Homecoming plans progress
By Donnie A. Lucas
Plans for 2022 Homecoming festivities are mostly set for Friday, Oct. 14 with students and exes gathering for a pep rally, parade, and football game where homecoming royalty will be presented at the half.
The homecoming game is planned for Oct. 14 at 7:00 p.m. at Nail Stadium versus the Miles Bulldogs, opening District 6-2A competition.
The game will be preceded by a 5:00 p.m. homecoming parade down Main Street.
The parade theme is “Musicals,” with the senior class choosing “Grease” and the junior class decorating their float to represent the “Greatest Showman.”
The sophomore class selected “Teen Beach Movie” as a theme, and freshmen, “High School Musical.”
The junior high float will portray “West Side Story,” with both seventh and eighth graders combining.
Prior to the parade, the homecoming pep rally is scheduled to take place in the high school gym at 8:45 a.m., with all exes invited.
Street Painting
Students and parents will be painting up the town on Sunday, Oct. 9. Various groups will decorate and paint the streets in Albany.
Albany Athletic Booster Club president Amanda Tabor said all athletes and parents, along with community volunteers are welcome to participate.
At 5:00 p.m. the volleyball players, cheerleaders, cross country runners and their parents will meet at the high school to begin painting.
“The volleyball players and cross country group will start in front of gym and in front of the high school,” she said. “The cheerleaders will paint high school hill,” Wilkins added.
At 6:00 p.m., football players and parents will begin painting at the field house parking lot and then move to Main Street from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m.
She emphasized that parents are needed to help, especially to help mix paint.
The Booster Club is providing most supplies, but volunteers need to bring paint rollers.
Homecoming Royalty
Homecoming royalty will be crowned during halftime of the football game at Robert Nail Stadium on Friday night.
Most were announced last week, but three organizations have now elected their honorees, including FFA Sweetheart amd Beau Robyn Trail and Tye Edgar, Band Sweetheart and Beau Hope McBee and Lathin Brownlee, and FCCLA Sweetheart and beau Chloe Anderson and Zane Waggoner.
Exes and Alumni
The Class of 1972, celebrating 50 years, is the honor class this year.
Coming Home King and Queen are Donna Parker and David Priest, who will be presented on the field at halftime.
Normally, two classes are honored every other year, but due to the COVID pandemic minimizing 2020 activities during homecoming, three classes were honored last year even though it wasn’t an even numbered year when “big” celebrations are held.
All alumni are invited to attend a brunch and meeting at the Feed Store starting at 10:00 a.m. Saturday. The cost of the meal is $10.
The ex-students meeting will follow, with superintendent Jonathan Scott addressing the group about recent changes in safety and security throughout the district.
Alumni can pay their dues of $15 for two years at the meeting or mail dues to Albany Ex-Students Association, PO Box 2633, Albany TX 76430.
Ex-student co-president Buford Salters said that emails are being sent out this week with details about homecoming.
He has been on a campaign to gather email addresses from as many exes as possible, starting with only about 60 earlier this year and collecting over 730 to date.
Information about homecoming can also be found of the Albany Ex-Students Facebook page.
