The 2021 Homecoming Parade Grand Marshals are the PHS “Chain Gang,” selected by the Alumni Association in recognition of their 35 years of volunteerism at Perryville High School. They are Bob Wichern, Ron Heuring, Steve Landholt, Brian Dreyer and David Meyer.
The Perryville High School Alumni Association will host the annual PHS Homecoming Parade at 10 am Saturday, October 16. Anniversary classes and other parade participants are asked to line up at Perryville City Park beginning at 9 am, and the parade will leave City Park at 10 am. Alumni classes should look for their class marker located on the right side of the road inside the park. No political, drug/alcohol, entries are allowed in the parade, and all imagery must be in good taste and in compliance with the PHS dress code guidelines.
The 2021 Homecoming Parade Grand Marshals are the PHS “Chain Gang,” selected by the Alumni Association in recognition of their 35 years of volunteerism at Perryville High School. They are Bob Wichern, Ron Heuring, Steve Landholt, Brian Dreyer and David Meyer.
“Chain crew are the people in charge of showing the downs and distance on the sideline of a football game – and they never miss a Friday night Pirate home game,” said PHS Athletic Director Justin Dreyer. “Knowing that I can rely on them, that they will be there and do a good job takes a lot off of my plate. Game officials also appreciate them and love having an experienced team on the sidelines at Pirate Stadium.”
Eric Buchheit, president of the association, said that the men exemplify Pirate Pride. “Many of us have grown up seeing these guys on the sideline at every home game,” he said. “They’ve given their Friday nights to Pirate football longer than our current football players have been alive. That’s a gift of love for their school, the game and our athletes. We’re excited to give them a moment in the spotlight.”
The PHS Student Council has set this year’s Homecoming theme at “Seasons of Victory,” with each high school class being assigned one of the four seasons. There will be no cash prizes for homecoming floats this year; there have been too few entries in recent years to continue the awards.
The Pirates, under the direction of Coach Brent Roth, will host the Dexter Bearcats for the Homecoming Football Game at 1 pm. The PHS Homecoming King and Queen will be crowned at halftime. The current forecast is perfect for a parade and football, with a high of 69 and mostly sunny.
The Alumni Association will host no indoor events again this year due to current pandemic conditions. “Our current high school students are our priority,” Buchheit said. “We want them to be able to experience Homecoming in the way we did when we attended PHS. With that in mind, we will again defer other alumni celebrations this year to limit interaction with the student population. We hope to resume our recognition ceremonies next year if the pandemic has ended.”
The Alumni Association is in need of funding to continue its programs including scholarships for graduating PHS seniors, grants for campus projects and to create an interactive alumni website. You can help your Alumni Association serve our 10,000 alumni and our future Pirate alumni by renewing your membership or purchasing a paver in Pirate Plaza at phsalumnimo.org. You can also download and print order forms to return with payment by mail to PHS Alumni Association at PO Box 455, Perryville, MO 63775.