Homecoming 2019

Jesuit High School capped off a festive Homecoming week on Friday (Oct. 25) with traditional Homecoming activities, including a fabulous BBQ dinner enjoyed by hundreds of alumni and families, the football team's 45-14 District title-clinching win over Bradenton Bayshore, and the ceremonial halftime announcement of the Homecoming Court and crowning of the Queen.

For the first part of the day, Jesuit students reveled in traditional Homecoming Fun Day events all across campus, activities such as dodgeball, chess, bocce, and video games. Fun Day culminated in the dodgeball championship games before the entire student body in the Tiger Palace. The student championship match featured an epic performance by Jalen Niles '20, who then led his Goonies team to an easy victory over the faculty-staff squad that included Noah Menendez '14, Matthew Kuizon '11, Jonathan Barlaan '07, and Dan Noyes.  

At 5:00pm Friday, hundreds began to fill the cafeteria and Student Commons for the Homecoming BBQ, featuring photos with the Tiger mascot, a great meal from Jimbo’s Pit Bar-B-Q served up by the Jesuit Dads' Club, fellowship and nostalgia, sno-cones and ice cream, face-painting and press-on tattoos, and the Jesuit Drumline and an amazing transformation of the art studio into a wicked "House of Horrors."

At intermission of the football game the Homecoming Court was introduced. Madison Bissett of the Academy of the Holy Names was named Homecoming Queen, and she was crowned by Jesuit president Fr. Richard C. Hermes, S.J.

The Homecoming Court included Jesuit's Carter Cabassa ’20, Andrew Rausch '20, A.J. Karabenick '20, Bennett Andersen ’20, and Bryce Denick ’20, and AHN seniors Kara Petitt, Olivia Perez, Isabella Schellman, and Kathia Guzman.

The football team turned in an impeccable performance to earn its 6th straight victory and clinch the District title, racing to a 42-0 halftime lead and cruising to the win. Kiael Kelly '21 threw three touchdown passes, two to Jaydn Girard '22 and one to Brett Gerena '20, and ran for a score, and Ricky Parks '21 ran for two scores. Gerena and Wade Woodaz '22 added interceptions as the defense allowed Bayshore zero first downs in the opening half. Jesuit improved to 7-2 overall, 5-0 in the District, heading into the regular season final this Friday (Nov. 1) vs. Tampa Catholic at 7:30pm at Corral Memorial Stadium.

Some of the winners of the various Fun Day tournaments included the faculty-student bocce team of Miguel Menendez and Tripp Russo '20; Javaris Williams '23 (chess); Aidan Gingell '20 (churro eating); Thomas Lahart '20 (ping-pong); and Ben Tempest '21 (Super Smash Bros.).

Click below to view photos from the Homecoming football game and halftime events, and below that is a photo slideshow from Fun Day and the Homecoming pregame activities.