After some dramatic changes to their design and teaching staff, the Boston Crusaders are taking to the field with something to prove this season.

Despite finishing last season in 12th place, the corps has seemingly turned a new leaf and is truly embracing the adjustments being made from the top-down. So far, the corps started the season off with a 68.15 in Massillon, Ohio, on June 24 -- an impressive 7.7 points higher than last season's opening score on June 23. As of July 3 this year, the corps reached a 73.1, a score that took them until July 18 to reach in 2016. Needless to say, this corps' reign of terror has only just begun.

Since 1999, the Boston Crusaders have maintained a strong presence in Drum Corps International's World Championship Finals, receiving ninth in their first visit and fifth twice in the following three seasons. The second time the corps finished fifth overall, with its show "You Are My Star," is also the highest score the corps has received to close the season with to-date. From 1998 to 2000, the corps went from 15th to ninth to fifth -- showing quite impressive growth in skill and execution in a three-year period. Could this season be revealing a turnaround similar to that which we saw at the turn of the century?

On the heels of the 2016 season, the Boston Crusaders announced they were making some important, world-renowned staff additions to their organization. Check out last August's announcement below.


Headlining those staff moves was the show-design triple threat of Michael Townsend, Leon May, and Keith Potter. The three joined the Boston Crusaders from a 15-year history of working in collaboration with each other and have previously led Carolina Crown to success with their impeccable program design, drill, and their always impressive color guard, since joining the corps in 2003. They will no doubt bring an unprecedented perspective to the Boston Crusaders, especially on the visual and show design aspect.


In the music caption, Gino Cipriani and Colin McNutt have taken over the corps' brass and percussion sections, respectively. Cipriani holds an impressive resume including leading The Cadets brass to three Drum Corps International World Championships (2000, 2005, 2011) and three Jim Ott High Brass Awards (2000, 2005, 2015). McNutt also joins Boston Crusaders from The Cadets, where he operated as the percussion caption supervisor and battery arranger since 2008 and earned a Fred Sanford High Percussion title in 2013. With these two making the move from The Cadets to Boston Crusaders together, they already have raised the standard for the Boston Crusaders' music caption.

Keep up with the Boston Crusaders all season by watching them here on FloMarching. You can catch them in the upcoming DCI Central Texas show on July 20 as they make their way to the top with their new world-class staff.

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