By Ginny Nutting, Regan Parker, and Haleigh McWilliams
Pinewood Christian Academy (PCA) celebrated its 50th annual Homecoming throughout the week of October 3-7 with the theme of “All roads lead to home.”
During the half-time show of the football game on Friday, each representative was escorted onto the field, followed by the flower girl and crown bearer who were first graders. Blythe Dutton, daughter of Erin and Stacy Dutton, served as the flower girl. Mick Ammermon, son of Mike and Myra Ammermon, served as the crown bearer.
Matti Parker, daughter of Brandon and Natalie Parker of Reidsville, was then crowned the 2022 Pinewood Christian Academy Homecoming Queen, making her PCA’s 50th homecoming queen. The 2022 Pinewood Christian Academy Princess title was awarded to Julia Hethcox, daughter of Chad and Angel Hethcox of Claxton.
The week was filled with fun and exciting days, as the students expressed themselves through varying themed days.
On Monday, PCA students and staff took a trip down America’s main street, Route 66. They dressed in their best tourist attire to show off their favorite vacation destinations, from their Hawaiian shirts and leis to Disney World attire with Mickey Mouse ears.
On Tuesday, the halls of PCA transformed into Sesame Street. Everywhere you turned you could see Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Elmo, along with many other characters.
On Wednesday was a star-studded event on Hollywood Blvd. Various stars strutted down the hallways as Marilyn Monroe, Maverick, famous athletes, Adam Sandler, Lucille Ball, and more.
Thursday began with the anual senior homecoming breakfast at the school parking lot. The seniors gathered together for a delicious breakfast of casseroles, eggs, and sausages and few outdoor games. Once the school day started, the students disappeared as they came through the door clad in camouflage.
The Class of 2022 kicked off the final day of Homecoming week with a favorite tradition for the PCA seniors – the senior parade! The seniors gathered together and decorated their cars and buggies with streamers and balloons to prepare for the festive parade. It began at the varsity baseball field and followed along Buck Cravey Drive. Family, friends, students, and faculty all cheered them on in celebration for their last Homecoming as a Patriot.
As for the school day, the students decked the halls green, orange, and white. They displayed their school spirit by wearing football jerseys, Pinewood t-shirts, beaded necklaces, and more. The beloved “Cheerleader Hush Day” began after homeroom. The varsity cheerleaders were forbidden to talk to anyone except teachers and faculty. If a cheerleader was spotted talking to anyone besides these exceptions, they had to surrender their name tag to the student who caught them. Later these name tags served as an all access pass to pie their cheerleader. The pieing guaranteed a fun-filled end to the pep rally.
PCA celebrated the second annual homecoming parade. Joe and Nancy Eason served as this year’s Grand Marshals. Featured in the parade, were all Patriot fall sports teams, students from the lower grades, and local dignitaries. Everyone decorated their floats, representing their team and school with Pinewood orange and green. The entire school along with parents and patrons gathered along Buck Cravey Drive to watch and cheer on everyone along the parade route.
To conclude the school day, the varsity cheerleaders led the school in a pep rally at the Lowell Coley Field to get the team pumped up for Friday night’s game against the Memorial Matadors. The football players stormed through the Patriot banner and onto the field with cheers erupting from the crowd. The cheerleaders opened the pep rally with a special dance routine involving the football players that ended with a special appearance by Petey the Patriot and Coach Garrett Blaxton. Then it was time for the seniors to play a game of ships and sailors which they had waited to do since they started at PCA. This annual tradition, reserved for seniors only, served as a way for them to have fun and for the spectators to cheer on their favorite senior. To conclude the pep rally, senior Claire Mullis led everyone in the singing of the Pinewood Alma Mater and the recipients of the cheerleader name tags cashed them in to pie their victims with a plate full of whipped cream.
The pre-game festivities began with the annual Homecoming Tailgate, catered by Rusty Pig of Glennville, in the Randy Roderick Gymnasium for fellowship and food.
Minutes before kickoff, spectators gathered at the newly renovated Lowell Coley Field to watch this year’s senior homecoming representatives as they were driven onto the home side of the field on golf carts. Aiden Woolard, Yug Patel, Jax Lewis and Luke Scott served as chauffeurs for the senior girls while the other class representatives were announced and walked on to the center of the field. The 2021 Homecoming Queen, Jena Bradley, also attended to crown the new queen and princess.
Vying for the crown were seniors Julia Hethcox, Mary Chandler Long, Claire Mullis, and Mattie Parker. Ella Johns, Caralea Quick, and Sydney Tippins were the junior representatives. The sophomore representatives were Lara Durrence and Abi Scott. Kenzie Hinson was the freshmen representative. Rileigh O’Sullivan represented the eighth grade, and Adelyn Ammermon represented the seventh grade.
The night ended with a homecoming dance for the upper school sponsored by the Senior Class in the school Cafetorium.
This week brought students, faculty, and patrons together as they enjoyed a festive week full of fun and memories topped off with a Patriot victory over the Matadors with a score of 54-12.
