Not pictured in 2016 homecoming royalty group photo is junior Brynlee Shults.
Churchill County High School’s homecoming varsity football game is at 7 p.m. with halftime featuring the homecoming royalty as well as the crowning of homecoming queen and king.
The senior girls voted to run for homecoming queen are Alexis Duenas, Zoey Swisher and Kiley Woolsey. The senior boys up for king are Alex Mendez, Jack Swisher and Joseph Terry.
The homecoming court attendants are freshmen princess Reece Bradley and prince Thomas Steele, sophomore princess Rylee Buckmaster and prince Hayden Strasdin and junior princess Brynlee Shults and prince Broder Thurston.
“I think the best thing about homecoming is the big football game,” Shults said. “It’s always great to see all of Fallon come together and cheer our football team on.”
Swisher, who plans to play college baseball, agreed and said he loves seeing the community pack the stands. His twin sister Zoey wants to study biochemistry at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Today’s pep rally is at 12:50 p.m. on the football field, and the junior varsity game starts at 4:30 p.m. against Spring Creek High School.
“It means to me that it’s a new start,” Terry said of homecoming. “It’s a new school year, and it’s time for the coming together of our community to celebrate and take pride in our town.” Terry aims to go to college in California and compete in cross-country track as well as pursue his dream to become a veterinarian.
The elected royalty do more than attend classes; they help out with school activities, do award-winning athletics, participate as student council or class officers, earn their place in honors courses and begin to plan their futures.
“It means a lot to me to see that my classmates respect and like me enough to vote for me,” Steele said.
Homecoming events have been going strong all week, from the downtown fountain-dyeing and parade to the Power Puff flag football game and the Lip Sync contest, both fundraisers.
“Homecoming is one of the greatest weeks of the year,” said Mendez, who strives to play college baseball.
The week’s theme for decorations and dress-up days is “Board Games,” focusing on the big game. But today is “Extreme Green” day so Greenwave fans are encouraged to pull on green and white.
“To me (homecoming) means getting the chance to show school spirit and do things with our classmates other than school,” Buckmaster said.
Tonight’s halftime show will include cheerleaders, the marching band and the crowning ceremony at midfield. The royalty will also walk under the drawn swords of the school’s Navy JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) honor guards.
“No matter what school I attend,” Duenas said, “I will always bleed green!” Duenas’ plans are to study journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Woolsey, student council president, wants to attend California State University, Chico and obtain her degree in Agriculture Education.