DECATUR -- It was an early homecoming for the Decatur Bulldogs this year. The football team plays only three home games this season, with two of the three at times that would make homecoming impossible.
This year, the Decatur Bulldogs took on the Mountainburg Dragons, the top-rated team in the 2A 4West conference, at Bulldog Stadium in Decatur on Sept. 18.
The day began with an impressive show of Bulldog pride with a parade in downtown Decatur. More than 550 students, faculty, staff members and town people gathered along the east side of Main St. to watch the marching band, homecoming court, and the many floats which passed in review as the parade progressed from city hall to the Decatur cemetery and back to the high school.
After the parade, everyone gathered at Peterson Gym for the big homecoming pep rally, which began with a show of Bulldog pride by the Decatur cheer squad and high school band. Then, the homecoming court, along with its escorts, were introduced. A short speech from Shane Holland, head football coach for the Decatur Bulldogs, followed. Then the real festivities began with another show of Bulldog pride by the cheer team, followed by several games designed to get the students involved in the pep rally.
The first of these games was a human table-building contest. Four boys and four girls from each of the middle and high school classes gathered in the center of the basketball court at Peterson Gym. Four sets of chairs, each at 90-degree angles of each other were placed in front of the contestants. After the contestants were seated, they laid down across the knees of the person next to them. Then the chairs were removed, forming a human table with eight legs. The team that held the table together without falling won the contest. It was the ninth-grade girls and senior boys that held the formation longest to win the contest.
The next contest pitted teams of two, mounted on tricycles driven around the court trying to capture the other team's balloons. There was no clear winner since the contest was called due to time constraints.
The pre-game events started at 6 p.m., with the introduction of the homecoming court. Once again, each maid and her escort, along with a chosen parent or friend, walked down the 50-yard line to the center of the field. The 2015 homecoming queen went to senior Celine Prelle. She was escorted by senior Tyler Riddle.
Halftime entertainment was provided by Mountainburg's marching band and drill team, followed by Decatur's marching band and cheer squad.
It was a bittersweet ending to a day full of pageantry when the Dragons overwhelmed the Bulldogs right from the start. The visiting Dragons racked up touchdown after touchdown to take the contest, 49 to 0.
General News on 09/23/2015