BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood High School’s Bengal Battalion activity teams delivered impressive performances at a recent local drill and rifle meet, building strong momentum ahead of their upcoming league competition. The Battalion competed across multiple categories, including unarmed and armed platoon drills, armed exhibition routines, and unarmed marksmanship.
“You are 13 marching as one,” noted Army Instructor SFC Bell, describing the discipline required for the platoon events.
That unity was on full display in the Unarmed Platoon event, where c/SGT Chloe Quiller led the Bengals to a first-place finish. c/CPT Gerald Hemmingway and the Armed Platoon delivered an exceptional performance, a complex event that integrates rifle manuals into the marching formation.
Cadet Quiller continued her strong showing in the Color Guard competition. Despite not expecting to compete, she stepped up to command the second color guard, leading the team to a hard-earned second-place trophy.
In the creative exhibition categories, c/CPT Pamelya McGill led both the Armed and Unarmed teams. The Armed Exhibition team performed with combination of unique spins using Daisy Model 1903 replica rifles. McGill performed a similar routine wielding a saber.
The Unarmed Exhibition team, also led by McGill, earned third place after performing an intricate and effortless equipment-free routine.
The Battalion also dominated the individual “Knockout” drills—an elimination event testing reaction time to commands. Blythewood cadets claimed four of the top ten spots in Armed Knockout and five of the top ten in Unarmed Knockout.
Finally, the Rifle Team outshot a crowded field of competitors to take the top honors. A team of Cadets Boatright, Davis, McComish, and Higgins posted an impressive score of 1735. While c/CPL Higgins led the team’s overall effort, c/SGT Mia Franco earned the distinction of being the team’s top shooter.
