Shiny silver and Celina-orange ribbons decorated road signs Friday night as the town prepared for its annual homecoming football game.

Closer to the game location, some ribbons created one glimmering line in trees along the road. Still more decorated the gates at this year’s location for the town’s homecoming traditions, a multi-million-dollar athletic complex in its first year of use.

The Celina board of trustees approved plans for $24.5 million going to the Celina ISD Multipurpose Athletic Complex in September 2018, and the football team played its first home game at the complex in August.

The Celina High School varsity football team won 63-7 Friday at its homecoming game against Sanger High School. During the course of the game, attendees witnessed school traditions. Some, like the blaring of horns at every Celina High School touchdown, run game to game; others, like the presentation of the homecoming court, only happen annually. This year, that annual tradition had its inaugural run at the athletic complex.

  • Celina High School cheerleaders mingle with bystanders before the varsity game against Sanger High School.
  • Celina High School homecoming ribbons float in the breeze at the new athletic complex.
  • Celina High School marching band members play at the football game against Sanger High School.
  • Celina High School varsity football team members break through a homecoming night sign ready to kick off the game against Sanger High School.
  • Team members shake hands before kicking off the varsity game.
  • Celina varsity football team members close their eyes during a pre-game prayer.
  • Horns wait their turn to shout at the athletic complex Friday. These horns rest on an orange vehicle and sound out whenever Celina High School scores a touchdown.
  • Celina students perform a set of pushups after Celina scores a touchdown. After carrying “CHS” flags across the field, these students peform the number of pushups equivalent to the number of points the Celina team has.
  • Two team members celebrate a win at the varsity football game against Sanger High School.
  • Cheerleaders wait on the sidelines with Celina-orange flowers to be presented to the homecoming court.
  • Homecoming court members and are shown in advance how to arrange their hands before walking onto the field.
  • Celina High School cheerleading equipment rests on the track at the new athletic complex.
  • Rolls of hay spiked with American flags announce the use of a new stadium the night of Celina High School’s homecoming game.
  • Celina High School varsity football players line home side of the new athletic complex.
  • A Celina High School homecoming queen candidate waits for her name to be called before standing on the field.
  • A Celina High School varsity football helmet rests on the field.

Audrey Henvey

Audrey Henvey is a former editorial intern at Local Profile and a current senior at the University of Texas at Arlington. She has worked at the UT Arlington newspaper, The Shorthorn as a College of Engineering...