The overcast weather did not keep the Milton High School Panthers from celebrating their traditional homecoming parade on Friday, especially considering the importance of this year’s centennial celebration.
“My grandmother when she went to Milton (High School), they were at the old school (on Canal Street),” said John Rutherford, who graduated from MHS in 1993. “My uncle went here, my mom went here and my sister went here.”
John and his family were in no way deterred by the overcast weather. Many attendees enjoyed the cooler weather temperatures, like Lilly Weekley.
“I like it like this, I thought it would be a lot warmer out here,” she said. Weekley said she regularly attends the parade after having four children attend the school. Weekley attended the parade in support of her youngest daughter, Andrea who is part of the school’s ‘Mighty Black and Gold’ Band.
While many of the school’s clubs were represented during the parade many of the Panther varsity football players are focused on the Friday night’s match against Gulf Breeze High School. Although Brian Lopez was sidelined with an injury, the senior defensive lineman said the team’s success might also be a contributing factor to the increasing parade attendance.
“I have been coming to the (homecoming) parades since I was in the eighth grade and I see a lot more people coming out since our team has been playing great,” Lopez said.
While many attendees are regulars to the homecoming parade, which also encompassed students from King and Hobbs Middle Schools, it was a first time for Jennifer Morgan. Morgan was at the parade to see her 13-year-old daughter Hallie Llewellyn participate in the parade route as part of the King Middle School SGA.
Morgan said she is more than happy to attend the community event.
“This is our hometown,” Morgan said. “You want to be able to support the community and support the kids.”
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: MHS continues Centennial Celebration through Homecoming Parade