Time to read
4 minutes
Read so far

Parade, exes activities set for homecoming

0 comments

By Donnie A. Lucas

The 2021 homecoming parade is set to roll through downtown on Friday featuring Albany High School and ex-student royalty, followed by special presentation of the homecoming court during the halftime of the Albany vs. Olney homecoming game that kicks off at 7:00 p.m.

The parade is scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m., weather permitting, 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. The parade was expanded last week to include floats from each of the high school classes, along with a junior high float and a float carrying players, cheerleaders, twirlers, and other students from the 1960 and 1961 football teams that won back-to-back state titles. 

Floats for the Class of 1980 and the 4-H floats are also entered in the parade, along with the Lions Club Sweetheart.

The parade will be led by the AHS 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 three sets of ComingHome Kings and Queens.

They will be followed by the members of the 1960 and 1961 state championship football teams.

The parade will end with the junior high class float and the four high school class floats.

The theme for the floats this year is Music Genres. The junior high picked Pop Music, while the four high school classes, which will be competing for prize money, include seniors – Rap, juniors – Country, sophomores – Rock & Roll, and freshmen – Jazz.

Halftime Presentations

Homecoming royalty will be presented at halftime, including the crowning of the 2021 Homecoming King and Queen.

Nominees from the senior class were selected by the four high school grade levels last week, along with a Prince and Princess for each of grades 9-11.

The nominees from the senior class this year for king and queen are Brooks Neece and Avery Kleiner, and the 11th grade selected Luke Ivy and Kamryn Browning. The sophomore class picked Bryce Asher and Ansleigh Garcia as their nominees, and the freshmen named Robert Bailey and Clara Holson.

While the nominees were selected by each grade level, all those named are seniors, with the final determination made by the entire student body in grades 9-12.

Each senior nominee will be escorted onto the field by a parent or guardian.

Each of the three lower high school classes also chose a prince and princess. Junior honorees are London Fuentes and Mayson Garcia, while the sophomores selected Robert Diaz and Emma Shack. The freshmen selected Ashton Bailey and Abi Hale to represent their class in the homecoming court.

Three other sets of beaus and sweethearts will also be presented, including Football Sweetheart and Lizzy Chavez and escort Cooper Fairchild. The band sweetheart and  beau are Jade Bean and Donald McCullough, while the FFA selected sweetheart Gracie Price and beau Koy Cauble.

 

By Donnie A. Lucas

After missing out on the usual “big” homecoming year activities by Albany ISD ex-students last year due to the COVID pandemic, the festivities were moved to this Friday and Saturday featuring three honor classes.

The only obstacle this year might be some badly-needed rain, but officials plan to follow through with as many of the plans as weather permits.

The ex-student activities will begin during the 5:00 p.m. parade on Friday afternoon, followed by pre-game and halftime activities during the Albany vs. Olney Homecoming bout set to kickoff at 7:00 p.m.

The former students will also gather on Saturday, at 9:00 a.m. at the Aztec Theater for a breakfast and association meeting.

Other individual classes or groups or classes have also made plans to meet during the day or that evening.

Special Honorees

The association will honor the classes of 1969, 1970, and 1971, with Coming Home Queens and Kings selected by their classmates, both in the parade and on the field at halftime.

The honorees for the Class of 1969 are Amanda Beach Moberley and Terry Moberley, along with the 1970 honorees Melissa Waller Hahn and Neel Williams. Both couples would have been recognized last year but for the pandemic.

The Coming Home King and Queen for 1971 were announced this week. Janice Riley was selected as the queen and Daman Garvin is the king. They will join the other two couples on the field at halftime.

The members of the 1960 and 1961 state championship football teams will also be recognized on the field in front of the inflated Albany Lions run-through prior to the game at 6:30. p.m., along with cheerleaders, band members, twirlers, and pep squad members for those years.

Anyone planing to ride in the parade is asked to line up before 4:30 p.m. in front of the stadium.

The float for the state champion teams, as well as the cars or floats for other ex-student royalty will be located in the front parking lot of the stadium prior to the parade.

The Coming Home Kings and Queens will be presented in the parade and on the football field during halftime along with the current high school royalty.

Chili Supper

After the parade, members of First Baptist Church will host their traditional free-will donation fundraising chili supper at the church’s fellowship hall.

Chili, beans, and all the “fixins” will be served until shortly before game time, which is 7:00 p.m.

Breakfast & Meeting

Saturday’s activities will start at 9:00 a.m. at the Aztec Theater with a breakfast, hopefully on the patio. The cost is $10 for the breakfast burritos, coffee, and juice. Reservations were taken in advance for the breakfast.

Association dues of $15 can be paid in person at the meeting or sent to the Albany Ex-Students, P.O. Box 2633, Albany, TX 76430. Senter can be contacted at 817-925-6663.

“Everyone should let their friends and classmates know about the plans and encourage them to attend,” Senter said.

A video of the 1960 Homecoming parade, halftime, and highlights of the homecoming game against Wylie will be shown.

The film of the events was digitized several years ago and is housed at the Robert Nail Archives at the Old Jail Are Center.

In the past, the association has notified ex-students by mail, but is using other means this year.

“We had about half of the letters we sent three years ago returned, so this year we are trying to reach people by using the Albany News, the Albany Ex-Students Association Facebook account and the website.

1960s Class to Meet

Dr. Richard Stasney is hosting a gathering including lunch for all the classes of 1960-1969 at the Stasney Cook Ranch on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

The event will be held in the cook shack at the headquarters, with over 80 people already responding.

Anyone interested in attending and eating lunch is asked to call H.R. Stasney & Sons at 325-762-3311 to RSVP.