jhancock@journalnet.com

POCATELLO - Jay Ronk said the Highland High School Marching Band already knows the songs it's going to play during the halftime show at the BCS Championship Game on Thursday, but it will only have two days to learn and perfect the show's choreography.

"It's really going to be quite a challenge to put it all together in such a short time," said Ronk, the band's director.

The band was invited a year ago to play at Thursday's BCS Championship Game between Oklahoma and Florida. After spending the past year raising $177,000 so that 97 people - 71 students and 26 chaperones - could make the trip, they are finally leaving Monday morning.

Band members arrive in South Florida late Monday and the first rehearsal is Tuesday morning. Highland's band will be performing with two other high school bands. Not one after the other, but all together.

"It will be choreographed during that (first) rehearsal," Ronk said.

The directors of the halftime show previously gave all three high schools the music selection, which is a four-and-a-half-minute medley of songs from Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine. All three schools will be performing together at the end of the halftime show.

They've practiced the music, but on Tuesday it will be time for members from all three bands to come together to learn just what their moves are during the show.

"We have to put them on the field and practice," Ronk said. "We have to determine placement on the field and what the moves are going to be like."

Wednesday will be a day of competition, fun in the sun and formal dining. The three high school bands will compete on Wednesday morning. After that, they're off to the beach in Fort Lauderdale, returning later to their hotel for an evening banquet and dance.

Ronk said those wanting to send the band off are welcome to join them early Monday. All 97 people will be gathered outside Highland High School by 6:30 a.m. near the band room to load two buses and a truck to make the trek to Salt Lake City to catch their flights.

Band members plan to leave Pocatello by 7:30 a.m.

"We actually have two different flights," Ronk said. "Both flights will arrive between 11 p.m. and 11:30 their time. It'll be a long day, but the kids will probably bounce back quickly."