The Palo Alto High School Pep Band is going to Southern California on Saturday to support the football team in its quest for the state championship title.

The band will be traveling down in one bus that leaves at 5:30 a.m. Saturday and returns at about 5 a.m. Sunday.

The 45 spots on the bus were assigned on a first-come first-serve basis. More students wanted to attend, but were limited since only one bus can take band members.

At the game the band will be playing pep band classics like "Green and White," "All Right Now," and "In the Stone," as well as the National Anthem, according to director Darin Ishimatsu.

The band members are looking forward to the opportunity to play at the game.

"We are really excited," said sophomore Garret Morton, who plays the alto saxophone. "At first we weren’t going to go to the game, but then we found out we were, which just made it more exciting. We’re going to support the football team and show our spirit and have a lot of fun."

The band has been part of the football team’s season, playing at all home games and at the Central Coast Section championships.

"We [the band] are a whole bunch of extra fans for Paly, and we’re always really spirited," Morton said. "The songs we play also help get the crowd excited, as far as I can tell from inside the band. I certainly hope we help make the team confident and help them play well."

"We’re really excited to go," Ishimatsu said. "It is amazing that Paly has gotten to the state championships twice in two years [once for basketball and once for football] and that the band gets to go both times."

The Pep Band is composed of students from both the Concert Band, which is for freshmen, and the Symphonic Band, for upper classmen.