As the notorious Friday Night Lights brought Bulldogs to the stadium for a home game against Citrus Valley, students also looked forward to the annual Homecoming game on Friday, September 23rd  in anticipation of the dance the following evening. 

Filled with floats created by acting Class Officers that displayed the theme of this year’s Homecoming, Court nominees, choir and ASL performances, a halftime dance production, and an alumni walk of fame, many looked forward to the spirit of unity and excitement the game itself brought. 

Entirely hosted by the United Student Body (USB), alumni had the opportunity to carry flags from their graduation year and walk across the track proudly representing their memorable time on campus. These individuals were then followed by participating clubs that chose to publicize their mission to the audience as well. 

As a part of the Ayala Homecoming game tradition, Class Officers from every grade level were expected to create floats that were symbolic of the Alice in Wonderland movie theme. 

“It took many long hours after school and before to finally get the float together,” freshman Class President Mason Stevens said. “The original vision of the float was that our trailer was fully covered in the back, but we were down on poles so we did our best to come out with the best thing possible.” 

Right before kickoff, Ayala Choir and ASL 4 had the opportunity to perform the national anthem in front of the entire crowd. Even with the short time constraint for ASL students, the execution remained flawless in the eyes of the audience. 

“It was very exciting because everyone was able to have lots of fun,” senior choir and ASL student Rhylee Smith said. “It’s all about memorization and everything after feels natural.” 

With a tough loss for the Bulldogs last Friday night, students in the crowd found it nonetheless exciting to prepare for the classic event of the year, “Ayala in Wonderland.” For students that were on the Homecoming Court, this special night made looking forward to the dance all the better. 

“I enjoyed walking on the track and hearing my name announced with my boyfriend, Julian [Juarez], by my side,” junior Daniella Serrano said. “It was a moment I will never forget because I felt honored and loved on Hoco Court.” 

As every individual that was elected onto the court was called to walk around the entire stadium, seniors had the chance to walk with their parents on the red carpet that led to the center of the field. With a quick speech about each candidate, the winning Homecoming Court King and Queen were seniors Danny Murillo and Melanie Nguyen. 

For other class candidates, these nominees would have to wait until the following evening to learn who became prince and princess. 

The student section filled with a sea of red, in hopes bringing a newfound excitement to the football season and dance the following evening. 

“It made me really happy when all of my friends were at the game having fun, and I couldn’t imagine how great the dance would be,” said Stevens.