Poca, Grafton Comprise First 2026 Two-Competition Weekend for West Virginia
- Tonya Chase
- 2 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By Tonya Chase, West Virginia contributor
After the recent weather postponed Winfield High School’s Emerald Classic, Poca Visual Volume and Grafton Entertainers are scraping the ice off their sidewalks and shoveling the parking lots in preparation for this week’s competitions.
Poca Music Fest
Nine show choirs from Ohio and West Virginia will travel to Poca High School. Most choirs have at least one competition under their belt, bringing momentum and experience with them. In the womens division, Winfield Emerald Elegance strives to maintain their streak with a take on “The Giving Tree,” facing Cabell Midland Rhythm in Red in their season debut. In middle mixed, Ripley Phoenix Blue hopes to bring home another first-place trophy, but will have competition with their neighboring school, Ravenswood Rave Revue, who has the potential to put on their tap shoes and triple time step their way into finals. While most of large mixed has already competed against each other, Teays Valley Prominent Rendition and their juke box will be leaving Ohio to face Winfield General Admission, who won the mixed division at Nitro High School’s competition last month. St. C Singers from Saint Clairsville won’t sit idly by, entertaining the audience with their Indiana Jones-themed show and award winning soloists.
Predictions
As the largest group to touch the stage, Emerald Elegance should add to their grand championship collection over the mixed ensembles. Director Kelsey Tolley-Baldwin and choreographer Brooke Smolder showcase individual talents of the group without distracting from the choir.
Highest Ceiling
Ripley Phoenix Blue is coming off a small division win and sixth overall finish at Nitro. While in existence for some time, Phoenix Blue is new to competition and will grow more comfortable each time they step on the stage.
Dark Horse
Teays Valley Prominent Rendition with Shane Coe’s choreography will stand out among the regional choirs. They have already competed three times, winning small division over Martinsburg at Olentangy and qualifying for finals at Van Buren. If they have a clean performance, they could find themselves taking home a grand championship trophy.
Grafton Choral Classic
While Grafton director Duretha Mayle should get her wish with temperatures in the twenties, she’s hoping whatever snow may be in the forecast won’t cause issues. This will be the first competition for Robert C. Byrd Vocal Intensity after Winfield’s postponement and snow cancelled their trip to Olentangy. Vocal Intensity is one of four large mixed choirs in the state and is a consistent finalist both locally and as they travel. They will be facing Herbert Hoover High Impact and their Tell-Tale Heart Show that placed fourth at Nitro’s competition.
Predictions
Mady McNemar-Rhoades will have Vocal Intensity ready, despite the school cancellations last week. Building off last year’s young talent and the recent school consolidation, they should improve from last season.
Highest Ceiling
Caitlyn Taylor, new director for Touch of Class, now has a competition to her credit. As she matures in her position, the students should as well, learning with every performance.
Dark Horse
Herbert Hoover High Impact will represent themselves well. They have the most experience with two debut shows and a competition already this season. If they can strengthen their performance from Nitro, a first-place award could be going back to Elkview.
West Virginia on the Road
Hurricane, Martinsburg, and Jefferson will be traveling to Twinsburg, Ohio for the Twinsburg Northcoast Invitational. Hurricane will match up with Ohio large mixed outfits Marysville and ETC while the panhandle choirs will be battling for spots in the lower end of finals. For expanded coverage, see this weekend's Ohio preview.