CORNING – Nobody does homecoming like Corning High School does, according to Principal Jason Armstrong. Corning Cardinals will be honoring their Golden Grads of 1975 and the Silver Grads of 2000 with a week-long display of Cardinal Pride, including a rally, dress-up days, a parade and of course, the big game this year with a Disney movie theme.
This week is also the 78th annual Olive Festival in Corning, which adds to the homecoming feeling.
“This wasn’t intentional, but it did line up,” said Armstrong. “There are so many things going on in Corning this week, which is great.”
Friday’s Homecoming Parade will begin at 3 p.m. on Solano Street in Corning.
Corning High School students have been busy working on their class floats, “fluffing flowers,” and showing their school spirit with different dress-up days, including Adam Sandler Day on Monday, Wig-tastic Day on Tuesday, and On a Zoom Call Day, which allowed for business tops and pajama bottoms on Wednesday. Thursday was Trip to the Castle Day, and all about Disney. Friday was Cards on Me, a show of school colors.
Leading the parade as this year’s grand marshal is Matt Maiocco, a 1985 graduate of Corning Union High School.
From Richfield, he was an editor of the school newspaper and an all-league baseball player for the Cardinals on two teams that won Northern Section championships. He graduated from Humboldt State University with a degree in journalism and moved to the Bay Area to pursue a career as a sportswriter.
He has covered the San Francisco 49ers for 31 seasons, working for the past 15 years for NBC Sports Bay Area. Maiocco is in his first season as a TV studio analyst on 49ers Pregame Live and 49ers Postgame Live on NBC Sports Bay Area. He has covered more than 650 NFL games in person, covering 14 Super Bowls. He is one of just 50 individuals who have a vote for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The author of three books, including “Letters of ’87,” which is a tribute to the late Dwight Clark. Maiocco watched The Catch from his living room in Richfield. Many years later, Dwight Clark asked Maiocco to write a book that captured how fans viewed the iconic play that led to the 49ers’ first Super Bowl.
After the parade, the annual dinner will be held at the Corning High School Cafeteria beginning at 4 p.m. General Admission is $11, Senior (55 and older) is $9. Five and under is $6. Golden Grads are free. The menu includes traditional turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, rolls, and, of course, this being Corning, olives.
Students have been holding a canned food drive to collect items for the dinner.
The big game starts at 7 p.m. This year, there will only be a varsity game versus Oroville High School.
“Oroville was unable to field a JV team,” said Armstrong. “We have reached out to teams all over the North State, but none were available.
Float winners will be announced before the game begins, and then at halftime, the Golden Grads will be announced, and this year’s Homecoming Queen will be crowned.
Reigning as the 2025 Corning Homecoming Queen is Margarita Leal with escort Andrew Rodriguez. Junior Princess is Lex Magana with escort Brody Martinovich. The sophomore Princess is Melany Munoz with escort Yandel Preciado. Freshmen Princess Mia Hernandez and escort Kaden Cordova.
Being honored at Golden Grads is the class of 1975: Howard Andrew, Dave Armstrong, Tom Babb, and Marc Battaglia. Tom Berry, Pam Boardman, Meg Bourget, Debby Brady, Richard Brogden, Terri Bridges, David Brown, Barbara Burnell, Larry Burt, Anthony Campagna, Eve Carlson, Linda Choy, Eddie Connolly, Larry Cox, Steve Crane, Anita Creel, Scott Darrow, Gary Diaz, Dawn Dobson, Vanessa Duncan, Al Duran, Monty Eden, Sally Eller, Janice Erwick, Ruben Espinosa, Mike Estes, Mike Farmer, Gary Fiscus, Janet Fitzgerald, Joe Fredrickson, Patti Gardner, Joe Garcia, Susan Geer, Denice Goniea, Jack Gonsalves, Ken Goring, Steve Goss, Jani Greer, Jeff Griggs, Teresa Guilinger, Patti Hall, Denise Hanks, Angel Hausotter, Tim Hisken, Warren Hockenson, Cleora Hoyle, Dirk Hudson, Carl Hultgren, Harvey Humphrey, Steve Jackson, Cindy Jones, Mike Jones, Joann Kafader, Dean King, Darlene Kelley, Karen Kofford, Karen Kurtz, Jean Lamson, Sharel Linder, David Linnet, Stan Linnet, Jan Lockwood, Mary Lopez, Gerald Lucero, Cheryl May, Jody McBrayer, Brad McKelvy, Joyce Mills, Cheryl Miskei, Margo Moller, Dana Montgomery, Lee Morgan, Bob Morris, Karen Morris, Sandy Moses, Ruth Nay, Dana Peachman, Cameron Phillips, Kathy Powell, Sara Price, James Ramelli, Cyndy Ramirez, Denise Ramirez, Raul Ramirez, Karen Rath, Cindy Rathbone, Tim Reilly, John Robertson, Rose Robertson, Vicki Ross, Dan Safford, Jeff Scheiner, Lynn Simon, Jesse Sisneros, Donna Sorrels, Gary Spannaus, Janet Stark, Rosie Stevens, Richard Tanson, Darell Thompson, Kim Tiner, Leslie Tomlinson, Dave Vance, David Wall, Bill Waters, Pam Waxler, Marianna White,, Nathan White, Sabine Will, Bob Williams, Greg Winslow, Nick Womack, Barbara Woodward, Linda Wooten, Liz Young, Sandra Young, Steven Zimmerman, and Tony Zoppi.