The Color Guard makes running up and down the football field, twirling a flag look easy. These performers mesmerize the crowd during half-time as they join the band and Golddusters for a show stopping performance.

Not only that, but they have graced their competition season with flying colors. They ranked 3^rd at State Championships Novice classification. There are about five other circuits in Texas and Klein Forest is ranked 10^th out of 150 high schools in the Novice classification. However, these talented performers started at the top and had to work their way not up, but down the totem pole to re-gain their Regional-A status.

“Last year we were Regional A, but we did badly,” senior, Collette Dumag, three year returnee said. “So our new director moved us down to Novice because we were not prepared for that level of competition.”

Peter Vongphakdy, director, has been involved with color guard activity since his freshman year in high school and has made his return.

“I feel honored when my old teachers tell me they are glad to have me back here to build the guard,” Vongphakdy said. “Band, choir and stage performance was always a big part of my life, so I continued to perform professionally with the Independent Winter Guard after I graduated from high school.”

Nonetheless determined, Color Guard has worked countless hours during the summer as well as the school year to assure they come out on top during football and competition season.

“I have adjusted their style a little bit and of course exposed them to my style of choreography,” Vongphakdy said. “The fine arts teachers here have really helped me with this style by crafting my mind that I have to use every day for this activity.”

Although dropping the guard to Novice rank may have seemed illogical, it was all a part of Vongpakdy’s strategy to bring the team right back to the top.

“I knew that 90% of the guard are freshman so my choice was based on that,” Vongphakdy said. “That gave me the advantage to train everyone to achieve the same expectations as an ensemble no matter what level of talent they had. If you think of it as life, it does not start from the top. Success is grown and nurtured from the bottom.”

With competition season right around the corner, the guard is more than ready.

“This year, varsity will be competing in the Regional-A classification and JV guard will be competing in the Novice Classification,” Vongphakdy said, “I believe that both of the teams will be successful regardless of their rank.”

All in all, Vongphakdy is simply grateful to be teaching such talented students and helpful teachers to assist him.

“I would like to thank all my colleagues at Klein Forest for supporting the arts and what I do,” he said. “My students are my inspiration every day. The marching football field and winter guard is my blank canvas and the students are my talented paint brushes. The music, ideas and colors in the flags and the choreography is a form of my expression. This activity is a visual representation of music. This is what I live. It is ART.”

You can see the Color Guard in action Thursday at Klein Memorial Stadium as the Football team facese the Spring Lions.