The freshman class wanted to kick off their first year at Austin High School with a bang, and what better way to do it than with creating the best float for the homecoming parade?

“We used to have a float contest and we want to bring it back, because we would win,” freshman Patrick Wagner said Friday.

The class spent four to five hours this week assembling the float on a semi trailer bed at Wagner’s house.

With “Foil the Falcons,” the homecoming theme, in huge letters, it depicted a falcon wrapped in foil on a grill and the word “Grill ‘Em.” A football player was shown stoking the fire. The Packers played the Faribault Falcons Friday night.

“The kids were really involved in the process,” said Carter Wagner, Patrick’s father. “Patrick is the last of our four children (in school). We helped the class conceptualize the float.”

The parade from the high school through downtown, and included the marching band and homecoming royalty. Whitney Heiny was crowned queen and Mitch Morem was named king during coronation Wednesday night.

Other homecoming activities included dress-up days, powder puff football, games and a food drive.