Pinewood’s Homecoming: Greatest Show on Turf
By: Claire Mullis, PCA freshman
The week of September 23-27 Pinewood Christian Academy celebrated its 47th annual Homecoming week. The theme chosen for this exciting week was PCA the Greatest Show on Turf! Homecoming week was full of exciting activities for the students and their families to enjoy! These activities include the senior breakfast, the pep rally, tailgate dinner, the Pinewood vs. Bethlehem football game, and the crowning of the 2019 Homecoming Queen.
On Monday, students supported their favorite sports teams by wearing a jersey or t-shirt. Some of the teams that were represented were the Georgia Bulldogs, Atlanta Braves, and Georgia Southern Eagles.
2nd grade: (l to r) Front Row: Pate Rogers, Austin McEachin, Bryson Sapp; Second Row: J.T. Brown and Wren Parker; Third Row: Ethan Carter, Mallory Akins, Ellie Durrence, Liam Denton, Ruth Rogers, Will Bacon, Kate Manville; Back Row: Mrs. Lynn Swindell, Shyann Kicklighter, Bentley Byrd, and Ms. Leslie Langford.
Monday night, Pinewood held its first annual Homecoming parade! Mr. Bernie Anderson served as the Grand Marshall and led the parade followed by Pinewood’s founding headmaster Mr. O.H Tab Smith. Athletic teams and clubs showed their school spirit by decorating floats including Beta Club’s float which showcased a boxing ring where Petey the Patriot was battling a Knight to fit their theme “Knocking out the Knights.”
Tuesday, PCA was transformed into a circus under the big top! Students dressed up as their favorite circus characters. The halls were filled with clowns, ringmasters, lion tamers, circus staff, circus snacks, strong men and all sorts of circus animals.
K-3 class: (l to r) Front Row: Eason Rager, Emma Kay Hobbs, Blythe Dutton, Anna-Beth NeeSmith, Ian Burkhalter, Samantha Hogan; Back Row: Mick Ammermon, Colton Benton, Maelee Elrod, Knox Blocker, Gray Porter, Clay Young, and Mercer Butler.
Wednesday, all the grades competed to be the most colorful and brightest class by decking out in their class color. The students’ school pride shined brightly as they dressed in neon.
Thursday, the students dressed in disguise wearing camo or dressing as a circus animal. The seniors gathered together in the school parking lot for their annual senior homecoming breakfast. They each contributed to the breakfast bringing breakfast casseroles and even set up the grills to cook the sausage. It was a morning of fellowship and fun that was enjoyed by all who attended.
PCA Seniors gathering for the senior breakfast
Friday was PCA’s Spirit day. The morning began as the seniors gathered at the middle school baseball field at 7am to decorate their cars and load up for the beloved tradition of the senior spirit parade. The parade started from the lot across from the Varsity baseball field, and seniors drove along Buck Cravey Drive while their families, the underclassmen, and faculty watched and took pictures to capture the memories of their last PCA Homecoming. The halls were filled with students showing their Patriot pride with everything green, orange, and white. Students supported their school with face paint, colored beads, football jerseys, Pinewood t-shirts, and more.
Students battle it out in musical chairs.
“Cheerleader Hush Day” began after homeroom. Cheerleaders were not allowed to talk to anyone except for other cheerleaders or their teachers. Students who caught them talking were awarded the cheerleader’s name tag. The varsity cheerleaders sold various spirit items such as toy footballs, foam fingers, colorful necklaces, and pom poms throughout the day. They also painted the lower school students’ faces and gave them temporary tattoos of their choice. This has always been a fun way for the kids to show their school spirit.
To end the school day, the varsity cheerleaders led the school in a pep rally to pump everyone up for Friday night’s game against the Bethlehem Knights. The football players entered them gym and high-fived the lower school kids to excite them, and they loved it. After the football players were welcomed into the gym, the cheerleaders performed a dance number to entertain the crowd.
The cheerleaders then chose student sibling teams to participate in an obstacle course relay game. The top four teams at the end of the relay including Eli and Savana Collins, Abi and Emi Oates, Ronnie and Greg Griffin, and Josh and Jake Rogers battled it out in a game of musical chairs where Eli and Greg were the last two standing. The two young men went head to head in a game of “rock, paper, scissors” with senior Eli Collins claiming victory over sophomore Greg Griffin.
To help conclude the pep rally, Mrs. Miriam Porter led everyone in the singing our Alma Mater. Afterwards, it was time for the hush badge recipients to pie their cheerleaders in the face.
Later in the afternoon from 5:30 to 7, Pinewood held its 5th annual homecoming tailgate supper catered by the Rusty Pig. PCA patrons, alumni, and students gathered together to enjoy some bar-b-que before the game.
Just before kickoff, fans gathered at Lowell Coley Field to watch this year’s homecoming representatives as they paraded through in convertibles across the home side of the field. The 2018 Homecoming Queen, Jordan Jernigan, was in attendance to crown the new queen and princess during the half-time show.
2019 Homecoming Representatives
Front Row (l to r): Julia Hethcox, Julie Collins, and Ally McCall; Middle Row (l to r): Sidney Tippins, Ella Anderson, Carson Rountree, Jena Bradley, and Becky Edwards; Last Row l to r): Abi Oates, Ashton Shuman, Chandler Driggers, and Ansley Howard.
Vying for the crown were seniors Chandler Driggers, Ansley Howard, Abi Oates, and Ashton Shuman. The other grade representatives include Ella Anderson (11th), Ally McCall (11th), Carson Rountree (11th), Jena Bradley (10th), Julie Collins (10th), Julia Hethcox (9th), Sydney Tippins (8th), and Becky Edwards (7th).
During the half-time show, each representative was escorted onto the field. The flower girl and crown bearer, first graders Mathyn Tucker, daughter of Matt and Leslie Tucker, and Griffin Long, son of Garth Long and Meg DeLoach, followed behind to present the flowers and crown for crowning.
Flower Girl Mathyn Tucker and Crown Bearer Griffin Long
The 2018 Pinewood Christian Academy Princess title was awarded to Abi Oates, the daughter of Jamie and Lena Oates of Register, GA.
Ansley Howard was then crowned the 2019 Pinewood Christian Academy Homecoming Queen. She is the daughter of John and Renee Howard of Reidsville, GA.
(l-r)2019 PCA Princess, Abi Oates and 2019 PCA Homecoming Queen, Ansley Howard
Homecoming week concluded with the homecoming dance hosted by the senior class. The night was filled with music, dancing, fun, and refreshments for everyone to enjoy. This was the perfect end to an amazing week.
