Homecoming festivities unite Point Loma students, alumni

Both students and alumni came together on Sept. 23 for a gala night celebrating Point Loma High School’s 96th Homecoming.

For the students, it was the football battle versus longtime rival La Jolla and the naming of a Homecoming Court, comprised of the top two vote recipients at each grade level. PLHS staff member Amy Denney organized the election and the annual performance of skits by each grade level before a panel of judges, while ASB member Duke Ekstrom narrated.

Court members included freshmen Lexi Plummer and Julius Moya; sophomores Nanako Schroth and Annabelle Huskey; juniors Ian Sturak and Cole Fisher; and seniors Isabella Bartoccia and Bitania Jibril.

Alumni director Kim Jessop Moore coordinated a large gathering of Pointer alumni who led off the halftime parade with the annual “Alumni Walk.”

A crowd of alumni from Point Loma High School gathers on the stadium track as they prepare to join the annual “Alumni Walk,” leading off the festivities at halftime of the football game. ALL PHOTOS BY SCOTT HOPKINS

‘Golden Pointer’ Ann Russell Simoneau is welcomed to Homecoming by the Pointer mascot, aka Ethan Denney. Simoneau, Class of 1955, was the earliest alum in attendance.

Film and television actress Margaret Avery, left, was the ‘Honored Pointer’ at recent Point Loma High School Homecoming festivities. Avery graduated from PLHS in 1961.

Members of the Junior Class at PLHS broke into a chorus line during Homecoming class competition.

The senior class used smoke bombs to sway the judges at the annual Homecoming parade as they made their entrance.

Zippy, the official Pointer dog mascot, lines up for the annual ‘Alumni Walk’ during Point Loma High School’s Homecoming celebration. Owner Lee Brown guides Zippy while alumni director Kim Jessop Moore, left, happily looks on.

Every year a “Golden Pointer” award is given to the member of the earliest class to attend Homecoming. This year’s honoree was Ann Russell Simoneau, a member of the Class of 1955.

Additionally, an “Honored Pointer” is named, with this year’s award presented to Margaret Avery, Class of 1961, who is a film and television actress in town for her class’ 60th reunion. Avery is best known for her performance as “Shug” in the film “The Color Purple,” which garnered her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Homecoming also marks the annual appearance of the official Pointer dog owned by the Brown family, the current mascot is “Zippy” whose grandfather “Sting” was the model for the bronze Pointer dog sculpture in the school’s quad. All five Brown family members (Lee, Kathy, Shelby, Tracey and Judy) are PLHS alumni.

Each day of Homecoming week on the PLHS campus had a theme including “Dress in the letter of your first name day,” “Tropical Tuesday,” “Western Wednesday,” “Adam Sandler Day” and “PINK OUT!”

A Homecoming dance was held the next evening at the San Diego Air and Space Museum.