Homecoming brought themed days, new traditions and blue on every corner. The anticipated week took place Sept. 13 to 17 and saw the return of the class hall decorating contest and community bonfire. Student Council was in charge of picking out the themed days, planning the pep rally and rallying up plenty of spirit for the Decatur Eagles.

“Student Council starts preparing for homecoming week in the summer by brainstorming theme days and pep rally skits,” Student Council sponsor Raegan Bayless said. “ Depending on whether it is a parade year or a bonfire year, once school starts, we start coordinating with the community, cheer, dolls, band and administration to make arrangements for a successful event.”

The themed days consisted of Movie Monday, Tourist Tuesday, Way Back Wednesday, Class Color Wars and cowboy gear for Friday’s western pep rally. 

“Before and throughout homecoming week, we [student council] stay busy coordinating meetings, making decorations, communicating with the Homecoming court, planning the pep rally, and helping with the Homecoming halftime show,” Bayless said.  “It is a lot of work that we enjoy doing for DHS.” 

All of the student council hoped to keep spirits high during the week, and the group was able to see their hard work pay off this year.

“I liked dressing up for the western day during homecoming and I especially liked the country spirit at the pep rally,” junior Hannah Smith said.

Following the pep rally, students looked forward to the main event: the homecoming game. Taking on the Graham Steers, the Decatur Eagles brought home a victory with a final score of 37-14.

“Super proud of the team for their performance in the homecoming game. They did a good job of staying focused and playing for each other,” Head Football Coach Ty Lang said.  “Through the ups and downs of the game, they kept competing!”

The homecoming court made their appearance during halftime, with seniors Libby Ragsdale and Hayden Philpot bringing home the crowns. Philpot has attended DHS for all four years of his high school career, while Ragsdale has been an eagle for only two and a half years.

For Ragsdale, it seems like her crowning moment will stick with her.

“It’s a memory I will never forget, I felt so loved and so supported by our whole community and school,” Ragsdale said. “It was so good to see everyone come together for homecoming!”

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”9″ display=”basic_imagebrowser”]