GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) – It’s as if Thor smiled down on Gridley High Friday night. The rain that had threatened homecoming was gone by mid-morning and the sun shone bright enough to dry the Boneyard ahead of the night’s big contest.

 The Wheatland Pirates had come to Gridley to try and rob the Bulldogs of their Homecoming, but the Bulldogs weren’t going to let them. The JV football game was close all the way to the end. With the bulldogs leading 7-0 until the last minute of the game when Wheatland finally scored a safety against the Bulldogs even as the clock reached zero. The Final Score was 7-2.

 Without their regular starting varsity quarter under center, Brett Farr would step in to lead the Bulldogs. Wheatland jumped out to an early lead scoring late in the first quarter. Gridley would answer back in the second when Farr would run a quarter back keeper to tie the score, and as the half came to an end, the score would be tied 7-7.

 Halftime saw the blur of activities that only happen at homecoming. A minion streaked across the field drawing laughs and cheers as he made his way to the opposing team’s sideline, only to be thwarted by two locked gates that made his escape impossible. With whatever vigor he had left, he ran back across the field and away into the crowd.

 Flooding left over from the morning’s rain made the floats impossible to circle the track as is tradition. However, the results would be announced and cheered and jeered by their respective classes. Freshmen would take 4^th, Juniors 3^rd, Seniors 2^nd and the Sophomore class won the night, with 1^st place.

 The homecoming royalty would come next. The princesses from each class marched out with their escorts before the Queen and King candidates made their appearance. Each armed with poppers in hand, the candidates let theirs fly, and when the confetti and blue smoke settled, the King and Queen had been chosen: Roman Alcantar and Haven Counihan. Last year’s Queen Maribel Garcia was on hand to pass on the crown to the newly chosen royalty.

 When the second half started the Bulldogs were a different team. Midway through the 3^rd, Michael Ryan would reach the end-zone. Immediately after an onside kick, picked up by Angel Castaneda, the Bulldogs would get the ball back in their own territory. Less than two minutes later Farr would take the ball in for another Bulldog touchdown.

 Again, the Bulldogs went for an onside kick and were successful in recovery but ended the series with a missed field goal. It would be the fourth quarter before either team saw the end zone again, with the Pirates scoring after a pass was deflected off a Bulldog defenders’ hands.

 The game would end the same as the JV game with the Pirates getting a Safety as the clock ticked down to Zero. But by then the game had been won, the Bulldogs safely in the lead. Final Score 19-16.