TOUCHDOWN: A fun week of homecoming comes to the grand finale with Poly’s annual homecoming football game.
Riverside Poly’s Homecoming Week festivities stem from traditions that are decades in the making and are just as valuable to the Riverside community today as they were years ago. Generations of Poly students have enjoyed the dances, float buildings, spirit days, and even the parades down Central avenue. However, the most memorable part of the week happens at the very end to wrap up the good times: the Homecoming varsity football game.
The highly anticipated theme, “Party in the USA,” took many months to plan and ASB did not disappoint when it came to the decor and student section. ASB’s co-commissioner of athletics, Katherine Lounsberry (11), contributed to the set up that “took about two and a half hours to complete, but was definitely worth the hard work.” The student section was a sea of red, white, and blue, and the Poly pride was definitely out to represent. Everyone was decked out and ready to support the bears. Posters lined the walkways and balloons flew high above the crowds. LED lights shone on the players as they walked beneath the bleachers as the national anthem was sung out by the Poly crowd.
The homecoming matchup was against Redlands High school which happens to be a rivalry that spans over a century! It was recorded and archived that the teams played each other in the 1890s! Kickoff began and two quarters later the crowd was ready for the halftime show. Nominees lined both sides of the field in their formal suits and sparkly dresses. Hosts Mateen Sherafat and Sophee Salcedo, announced each nominee as well as their affiliation. Then they called the top five out to center field for a choreographed routine to the song “Celebrate” by Pitbull. Their moves were a huge hit and the dance was definitely a crowd favorite of the evening. Finally, they announced the winners of the homecoming court: Andre Johnson and Neveah Jackson! The King and Queen were crowned and the crowd was so thrilled for their victory. The cheers echoed among those present. The hosts also announced the winning class of float building which were judged by Poly admin based on their creativity. The seniors won without surprise while the sophomores came second. Then came the juniors, and lastly the freshmen. However anyone who saw the floats could easily agree that all classes did a remarkable job at replicating their sub-themes.
The second half of the football game began and the bears were struggling to keep up with their opponent. Varsity Receiver, Joshua Wales (12), scored a touchdown, but even commented that “it was not an easy game and a lot of people were injured.” Poly battled hard, but ultimately fell short to Redlands, losing 47-27. Despite the loss, Poly students were more than happy to show up to rep their Poly Pride. The football game was a wonderful conclusion to a long week of hard work and lots of fun. Poly students can’t wait until next year’s homecoming in hopes of another great theme and the amazing memories that are sure to come.