Patriot pride was at an all time high when Ward Melville High School celebrated homecoming 2016.

The weekend kicked off with a student pep rally on Friday afternoon and school spirit carried over to the community carnival held before the big football game on Saturday. Entertaining booths and displays created by representatives at each of the district’s schools and several high school organizations, blanketed the backfield at Ward Melville. Carnival attractions included spirited games, face-painting stations, bounce houses and an obstacle course.

Before the varsity football team took to the field, students from each of the district’s elementary schools proudly entered the stadium to display their submissions to this year’s banner contest. This year’s contest was themed “50 Years Strong” in recognition of the district celebrating its 50th anniversary. During half time, Minnesauke Elementary School was announced as the winner of the competition.

When the hometown Patriots took on the Patchogue-Medford Raiders, their weeks of preparation were evident. After a strong start, the Patriots earned a homecoming win and ended the game with a score of 35-22.