What is homecoming? At Columbia Falls High School on Tuesday, it was an exaggeratedly oversized foam cowboy hat on the head of freshman Bethany Fitzgerald.

It was black chaps, a pink cowgirl hat and a belt buckle the size of an old Hank Williams LP on senior Jessica Anderson's belt.

All week long, it was "spirit spaces" in the lobby and lavishly decorated hallways that were chock full of school spirit and class pride.

In the run-up to last night's homecoming football game with the Libby Loggers, a school full of Wildcats simultaneously grew united in their athletic victory drive and divided in their competition for top honors in showing their spirit.

Royalty ruled over it all when the homecoming queen and king from the senior class and a prince and princess from each of the others were crowned at halftime.

Flathead and Bigfork went through similar paces last week. Whitefish celebrated homecoming this week, along with Columbia Falls.

So what is homecoming?

"It's just to get pumped up, fired up for all the games coming this week," Columbia Falls cheerleader co-captain and senior Arin O'Boyle reflected on Tuesday.

"Homecoming is the first big social gathering of the school year, other than orientation and open house," Columbia Falls Athletic Director John Thompson said.

"Those are more geared toward the parents. But this is more geared toward the kids."

A word-origin explanation on the Internet describes the school tradition of homecoming as "special events intended to attract alumni back to the school or home. This sense of homecoming dates to at least 1921 …"

Indeed, several alumni do show up to cheer on their alma mater.

Still, it's clear that O'Boyle and Thompson have a keener finger on the pulse of their Wildcats and Wildkats.

"Class of '08 Rox My Sox Off," the sophomore spirit space trumpeted from the school lobby.

The display pushed for the football team to "Shred the Loggers," an intention made clear by the ax in a log surrounded with a scattering of wood chips. After all, it's all about "Sophomores, Baby."

Across the lobby, Juniors bragged "Now That's Teamwork" as a pair of stuffed-jersey Wildcats did in a Logger.

Blue cat-paw prints tracked across a prone Logger as freshmen urged "Walk All Over 'Em."

On the other side of the commons area, in the prime location, the fourth display reminded everyone that "Seniors Rule This School." A makeshift garbage truck proved "Cats Take Out The Trash."

The spirit spaces were part of a contest among the classes that each year challenges students to be true to decorating their schools.

To come up with the winning decorations, contingents from each class came in on their own time the weekend before homecoming. By Monday morning, darkened hallways sparkled with Christmas lights and blue-and-white decorations.

The junior class, which has won the spirit-space competition since they were freshmen, went all out. One of their display cases said it all: "Proud 2BA Junior."

"We want to beat those seniors," grinned Chelsey Wilson, who headed up her class decoration efforts. "We are a very motivated and dedicated class."

Wilson, junior class Student Council representative and Key Club member, is the school mascot for second-season sports - "I like to get into the school spirit."

She also confessed that each teacher, the honorable judges in the school spirit competition, each received a "Junior" Mint to encourage their votes for the winning class.

It wasn't just the hallways that got decorated.

Each day, students festooned themselves by a different theme - Twin Day, '50s Day, Pirate Day, Blue and White Day.

Tuesday was Cowboy Day.

In a school with its fair share of genuine ropers, riders and packers, there was a pretty good showing of cowboy hats, boots, jeans and even a sheriff's star or two.

The pink-hatted Anderson just pointed to her belt buckle.

The horsewoman was celebrating her 18th birthday on Tuesday and her 2001 honors at the World Show in Tulsa, Okla. There, she laid claim to the Reserve Youth Amateur World Championship for her acumen in Western, English, halter and showmanship competitions.

The senior also is bidding farewell to high-school traditions, one by one, this year.

"I'm so excited about this week," Anderson said. "This is my last spirit week. I've got to make the most of it."

Homecoming royalty got decorated in a uniquely glittery way.

Initial voting in government class periods a week ago provided a beginning slate of candidates. Another vote Wednesday narrowed it down.

Friday's pep rally introduced those final candidates for each class. Last spring's straight-A students also were recognized, along with this year's All-State band and choir picks and fall sports participants.

Holding the pep rally on game day, O'Boyle said, "is more pumping up the football players this year."

At halftime, royalty was crowned. By game's end, the Wildcats knew whether they had one more reason to celebrate.

Immediately after the game, Mobile DJ started cranking up the tunes for the traditional homecoming dance - planned and executed by the cheerleaders who put the emphasis on "semi-formal" to help jazz up the evening.

"The dance is always real fun," whether attending two-by-two or going in a crowd, O'Boyle said. "It depends on whether I have a date, but we'll probably all go in a huge group. That's the way it's the funnest."

It's been a busy athletic week. It's been a fun social week.

As the dust settles this morning from last night's gridiron contest, volleyball and soccer teams are kicking it into gear with Whitefish and Bigfork. Golf got into the mix early on.

Last Tuesday, O'Boyle was asked for a prediction on who would win the big game.

"Hopefully us," she grinned. "They really have potential. It's one of those psychological things we get going."

And, especially during homecoming, Wildcats are good at getting psyched.

Reporter Nancy Kimball can be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at nkimball@dailyinterlake.com.