Mary Jordan and Mason Ellingsworth were crowned homecoming queen and king, respectively, as part of homecoming festivities held at Octorara Junior-Senior High School.

In addition to Mary, the homecoming queen candidates were Paige Linnenbaugh, Brianne McGovern, Mackenzie Muldoon and Thalia Swager. Homecoming king candidates, in addition to Mason, were Yony Gonzalez, Jake Jensen, Mathew Sellers and Steele Wrigley.

The king and queen were crowned during halftime on Sept. 23 at the Octorara Braves football game versus Conrad Weiser High School.

Prior to the game, the 27th annual homecoming parade was held on the school grounds. The parade included a performance by the Octorara Junior-Senior High School marching band led by band director Scott Cullen, floats by Octorara school groups and sports teams, school buses and fire trucks from Keystone Valley Fire Department and the Christiana Fire Company. A video of the parade can be found by visiting http://www.youtube.com and searching for "Octorara Homecoming Parade 2022."

Other activities on Sept. 23 included a pep rally and the annual homecoming dance.

The school held its Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Sept. 23. The inductees were Joshua Althouse, a member of the Class of 2006, and Catherine Imms, a member of the Class of 2010, who was inducted posthumously.

Following the ceremony, principal Jonathan Propper reminded the students of the significance of homecoming.

"A lot of people view this week as just a fun week with a lot of activities like pep rallies, parades and athletic contests. However, sometimes the meaning of homecoming gets lost in the festivities," he stated. "Homecoming is a tradition of welcoming back former students. In our case, we are celebrating the existence of Octorara Junior-Senior High School and all who call this place home. (Returning alumni) are proud of their school and what it has become, proud of their education and most importantly, proud of you."