Deer Lakes celebrates its 50th annual Homecoming
Just about everything turned out for Deer Lakes School District’s 50th annual Homecoming celebration. Despite a very rainy week leading up to the event, the weather was a cool, crisp and dry 68 degrees at the start of the parade, perfect for a fall evening in Western Pennsylvania. Some long-time homecoming parade-goers have called this year’s parade the largest in memory.
Dozens of marching band alumni and members of the Class of 1970 also showed up to cheer on this year’s Lancers football team, which defeated Burrell, 34-21, moving the team to 3-2.
Before the game began, seniors Nathaniel Glaister and Kendall Simurda were crowned this year’s king and queen respectively. Last year’s king and queen, David Czoper and Gabby Vergerio were on also hand to continue the tradition of helping to coronate this year’s honorees. Czoper is studying locally and Vergerio flew in from Brown University in Providence, RI to help with the event. Also, helping with this year’s coronation was Deer Lakes’ first ever homecoming queen, Bev Stecz-Sofko.
This year’s homecoming theme was “Candyland” with the Class of 2019 taking the prize for top float.
After the parade, all participants are encouraged to head into Lancer Stadium to cheer on the Deer Lakes varsity football team as they take on the Burrell Buccaneers at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, which are $2 for students and $5 for adults, can be purchased in advance at each of our schools or at the gate.
Finally, as part of a new tradition, Deer Lakes invited the Burrell High School marching band to participate in the pre-game festivities and Buccaneers’ marching band and cheerleaders did not disappoint during the parade or in their postgame drumline battle with Deer Lakes immediately after the game.
Posted: Wednesday, October 3, 2018