Should i Audition for Piccolo?

Next year's Marching Band Season, i have a chance to audtion for piccolo (which is decided by the band director). The problem is, the other one who is auditioning and the current section leader are really opinionated about who plays it. The section leader keeps telling me that i shouldn't auditon because the other one is a year older and "earned it" but i have just as much experince and honestly play better overall on flute and piccolo. When the section leader and the other one would practice together to prepare, i would go to my playing coach who helped me with my piccolo playing and he tells me i'm fine. But i'm still nervous if i should auditon for it after all because of everyone else's reaction if i do get it.