Guard

Welcome to the Lakeside High School Guard Program!

The Lakeside High School Guard is a visual performance ensemble utilizing dance, flag, rifle, and saber choreography to provide a visual interpretation for the Pride of the Panthers Marching Band. The guard consists of 20+ members each year who are dedicated to continuing a tradition of excellence. The ensemble performs during halftime shows, competitions, and parades.

In the 2018-2019 school year, Lakeside Guard launched their Winter Guard program. Winter Guard is a competitive indoor performance activity that takes places primarily during the winter and early spring, where groups perform to a pre-recorded soundtrack instead of with a marching band. Our Winter Guard program is comprised of four performance ensembles that serve students from 7th through 12th grade: Maroon (Varsity), Silver (Sub-Varsity), Company (JV), and Spin Club (for middle schools students beginning their involvement in the program). Membership in these groups is determined through an audition process. Only students who are members of the fall marching band program are eligible for Maroon membership. Both groups compete in regional and national/international circuits (Carolina Winter Ensemble Association and Winter Guard International). This activity provides an avenue for guard members to hone their skills year-round and an additional performance outlet to highlight those skills in a different environment that features the members more directly than the larger ensemble setting of marching band. The program has become increasingly successful and competitive; in 2024, Maroon earned the silver medal and Silver earned gold in their respective rounds and classes at CWEA Championships, and Spin Club won their class at both of their competitions! In 2025, Spin Club placed 7th in their first ever performance at championships, Silver placed 8th in their round, and Maroon earned the gold medal in their round and was named the circuit champion for their division!

Membership in the guard program is open to any student enrolled at or zoned for Lakeside High School (students must be enrolled with the Columbia County School District). Several members of the fall guard and even more in the winter guard are also instrumentalists in the band program.

The ultimate goal of the program is to provide our students with a lifelong understanding of and appreciation for music, dance and the performing arts. As an extension of the Lakeside Bands, we operate under the same philosophy and hold ourselves to the same standard in all that we do: excellent people, excellent process, excellent product.