Palo Verde’s homecoming week brings out “Panther Pride”

Richard Brian

Palo Verde assistant principal Jessica Pinjuv dances with other faculty members during the school’s homecoming rally Friday.

By Jeff O'Brien (contact)

Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008 | 5:27 p.m.

Palo Verde homecoming

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High school football

Palo Verde High School’s homecoming week kicked off with a bang Monday with Wacky Hair Day, and when Palo Verde student body president Taylor Bryan arrived on campus that morning, she was blown away by the enthusiasm two of her fellow students.

“These two sophomore girls blew their hair out into big Afros and painted them all different colors,” Bryan, 18, said. “They were big, multi-colored Afros. It was crazy. They said it took them over an hour.”

The halls of Palo Verde were decked out in green, silver and black for homecoming week, with the freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior classes each decorating their own hallway in “Panther Pride.”

Each day was also a dress-up day, with Wacky Hair Day on Monday followed by Twin Day, Pajama Day, Cartoon Day and Spirit Day.

More than 1,200 students streamed into the gymnasium for Palo Verde’s homecoming rally Friday, which featured a hip-hop dance battle between eight teachers and 10 members of the varsity football team.

One of the brave educators was physics teacher Tamara Millican, who said the teachers didn’t do a whole lot of practicing beforehand.

“We’re just going to wing it,” Millican said before their performance. “A lot of spur-of-the-moment stuff. Side-splitting, I’m sure.”

Millican was right, as the ensuing cheers and laughter from the crowd drowned out the background music.

That evening, Palo Verde High School’s football team took the field for its homecoming game against visiting Shadow Ridge High School. The Panthers won, 42-6, and improved to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in league play.

During halftime, a procession of shiny convertibles cruised around the field with the homecoming royalty court ⎯ king and queen for the seniors, prince and princess for the juniors, lord and lady for the sophomores and duke and duchess for the freshmen.

Saturday’s homecoming dance in the school gymnasium will be Palo Verde’s biggest dance of the year, Bryan said.

“Everyone has been so positive and cheerful all week long,” she said. “The student council and teachers put in so much effort and it really shows.”

Jeff O’Brien can be reached at 990-8957 or jeff.obrien@hbcpub.com.