Family has Bulldog Fever

Published 12:21 am Monday, September 12, 2011

Eric Shelton | The Natchez Democrat Rashanika Tenner, from left, Perlexis Foster, Tynerria Foster and Shaquila Jones prepare for Natchez High School’s 2011 homecoming parade friday afternoon.

NATCHEZ — Supporting Natchez High School’s homecoming is definitely a family affair for sisters, and Natchez students, Rashanika Tenner, 14, and Shaquila Jones, 16. The two sisters were coming home from school to gather up their other sisters, Tynerria Foster, 7, Perlexius Foster, 10, and Elisha Tenner, 18, to head to the second-annual Natchez High School homecoming parade in downtown Natchez when The Dart landed on Oriole Terrace, where the family lives, Friday afternoon.

Freshman Rashanika Tenner, who was sporting a blue and gold Bulldog paw painted on her right cheek and “2K15” painted on her left cheek, said she and Shaquila Jones had just left the homecoming pep rally and were headed home to get their sisters together to go to the parade. The family’s homecoming schedule then had them heading to Tom F. Williams Memorial Stadium to watch the Bulldog’s host Warren Central at 7:30 p.m. Finally Rashanika and Shaquila would head to the postgame homecoming foam party.

Shaquila said Natchez High was abuzz with homecoming spirit Friday, especially the senior class.

ERIC SHELTON | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Rashanika Tenner shows her school spirit by painting her face for the Natchez High homecoming parade Friday afternoon.

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“The seniors are so happy,” she said. “Everything they do, they are running around the school hollering out, ‘’012’ and writing it on people’s cars.”

Shaquila, a junior, said she is already excited about experiencing senior homecoming herself next fall.

Rashanika said her favorite part about the parade would be the candy that people would throw out of the floats.

“I hope (the parade) is fun,” she said. “And the foam party tonight after the game will be fun.”

Both sisters said they were also looking forward to the Bulldogs football game Friday night, and Shaquila said her favorite part of going to Natchez football games is when they win.

Elisha Tenner, a 2010 Natchez High graduate, experienced her final homecoming as a Natchez student last fall, but she said she was looking forward to participating in the homecoming festivities with her younger sisters Friday.

“(Last year homecoming) was fun,” she said. “Everybody joked around a lot. It was our first homecoming getting a parade.”

Elisha said she plans on attending Southwest Mississippi Community College to study nursing next spring.

Seven-year-old Tynerria Foster, a second-grader at Frazier Primary, said she was looking forward to having fun at the parade with her sisters.

Fifth-grader Perlexius Foster was also heading to the parade and like Rashanika, she was looking forward to getting candy. Perlexius said she has been to several Natchez High football games, and her favorite part is keeping up with the score. Perlexius said the homecoming festivities trickled down to her school, Morgantown Elementary, where students were wearing jerseys and sporting Natchez blue and gold Friday.

Perlexius also said she looks forward to getting to Natchez High and enjoying homecoming as a high school student.

The five sisters joined other members of Bulldog Nation downtown to enjoy the parade Friday afternoon.