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Blue and white filled the streets surrounding Vista del Lago High School Wednesday evening as students, athletes and families brought Homecoming Week beyond the campus and into the community with the school’s annual Homecoming parade.
The procession made its way through nearby neighborhoods before returning to Vista del Lago, giving families and neighbors along the route a front-row seat to the school spirit that comes with one of the biggest weeks of the year for the Eagles.
Vista del Lago cheerleaders and members of the varsity football team were joined by athletes representing the school’s various sports programs, along with students from clubs and organizations across campus. Together, they turned the neighborhood streets into an extension of campus for the evening as classmates, parents and community members came out to watch the procession pass.
The parade was as much about community as it was Homecoming. With Vista del Lago surrounded by many of the neighborhoods it serves, Wednesday’s celebration offered a hometown feel as the Eagles took their school pride directly to the families and residents surrounding the campus.
Now that Eagle pride heads back to campus, where Homecoming Week culminates Friday night with Vista del Lago hosting Rio Americano in a Capital Valley Conference matchup under the lights.
The game comes at an important point in the season for an Eagles team that has shown flashes of what it can do offensively but enters Friday looking to turn those flashes into another mark in the win column.
Vista opened the season against a difficult Granite Bay team and fell 47-16 before making a considerable jump one week later against Antelope. Quarterback Jacoby More threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns in that game, while Cael Rens finished with 106 receiving yards and two scores as Vista came within six points in a 33-27 loss.
The breakthrough came the following week at home against Reed of Sparks, Nevada. Vista trailed twice during the first half before taking control after halftime, scoring three second-half touchdowns and repeatedly stopping Reed on fourth down on the way to a 42-23 victory.
That win sent the Eagles into their bye week with momentum before they opened Capital Valley Conference play last Friday at Bella Vista. The Broncos handed Vista a 34-21 loss, dropping the Eagles to 1-3 heading into Homecoming.
Friday provides an opportunity to change that trajectory in front of a home crowd.
Rio Americano arrives in Folsom with a 2-3 record and has experienced its share of ups and downs as well. The Raiders opened with a 17-14 victory over Stagg before falling 40-7 to Jesuit. They responded by shutting out Del Campo 28-0, but have since dropped consecutive games, falling 27-21 to Cordova and 27-24 to Christian Brothers.
That leaves two teams looking for a conference victory and some momentum as the schedule moves deeper into October.For Vista, Homecoming provides a fitting setting to try to get it. The Eagles have already demonstrated they can put points on the board, particularly through a passing attack that has produced some of Vista’s biggest moments this season. Friday gives them another opportunity to put those pieces together, this time with a Homecoming crowd behind them.
Kickoff between Vista del Lago and Rio Americano is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Friday at Vista del Lago High School.
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