By Tara Watkins

AHS Student Council

For many of you, high school homecoming doesn’t seem like too long ago. You might all remember what it feels like to be standing at the stadium shoulder to shoulder with your best friends waiting for the football players to come out. You might remember what it feels like to cheer so loud that the crisp fall air burns your throat. Maybe you were on the football team and played with everything you had to bring home a win for your school. Some of you might even remember the intense feeling of unity that your grade had during that week. No matter where you grew up, homecoming is a week that will live in your hearts and memories forever.

Homecoming 2017 at Austin High School starts on Friday, Sept. 22, with an assembly announcing the homecoming court and the different dress up days for the week. At Austin High School, we don’t mess around with the dress up days. It is expected that students go all out every day to show school pride.

Mondays are always hard to wake up for, so it is Pajama day.

Students will show off their Spamtown pride on Tuesday with Spam day. AHS Student Council and Hormel arranged for the Spam truck to show up on the front lawn of AHS to offer sample to students.

The coronation of the Homecoming Queen and King on Wednesday brings out students in more formal attire.

The Battle of Connects will take place on Thursday, which brings Class Color Day to show class pride and a great competitive spirit.

The week ends on Friday with Scarlet and White Day to celebrate the Packers.

Another exciting event that takes place on Sunday, Sept. 23, is the annual powderpuff football tournament. This event kicks off the week in a fun, but competitive manner. We also have a food drive, with food being collected during Connect, that ends on Tuesday.

Thursday is one of the most eventful days of Homecoming week. We honor our Distinguished Alumni and listen to their inspiring messages. We also have Battle of Connects where all the different grade levels get together to compete against each other in various activities including: Pin guard, name that tune, towel volleyball and many more. We are so fortunate to have this event at our school to help bring our grades closer together.

Later that night, students will gather to watch the girls soccer team play and afterwards, enjoy the bonfire at the Wescott Field complex.

Friday, students will be donning scarlet and white in honor of their Packers and will be riding in floats during the homecoming parade. This year, the route will begin at the high school and follow Main Street, but will end at Riverside Arena due to construction in the area. Later that night, the Austin Packer Football Team will be playing against the Northfield Raiders in the 2017 Homecoming game.

Saturday night will be the homecoming dance to celebrate the end of a great homecoming week.

You are all welcome to come cheer the Austin Packers on as they “Wreck the Raiders” Friday night in Art Hass Stadium at 7 p.m.

We want to share this amazing week with all the former Austin Packers and the whole community of Austin.