King and Queen Crowned at Homecoming
Every year, Homecoming is a week filled with chaotic celebrations, intense school spirit, and the chance to make cherished memories. St. Clair’s HoCo 2025 delivered on its “We Got the Beat” mantra with a lineup of musically inclined activities, wacky dress up days, and enough high school hijinks throughout to really aura farm its way to an iconic week.
Summarizing an entire week–and one Saturday evening–into a recap may be somewhat impossible, but what’s important is that for a few days out of the school year, every St. Clair students in grades 7-12 gathered together to celebrate what it means to be a Cyclone. No cliques or creeds divided nearly 400+ students from partaking in the weeklong debauchery of class competitions, dress up days, and a raucous Pepfest for the ages. Sure, certain events during HoCo catered more heavily toward juniors and seniors, but even the tiniest freshman could join in on the fun amongst the big kids.
Opening the week was a friendly door-decorating contest between the classes…there were notable highlights like a DJ Khaled-inspired door with HoCo-centric lyrics, a “Smells like Spartan Spirit” nod to a classic grunge band, and other ingenious creations. It’s unclear who ultimately won the competition, but the halls were buzzing with joy and anticipation as each class banded together toward one singular purpose. Not to mention, many students dressed up in their laziest getups as “Lazy Song” made for a Pajama Day that slippers, sleeping caps, and even a pair of long johns too…didn’t know they were still making those.
Tuesday brought the cowpoke out of many, including Principal Guentzel, as Western Day made the hallways echo with the heavy clomp of cowboy boots. The major event would be the crowning of the HoCo 2025 King and Queen at Coronation. The gymnasium was buzzing with high school students, proud parents, and school officials expertly guided by our quick-witted Masters of Ceremony, Julianna and Addison, the event was a smash hit, featuring laughs, competition, and an unforgettable crowning moment.
The entire high school seemed to be in attendance, and the STC Band fueled the already high school spirit with a powerful performance of the school song. As each pair of candidates took to the stage, they were with waves of cheers and the inevitable pause for celebratory photos with family. Julianna and Addison kept the vibes going with engaging candidate introductions, sharing funny anecdotes and lighthearted “barbs” that were all in good fun. We learned that Aubree Mathiowetz has an indecipherable poker face while Huntly Lentz was playfully teased about being a professional rapper.
After engaging in a unique contest called “Guess the Artist,” in which the ladies reigned victorious by two points, the glorious moment all had been waiting anxiously for had arrived. Rasmussen received assistance with the crowns from two adorable tykes, and as she hovered the respective crown over the corresponding candidates, the gym filled with anticipation to see who would be etched into Homecoming history. As the crowns descended upon their heads, Hunter Winkler expressed a joyful disbelief while Mathiowetz let out an audible cry of utter amazement. Their fellow candidates celebrated their new royal classmates and proud parents were chomping at the bit to snag photos as the ceremony ended. King Winkler and Queen Mathiowetz fulfilled their duties throughout the rest of HoCo Week, and this will surely be a highlight of their senior years at St. Clair.
Wednesday wrote another chapter in the annual rivalry games between the juniors and seniors. Beefcake Volleyball and Powderpuff Football are classic Homecoming activities that place decorated athletes competing in a sport that may be unfamiliar to them. The annual rivalry games delivered high drama and unexpected upsets as the Juniors and Seniors clashed, resulting in a decisive split of the day’s honors.
Thursday would grant a brief reprieve for Cyclones during HoCo 25 as the class competitions stayed in the classrooms. Games of chance kept things interesting as students won various prizes and candy, and many took the themed day “Party in the USA” to heart as shades of red, white, and blue were proudly displayed. Friday brought the final day of Homecoming and a three-hour pepfest delivered a dose of pure, unadulterated HoCo hysteria to Cyclones adorned head-to-toe in red & black.
There were a number of activities to keep the vibes going like a Rock, Paper, Scissors contest, musical chairs, the St. Clair Drumline, and a performance by the Spartan Football Cheerleaders who were accompanied by 95 or so adorable Little Spartans. Each competition or activity carried a ceremonial wave of cheer to the students as it all served as an appetizer for the volleyball team’s showdown with Mankato Loyola. That match has its own writeup in the sport’s page. In a final, fitting act of homecoming kindness, Principal Guentzel released the juniors and seniors early, granting them the privilege of skipping the final class block. For the remaining high schoolers, the return to class felt like a slightly less exciting reality check, a gentle reminder of the advantage of being born a year or two earlier.
Friday night would be the culmination of all the high school hijinks and Homecoming hysteria as fans and families cheered for the St. Clair/Loyola Spartans football team. During halftime, the Coronation Court took to the field for a final curtain call to this weeklong celebration. The Spartan Cheerleaders, and their tiny companions, then took to the field to deliver another energetic performance, capping off a perfect, high-spirited conclusion to a fantastic Homecoming week.
Although the school week had ended, the official end of HoCo 25 would be the following Saturday night as Club Cyclone offered students a chance to aura farm on the dance floor. Dressed in sparkly dresses or their finest blazers, St. Clair students took to the West Commons area, which had been transformed into a swinging dance pad, to show off their best moves or share a slow dance with their high school sweetheart. Keeping with the club theme, Ashley Miller and Kenzie Burns whipped up some colorful creations like the Cyclone Swirl, Homecoming Crush, or Lightning on the Dance Floor. Certain seniors and juniors, the jocks and cool kids, of course, made their honorary appearance at Club Cyclone and boogied to their heart’s content, but soon departed for their own brand of HoCo fun.
Homecoming Week is a time-honored tradition for schools far and wide, and St. Clair is no different. Their high energy and dedication to school spirit made for an unbelievably exciting five days of camaraderie, collaboration, and competition. Many of the memories made during HoCo 2025 will be cherished by these Cyclones, especially the seniors, for the remainder of the year…and possibly beyond.
