Every fraction of every point counted Saturday for Porterville resident Edgar Guzman — head drum major for the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets — when they showcased their routine at the 2008 Drum Corps International World Championships in Bloomington, Ind.

The team, which is consistently in the Top 5, started the year ahead of schedule, Guzman said.

“We were going for Top 3 this year,” Guzman said.

But at each competition, Guzman said they kept passing up the competition and two weeks ago he suddenly realized that they had a great chance at winning the championship title.

Guzman, a former drum major and a 2006 graduate of Monache High School — and a current student at Fresno City College — said he credits MHS band director Justin Adams for carrying him through to where he is today.

Adams praised Guzman and said Guzman was always passionate about music and always demonstrated dedication and leadership as Monache’s drum major.

“He was fabulous with everything he did with the band,” Adams said. “And to be able to take that to the next level and win the [drum corps] world championships is awesome.”

Guzman has been marching with the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets for three years and was named “Drum Major of the Year” in 2007.

“It’s amazing — a little kid from Porterville, drum major of Monache High School, making it as a World Champion,” Guzman said. “But it’s not about the points. It’s about putting on the best show possible and getting rewarded for that.”

What made the reward sweeter is that their victory was won by less than 1/500th of one point. The Vanguard Cadets racked up 96.825 points to beat out the Blue Devils B — their “cross town rivals” — from Concord. The Blue Devils B had 96.775 points in the inaugural open class title division.

“One tenth of a point difference is not uncommon but to win by 1/100 — it’s just unreal,” Adams said.

The Vanguard Cadets also took top honors in brass, visual and percussion performance — winning the Music Caption Award, earning second in the General Effect Caption, and fourth in Visual Caption.

The Jersey Surf — from Berlin, N.J., took the bronze with 96.050 points.

-- Contact Esther Avila at 784-5000, Ext. 1047 or eavila@portervillerecorder.com.