By Allison Peck
The North Platte High School Marching Bulldogs are celebrating a major milestone after earning a Superior rating at the 2026 Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island.
Band Director Dr. Trey Switzer said the performance was the result of months of work and dedication, with many students beginning work on this year’s show as early as June.
“I think it shows incredible growth and dedication for all the hard effort that the students have put in over the course of the season,” Switzer said.
Switzer said one of the biggest strengths of this year’s group has been its leadership. The older students have experienced four band directors in four years, but Switzer said they have built trust with him and the leadership team.
He also credited parents, teachers and others throughout the district for helping support the band throughout the season.
Switzer said he is especially proud of the focus the students bring when they take the field.
“There is not a single performance where I worry about their effort, because they want to succeed as bad as I want them to,” he said.
He said students have also embraced his expectations and his willingness to be honest with them about their performances.
“Even though this band went through rigor over the past couple of years, they are a family,” Switzer said. “In just six short months, we have developed a culture where they all understand that even if they do not like each other all the time, we stick by each other no matter the situation.”
Switzer pointed to the Bearcat Marching Festival on September 22 as a turning point for the group. He and color guard instructor and coach Kate Werkmeister had challenged students to trust some unconventional ideas for the show, including the use of props, headbands and other visual elements.
After seeing the audience respond to their performance, Switzer said the students began to see how all of the work was coming together.
That momentum carried into Harvest of Harmony, where North Platte earned its Superior rating. Switzer said the Bulldogs also took second place in Class AA and earned the top score in the General Visual Effect category.
Werkmeister said the accomplishment is especially meaningful considering the challenges the program has faced in recent years. She said the last time North Platte received a Superior rating in a field show competition before this season was at State Finals in 2024, and it had been even longer since the band had earned a Superior at Harvest of Harmony.
She said the students’ commitment to the program has been evident throughout the season.
When the Superior rating was announced at Harvest of Harmony, Werkmeister said the reaction was filled with tears, laughter, cheering and celebration. She said the energy continued on the bus ride home, with students talking, laughing and singing rather than sitting quietly as they had in previous seasons.
For Switzer, the accomplishment is a sign of what the Bulldogs can continue to achieve.
“Personally, I am truly excited to see how they finish out the remainder of the season, and I cannot wait to see what else this group accomplishes,” he said.