Honey Grove -- Bella Morrison, Honey Grove High School senior, was crowned the 2017 Homecoming Queen Friday evening at Warrior Stadium during the halftime coronation ceremony. She is the daughter of Todd and Leah Morrison of Honey Grove. Other senior nominees were Aynslie Andrew and Diavian Shaw.
Crowning the new queen was the Class of 2017 Alumni Queen Jada Redd and the Class of 2008 Alumni Queen Aubrun Caraway Lackey. Beta Club representatives Michael Contreras and Nate Spruce, juniors, escorted the two former queens.
Several other Beta representatives assisted on the sidelines with the coronation ceremony: Amelia Butler, Kelsee Frost, and Mckenzie Harper, juniors, and Morganne Price, senior. The Warrior Marching Band Color Guard also provided a regal touch with their flag salute to the nominees.
The nominees were first presented at the afternoon parade, riding in convertibles provided by Robert Fulbright, Mutt Milford of Honey Grove, and Jack and Virginia Staes of Honey Grove. Chuck Jones, Larry Mariani , and Virginia Staes drove the girls onto the Warrior Field.
Special honorees for this year’s homecoming were the Class of 2008. Those in attendance and registered were as follows: Brain and Krista Baxter, Aubrun Caraway Lackey, Ami Duncan, Byron Finney, Chelsea Kelly, Kimberly Wishard McGill, Jonathan Mendez, Delois Sampson, and Rachel Wadley. Several others joined them on the field to be recognized.
Warriors Journey through the Decades was the Homecoming theme this year. After a busy week with competitions and decorations and with four competitions accounted for, the overall winner was the junior class with the 1960s theme. The sophomore class finished in a close second with the 1980s, followed by the seniors in third focusing on 1920s and the freshmen take on the Wild West finished in fourth.
The week began with War Games on Monday evening where the senior class took top honors overall. The sophomores followed in second, with the juniors, third, and freshmen fourth.
In dress-up competition, the freshmen and juniors pulled out all stops and tied for first, followed by the sophomores in third. The seniors came in fourth this time, experiencing a bit of senioritis.
Class spirit signs and theme-related signs in the gym were judged together. First place went to the sophomores and the seniors pulled in second to keep their hopes alive. The juniors rallied and received third, while the freshmen settled for a fourth.
Float competition proved the deciding factor. The “peace out” van and flower décor put the junior class on top. The freshmen brought in second with the Old West Warrior jailing a Bells Panther. The seniors classic car and Charleston costumes garnered third, while the Pac-Man sophomores landed in fourth. Everyone seemed to have a great time, even amidst the heat and the wind.
All the students, faculty, parents, and community members helped make this year’s homecoming a success! A special thank you goes out to all those who judged wall signs and floats.