Colby High School • Homecoming 2026
A Homecoming to remember
September 11, 2026
From the parade through downtown and the roar of the pep rally to a 31-0 Eagles victory and the crowning of the Homecoming king and queen, Colby High School's “Arabian Nights” celebration brought students, families and the community together. This page is the all-in-one home for The Sunflower Standard's complete coverage.
Homecoming Chronicle
Stories, scenes and galleries from Colby High School's “Arabian Nights” celebration
The game
Eagles own the night in 31-0 victory
Neale Morrison Scored 4 touchdowns, Nathan Cates tallied three and Colby's defense forced three turnovers as the Eagles blanked Southwest Heights.
View 263 game photos →
Homecoming royalty
Youngman and Bartlett crowned
Kieren Youngman and Joslyn Bartlett were named Colby High School's 2026 Homecoming king and queen.
View 47 coronation photos →Final from Dennen Field
Homecoming shutout
Watch Archived Stream
Downtown Colby
Parade brings Eagle spirit to the streets
Floats, class displays and familiar faces filled the route as students and neighbors opened the celebration together.
152 photographs
Browse the parade gallery →
School spirit
Pep rally turns up the volume
The Colby High School Spirit Squad put on a show to get athletes, coaches, fans, and the student body pumped up for the nights festivities.
197 photographs
See the pep rally gallery →Game report
Morrison and Cates dominant Mustang defense
Morrison threw for 184 yards and three touchdowns, added a 71-yard scoring run and helped the Eagles finish the night with 309 yards of offense. Cates accounted for 3 touchdowns, 217 all-purpose yards, and an interception in the victory.
The coronation
A royal finish to Homecoming night
Following the game, Kieren Youngman and Joslyn Bartlett were crowned Homecoming king and queen, closing the “Arabian Nights” celebration.
47 photographs
View the coronation gallery →
The dance
One last dance under Arabian skies
Students capped the celebration on the dance floor, bringing Colby High School's “Arabian Nights” Homecoming to a festive close.
159 photographs
View the Homecoming dance gallery →Football game report
Eagles blank Southwest Heights in Homecoming victory
Under the lights on an unusually hot and humid September evening, Colby High School gave its homecoming crowd plenty to celebrate.
The Eagles produced touchdowns through the air, on the ground and on special teams while their defense forced three turnovers in a 31-0 victory over Southwest Heights on Friday, Sept. 11.
Senior Nathan Cates delivered the night's biggest performance, scoring three touchdowns 2 recieving and 1 punt return, while also collecting an interception on defense. Junior quarterback Neale Morrison also provided an impactful night, completing 7 of 11 passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns while adding 91 yards and another score on the ground.
After a scoreless opening quarter, Colby broke through with 9:26 remaining in the second. Morrison fired a pass to Cates, who tipped and briefly juggled the ball before securing it near the line of scrimmage. Cates then accelerated away from the Southwest Heights defense for a 74-yard touchdown. The extra point gave Colby a 7-0 lead.
Cates soon made an impact on defense, intercepting a Southwest Heights pass to end the visitors' next possession.
The Eagles capitalized with another quick strike. Facing third-and-13, Morrison connected with Cates for a 63-yard touchdown. Cates again separated from the defense in the open field, giving Colby a 13-0 advantage with 6:11 left in the half.
Those touchdowns rewarded a defense that repeatedly turned away Southwest Heights. Julian Salcido intercepted a pass near the goal line during the first quarter, and Ethan Reinert ended another threat with a fourth-down stop in Colby territory. Dalton Jacob recovered a fumble in the third quarter to account for the Eagles' third takeaway.
Colby carried its 13-point lead into halftime and added to it late in the third quarter.
After consecutive false-start penalties left the Eagles facing first-and-20 from their own 29-yard line, Southwest Heights sent heavy pressure at Morrison. The quarterback escaped the collapsing pocket and raced 71 yards for a touchdown, extending Colby's lead to 19-0 with 1:52 remaining in the quarter.
Cates completed his three-touchdown night early in the fourth.
Conner Surmeier partially blocked a Southwest Heights punt, and Cates collected the loose ball before sprinting 53 yards to the end zone. His punt-return touchdown pushed the Eagles' advantage to 25-0 with 11:06 remaining.
Colby completed the scoring with 2:10 left. Morrison converted a fourth-and-6 with a 16-yard pass to Salcido, then found senior Jadyn Sporing for a 9-yard touchdown and the final points of the 31-0 victory.
The Eagles finished with 309 yards of offense, including 184 passing and 125 rushing. Cates accounted for 217 all-purpose yards. Sporing caught one touchdown and averaged 39.3 yards on three punts, placing one inside the 20-yard line.
Defensively, Colby recorded 53 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. Kolton Miller led the Eagles with nine tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. McCager Wright added eight tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack, while Kage Daniels finished with six tackles and one tackle for loss. Jack Nordquist and Sean Wederski made five tackles apiece.
The victory improved Colby to 1-1 and supplied a fitting conclusion to the school's “Arabian Nights” homecoming celebration. Following the game, Kieren Youngman and Joslyn Bartlett were crowned homecoming king and queen.
The senior court included Cates, Wederski, Boston Woofter, Cora DeGood, Morgan Hills and Dayton Johnson. Junior attendants were Jack Denny and Ali Cox; sophomore attendants were Joston Sabatka and Campbell Brzon; and freshman attendants were Carson Newell and Brynnley McLemore.
Scoring summary
First quarter
No scoring.
Second quarter
Colby — 9:26: Neale Morrison 74-yard touchdown pass to Nathan Cates. Extra point good. Colby 7, Southwest Heights 0
Colby — 6:11: Morrison 63-yard touchdown pass to Cates. Extra point blocked. Colby 13, Southwest Heights 0
Third quarter
Colby — 1:52: Morrison 71-yard touchdown run. Two-point conversion unsuccessful. Colby 19, Southwest Heights 0
Fourth quarter
Colby — 11:06: Cates 53-yard punt return for a touchdown. Extra point unsuccessful. Colby 25, Southwest Heights 0
Colby — 2:10: Morrison 9-yard touchdown pass to Jadyn Sporing. Two-point conversion unsuccessful. Colby 31, Southwest Heights 0
Final: Colby 31, Southwest Heights 0