Each year, students have 30 minute classes before attending a school wide cookout for lunch, a senior girl powderpuff game, an assembly, and the Hoco football game that night.
Cathedral students will eat freshly grilled burgers and hotdogs then head out to the football field. Each year, there are two teams of senior girls that are coached by the Cathedral Football captains. These two groups pick a team name, practice on their own, and battle it out in front of the whole school for two ten-minute halves. This is always a heated game and always fun to watch.
After the game, students head into the WAC for the Hoco Assembly. The assembly usually consists of announcing the Homecoming Court, grade competitions, cheerleading performance, and the announcement of the Spirit Stick.
Mrs. Alison Carter, a History teacher here on the Hill said, “I love homecoming at Cathedral because it shows how much school spirit everyone has, it differentiates us from other schools, and it exemplifies our Holy Cross value of family in a new light.”
The Spirit Stick is a long lasting Cathedral Tradition. It is a mallet looking thing that has a Cathedral carved into it. The Spirit Stick is earned by whichever class has the most points throughout the week. The four categories for points are: Percentage of class that raised their Ignite the Irish money, Percentage of class that dresses the assigned themes each day, student attendance at the Homecoming dance, and whoever has the best hallway decorations from the beginning of the week.
Typically, the senior class wins the Spirit Stick because they usually have the most spirit. However, last year, the 2025 Junior class won the spirit stick for the first time in six years.
Hoco is also a special time for the 2025 class, as it is their last Hoco on the Hill. Senior cheerleader, Leilani Jones ‘25 said, “I love homecoming because I enjoy dressing all out and performing at the assembly. As a senior on the cheerleading team, Homecoming is the one of the first of many lasts for me.”