by Dan Bissonnette
Friday, October 7 marked the return of an annual tradition for the staff and students at Essex District High School, the annual Homecoming game. Like so many other local sporting events, this year marked the first time that this game – and the other activities surrounding it – had taken place since 2019, due to the pandemic.
The day began with a pep rally, followed by special activities organized by the Student Council throughout the day. There was also a steak barbeque before the game, with proceeds to be used to support school activities. The main event, a football game between the Essex Red Raiders and the Riverside Stingers, got underway at 7:00 pm, followed by a free indoor concert.
Prior to the game, Joe Amicarelli, the school’s Athletic Director, said the Essex team has gotten off to a strong start for the 2022 football season. He reported the team had an impressive win in its first game of the season, when they played against the Brennan Cardinals with a score of 35-0. Overall, he described the Red Raiders as “looking solid.”
Essex Senior Football Coach, Badi Qawwas, agreed with Amicarelli, that their team is looking solid. Speaking just before the team took to the field for warm-ups, he commented on what the Homecoming game means to his players.
“The Homecoming game has a different kind of energy compared to other games, because it connects the players to the community. This game is really for the kids. It’s our first season since 2019 and we’re here having fun.”
For Amicarelli, who assisted with barbeque duties before the game, there is a special connection with the Homecoming tradition at Essex. He organized the first Homecoming game. At that time, he observed the long-standing Homecoming events at Ontario universities, as well as at high schools across the United States and wondered if something similar could serve as a rallying point at Essex.
Since then, he has worked to build on the event as an annual school tradition. However, this year’s Homecoming had an added personal significance for Amicarelli, since this will be his last at Essex before retiring at the end of this school year.
Despite feelings of enthusiasm regarding this year’s Homecoming, Amicarelli expressed concerns about the future of this event at Essex. It had not taken place for the past two-years, which is a relatively long stretch of time considering the four-years that students typically attend high school. Also, many of the school’s teachers and administrators who arrived after 2019 have no prior experience with this unique Essex tradition.
“The pep rally this morning was the first one that our grade nines have ever experienced. Is the Homecoming something that they will want to continue? Is it something that the next administration will see the value in?” he asked.
The enthusiastic crowd cheered on the Red Raiders, who responded by scoring their first touchdown within the first seven-minutes. By the end of the game, they were victorious over Riverside with a score of 38-0.
The 2022 Homecoming game was not just a win for the Essex Red Raiders, but also for the entire community. Many hope the school’s staff and students will share Amicarelli’s vision and carry this proud school tradition forward.