SIDNEY — Lehman Catholic High School is rolling out the red carpet this year to welcome alumni and friends to campus for the annual fall Homecoming. The four-day celebration, dubbed “Under the Lights” because of new lighting installed at the football field on campus, will be held Oct. 8-11 and will feature special activities for alumni as well as the traditional student Homecoming events.
As Lehman begins its 45th year of existence, school officials are focused on preserving the links to the past that are strengthening the school for the future. The revamped alumni publication, appropriately named “The Lehman Link,” reaches out not only to Lehman graduates but also graduates of the schools that consolidated to become Lehman in 1970 – Holy Angels High School, Piqua Catholic High School, and even further back in its history, Piqua’s St. Mary High School and St. Boniface High School.
“This is an exciting time to join the #AlwaysACavalier family,” said Lehman Executive Director Melissa Bennett. “A new alumni tradition is being embraced as we bring Homecoming Home and Under the Lights on our own Lehman field Oct. 8-11.”
The weekend will begin on Thursday, Oct. 8, with a bonfire and pep rally. The evening will kick off with concessions at 6:30 p.m. and Tim Wirth from WPTW will be bring music and entertainment for the pre-bonfire activities. The rally is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. on the track behind the school. The Lehman band and cheerleaders will be on hand as Lehman salutes former coaches, including the legendary Chuck Asher, Dave McFeely and the son of Lehman’s first football coach Bob Heil. Asher will address the crowd. Pete Dunlap, vice principal, will serve as the evening’s emcee.
Friday’s festivities begin with pre-game tailgating at 4:30 p.m. Tents at the field will be designated for concessions, spirit wear, and alumni meet-and-greet. Led by the band and cheerleaders, the traditional 6:15 parade around the track will feature Lehman officials, class banners, the grand marshal, and the homecoming court. The king and queen candidates will ride in corvettes and fifth and sixth graders from Lehman partner schools will carry name banners to introduce each candidate.
Also riding in the parade will be Lehman’s first homecoming queen – Pamela Johnson ’71 – and first homecoming king – Matt Graver ’99. The parade grand marshal is current Lehman faculty member Melissa Grob Safreed ’84.
After the crowning of the king and queen, alumni band members will join the student band to welcome the Cavaliers as they take on Hardin Northern in the first nighttime football game ever played on the Lehman field. Alumni, the Rev. Ethan Moore, ’03, will lead the Lehman family in prayer prior to kick-off. The combined bands will also perform at halftime. Alumni cheerleaders will be featured between the first and second quarters. At halftime, the school will recognize the first football team and the four Final Four football teams. There will be a post-game party featuring the Cadillac Sam band.
Joe Laber of 105.5 TAM will be broadcasting the pre-game events and NKTelco is planning to videotape the game for broadcast at 11 p.m. Friday night and 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12.
On Saturday night, the traditional student Homecoming dance will be held from 8-11 p.m. in the Lehman gym. The king and queen and their court will preside over the dance organized by the senior class and their adviser Sister Ginny Scherer.
Two Saturday events are on the docket for alumni. The annual Golf Outing will take place at Shelby Oaks Golf Course in Sidney with a shotgun start beginning at noon. Entry fee is $45 per person which includes 18 holes with cart, lunch, and prizes for first, second and third place teams. A special “AlumNightOut” for all alumni, parents and friends of Lehman will be held that evening, also at Shelby Oaks. The $20 ticket includes hors d’oeuvre and a DJ. There will be a cash bar and reverse raffle. Both events have been planned by the Lehman Alumni Association and proceeds benefit scholarships for incoming Lehman freshmen. Several Lehman classes will be holding reunions in conjunction with the AlumNightOut.
On Sunday, the Lehman Music Boosters are sponsoring a Pancake Breakfast from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. At 11 a.m., Sunday Mass will be held in the Schlater Family Gym with the Rev. Earl Fernandez as the celebrant. Following Mass, school officials have invited alumni and friends from out of town to tour the school building. At noon, alumni tennis players will recognize former Lehman tennis coach Dave McBride in a ceremony at the tennis courts.
It sounds like “Under the Lights” is a weekend not to be missed. “The turning of the tassel on graduation day is significant to stepping into the next threshold of life,” said Bennett. “But we want all alumni to remember that they can come home and Be Always A Cavalier!”
