The highly accomplished Vandegrift Vipers High School Band & Vision Dance Company captured the 1^st place title at the 2025 Bands of America Austin Regional, earning awards for Outstanding Music Performance, Visual Performance, and General Effect. Their 2025 production of “Gaia’s Embrace,” is coordinated exquisitely with music, choreography, and visuals — the theme portraying the beauty and power of Earth’s elements. The band and dancers perform with such grace and elegance, creating a mesmerizing performance. A few weeks after their BOA Regional win, they performed the completed production of “Gaia’s Embrace” at the Texas Marching Classic and took home another championship victory.

The drill and visual designer for this production, Jeff Sacktig, helped lay the foundation for the Vandegrift band program back in 2012, just a few short years after the school opened. Jeff is currently in his 14^th year working with the Vandegrift Viper Band and has helped cultivate a tradition of excellence for the program with his award-winning shows. In recent years, the band has won UIL 6A State Marching Band Championships, a BOA Grand National Championship, and been named recipient of the Sudler Shield award and Sudler Flag of Honor.

Jeff has been involved in the pageantry arts in several capacities throughout the course of his career. He began writing drill on paper in 1990, then started using Pyware 3D in the Fall of 2003.

“Pyware has been my best friend for a long time,” he said.

“I have been designing shows 36 years and Pyware has been my most valuable asset.  From a writing standpoint there is an efficiency in creating dynamic shows in all disciplines of our pageantry arts that are unmatched by any other product. From an educational standpoint, the process of distributing information to directors, teachers and students is clear and easy to follow. As a current designer, I appreciate that the team at Pyware are continually working on improving the product.”

The Pyware Team is honored that the software has played a role in Jeff’s stellar career, as he has designed for phenomenal programs across the country and in Japan. His visual design work with the Dartmouth High School Indoor Percussion line, Carolina Crown, and 20-year term as drill writer for The Cadets, has propelled him into the ranks of the DCI Hall of Fame, WGI Hall of Fame, World Drum Corps Hall of Fame, and Cadets Hall of Fame. Working alongside Jeff is newly appointed Director of Bands, Jarrett Lipman. The band program and Vandegrift community welcomed him in the spring of 2024 and so far, he is off to a fantastic beginning with the Viper Band. Jarrett accepts his new role with the band after a 16-year period as both the Assistant Band Director and Head Director of the 2020 UIL 6A State Marching Champions, multi-time Grand National Finalist, and BOA Regional Champions, the Claudia Taylor Johnson High School Band. He is also experienced in DCI, currently working with the Boston Crusaders.

Jarrett is highly motivated to build upon the band’s reputation for stunning performances and top-ranking seasons. With his fresh viewpoint for the program paired with the impressive prowess from designer extraordinaire, Jeff Sacktig, the sky is the limit for the Vandegrift Vipers. We would like to wish them continued success throughout the BOA circuit, UIL Marching Band contests, and 2025-2026 season!