CHS Homecoming is here!

RIO RANCHO (Oct. 2, 2024) -- Festivities all week, culminating with a coronation and a big game; it's Homecoming week at Cleveland High School, Sept. 30-Oct. 5.

Homecoming has always come with its fair share of school pride, but this year, the students and faculty are going all out.

First, we have the Homecoming Court:

Ladies: Kalea Martinez, Alexandra Ortiz Munoz, Nyana Valerio, Ruth Mariah Borja, Auburn Sky Viera, Seyi Sanya, Ahriana Ramirez, Angelique Garcia, Gabby Meyers, Kelsey Heffner, Isabella Chacon, Alyssa Dimas, Issa Booker and Maleah Baca.

Gentlemen: Jorge Castillo Isaiah Yannis, Wade Wallace, Charlie Gardner, Victor Lopez, Luke Montoya, Zeke Abeyta, Mario Montoya, Daniel Aburuchon, Angel Gallegos, Timothy Acker, AJ Manning, Elias Gurule and Juan Munoz.

Next, there's the annual Powder-Puff game, an exhibition flag football game in which the girls teams and the boys teams switch spots for the afternoon for a game of flag football.

Every student at CHS had the opportunity to attend the Powder-Puff games, which took place on Wednesday (Oct. 2) morning at Lightning Bolt Stadium.

Lauren Huey, an agriculture teacher at CHS, was in attendance and said she loves bringing her students out to support the event. Huey, who graduated from Cleveland in 2011, participated in the Powder-Puff game her junior year.

"It was a lot of fun. It was a lot of late nights practicing. It was a lot of running, which I don't like doing," Huey laughed. "But it was fun to just sort of be down there and laugh, and the school spirit, and just have a good time."

In addition to the reversal of traditional male and female gender roles, the coaches filled in as officials and football players took over coaching duties. The announcers, typically tasked with simply calling the plays without editorializing, also took the opportunity to flip the script. They roasted the players and cheerleaders throughout with light-hearted and hilarious ribbing.

All of the school spirit and fun events are in preparation for this Friday Oct. 4, when the Cleveland Storm football team will take on the Farmington Scorpions in the first district game of the season.

Typically, Homecoming Games are scheduled with the idea that the home team has a better-than-average chance of winning. That is not the case this year. Farmington is a tough team, ranked #8 in the state, according to MaxPreps.

So, the Storm will need a full student section for this upcoming game, and they will need to bring maximum school spirit. Or, as the CHS Storm Instagram account (vschsstorm) proclaims, "Let's fill the stands with energy and pride!"

Kickoff for the Homecoming Game between CHS and Farmington is 7 p.m. on Oct. 4 at Lightning Bolt Stadium.