Seaford High ready for homecoming

Viking pride will be on display on Saturday when Seaford High School students, parents and staff celebrate Homecoming. 

The Vikings football team will challenge the William Tresper Clarke High School Rams at 2 p.m. on Sept. 24. Two hours before the players hit the gridiron, community members will march in a parade designed to celebrate SHS. 

Spirit committees have been preparing all month for Homecoming, according to the district. Students in scores of SHS organizations will participate in the parade, which begins at the Seaford Public Library, on Jackson Avenue, at noon. 

Marchers will proceed north on Washington Avenue to Keily Drive; the parade will end at Seaford High School.  Sections of the streets along the parade route will be closed to traffic during the event.

The theme of this year’s parade is “New York, New York,” according to the district.  Setting a new tradition, each high school class will create a banner in place of a float. Members of each class will march in the parade behind each banner. The banners will be judged and the winner will be announced during halftime. 

The parade will also feature the grand marshal, the SHS Marching Band and Color Guard, a motorcade for the Homecoming king and queen, sports teams, clubs and community organizations.  

“Homecoming is the pinnacle of school and community pride,” said Seaford Athletics Director Tom Condon. “The Booster Club has selected as this year’s Grand Marshal Coach John Phillips, a national lacrosse hall of famer who has volunteered countless hours of his time to coaching our lacrosse and football programs.”  

Phillips is a big Seaford Viking fan, Condon said, often attending football games and wrestling competitions even though he lives in Gilgo Beach.

Phillips is a 1956 graduate of Cornell University, where he played lacrosse. He is the recipient of numerous awards and is recognized on the national and international level. He is also part of the Coaches Hall of Fame at Seaford High School.  

After the parade, the Booster Club will sell Viking apparel and refreshments near the football field. For the pre-game ceremony, the team will enter the field by running through what officials called a spirit banner, which was made by the National Art Honor Society, and a tunnel formed by the cheerleaders.

In addition to the gridiron matchup, students and residents in attendance should also expect to be entertained by a halftime show. It will feature performances by three cheerleading squads, as well as the Marching Band and Color Guard. 

Special recognition will be given to two of Seaford’s finest lacrosse players — Molly VanDusen and Ally Palermo — during the festivities. 

Palermo was named an All-American Athlete in her junior year at SHS — an honor that is rarely awarded to athletes at that grade level, according to the district. VanDusen,  member of the SHS class of 2016 was named an Academic All-American Athlete as a senior in high school and now plays lacrosse at Molloy College. 

Finally, Phillips, the winners of the banner contest and the Points Award for Seaford Spirit Week and of course, the Homecoming king and queen will also be recognized.