A new set of Pom Boys made their way onto Memorial Field on Friday, September 14 for the fan-favorite halftime show that has become one of many traditions at West Chicago Community High School. 

The Pom Boys is a group of junior and senior students who sign-up to perform at the halftime show of the annual Powderpuff game at the football stadium. Dance Team members “mesh up” their own music and then choreograph a dance that the boys learned through morning practices.

With practices starting at 6:30 a.m., the boys had to put some dedication into what many students believe to be an “iconic” performance, which included a trendy fake out moves, legs being kicked, boys in the air, and poses.

Putting the routine together was not easy, though. Dance captain and junior Alexa Correa, who co-choreographed the dance with fellow captain/senior Sofia Tamayo, mentioned that in previous years, there were usually boys who could do tricks, such as flips and other skills, but this year, none of the participants had tumbling experience. 

“I’ve been a dancer for a few years now. It’s difficult to make things at a slower pace because it’s for people that haven’t danced, like ever,” said Correa. 

Considering this year’s Candy Land Homecoming theme, it was anticipated the songs would be somehow candy-related. Powderpuff viewers saw the boys perform to songs like “Lollipop” by The Chordettes and “California Gurls” by Katy Perry (featuring Snoop Dogg). Although they may not have had tumbling experience, the crowd saw the boys flipping and turning, moves many reported caught the crowd off-guard.  

In the previous years, controversy struck the boys’ performance due to inappropriate behaviors from some of the Pom Boys, which led to the group being “banned” for quite some time. Dance Team coaches Laura Heavey and Katie McHale recently brought the team back, according to Correa, and its return sparked much interest, as over 20 boys signed up for Pom Boys this year alone. 

“We have the plan, it’s not too difficult. We try to make it so that they can learn it in a few days, so then just practice, practice, practice,” said Correa. 

It seems people truly enjoy watching the boys in costumes dancing in front of the Powderpuff girls and larger crowd at the football stadium. 

“I think people like how silly it looks, compared to the Dance Team. The Dance Team is professional, where we have all our plans and everything. Pom Boys is where they throw you in a dance, and you gotta know it,” said Correa. 

At the end of Spirit Week, the Pom Boys’ performance seemed to many students a good way to finish Homecoming. With the pressure of a close game on Friday night, the Pom Boys’ performance was a way to ease the tension between juniors and seniors.

“The routine went very smoothly. It was well-guided by Sofia. It was just really organized. I wasn’t really looking forward to it at first, and then when I got on the field, I enjoyed it,” senior Jake Holloway said.

“It was extremely enthusiastic and friendly of [the Pom Boys]. It was lowkey fun. I like how our community got together, like the Powderpuff girls, Pom Boys, and other students that attended the event. It was an adorable moment for WEGO,” said senior Daisy Garcia, who was on the field as a spectator during the performance.

After the Powderpuff game, English teacher Kyle Etheridge had a dance-off with senior Gannon Hosticka, one of this year’s Pom Boys.

“[It was] a pretty hard battle because Gannon had some good moves, but I honestly think Etheridge won this battle easily because I remember he danced in one of the previous pep assemblies as he was wearing a straw skirt dancing a hula dance, and I think that his past experiences in dancing definitely contributed to this one,” said senior Juanita Coronel, who was in the stands.

It would appear the Pom Boys made a sweet comeback to this year’s 2022 Candy Land Homecoming week.