By Julissa Flores ’25
On Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, DHS had its annual senior night for our football players and cheerleaders. There were a total of 18 seniors who were honored by the community and their families that night.
Senior night is an event where athletes on all sports teams are honored and are shown recognition for their contribution to the team. Football players on the team said there was a mixture of emotions. Captain Savion Gaywood ‘25 states, “I felt supported, I felt all the support and all the love from the cheers of my teammates.” The seniors on the football team mentioned that being able to be the ones walking out this year also had an emotional feeling. Another captain on the team, Jaylen Titus ‘25 said, “ It was really sad. I was thinking we had so much time left and all that time went by really fast. I remember talking to some seniors last year, and they told me to play every moment like it’s my last because one day it will be.”
Although the seniors on the football team were recognized that night, our Derby Red Raider Cheerleaders were honored that night too. They showcased their skill, strength, and spirit with an amazing halftime performance. Captain Xa’riyah Mitchell ‘25 recaps how she felt during her senior night: “I felt special and loved, and a little emotional because it made me realize that I’m graduating this year and the last year with my cheer team and in the school.” Aliyah Chajchic ’25, another captain of the cheer team, tells the feelings she felt while performing on her senior night: “I felt very nervous but excited at the same time. It’s always so fun to perform with my team since we always work so hard and try our best even if something doesn’t work out. Overall I enjoyed performing on my senior night.” Krystal Torres ‘25, a senior on the cheer team, says, “I was really happy and it was really sweet when the underclassmen were saying they loved me as I was walking down the field and I loved my basket.”
Lots of emotions were felt that night as all the seniors were commemorated. Not only were the seniors on the football team and cheerleading squad honored, but also some of the Derby High School band members were honored on senior night. Those people were Tyler Izquierdo, Mason Izquierdo, Vanessa Ngyuen, Kevin McGuire, Kayla Adams, Gianna Atker, Saturn Cooper, Quintin Simjouw, Benjamin Weitzler, Nicholas Sheridan, Karlissa Philemy, Ashe Clark, and Twain McIntosh (all ’25).
Senior night is a great way to recognize athletes who have worked hard, dedicated, and strived for the past four years at Derby High School.
The Raider Press 