Homecoming royalty to be presented
By Donnie A. Lucas
The 2022 homecoming parade is set to roll through downtown on Friday featuring Albany High School and ex-student royalty, followed by presentation of the homecoming court and crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen during the halftime of the Albany vs. Cross Plains homecoming game with a 7:00 p.m. kick-off.
The Coming Home King and Queen will also be recognized during the half. The honor class this year is the Class of 1972, which is celebrating its 50th class reunion.
The annual homecoming parade is scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m. from the staging area in front of the stadium, then wind its way through the downtown area around the courthouse and return through downtown to end back at the stadium.
Most of the homecoming royalty will ride in the parade, with the exception of varsity football players.
Homecoming Parade
The parade will be led by the AJSH cheerleaders and the Ragin’ Red Band, followed by organizational sweethearts and class prince and princesses.
The four senior nominees from the four high school classes for homecoming queen will be presented in both vintage and luxury automobiles, followed by the Coming Home King and Queen.
The parade will also feature the junior high class float and the four high school class floats.
The parade theme this year 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, followed by the freshmen with “High School Musical.”
The junior high float will portray “West Side Story,” with both seventh and eighth graders combining.
Organizational sweethearts and beaus will also ride in the parade.
Halftime Presentations
Homecoming royalty will be presented at halftime, including the crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen.
Senior nominees for Homecoming King and Queen were selected by each of the four high school classes. Selected by the senior class are Ashley Richards and Cole Chapman. Senior nominees named by the junior class are Ella Webb and London Fuentes, while the sophomores chose Leddie Leech and Koy Cauble. The freshmen’s candidates for king and queen are Gracie Price and Coy Lefevre.
While all king and queen nominees are seniors, the winners are voted on by the entire student body.
Princes and princesses were also chosen for each of the other high school classes.
Junior honorees are Brooklyn Abbate and Lanxton Viertel, while the sophomores elected Caroline Holson and Brody Brown. Mimi Ivy and Huffman Heatly are the prince and princess for the freshman class.
Other honorees selected include FFA Sweetheart Robyn Trail and FFA Beau Tye Edgar, Band Sweetheart Hope McBee and Beau Lathin Brownlee, and Football Sweetheart Madailein Beard escorted by Wyatt Beard.
The FCCLA sweetheart is Chloé Anderson, while the beau is Zane Waggoner.
The Coming Home King and Queen are Donna Freudiger Parker and David Priest, who will also be presented on the field at halftime.
Normally, two classes are honored every other year, but due to the COVID pandemic minimizing activities during homecoming for 2020, three classes were honored last year even though it wasn’t an even numbered year when the “big” celebrations are typically held.
Brunch and Meeting
All alumni are invited to attend a brunch and meeting at the Feed Store, across the street from Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church, 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-students president Buford Salters said that emails were sent out this week with details about homecoming.
He has been on a campaign to gather email addresses from all exes, starting with only about 60 earlier this year and collecting over 730 to date.
Information about homecoming can also be found on the Albany Ex-Students Facebook page.
Chili Supper
Immediately following the parade on Friday, members of the First Baptist Church will host their traditional chili supper in the church’s fellowship hall.
Chili and beans and all the fixings will be served until 7:00 p.m.
