"This graduating class at least gets the ending of their year like how we got our beginning”

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Gridley High School Bulldogs hit Homecoming hard last week!

GHS planned a careful and safe homecoming week filled with spirit days, activities and more. Students kicked off the week with ‘Merica Monday,’ where red, white and blue were the colors to wear, a water balloon toss kept things cool midday and Football Follies amped up the competition later that evening. The rest of the week followed a similar pattern with activities like “Camo Day”, “Hawaiian Day”, “tie-dye Wednesday” where students dyed shirts, and of course, some serious celebrating on Friday, with food trucks visiting the school for private student lunches.

Although the hallmark of 2020 was “missing out”, the Class of 2021 still did not get a 100 percent normal senior year Homecoming experience. There were four exceptionally large items missing this year: the class floats!

Typically, the culmination of hours of work on the floats is their public debut during the Homecoming Parade, held Friday after the final bell rings at the school. Seniors were not deterred by the lack of floats this Homecoming week and instead, found some support from Gridley’s CALFIRE firefighters, Engine 74, Ladder Truck 74 and the Swift-Water Rescue Unit, units from Gridley Police Department and retired GPD motorcycle officer Roberts.

The parade rolled out on its traditional route a little after 3:45 pm, various sirens whirling, horns honking, as GPD escorted the truckloads of athletes, seniors, candidates and more across the highway. CALFIRE units blared their sirens to announce the parade’s approach and the swift-water rescue unit ferried athletes along. Other vehicles were decorated in blue and gold representing their passengers which included: girls volleyball, girls tennis, softball, baseball, and of course, the football teams.  

Miss Butte County, Lauren Kelly, was even featured in the parade; her brother preparing to play football later that evening. When asked about the losses she experienced due to COVID-19 as a Senior in the Class of 2020, compared to the Seniors in the Class of 2021, she said “I’m just glad that they get SOMETHING.… especially now with the homecoming parade, the football games…. and people being able to go and watch them… it’s not fully locked down anymore. I think it’s a good transition, and that way this graduating class at least gets the ending of their year like how we got our beginning.”

GHS Seniors put a wrap on Homecoming Week 2021 with a heated Football game against Paradise and the crowning of the 2021 Homecoming King and Queen at half-time. See who managed to secure the win and the crown on the sports page.