Alumni, students, and their families gathered at the ACS campus on Saturday, October 15 for Homecoming 2022, which featured a co-ed Alumni Soccer Game, the crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen and presentation of their court, and the Varsity Soccer Teams playing King’s Christian School and winning both games. ACS middle school and high school cross country club members also competed against King’s Christian in races on the ACS campus and took first place in all categories.
The 2022 Homecoming Court was presented between the Varsity Girls’ and Boys’ Soccer Games— Homecoming King Moges Johnson, Homecoming Queen Maddie DeNick, Homecoming Princesses Reyna Lewis and Paige Noble, and Homecoming Princes Sam Glancey and Cruz Lewis. The King and Queen waved to the crowd and shot confetti into the air as they took the traditional ride around the track in a converted jeep, driven by school parents Michael and Kelly Flynn. The ACS Cheer Team marched in front of the jeep as they cheered for the King and Queen.
Two new large ACS Spirit Flags were unveiled at Homecoming — one with the Cougar mascot image and the other with the letters ACS — that were waved throughout the day during the soccer games to get the hundreds of fans fired up.
The Homecoming events began in the morning with a 3-mile cross country race for high school students and a 1.5-mile race for middle school students. Eighteen ACS students are part of the cross country club that meets weekly on Wednesdays to practice and prepare for races, coached by ACS faculty member Joshua Clark. Twelve club members ran in the Homecoming Races, with 10th grader Jayden Sanchez finishing in first place overall and among the high school boys, with a time of 19.18. 6th grader Caleb Wilson won first place for the middle school boys and 8th grader Kalee Tardif won first place for the middle school girls. No high school girls competed in the race.
The second event of the day was a co-ed Alumni Soccer game. Wearing jerseys representing the school colors, the Green Team beat the White Team 6-1. For the Green Team, the alumni who participated were Kaylee Breunig (’12), Ben Chapman (’13), Andrew Gregas (’13), Carly Harper Witherow (’08), DJ Hitchner (’17), Carl Phillips (’17), Jon Picking (’13), Rachel Picking (’11), and Dan Vogel (’13). Alumni playing on the White Team were: Ang Eggie (’22), Shelby Einwechter (’21), Cole Lewis (’22), Jacob Rosie (’21), Chloe Vogel (’21), and former student Luke Phillips. ACS soccer team coaches also played in the game. Dozens of alumni, alumni parents, and school families cheered for their favorite teams from the sidelines.
The Varsity Girls’ Team, under head coach Carly Witherow, faced off against King’s Christian in the afternoon, winning 2-1, and bringing the team’s win-loss record to 8-2. 11th grader Alicia O’Donnell scored the first goal, assisted by 10th grader Isabell Alford. 12th grader Paige Noble scored the second goal, assisted by O’Donnell, and 10th grade goalie Taylor Sutton has 13 saves.
The Varsity Boys’ game against King’s Christian was the final Homecoming event. The team, under head coach Chris Lopez, beat King’s Christian 2-0, bringing the team’s record to 8-5. Scoring for ACS were 10th grader James Papanikolau and 11th grader Malachi Vasquez, with 9th grader David O’Donnell having both assists. Senior goalie Jake DeNick had seven saves.
Throughout the day, students, alumni, and their families enjoyed a variety of activities including ga-ga ball, volleyball, and face painting, and there were plenty of tasty cheeseburgers and snacks serve up by ACS parent volunteers.
Homecoming 2022 will be next Saturday, October 15 and ACS families, alumni, and their families are invited for a fun day of soccer, a cross country run, and the crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen. Athletic Director Pam Hitchner, who has organized the day’s festivities, is also adding new activities including inflatables, face painting, and games, along with a cook-out.