Homecoming Week: Cook County High School crowns Homecoming royalty and honors 25th anniversary of football state champions

Kalli Hawkins | October 13, 2023

Homecoming week is an exciting and festive time of the year for many high schoolers and community members.

While the week entails dressing up in themed costumes and participating in festive events, the highlight of the week is the Pep Fest, Coronation, and football game. Cook County Schools hosted the annual Pep Fest and Homecoming Coronation in the Pam Taylor gymnasium at Cook County High School on Thursday, October 12. The crowned Homecoming King were Recko Helmerson-Skildum and Queen Kalina Dimitrova.

The Homecoming Dance will occur this evening, Friday, October 13 from 8-11 p.m. in the Elementary Gym.

Photo by Grete Youngdahl

In addition to the Pep Fest and Coronation events, Cook County Schools paid tribute to the players, coaches, and managers from the Minnesota 1A State Championship Football teams from 1997, 1998, and 1999. It is the 25th anniversary of the 1998 team. Nearly a dozen former players, coaches, and managers including Lyle Anderson, Barry Pederson, Joey and Cory Pederson, Richard Bohnen, and Woody Seim, attended the tribute event held before the Homecoming game vs. Kelliher-Northhom Mustangs.

Photo by Ty Mielke

Photo by Ty Mielke

Following the tribute, the Cook County Vikings went on to defeat the Kelliher-Northhom Mustangs during the Homecoming game.

“After a slow start in the first quarter, the Vikings offense came to life in the second quarter, scoring three touchdowns, jumping out to a 18-0 nothing lead,” WTIP’s Sterling Anderson said following WTIP’s broadcast of the game. “The Vikings added to their lead in the second half, defeating the Kelliher-Northome Mustangs by a final score of 38-0 in front of a packed crowd at Lyle Anderson Field.”

Anderson said senior captain Ray Dressely scored all six touchdowns for the Vikings. Four of the touchdowns occurred on rushes of 56, 14, 32, and 3 yards. Junior quarterback Hunter Rex connected with Dressely twice on touchdown passes of 18 and 20 yards.

“With their second win in a row the Vikings improve to a 3-4 record on the season,” Anderson said. “The team is on the road next week for a Wednesday game against the North Woods Grizzlies to wrap up the regular season.”

Listen to two exciting touchdown highlight clips from the Homecoming game below & an interview with the Homecoming King and Queen.