Defending a state championship title after the win moved them into a more difficult division, members of the Wareham Vikings Winter Guard knew they had their work cut out for them this season.

But the upcoming 100-year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, a movie storyline that nearly everyone knows by heart, and an emotional soundtrack moved spectators to tears in Dartmouth on Saturday, February 25, giving the guard a first-place win at its first competition.

"We're defending champions so we had to pull something really good out of the 'water,'" said Coach Kimmy Marshall, only partly joking.

The title and theme of the show is "Never Let Go."

Hard work -- and maybe a bit of good luck, since "Titanic" is team captain Carrisa Gula's favorite movie -- earned Wareham a score of 75.60 at Dartmouth High School. The team defeated Mansfield High School's 75.00 and Dedham High School's 74.80.

The 22-student team of middle- and high-schoolers spent all of their winter vacation from school preparing for upcoming performances.

"These girls have worked so hard," said Winter Guard Director Annmarie Churchill.

The show tells the story of Jack and Rose -- the main characters of the film -- falling in love on the Titanic. It features hand-painted flags with icebergs and will eventually showcase backdrops with scenes from the movie.

Churchill and her fellow coaches worked nearly 21 hours one of the days, painting the rolled-up recycled billboard that the guard performs on during competitions.

The guard is judged on dancing, how it uses equipment, overall choreography, and the "general effect" of the show. In its new competitive division, Wareham will take on Malden in addition to Dedham and Mansfield throughout the season.

The guard is self-funded and must raise more than $10,000 to cover uniforms, equipment, show fees, transportation costs, and staff for each competitive season.

Though the team only performs out of town due to the amount it would cost to staff a show here in Wareham, the members and coaches hope Wareham will support them in their quest for another state title.

The Vikings Winter Guard next performs on March 3 at King Philip Regional High School in Wrentham. The show starts at 3 p.m.

For more information about the guard, visit the group's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/warehamcg. For a full performance schedule, visit the New England Scholastic Band Association website at nesba.org.