SYRACUSE -- The Carrier Dome was haunted this weekend, and these ghouls made a whole lot of noise.

The Auburn Maroon Vanguard marching band competed in the New York State Field Band Conference championships Sunday afternoon. The band placed second, standing out with a haunted field routine that featured players dressed as the living dead instead of the typical military-style marching uniforms.

Skeletons played the drums, vampires twirled the flags and zombies tooted their horns. The routine featured such scary tunes as Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor -- a dark, recognizable piece often associated with organs and castle towers -- and Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

The unconventional show was not enough for the Vanguard to top the 11 other bands in the large school division three class. Brentwood High beat them by 2.4 points.

Director Ed Meier said he was pleased with the band's placement.

"The students peaked," Meier said "We hope their best performance is their last, and that is the way it was today."

Also participating, were the Jordan-Elbridge Marching Eagles, who finished fourth in the small school division one class.

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