Rows of cheerleaders made a pathway for the Class of ‘26 as Bearcat Football, Band, Cheer, and Advanced Dance seniors lined up, awaiting their final minutes under the spotlight of War Memorial.
The senior night ceremony began at 6:00 PM with the North end zone flooded with Bearcat families. One by one, 29 football seniors made their way down the pom pom pathway into a balloon arch.
PRHS Band and Color Guard entered with 14 seniors wearing superlative crowns placed on the shakos, holding their bright instruments.
14 senior cheerleaders entered, smiling with a hint of red lipstick— followed by the crimson jerseys of 13 Advanced Dance seniors.
After the ceremony, the Bearcats started off strong, striking an early touchdown from senior Yannis Gelos taking a 7-0 lead. Their defense held firm, holding the Mission Prep Royals scoreless for the first quarter.
In the second quarter, junior Blayne Lowry scored a touchdown, adding to the momentum of the game. The Royals then managed to get on the board with a field goal, narrowing the gap to 14-3. But with just 26 seconds left before halftime, senior Kassim WIlliams found the end zone, putting the Bearcats up 21-3.
The halftime show consisted of all three programs; cheer, advanced dance, and band. Cheer opened with their stunt routine, a remix of various songs. The senior cheerleaders then danced to Last Friday Night by Katy Perry.
Advanced Dance then performed Ya Ya by Beyonce choreographed by seniors Jaklyn Woodland, Jazmin Villareal, Ashlee Keller, Ayda Sloan, Aislynn Gilmore-Wiley, Anadelia Esteban Galvez, Madison Haugse, Allie Kemp, Gabby Oliveira, Blair Bishop, Nichole Diaz, Karisa De La Rosa, and Teagan Borla.
Band closed with their three movement field show: Not Your Average Field Show. The show opened with an original piece composed by band director Humberto Cera, portraying the intro of “Avatar The Last Airbender.”
The second movement featured Hallelujah from Shrek. Senior Jaime Cota began with a trombone solo, followed by sophomore Jessica Flores portraying Fiona and junior Jesus Ursulo as Lord Farquaad from Shrek.
The final movement, Happy, brought a shift to high-energy fun. Sophomore Malia Morelos entered the field shouting, “IT’S SO FLUFFY!” as Agnes from Despicable Me. Drum Major and senior Diana Ojeda, dressed as a banana, then ran across the field while being chased by a group of minions, creating a lively and humorous conclusion to the show.
After the three performances, Mission Prep scored a touchdown in the third quarter. With a small lead, the Royals and Bearcats went back to back. No progress was made during the final quarter concluding the win for Paso Robles 27-13, sending them into CIF Central Section, Division II.
After the game, families stormed the field, celebrating the last home game of the season.
