Russet Homecoming week: Bonfire, victory and dancing

SHELLEY — Last week, Shelley High School celebrated homecoming beginning with a solid win as the Senior girls crushed the Junior girls 20 to 6 In the annual powder-puff game.

The game was followed by the traditional Homecoming Bonfire, which was lit and maintained by the Shelley-Firth Rural Fire District. The blaze consumed a towering pile of wood pallets, which kept students back 30 feet or more because of the intense heat.

While the fire burned, students gathered in groups, either talking, laughing, or quietly reminiscing.

A group that was enjoying themselves was a group of Freshman guys attending their first Homecoming Bonfire as high schoolers. This group was doing karaoke to rap music being played.

“This is pretty crazy. It’s fun. I enjoyed it,” Chance Waite said.

He and another group of freshmen were standing in the back of the truck listening to music.

“It’s really fun hanging out with everybody,” Ryker Harris said, “It’s cool what they’re doing at the school, and I like hanging out with people.” He was also among of group of Freshmen taking in the festivities.

Several cars down, a Senior couple sat in the trunk of their car quietly taking in the scene. A short distance away, Principal Burke Davis stood quietly looking at the fire.

“Homecoming is exciting. It’s nice because last year with covid, a lot of events were on hold, so we didn’t do a lot of this, Davis said. “So, to be able to have Homecoming, homecoming dance, Russet Olympics and a lot of those things, gives us a normal feeling, which is good. It makes for a good start to the school year.”

Homecoming week was punctuated with a bang Friday night with the Russets trouncing the Jerome Tigers on the football field.

The game started with the game ball being dropped off by helicopter. After that, it was touchdown after touchdown for the Russets. The Tigers struggled to make it to the 50-yard line for the entire first half.

Partway through the 2nd quarter, the weather turned sour. But that didn’t stop the russets.

At half-time, the Homecoming Royalty were presented on the field. Duke and Duchess were Josh Gil and Ellie Beckett. Prince and Princess were Hadley Carpenter and Taylor Ottley. And King and Queen were Brock DeRoche and Kate Anderson.

After half-time, the Russets went on to win the game 49 to 7.

Homecoming week ended with the Homecoming dance on Saturday, Sept. 11, in the open air of the High School’s parking lot.

As they say, it’s “Always a Great Day to be a Russet.”