CUMMING, Ga. – The 38 cadets of the North Forsyth High School Marin Corps JROTC Drill Team have spent more than 2,500 hours since August developing their skills. On November 3, their hours of practice paid off as they won the American Legion Southeastern Regional JROTC Drill Competition in Montgomery, Ala., defeating more than 35 other schools from the Southeast.

The North Forsyth H.S. Raider Battalion’s victory marks the first time in more than a decade that a Marine Corps JROTC school has won the Southeastern Regional Competition.

JROTC drill competitions are divided into three divisions: Demilitarized, Facsimile, and Unarmed Drill. The North Forsyth drill team brought home trophies in all three divisions as follows:

Unarmed Exhibition: Second Place; Facsimile Exhibition: First Place; Facsimile Color Guard: First Place; Demilitarized Inspection: First Place; Demilitarized Regulation: First Place; Demilitarized Exhibition: First Place; Demilitarized Division: Champion

The Raiders’ combined scores in all divisions soared them into first place, defeating the Wetumpka High School Army JROTC by only two points, and earning the overall championship.

In individual competition, North Forsyth H.S. cadets Andy Dessin and Tyler Shambarger placed first in the Dual Exhibition category, drilling and spinning 11-pound M-14 rifles. Jaryd Dixon placed third in the “Knockout” category, a test of knowledge of and reaction to close order drill commands.

Major Mac Kelly, Senior Marine Instructor, said, “The Drill Team offers unique opportunities to high school JROTC cadets. Gunnery Sergeant Jack Snook and I teach them the basics of Navy-Marine Corps drill. The cadets take this knowledge and expand it into a drill team sequence. This is analogous to a football or basketball coach teaching players the basic rudiments of their sport, and then letting the players design and call 90 percent of their own plays in a game.”

He further explained that JROTC “teaches cadets maturity, responsibility, how to practically apply knowledge, and how to make wise decisions. The Drill Team allows cadets to do just that. Many people would be surprised to see just what high school students are capable of doing when they are given the training and opportunity.”

The North Forsyth H.S. MCJROTC Drill Team will perform on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Marine Corps Birthday and Veteran’s Day Ceremony at the North Forsyth football stadium. There is no admission charge, and the public is invited to attend.