Written by Kathryn Burke, Editor
On October 10, 2026, Poly held its annual Homecoming football game at RCC. Parents, staff and students gathered together in the rain to see the crowning of Poly’s king and queen, and an impressive win for the football team!
The night of the game, the stands were full of dressed up nominees, excited parents, and students following the theme “Once Upon A Gloco”, by wearing a variety of neon colors to support our football team.
The game started off exciting with a cheer performance that earned the immediate amazement and support of the audience. Soon after the winners of the lip sync competition, Sports Med, performed a dance to their Justin Bieber remix.
Sports Med coordinated outfits, wearing white shirts with purple hats and sunglasses, in reference to young Justin Bieber. The choreography was very light, filled with energy, giving off that 2016 energy that is dearly missed. The music included fan favorites like Beauty and a Beat, What Do You Mean, Maria, and Baby. When their performance ended, the crowd was full of cheers and laughs, appreciating the effort the club had put in.
When the game began, students watched intensely as Poly’s football team showed off their offensive skill and defensive domination. By half the score was a decisive 27-0, Poly leading.
Halftime came quicker than expected, as nominees stepped out onto the field, waiting for the royalty crowning. While lined up, float winners were announced with much excitement to be the Seniors, with their Pirate’s Cove inspired piece. Their float consisted of a pirate ship, a kraken within the water, a mermaid-bear, and an island with treasure. After the crowd had died down and all Poly club’s been announced, the top five nominees for king and queen stepped into the center of the field to perform an impressive dance.
Then, the crowd burst into applause as Ruben Guizar and Kai Bongard were announced king and queen, with Kai and Ruben celebrating with a “dap up.”
Ruben later expressed his love for being a nominee, “being able to get close and bond with the hoco court while practicing the dance” was something he cherished deeply. Despite this win, his favorite part of the homecoming season was attending float building everyday, and “making memories with fellow seniors.” Ruben was “obviously thrilled” to be crowned king, and was very grateful to his friends for helping him campaign.
Kai shared that her favorite part of being a nominee was getting “dolled up” with her friends and “waving to all the young kids” at the parade. Another of her favorite parts of the hoco season was also float building. Being able to “hangout with friends and help the senior class” was something she will forever cherish. However, she also mentioned that she loved supporting other clubs at carnival and seeing what everyone had for their booths. When crowned queen, Kai was overwhelmed with the love she felt from the community. Not only did her campaigning “pay off,” but she felt it brought her closer to people when others would repost instagram stories.
Returning to the game, the homecoming season ended off with another football victory for Poly! A 33-6 victory for the Poly bears and an audience of cheerful students, staff, and families solidified HOCO season as a resounding success.