Malibu High School celebrated Homecoming Week with a number of activities and festivities, concluding with a varsity football game Saturday afternoon. During the week, students enjoyed pie eating contests, piñatas, dance-offs and, on Halloween, a costume contest during lunch.
Also, the high school grade levels faced off in the annual girls Powderpuff Football Games at lunch. On Tuesday, the juniors steamrolled over the freshmen, and on Wednesday the seniors overtook the sophomores. The next day, the juniors faced the seniors in the anticipated championship game. The campus was littered in signs promoting each side, and, on Thursday morning, a mob of seniors stopped all cars arriving to the student parking lot, writing on windows, “Seniors Rule” and “2009,” the year they graduate. The match was less of a football game as it was an all-out war, with each side covering the other, including the fans, with syrup, chocolate sauce, silly string and beads. The game ended in a tie, and, as the administration ended it due to time constraints, players went after each other as they walked slowly to class.
On Friday, the students, all dressed in their Halloween costumes, were herded into the gym for a pep rally. Each varsity sport in season was called up, the dance team performed and the football team easily overtook the water polo squad in a tug-of-war match. Students were encouraged to attend the football game the following night, followed by an effigy of the opposing team being brutally attacked by two members of the football squad.
Hundreds of fans arrived to support the Sharks in their loss on Saturday, with floats from each grade level paraded around the track, followed by a performance of the dance team, and the homecoming court being announced at halftime. The freshmen baron and baroness were Alec McCloskey and Da’Nasjah Nyirenda, the sophomore count and countess were Matthew Mason and Kelsey Pettijohn, and the junior duke and duchess were Luke O’Malley and Caroline Ferguson. The senior princes were Mario Johnson and Joe Rosenthal, and the princesses were Lara Azzi and Cebe Loomis. The king, as announced at the pep rally, was Sean Conrad, and Mielle Gerard was crowned queen at the game. Following the game, students attended the homecoming dance, and had to pass through a haunted house to enter. Despite the football team’s 18-17 loss, students were in high spirits, supporting the team all the way.