Powell High School was flowing with energy during Homecoming week this year.

Multiple activities and dress up days prepared the school to bring their energy for the football game. The Panthers fought but fell to Star Valley 14-7.

Students started off the week with Pajama Day and Buff Puff Monday evening. Both students and staff had the opportunity to dress down for the day with in their PJs.

“My favorite dress up day was pajama day,” sophomore Hailee Hyde said.

Tuesday was “America Day.” PHS showed their patriotism by wearing red, white and blue. Face paint, tutus and Donald Trump apparel were seen all throughout the school. Tuesday evening, students brought their energy to support the Lady Panthers during volleyball games against rival Cody High School.  Swimmers also competed against Cody.

Wednesday, PHS came out in an array of colors: Freshmen wore yellow,  sophomores red, juniors green and seniors blue. An annual school picture was taken of the student body in the colors they presented.

Homecoming Olympics took place that evening in which teams came ready to show off their costumes and their enthusiasm. Costumes ranged from a deck of cards to prison inmates.

Many students’ favorite part of Homecoming week was the Olympics.

“[Mine was] definitely the homecoming Olympics,” Hyde said.

Thursday, everyone dressed like their dad; students came wearing the fanny packs, fishing gear and formal attire.

Despite the cold weather, the tailgate party Thursday evening still received a good turnout.

Students were able to get a free dinner, listen to some music and socialize on the eve of the Panther football game. The night concluded with the burning the Panther ‘P’.

Students flaunted their Panther pride on Friday as orange and black paraded the hallways.

The Homecoming assembly took place that morning and included a fear box featuring the teachers. Items came in varieties such as: A live chicken, live guinea pig, a puppy and broccoli with cheese.

Football players got the crowd going after head coach Aaron Papich shared his concluding statements.

Band members and cheerleaders brought the excitement with a cheer-off between each grade.

“The pep rally definitely [pumped me up the most] and it also got pumped up others too,” Hyde said.

A parade took place Friday after school for all schools in Powell. Fall sports, high school classes, the middle school and elementary schools were featured on parade floats or walking through the parade.

Heidi Barrus and Trevor Feller won junior class royalty, Abby Landwehr and Joe Kousoulos won for the sophomore class and Jaden Asher and Riley Schiller took the freshman class royalty.

The football team took on the Star Valley Braves Friday night.

“The student section was roaring with screaming and cheering all throughout the four quarters,” sophomore Kadden Abraham said. “What pumped us up was our pre-game – we have a team prayer, run through the tunnel and do some other things and the crowd doing their chants really got me pumped up.”

PHS Homecoming concluded with a dance after the football game and students came ready to get their groove on. The music hyped people up and brought them together in a crowd of dancing.

Buff Puff and Homecoming Olympics:

All about the tradition

It’s that time of the year again where boys get together to confidently play volleyball in … Daisy Dukes.

Homecoming Week started with what we know as “Buff Puff,”  a school orchestrated event where five teams compete against each other for simple entertainment.

Buff Puff volleyball is a tradition that has been going on at PHS for many years. Many of the boys participating in Buff Puff believe that it is a fun tradition that allows them to play a sport that is not offered for male students at PHS.

“It’s a lot of fun,” said first-time junior Buff Puff player Grant Dillivan. “Everyone who does it has a whole ton of fun and the competition isn’t super intense so even if you’re not into volleyball or you’re not super athletic, you can still come out and just have a good time or come and watch. It’s enjoyable for everyone.“

Next up was the Homecoming Olympics. During this event, kids gather around to pick up rocks with their toes, compete diligently in the three-legged race, and even fall into a freezing cold pit of muddy water for the sake of Tug-of-War.

Twenty-nine teams contested against each other on Sep. 26 at the Park County Fairgrounds. There were eight  stations set up in the arena for the high-schoolers to rotate through.

“My favorite activity is the sumo wrestling cause it’s super fun to run at people with this giant ball thing around you and to try and smash into them,” said junior olympics participant Tenna DesJarlais.

All squads competed with remarkable sportsmanship only for the all male team “The Inmates” to take the lead in the final round of Tug-of War.