WAVERLY -- The opportunity to make music at a collegiate bowl game is more than enough to excite members of a high school band and its director.

When the Waverly-Shell Rock High School marching band played at its first Outback Bowl four years ago, the teams competing weren't as important as straight lines, horn angles and clean endings.

But this year, many Go-Hawks heading to Tampa, Fla., also will be eagerly watching the sidelines. On Jan. 1, the Iowa Hawkeyes face off against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

The timing of the matchup amazes Ashley Kohagen, a freshman who plays saxophone and a Hawkeye fan.

"What are the chances that we would be going down when Iowa is also going down?" Kohagen said.

After the initial trip, participants raved about the experience, and over the years, incoming band members learned a bowl game was a big deal, drum major Megan Sherburne said.

On Christmas night, the 112-member group will board a bus for the Outback with instruments in tow. The entourage will return Jan. 2.

"The seniors have been waiting four years for this trip," said Sherburne, a senior. "It's finally happening."

Quality sound and precise steps are a matter of utmost concern for band director Jim Vowels, and student musicians are spending hours practicing for the big game and other performances while away.

Monday, students learned the Iowa Fight Song. The peppy number might come in handy at a parade, Vowels said.

He is thrilled his students will play for the Hawkeyes.

"You know, we were excited already, but then this has just taken it to a completely new level," Vowels said.

Vowels imagines the connection will be meaningful for other Iowa fans trekking to Florida.

"We know we are going to be representing not only our school, but our state, and there are going to be a lot of people from our state there," he said.

The Waverly-Shell Rock School District committed to sending a band to the Outback Bowl long before representatives from the game chose the competitors. The band takes a "big trip" every four years, Vowels said, and an appearance at the Outback Bowl qualifies as such.

During the band's inaugural trip to the bowl game in 2005, students played and watched a Georgia-Wisconsin matchup.

The Go-Hawks missed Iowa's showings at the Outback. The Hawkeyes played in 2004 and 2006.

On New Year's Day, Waverly-Shell Rock students will march on the field in Tampa with other high school bands from across U.S. and perform as one group. Students will also get to watch performances by the Iowa Hawkeye and South Carolina Gamecock marching bands.

In addition to the halftime show, the Go-Hawks will also march in a parade and make an appearance at Walt Disney World. Some of the performances, including a concert band event, will be judged, Vowels said.

Students hope for a chance run-in with Iowa football players at Disney World, Sherburne said. In 2005, the Capital One Bowl also brought the Iowa Hawkeyes to Florida, and some Waverly-Shell Rock students snapped pictures with Kirk Ferentz and team members.

With opportunity comes a sense of pride, a few nerves and a desire to perform well. Monday, musicians marched around and around the indoor track at the Wartburg-Waverly Sports and Wellness Center. Students held their instruments and twirled flags as Vowels shouted instructions, encouragement and reprimands over a loud rendition of "Oye Como Va."

"Roll your feet, ladies and gentlemen. Roll your feet. There's too many of you stomping."

The musicians found they were admittedly a bit rusty. Regular marching season ended weeks ago. And once in Florida, students will have to adjust to a mass band formation -- various high school bands grouped together by instrument, Vowels said.

Kohagen thinks the music and the marching will come together.

"If you listen, you'll get it," she said.

In order to play at the Outback Bowl, high school bands had to submit a tape to prove they were up to the challenge. While Vowels doesn't see the process as particularly competitive, he does carry high expectations for his students.

Vowels complimented fundraising efforts and students and members of the community. The trip costs around $1,000 per student, who each raised money individually and collectively with help from the Waverly-Shell Rock band boosters.

Members of high school dance teams from Northeast Iowa will also perform in bowl games. Some from Waverly-Shell Rock will participate in a show at the Capital One Bowl, said Jodi Ross, the parent of a Go-Hawk dancer. The North Fayette dance line will also leap and turn at the Outback Bowl.

Ross said the trip is an honor, not to mention a nice getaway after a difficult summer of flooding.

"Kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do it," she said.

Robin Bostrom, coach of the North Fayette dancers, said her team is excited about the Hawkeye factor. The North Fayette mascot is also a Hawk, she added.

North Fayette dancers are practicing daily -- and sometimes more frequently -- to get ready for the show. Once in Florida, the girls will have to learn new moves and use new props.

"They are going to learn to get along with kids that they've never met before," Bostrom said.

"There's just so many life lessons that come from a trip like this."

Contact Karen Heinselman at (319) 291-1581 or karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com.