Gov. Thomas Johnson High School senior Ryan Kieft’s classmates got some surprising news at a school assembly Wednesday morning. They found out that the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band selected Ryan as a member of its elite national honor ensemble for outstanding musician-scholars.

The honor places Ryan among the nation’s top 110 high school senior marching musicians. It allows him to showcase his talent playing euphonium during the largest celebration of high school football in America, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Ryan will travel on an all-expenses paid trip to San Antonio, Texas to perform for the live NBC-televised performance at the half-time program for the 2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Saturday, January 5, 1 p.m.

The National Association for Music Education, in cooperation with Drum Corps International and All American Games, selected the ensemble. Criteria included performance ability, grade point average, community service and demonstrated leadership. After his former band director Christy Caulfield nominated him, Ryan submitted an online application and multiple videos showcasing his performance abilities.

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl serves as a launching pad for America’s future college and NFL stars. Adrian Peterson, Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Lattimore and Andrew Luck all made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans. In the 2012 NFL Draft, Andrew Luck became the first U.S. Army All-American Bowl alumnus to be selected with the first overall pick. The event drew a crowd of 39,011 to the Alamodome and was the most-watched sporting event on television over the weekend, excluding the NFL playoffs.