DeKalb High School Senior, Jessica Rivas was crowned the 2022 Homecoming Queen on the evening of September 23rd before the DeKalb Bears faced off against Tenaha for homecoming. Rivas’ crown did not stay on long, as she quickly traded it for a helmet and warmed up with the rest of her team getting ready for the game. Rivas would go on to make an impressive tackle in the backfield that night, proving to herself, and others, that anything is possible.
“Growing up, I was surrounded by football almost every Sunday with my family”, said Rivas. “We would watch the games and my brother also played at DeKalb, so we would go watch him too. But the moment I was interested in playing was the spring before eighth grade. I asked the coach if I could play, and he was excited to have me.” Rivas shared that the move did not come without some hesitancy. She noted, “Honestly, I was in doubt of myself. I thought I wasn’t strong enough or fast enough to be able to play. But now that I know the game so well, I feel like I can compete as long as I give it my all.Never giving up has brought me to where I am now.” Rivas explained what the support of her peers has meant to her. “Honestly, it means everything to me to have the amount of respect from my peers and team. I never knew I had that much support from everyone.” As far as her pregame honors, Rivas said, “I still have no words. I’m honored to become this year’s homecoming Queen.” Rivas says that the coaches at DHS have made her experience rich.
“Great coaches make your experience as a student athlete better than ever,” said Rivas. “They are there to teach not just about football, but about how to have a better life for yourself and to get what you want most in this world. I am forever grateful to have a great coaching staff that helps me get better every day and is there when I need them. To the community, thank you for the support of the team and I.”
