It’s just before the varsity football game and the band is ready, or something close to it. “I have music down my pants right now,” says junior Matt Carter. The marching band may not be the reason people go to see the game but it is the one of the features. The band usually spends two weeks preparing for their pre-game and halftime performances and when it’s showtime, they try not to disappoint. The band started by marching around the track before the game starts, and when the football team went to the lockeroom they entered the field donning just below the best looking and fit uniforms money can buy. “Pre-game is my favorite part,” junior Anna Baumgartner said. During the pre-game portion of the band’s performance they played Ames High Loyalty, Main Street America, and The Star Spangled Banner”. However it’s right after the pre-game performance when the band sat in the stands, right next to the student section, that things got a little hectic, and a storm of conversation drowns out the announcer. “I feel like talking. Does somebody want to talk to me?”Baumgartner said. “If we lose I’m going to blame it on that cheerleader”senior Katie Williams said. Another highlight of the nigt were the spontaneous dance parties throughout the first half. “I like watching Zach Heilman dance,” junior Michelle Gibson said. During half-time the band performed Final Countdown, Sports Themes, and Ames High Loyalty before leaving the field and packing up.