Allentown Central Catholic High School celebrated Homecoming Oct. 16 to 21.

The school week consisted of a variety of dress-up themes, including pajama day, jersey day, twin day, USA day and green and gold day.

The spirit week closed with an enthusiastic pep rally, where various activities and performances took place. The Dance Team and the Mance Team, a group of senior boys that perform a dance choreographed by senior members of the Dance Team, both showed off their talents.

The Mr. Central competition was also held. For this competition, senior boys demonstrated a talent, wore their best evening dress and answered questions pertaining to Central teachers. Dennis Csensits and Ryan Lacey tied for first place and Charlie Carbonetto came in third. The pep rally also featured the marching band, cheerleaders and the announcement of the Homecoming court.

The Homecoming football game held Oct. 20 was a huge success. The Vikings defeated Allen 34 to 6 and were cheered on during the game by alumni cheerleaders, football players and marching band members, along with the many other alumni in attendance.

The former cheerleaders led numerous cheers and proved they still were full of pride for their alma mater.

The alumni band members played in the stands with the marching band and former members of the drumline performed for the student section alongside the current percussionists in a tradition that always excites the students.

The former Viking football players joined the coaches on the field after halftime to welcome the players back to the field.

The Homecoming dance was held Oct. 21 in Rockne Hall. Students arrived dressed in their best semi-formal attire and enjoyed a great night of dancing in the company of their friends.

The 2017 ACCHS Homecoming Court was also honored at the dance. The members of the court were Olivia Luchetti, Harrison Ike, Madison Faust, Jay Vaughan, AJ Intini, Jack Grady, Angie Castano, Trevor Tormann, Emma Terefenko, Nick Cerimele, Snow Du, Charlie Carbonetto, Homecoming Queen Hannah Adams and Homecoming King Chen Sun.

Central Catholic students have been busy with many other exciting events. The ecology club recently spent a day planting trees donated by the City of Allentown in the Rose Garden neighborhood of Allentown. The tree planting greatly benefitted the elderly residents of the neighborhood, many of whom are not able to plant trees but now get to enjoy their beauty.

The Inspiring Hearts Program is a five-day internship with Sacred Heart Hospital allowing juniors and seniors to shadow medical professionals and learn more about the healthcare industry. The program will begin its fall/winter session in early November and the spring session will be held later in the academic year.

The Best Friends Forever club is in full swing. This club, which partners with Mercy Special Learning Center, pairs Central students with a “buddy” at Mercy Center. The students meet regularly and participate in various activities with each other, such as movie nights, cookie baking, craft projects and holiday parties.

During the past two weeks, the Central Catholic cross country team competed at the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference League Meet Championship and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association District XI Championship. At the EPC Championship, senior Emily Deschler became the girls cross country champion, a title she repeated at the District XI Championship. There, senior Alyssa Deschler came in second for the girls cross country race.

The Central girls team won the championship and the boys came in second. Both teams will run in the PIAA Championships in Hershey Nov. 4.

Viking Christmas, featuring spirit wear and other specialty CCHS gifts, will be held 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 12 in Rockne Hall. All are welcome to attend the sale and an open house, which will be presented during Viking Christmas.

Winter sports start Nov. 17, prior to which all athletes must have a PIAA physical (Sections 1-6) on file in the athletic training room. Athletes that played a sport in the fall must have a PIAA recertification, Section 7. An ImPACT test, a baseline concussion test done once every two years, is also required prior to the start of winter sports.