Friday, September 27th, 2019

By Ty Dressler

7:00 am - An alarm clock goes off. A tired Potosi High School Senior wakes up and hits the snooze.

7:09 am - The alarm goes off again. The highschooler wakes up for good this time and starts the day. He showers, gets dressed, eats breakfast, brushes his teeth, and heads off for school. But today’s school schedule is different than every other day, because this is homecoming Friday. That means a half-day full of school activities and pep rallies. But first, the student must get through two class periods before the fun begins.

7:54 and 35 seconds am - The student flies into the school parking lot and rushes to his first hour class hoping to avoid a tardy.

7:55 - 8:43 am - First Hour - But actually 6th hour. The band is practicing for the pep rally and parade. Other students are in class. Some of the cool teachers let their students have free time or watch a movie, in the spirit of homecoming. Other teachers continue with lessons. 

8:46 - 9:34 am  - Second Hour - But actually 7th hour.  The band is still getting ready. The rest of the school is still in class. At this point, it is 47 minutes away from the homecoming activities, and not a lot is being accomplished in classes. Yet some teachers still persist with lessons… 

9:37 - 10:15 am - Pep Rallies - The entire school (K-12) is brought into the auditorium. Everyone is filled with school spirit. The football and volleyball coaches speak about the way their seasons are going. They call their players up on stage. When the names are called, elementary students erupt with cheers as their favorite players are brought up on stage. Senior Ryan Kruser described the feeling as, “being on top of the world.”

10:15 - 11:00 am - The Volleyball Games - 

Round one: the teachers vs. the senior girls. The Teachers dominate in every aspect of the game and come away with the win. 

Round two: the teachers vs. the very talented senior boys. The senior boys are predicted to win and are the clear fan favorites. Both teams battle very hard. However, with some illegal hits and some blown calls, the teachers come away with a win in a very controversial game. 

Round three: the senior boys vs. senior girls: practically a civil war as the 12th grade is split into two, as each side battles for its last chance at homecoming glory. The senior boys give it all they have, but since they are just coming off a hard-fought game against the teachers, they run out of steam quickly. The girls capitalize on the boys’ mistakes and come away with the W. 

11:00 - 11:45 am - The Powder Puff Football Game - Even on a rainy homecoming Friday, the girls still head outside for the annual powder puff football game. The senior/junior team comes out of the gates fast and the game looks like it could be a blowout. However the freshman/sophomore team gives a noble effort, and the final score is 24-8 to the seniors/juniors. Senior Justice Udelhofen said, “It was cold, but it was all worth it because we won.”

11:45 - 12:15 pm - Lunch and High School Dismissal

12:15 - 2:00 pm - Miscellaneous - The Freshman meet up in the shop to work on their float. Some students go home to catch a quick nap or do some homework. Others run off with their friends and do other shenanigans… 

2:00 pm - The Homecoming Parade - The whole school reunites in the St. Thomas Church parking lot to get ready for the parade. Final touches are put on floats, trucks are getting in line, and the football players are hopping on their bikes. The floats go through Maine Street and the whole town gathers to watch.

6:00 pm - The Football Game - Potosi/Cassville takes on the Pittsville Panthers. Kickoff is moments away. Players are warmed up and are now in the locker room waiting for Mr. Siegert’s pregame speech. Mr. Siegert enters the locker room, only to tell his players that there will be a 30-minute rain delay. Lightning strikes keep coming and the 30-minute delay keeps resetting. 

Roughly 7:00 pm - The Football Game - The rain and lightning stop, and the football game can begin. The Chieftains and the Panthers finally get to play. With all the rain, the nice grass field quickly turns to a field of mud within a few plays. The game turns into an old-fashioned brawl. Senior quarterback Ben Udelhofen said that the field conditions, “Really limited our game. Trying to throw the ball was like trying to nail jelly to a tree.”  Senior running back Ryan Kruser carries the ball a season-high 31 times for 165 yards. The Chieftains shut the Panthers out and win 16-0. 

10:30 pm - The Homecoming Dance - Due to the football game being delayed, the dance is also pushed back. Even with the delay, the Potosi High School student body is still able to have a good time. Homecoming King Trevor Pluemer said, “It was an awesome way to spend my Friday night, and all the dancing is a great way to stay in shape.”

12:30 am - Then the highschooler heads home, while thinking back on four years of homecomings. He thinks about all the houses he TP-ed over the years. He thinks about all the football games and all the dances. But most importantly he remembers all the memories with his friends. Then he smiles and crawls into bed.