"The majority of people we have now haven't won a state championship and a lot of us really want it," said junior drum major Triston Sauvola.
Both Blue Ridge and Greer high schools will be competing for the state championship this weekend after a 1-2 finish, respectively, at this past Saturday's Upper State contest.
Blue Ridge Director of Bands Brian Grant hopes the Corps of Cadets' show, entitled "Unlocked" will help deliver the band's first state title since 2008.
"We really want to just focus on getting better and giving the best performance we can possibly give," said Grant.
The Corps of Cadets, which is 127 strong with 70 horns this year, has finished no worse than third in state competition since 2006.
Blue Ridge will have an idea of what it will have to do when it takes the field at 9 p.m. Saturday as the final band to perform. The Corps of Cadets will follow Lower State champion Chapin.
"We feel like we have a good chance of winning if we stay focused this week," Sauvola said. "(Winning Upper State) gives us a little bit of motivation to keep working harder."