Enjoying HOCO
Although we are still feeling that Texas summer heat, the first signs of fall for me will always be Homecoming Week, also affectionately called HOCO.
This is a week filled with excitement, HOCO nominations, a parade, a huge pep-rally announcing the HOCO Hunk and the big HOCO Friday night Cub game with the HOCO Queen announced during halftime. The POOHS [Pride of Olney High School marching band] performance before the HOCO Queen is announced is always something spectacular to witness.
After this week of fun, time quickly marches by ushering in cooler weather, pumpkin-spiced everything, endless posts about Christmas countdowns, Halloween that always includes an amazing parade down Main Street and a costume contest and lots of food and football around Thanksgiving.
This time of year, fall will be the time of year that most big memories are made with family, friends, neighbors and the community. We will look back in years to come and always remember the celebrations, parades and get-togethers that draw this tight-knit community of Olney closer and closer together. Summer is my favorite season but fall is my favorite time to make memories.
What I love about HOCO week is the excitement in the eyes of students as they dream of winning the title of HOCO Hunk and Queen or the cheering of the kids for their favorite noms.
The parade down Main Street will is always filled with truck and trailer full of Olney’s youth who proudly display jerseys, lock arms with teammates who they will go on later in the season to make memories that will bond them for a lifetime, memories of late-night bus rides after a big win, shouting with excitement reliving the game or consoling each other after a hard-fought loss, crammed into booths and tables of DQ or Chicken Express after a game that they poured their hearts into and making plans for the weekend or discussing who likes who or who is taking who to the Prom.
The big Friday Night game for HOCO is always a spectacular event filled with neighbors sitting elbow to elbow, cheering on the Cubs or POOHS performance, some chatting about how the drought will go on forever and let’s pray for rain or talking excitedly about plans for Thanksgiving.
One thing is for certain during HOCO week, we all can forget our worries for just a little bit and just enjoy the excitement of the youth enjoying their moment in the sun.
This is Will B saying, see ya’ under the Friday Night Lights.
Go Cubs!