. “It feels like all the hard work was for nothing.”

Leffi ngwell was able to brush off the news easier.

“I didn’t mind,” he said. “Life happens.”

Mojica’s emotions were a bit stronger.

“I had put a lot of time into this solo and not being able to perform it at state is upsetting,” she said.

Owens has watched her pupils practice and has spent countless hours of her own time with them, trying to help them hone their craft.

“I am very disappointed that we don’t get to go to OSU for state,” she said.

While she hurts for all her students, the five seniors stand out and the overall experience is one that helps shape the program in the present and for future years, she said.

“This was their last chance to go to state,” Owens said. “It is always a fun time as the students encourage each other in their playing and we enjoy our tradition of eating at Eskimo Joe’s after we finish the contest.”

Sanders and Young were in their ensemble with two underclassmen.

“Of course we were all sad, but we weren’t disappointed solely because the event itself was canceled,” Sanders said. “This was our last time to perform with them (Hill and Roman) before we leave. Personally, I was saddened by the fact that we didn’t get this chance to make memories and strengthen bonds.”

Young was able to put a positive spin on it. He said the fi nal months before graduation are a long list of activities and events for seniors.

“Honestly, I felt a little relieved,” he said. “Obviously, I was a little disappointed, but it was just one less thing for me to worry about.”

The state band contest is just one in a long list of events the crop of 2020 seniors are missing out on.

State basketball.

Prom.

Awards assemblies.

Graduation.

Some definitely won’t happen. Others are possible, but unlikely.

So much is still unknown.

“It has been very tough to have my senior year end this way. It is hard to not be able to say goodbye to my teachers I love and the underclassmen I have become friends with,” Farrell said. “I never thought that I would have to say goodbye to these people over the phone rather than in person.”

Sanders insists on drawing the positives from the experience.

“I know a lot of people feel that this is ruining their senior year, but being out of school is saving lives,” she said.

“I also know that a lot of people would like to be making more high school memories during these last few weeks, but if you truly want to make more memories with someone and spend time with them, then after all this is over, go out and do it. That’s what’s keeping me content during this time.”

Mojica chooses to reflect positively on her entire venture through KHS rather than focus on what she’s missing.

“I was excited for all the events that would have happened these last few months of school and I wish it wouldn’t have ended this way,” she said. “I’m just grateful for all the memories I made and all the opportunities I got these past four years at Kingfisher.”