By Olivia Byrnes and Emma Carr
Assistant Editors for Production
During the first minute of the homecoming game on Sept. 26, senior runningback Ben Whipper ran a 40 yard touchdown to put the Jamesville-DeWitt High School’s Red Rams ahead by six points. This was Whipper’s first touchdown of the season, so it was very special to him. But it was also special for the fans. “I got so excited when they scored and I actually thought we had a chance to win,” said sophomore Emma Gibson.
Carthage then quickly answered with another touchdown and it seemed like the Red Rams could not catch up. The game ended with the score of 40-12. Whipper said that Carthage scored easily because the injury of Nate Shapiro left a lot of holes in the defense. But the loss didn’t dampen J-DHS’s spirits: “Even though the game wasn’t a big success, it was incredibly fun.” said senior Paddy Hagan.
This year, there were rumors that the vote for Homecoming Court was rigged. “I heard about the ballot being rigged, but I don’t think it’s true,” said junior Meg Parker. Senior Ryan Durkin said he had heard it from a lot of people, but he had no proof of it happening.
The homecoming court may or may not have been rigged, but no one seemed to complain about the seniors who made up the court. It included seniors Hannah Gibson and Tal Frieden as Lord and Lady, seniors Ryan Durkin and Meghan Byrnes as Duke and Duchess, seniors Rachel Fairbanks and Joe Morgan as Prince and Princess and Micah Lee and Essence Britt as King and Queen. “It was pretty cool,” said Durkin. “It was a great experience going out on the field, getting the crown, and being the Homecoming Queen,” said Britt.
The fun extended to Saturday with the bonfire and dance, but because of the split between the festivitels, the attendance was low. “The school should’ve had bonfire on Thursday and the dance and the game on Friday,” said Gibson. “If the dance was after the game I would’ve gone,” said senior Essence Britt; “and if I had known who the DJ was.” “I was there for a minute and left the dance because nobody was there and it was boring,” said Gibson.
Although some students didn’t enjoy the dance and bonfire, others had a great time. “I liked the dance because there was a really cool DJ and all my friends went and we all danced with each other,” said freshman Hannah Smith. “The bonfire was way bigger then I expected, too. It was overwhelming at first, but it was really awesome,” she said.