A Memorable Huntington High School Homecoming

Memorable Homecoming Day festivities played out under cloudy and sometimes rainy skies at Huntington High School last Saturday as the community came together in a remarkable display of unity.

The festivities continued a tradition that stretches back to the Great Depression with a parade down Main Street and an afternoon football game that drew a crowd numbering in the hundreds, including an especially large student cheering section.

Special event spirit days were held throughout the week, including a bonfire and festival that attracted about 1,500 folks of all ages to the high school for music, food, dancing, games and a sensational bonfire that reached high into the night sky.

Friday afternoon’s pep rally at Blue Devil Stadium was a enthusiastic affair as varsity teams were introduced to the student body and faculty to hearty applause. Athletes performed short skits and the Blue Devil marching band and color guard put on an awesome display. There were also performances by the Highsteppers and Ready Step dance teams and the chamber choir along with United Amigos club members.

Saturday’s late morning parade drew hundreds of participants, including students and parents from all eight schools in the district marching behind banners. The Blue Devil marching band performed along the parade route, drawing merchants and customers out of stores and onto sidewalks.

Superintendent Beth McCoy led district executives and Huntington School Board members in the parade down Main Street. It was Mrs. McCoy’s first Homecoming Day celebration since being named superintendent late last spring.

“Personally, I thought homecoming went great,” said Vincenza Garofalo, public relations coordinator of the student government. “Even though the weather wasn’t the greatest, this was definitely the best homecoming we have had in a while. Everyone’s floats looked fantastic and you could really tell that hard work was put into them. We won our homecoming football game, which was great and I had never seen the stands so full of cheering students! Seeing the entire community come together for the weekend is one of the reasons why I love homecoming. After the buzzer rang for the last second of the game and we found out that we had won, everyone was cheering and just so excited for our football team.”

Each of the high school’s four classes built parade floats throughout Friday, finishing up after school. The students were nourished by periodic slices of hot pizza. The floats were a big hit on Saturday as the parade winded down Main Street and up New York Avenue.

Homecoming was organized by the student government, including its school-wide executive board and faculty advisors Danielle Raguzin and David Moriarty. Individual classes and their officers, members and advisors were also heavily involved in the event, especially the building of floats.

The cloudy and frequently rainy skies didn’t interfere with the traditional fun associated with homecoming. Elementary and middle school students took just as much pride in Huntington UFSD as did their high school counterparts and they, too, crowded the Blue Devil Stadium bleachers for the afternoon football game.

“I think the parade was still a great success,” said Sam Soric, treasurer of the Class of 2025. “The rain did not stop the marching band from pushing through and playing throughout the entire duration of the parade. In addition, I always love to see the floats for each different class and I was very pleased to hear that the seniors got first place. It was a great memory for my senior year and I'm excited for the next checkpoints of my senior year!”