Exciting Competitions. New Experiences. Fast-Paced Practices.
The Junior Varsity color guard consists of freshman/sophomore students who are usually less experienced in their field, but that doesn’t mean that they are not as competitive or passionate than senior color guard groups. Junior Varsity works together as a team, persevering through struggles and lifting others up by encouraging and teaching them to be better. So, what’s been going on with the Junior Varsity color guard?
On Saturday February 21, 2026, the Collierville High School JV Winter Guard competed in their first competition of the spring season. The competition brought together other color guard teams from the region in performances that combine dances and acting with spinning flags, rifles and sabres.
Their joint teamwork put into progressing their skills for the competition strikes pride into the hearts of the Junior Varsity color guard members.
“It makes me feel very happy and excited, because our progression as a group feels like an overall morale boost for everyone,” said Lana Matthews, the JV Winter Guard Captain.
A freshman JV color guard member, Maria “Allie” Beccara-Fuentes, expressed her excitement for the competition.
“When we first found out about our color guard competition music and costumes, everyone was super excited!”
The JV color guard group has been honing their skills, and as the weekend of the competition slowly lurked closer, the members were as thrilled as ever. Though, the team was still perfecting their routines up to the competition date.
“With a looming competition coming up, things are feeling pretty tense for the team,” Allie said. “There is a lot of last-minute changes to the choreography that has some members a bit concerned. But overall, we are very excited for our competition.”
When asked about why she wanted to join color guard, Allie responded. “A few of my good friends were doing color guard, and I just found it very pretty to see. It also looked very fun, and I also wanted another activity to do. I signed up late October of last year!”
Color guard also helped Allie meet a lot of new people. The unity that the team has created helps them work through their practices in a fast and timely manner to be ready for competitions.
“In the first few weeks, we were learning the basics and how to handle the flags with a steady hand,” explained Allie. “Plus, we were getting the hang of the tricks and timing of the routines, especially the flag tosses.”
“Sometimes I’m too scared to throw too high, but that’s mostly what color guard is all about. You need to have confidence!”
Color guard is a beginner friendly sport. While you don’t need much skill when starting out, you do need confidence. Joining the Collierville Dragon Guard with that confidence can bring wonderful new experiences and friendships. With the upcoming Collierville Dragon Guard 2026-2027 auditions on April 6, 7 and 9, tryout participants can show off their potential and meet possible future teammates. All skill levels are welcome.
