School spirit filled the halls of Independence High School and Independence Middle School during Homecoming Week, September 28 to October 2, as students celebrated with themed dress-up days, activities and plenty of Blue Devil pride.
At Independence High School, students kicked off the week by dressing like Adam Sandler on Monday, followed by Anything but a Backpack Day on Tuesday. Wednesday brought Barbecue Dad vs. Soccer Mom, while students dressed for the wrong occasion on Thursday. The week wrapped up Friday with Class Colors Day. Seniors wore pink, juniors dressed in blue, sophomores wore purple and freshmen sported green.
Students gathered in the IHS main gym Friday afternoon for the annual Homecoming rally. Fall sports teams, cheerleaders and the Independence Marching Band were recognized before Student Council and the senior class led games and activities for the entire student body. IMS fifth and seventh graders also were in attendance. The traditional Powderpuff game was postponed due to weather and will be rescheduled for a later date.
Independence Middle School joined in the Homecoming festivities throughout the week. Students wore their favorite flannels for Cozy Vibes Monday and pink for Breast Cancer Awareness on Tuesday. Wednesday featured Fall Color Wars, with fifth graders in orange, sixth graders in red, seventh graders in brown and eighth graders in yellow. On Thursday, IMS students also dressed for the “wrong occasion,” arriving ready for everything from weddings and vacations to sporting events. Friday concluded the week with students wearing jerseys and gear representing their favorite teams. Daily raffle winners added another element of fun throughout the week.
The celebration culminated Friday evening as the Independence varsity football team hosted Beachwood. The Blue Devils defeated Beachwood with a final score of 20-14.
At halftime, the 2026 Independence High School Homecoming Court was recognized. This year’s court included Adrianna Mastroianni, Genna Gallucci, Katie Ksiazka, Julia Jurkiewicz and Jamie Donovan, along with Nolan Ghann, Giovanni Hasrouni, Ryan Suhy, David Crooks and Robby Kalman.
Nolan Ghann was crowned the 2026 Homecoming King, and Katie Ksiazka was crowned the 2026 Homecoming Queen while the Independence Marching Band played “Happy Together” by the Turtles.
The Independence Marching Band also took the field after the game for a post show performance of “Shippin’ Up to Boston,” “Vehicle,” and “Superstition.” The performance added to an evening that brought students, families, staff, alumni and community members together to celebrate Homecoming and Blue Devil pride.
Homecoming also served as Alumni Night for the Independence Marching Band, welcoming former band members back to IHS. Alumni gathered before the game and joined current band members as part of the evening’s festivities.
The Homecoming dance was held on Saturday, October 3 at Independence High School. The theme was “A Night in Vegas,” and students spent the evening dancing to the music provided by DJ Dave Synek.
