CWU’s Homecoming and Family weekend brought together a vibrant crowd of family, alumni and friends. Visitors gathered to enjoy a day filled with sports including women’s soccer, volleyball and men’s football on Saturday, Oct. 21.
As we unpack this weekend’s games, some players gave their perspective on what homecoming weekend meant to them.
The first game of the day, CWU women’s soccer team battled it out against the Western Washington Vikings. Although the Wildcats fell short to WWU 4-0, they didn’t leave with disappointment as they had support behind them.
Emily Darcy, senior midfielder, gave insight into who she was going to have at the game for support and what it meant to have her family there for this special weekend.
“I have my parents, and my uncle plus his family coming into town,” Darcy said. “It means a lot to have their support … It’s a fun time to all be together [and] a fun day of activities, so it turns into a special weekend.”
Darcy conveyed her sense of pride in being a Wildcat on such a prominent weekend for the university. She went on to express her gratitude for the tight-knit community that being a student athlete brings and the unwavering support that accompanies it, “It’s special being an athlete here at Central,” Darcy said.
Ellie Marble, freshman outside hitter, mentioned what this weekend meant to her as part of CWU’s volleyball team.
“It was really fun, it was great to see a community come around our game and it was great to see how close the school is,” Marble said.
For the second game of the day the women’s volleyball team took on Montana State Billings. They took the victory 3-0 as they played in the new Nicholson Pavilion, where more families came to support.
Marble had anticipated that her first homecoming weekend would involve her parents, but a pleasant surprise awaited her as her uncle and grandparents arrived in town. Marble shared her sentiments about the significance of her extended family attending her game.
“It meant a lot, especially my grandpa because he has never really been able to come to any of my games, so him coming was a big deal and meant so much.” Marble said.
Homecoming weekend wasn’t just for families to attend; it also provided an opportunity for alumni to revisit the community. Marble noted the presence of multiple generations of her family who also attended CWU.
“My sister played volleyball here, [and] my brother and my grandma also attended school here,” Marble said.
The third and final game held on Saturday featured the CWU football team as they faced off against West Texas A&M University at Tomlinson Stadium. This event encompassed homecoming celebrations, military appreciation and senior day festivities.
As a redshirt sophomore on the defensive line, Kaanan Huffman expressed the significance of being part of the CWU athletic community, stating “It means everything, I’ve been training ever since I was in elementary school with dreams of playing college ball. So, being in this position at this good of a school is a blessing,” Huffman said.
Huffman also commented on the vision for the football team going into the final game of the day.
“We knew that going into homecoming was more for the school and making sure we ended off the homecoming weekend with a bang,” Huffman said.
The stands buzzed with community, family and friends radiating their support and excitement. Huffman’s family was among those cheering from the bleachers.
“I had my parents come to the game, and seeing them makes everything we do worth it and being able to win makes them proud in such a big moment,” Huffman said.
CWU took the win 30-14 against the Buffalos to end the weekend.
Head Football Coach Chris Fisk said “I’m proud of the fans and alumni for creating such an electric atmosphere here at Tomlinson Stadium. The energy in the stadium was great, I’m very excited to get a homecoming victory,” according to https://wildcatsports.com.
