A Mahoning Valley high school has won the Metallica Marching Band of the Year award

A Mahoning Valley high school band has won the Metallica Marching Band of the Year award.

South Range High School in Canfield won first place in the small school category, the heavy metal band announced on Wednesday.

Band director Roger Lewis said the win brought great validation.

“I couldn’t be happier that all the hard work and effort these students put in from July to November is absolutely validated, not just by our community but by the panel of judges who selected us as a finalist, and also by the members of Metallica who thought we performed the best,” he said.

This year, Metallica expanded its High School categories to include first, second, and third place winners for large, medium, and small high schools plus a fan favorite, as voted on by the public.

The competition, in its second year, challenges high schools across the nation to send in a video of the band playing one of Metallica’s hit songs.

South Range submitted their best rendition of Metallica’s 1991 hit “Enter Sandman” - earning them first place.

Lewis explained the band played the song for its Halloween show and Enter Sandman fit the aesthetic of the spooky time of year.

“We have a guitarist in the band who already knew how to play the song, and it was one of their most recognizable songs so it made sense,” he said. “Also, the marching band arrangement was well done in my opinion.”

Lewis went on to say that none of it would have been possible without the community, music boosters, parents that supported the band, the administration, and Rob Wichert who helped out with the fireworks.

He said the hopes winning will open students eyes to the possibilities of what is possible through music.

“I am a big proponent of mixing ‘school’ music with the music that exists out in the world, the things that students and people listen to on the radio and in their free time,” he said. “I hope that this will help motivate music students to keep working and realize how cool music can be.”

The band will receive $20,000 worth of music equipment courtesy of Sweetwater, Tama, Hal Leonard, KHS America, Tromana, Ernie Ball, Music For All and Bands of America.

This story was originally published February 15, 2025 at 5:13 AM.