On October 17, Westwood High School welcomed Lugoff-Elgin for an exciting homecoming game, marking a memorable night of competition and school spirit.
The game was a major matchup, with Westwood’s varsity football team securing a victory on their Homecoming night.
Westwood struggled in the first half but came alive in the second half. In the fourth quarter, Jayden Boyd’s incredible 89-yard hook-and-ladder play sent the game into overtime.
According to The Lancaster News, “The Demons scored twice in the first half. With 3:38 left in the first quarter, quarterback Zach Williams rushed for a 2-yard TD to give the Demons a 7-0 lead after a Ken Sutipanya PAT. LE picked up its second score on a 25-yard Williams to Eric Richardson connection with 5:10 left in the second quarter. Sutipanya’s PAT put the Demons up 14-0.”
Head Varsity Football Coach, Stephan Burris, spoke highly of his team after winning 34-28 in double overtime.
“Tonight we grew up…I’m proud of these guys”, he stated in an interview published in The Lancaster News.
Westwood finally tied with Lugoff-Elgin in the fourth quarter; Lugoff-Elgin was up 28-21 with under a minute on the clock. The crowd was tense; Redhawk fans were booing the referee’s calls and shouting from the stands.
It was at this moment that the Redhawks took possession at the Lugoff-Elgin 48-yard line with only 48 seconds left in the game, taking them into overtime.
“We didn’t expect that to happen, we thought we lost…We had a miracle…during overtime, it was like, oh snap! We got a chance to win this thing, so let’s win it,” said Homecoming King and Defensive Lineman, Dominique Armstrong-Abbott.
During halftime, the anticipation in the stadium reached its peak as the homecoming court was introduced. The crowd buzzed with excitement, cheering for their classmates as they waited eagerly for the announcement of this year’s winners.
Westwood proudly celebrated its 2025–2026 Homecoming royalty, with Taukerra Roberts earning the title of Homecoming Queen and Dominique Armstrong-Abbott crowned as Homecoming King.
Dominique expressed his feelings when waiting for his name to be announced. “I felt great, I was nervous at first, but when they said my name…I don’t know, I didn’t believe it at first.”
Dominque also mentions what being homecoming king meant to him personally. “It means a lot, because the amount of work and money I put into it…and I got to meet so many new people, and that was fun.”
With the stands packed and the crowd cheering loudly, Westwood rose to the occasion, showing that school spirit is still alive despite rumors of its decline. The atmosphere at the homecoming game was electric and intense, energizing the Westwood team to deliver its best performance.
Recently, many schools have struggled with a decline in school spirit, as fewer students participate in rallies, pep events, and other activities that once brought energy and pride to the campus community.
According to Education Week, “What is thrilling on Monday becomes boring by Friday. That’s because our brains have a basic feature that governs every neuron in them, something called habituation. Habituation is our tendency to respond less and less to things that are the same.”
Homecoming King and student council member Dominique Armstrong-Abbott believes Westwood has so many great things to do that he’s uncertain why people wouldn’t participate.
However, on homecoming night, the stands were packed with enthusiastic fans, all dressed according to the evening’s theme and cheering loudly. This display proved that school spirit remains strong within our community.
With the Westwood stands packed with joy and school spirit, Westwood remains proud after another thrilling win for the varsity football team, securing our homecoming night victory.
