Students wearing mums and garters, decorated with ribbons, bells, and streamers, filled the halls on Friday, Oct. 14. A typical Texas tradition during homecoming season is designing and creating an elaborate chrysanthemum accessory, usually worn around the neck for girls and on the arm for boys. At Cypress Ranch High School, the mum and garter scene has grown so much that almost every student kicked off their homecoming weekend while strutting a mum/garter.

Homecoming, while sometimes seen as overrated, is definitely a major event in this neighborhood. From the community Homecoming Parade to the hundreds of dollars that some students spend in preparation for the night, Cypress Ranch definitely knows how to celebrate the annual occasion.

On Thursday, Oct. 13, students, staff and other community members came out to support at the annual homecoming parade. While the marching band and homecoming court led the head of the parade, dozens of student clubs and organizations trailed behind.

Young children cheered from along the sidewalks as parents jumped to take photos of their students who waved from their colorful float. People were everywhere, enjoying the marching routine of the band and the extravagant rides made by the students.

Following the parade, everyone made their way to the playing field as some of the school organizations spoke about the upcoming events. Sports teams and clubs lined the grass dance floor while the Classics team preformed a hip-hop dance. Next, members from the Varsity football team and cheer squad leaped through a musical skit, which left the entire audience laughing and cheering.

Rolling into Friday, spirits were high inside the walls of Cypress Ranch. Students paused on their way to class to snap a quick photo with their friends, while decked out in their mums or garters. And while football is already a major aspect of the community, somehow this game was an even more important night. In fact, game tickets sold out by the time C lunch began which left many students scrambling to find an entrance into one of the biggest events of the year.

While playing against the Langham Creek Lobos on Friday, Oct. 13, the stadium lights seemed to shine a little brighter. A sea of navy and gold filled the stands like never before as the Mustangs came out to support the boys in blue at the 2016 Homecoming football game. To add to the positivity of the week, the Mustangs were able to pull out another victory with the score resulting in a 49 to 31 win.

The last event of the Homecoming weekend, the school dance, took place on Saturday, Oct. 14.

The dance was an exhilarating experience for all those who attended. The New York themed occasion was particularly memorable, featuring an urban backdrop that outlined the Manhattan skyline.

English teacher Kay McDowell was given the the responsibility of planning this year’s Homecoming dance.

“Planning the dance was stressful because I have never done something like that before,” McDowell said. “But I did enjoy it.”

McDowell, being head of the student council organization, was in charge of supervising their role in organizing the dance. Her tasks included designing the homecoming tickets, shirts, and gathering hype for the event. The entire dance cost $6,000 to finance.

The dance took approximately four months to plan with the help of McDowell, Makenna Archa, a contributor to the event, the Student Council, and the student dance committee. The entire group sold a massive total of 2,150 out of 2,500 tickets. Junior Mitchell Schonhoeft contributed greatly towards the dance by donating dance decorations and volunteering on the committee.

Homecoming dance attire was formal and students pulled out all the stops. Girls arrived in a dizzying array of gorgeous outfits, typically in heels and professionally done hair and makeup.  Boys dressed to impress, while in a suit and tie.

The DJ from the previous Homecoming dance returned to play the majority of this year’s hit songs that encouraged all of the students to fill the dance floor. A variety of catered food ordered by McDowell consisted of wraps, cupcakes, and several different types of cookies.

The dance lasted for three hours and many students left with other plans still going on for the night such as hanging out with friends or going for a late night snack as a group. As the week came to an end, it was obvious that the Mustangs had another great Homecoming week.