KING CITY — King City High School is set to celebrate its 2024 homecoming with a series of events that began with the announcement of homecoming royalty and the introduction of Mr. Mustang football candidates.
Students across all grade levels will take part in the festivities, with class representatives being named for each year.
The Freshman class will be represented by Lord Eli Esparza and Lady Lovely Martinez, while the Sophomore class Duke and Duchess are Joaquin Gutierrez and Alexa Santillan. For the Juniors, Rigoberto Aguilar-Oliveros and Zoe Reyes have been named Prince and Princess.
The seniors, who will compete for the prestigious titles of Homecoming King and Queen, include Christian Diaz, Isaac Gutierrez, Victor Medina, Sabas “Turbo” Ramirez and Daniel Tapia as King candidates. The Queen candidates are Melanie Cerna, Soledad Perez, Dalilah Reyes Trujillo, Natalie Rodriguez and Jocelyn Romero.
The highlight of the event will take place during halftime at the varsity football game against the Greenfield Bruins on Friday, Oct. 11, when the homecoming royalty will be crowned. The game promises to be a major attraction as five senior football players have been nominated as Mr. Mustang candidates.
These players, who are unable to compete for Homecoming King, will instead raise school spirit by participating in penny-collecting activities. The Mr. Mustang candidates are William Enriquez, Jagger Funk, Fabian Herrera, Sebastian Lizardi and Jesus Manriquez Jr.
Each candidate has big plans for the future. Enriquez (son of Adan Enriquez and Judith Ibarra), a left tackle, hopes to become a construction manager and start his own business after college. Funk (son of Jackie and Chris Funk), who plays on both sides of the line, is preparing for a career in firefighting, while cornerback Herrera (son of Rosa Herrera and Joel Cortez) plans to study kinesiology. Lizardi (son of Juana Martinez and Juan Pablo Lizardi), a center and linebacker, has his sights set on becoming a fire protection engineer, and quarterback Manriquez Jr. (son of Melissa and Jesus Manriquez) aims to study veterinary medicine.
In addition to the game, the homecoming parade will take place on Oct. 11, starting at 3:30 p.m. The parade will follow its traditional route from the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds parking lot, turning onto Second Street, and continuing down Broadway. Residents are encouraged to line the sidewalks and cheer on the students as they celebrate Homecoming Week.
This year’s homecoming also includes a relatively new tradition: the homecoming horseshoe, which circulates around town to promote the event and build community excitement.
KCHS leadership advisor Lauren Page expressed her enthusiasm for the week, encouraging everyone to come out and support the Mustangs as they take on the Bruins and celebrate their school spirit.
“Hope to see the town on the sidewalk cheering on KCHS,” Page said. “Happy Homecoming Week!”
