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Indian Creek getting into the homecoming spirit

By From STAFF REPORTS 3 min read
Contributed COURT – Indian Creek High School is gearing up for Homecoming festivities and is inviting district schools and the community to take part. Spirit week events will run from Tuesday to Friday with themed dress-up days, followed by a pep rally, parade, and finally the Homecoming game and dance. The queen’s crowning will take place during halftime of the Redskins’ game against the Weir Red Riders on Friday night and members of the 2026 Fall Homecoming Court include, pictured from left, Alexis See, Meghan Paoloemilio, Kaydence Walker, McKenna Puskarich, Ilsa Zinsmeister, and Ruby Howell.

WINTERSVILLE -- Indian Creek Local Schools are getting into the spirit this week with festivities leading up to the 2026 Fall Homecoming celebration.

From a pep rally and spirit week to a parade, Homecoming game and dance, there will be plenty to do starting today and culminating over the weekend. Indian Creek High School teacher Michelle McCreery-Starkey is serving as Homecoming adviser, with school counselor Mike Cottis acting as pep club adviser. Both said a full week of events is planned that will involve all of the schools and the community.

McCreery-Starkey said all four school buildings are invited to participate in themed dress-up days for spirit week. They include "American Spirit" on Tuesday with patriotic hues of red, white and blue; "Wacky Wednesday" with mismatched clothes and crazy hair; "Black Out Day" with a chance to don dark duds; and "Creek Pride Day" with school colors or attire and Homecoming court shirts.

"Spirit week will be districtwide and we are encouraging the students and staff to participate," she said.

Queen candidates include Alexis See, daughter of Brianna and Kyle Sims of Bloomingdale and Edward and Christina See of Mingo Junction; Meghan Paoloemilio, daughter of Dan and Marybeth of Steubenville; McKenna Puskarich, daughter of Scott and Rebecca Puskarich of Toronto; Kaydence Walker, daughter of Bill and Lindsay Walker of Brilliant; Ruby Howell, daughter of Kent and Kim Howell of Bloomingdale; and Ilsa Zinsmeister, daughter of Bobby and Kara Zinsmeister of Steubenville.

Cottis said the pep rally will be held Friday at 8:45 a.m. in the school gym and will feature appearances by the Homecoming court, football team and cheerleaders, as well as games, introductions of the queen candidates' dates and the king's crowning.

The parade will begin at 5:30 p.m., with participants lining up at Blessed Sacrament Church before ending at the school campus. The ICHS Marching Band will lead the procession, with the Homecoming court, Wintersville, Bloomingdale and Hillndale volunteer fire departments, school sports teams, representatives from Cross Creek and Hills elementary schools and the Indian Creek Chiefs Youth Football League also scheduled to appear.

"The pep rally will be about 30 minutes and we're doing an abbreviated schedule for the rest of the day," said Cottis. "[The parade's] a little different because the band's leading the way this year. We will have the local fire departments, the Indian Creek Chiefs Youth Football League players with cheerleaders and the elementary schools will have something, and then, of course, the Homecoming court."

Activities continue at Kettlewell Memorial Stadium at 6 p.m. when the Redskins take on the Weir Red Riders. Cottis added that the queen candidates will be introduced at the beginning of the game, with the crowning at halftime.

The celebration winds down with the Homecoming dance Saturday from 6-9 p.m. at the Mingo Junction Knights of Columbus Hall. This year's theme is "The End of Summer Bash."

Starting at /week.