Courtney Wendleton and Garrett Mills Crowned Helix Homecoming Royalty

Twenty members of the Class of 1971 watched from the stands amid their 40th-anniversary reunion. Looking forward to his 30th-anniversary reunion next year, Helix alumnus Ed Aceves watched his first Helix Charter High School football game as La Mesa’s police chief.

Homecoming 2011 provided something for everyone Friday night—except for maybe the modest group from West Hills High School of Santee.

First was the game, which was decided by halftime, when the Scotties led the Wolfpack 48-0. Then came a juggling performance by Carey “Cool Juggler” Pickford Jr., a 20-year-old part-time student at Mount San Jacinto College.  A Temecula resident, Pickford said he wants to become a professional who takes his act worldwide.

On Friday night, he juggled clubs, swords and blazing torches. 

Soon after that, the Homecoming princes, dukes and senior courts were introduced—escorted down the track by parents or siblings. On a stage with the theme Cirque Du Homecoming, the Homecoming king and queen were revealed when they pulled stuffed elephants out of hats they held in their laps.

The happy winners of student votes were Garrett Mills, a volleyball star and academic standout who took time out from his usual Five Scotties yell squad role, and Courtney Wendleton, an All-Academic team member last season in track and field who had her own cheering section in the stands.

Finally, after the second team took the field and extended Helix’s lead to 62-3 in the second half—and the dance team and sudent flash mob completed their routines—football players acceded to crowd demands and did the traditional Pacific Islander Haka war dance, doffing their jerseys to show bare chests.

The evening ended with a 7-minute fireworks display, featuring 156 Roman candles in what Mike Mulligan of Fireworks America, based in Lakeside, called a “bombardment show.”

Here are Helix royalty for Homecoming 2011, thanks to ASB faculty adviser Kat Shaw:

• Freshman Princess (Class of 2015): Jennifer Ngo
• Sophomore Prince (Class of 2014): Day Day Harris
• Sophomore Princess (Class of 2014):  Charmange “Cha Cha” Jones
• Junior Prince (Class of 2013): Alex Salazar
• Junior Princess (Class of 2013): Lallie Valdez
• Duke: Tre Jones
• Duchess: Aneyce Manzano

SENIOR COURT

• Shardasia LeDay
• Camille Dehne
• Rachel Baker
• Rosa Bebi
• Gerren Hall
• Dillion Cao
• James Curtis
• Romello Carbuccia