“Prepare for Glory” was the theme of the 2008 Hilldale High School football homecoming, and it took students nearly a month to do just that, according to Hilldale Student Council President Erielle Buckmaster.

“It took us three and a half weeks to work on this, and we stayed up here to 7 or 7:30 each night this week to set it up,” she said after the homecoming coronation ceremony Friday at the Hilldale Event Center.

VIDEO (Story continues below): Click below to watch the Hilldale High School homecoming coronation. Kyli Hickman homecoming queen.
Click here to see the accompanying photo gallery.

The Event Center’s stage did look glorious as senior Nate Lawson crowned senior Kyli Hickman 2008 homecoming queen, twirled her around and kissed her hand. Hickman wore a white gown with a beaded, patterned bodice. She was surrounded by attendants in golden gowns.

“It was really special,” Kyli said. “It was unexpected, but I was really excited. This is my last year at Hilldale, and it’s going to be wonderful.”

The queen’s mother, Shelly Hickman, said Kyli, a varsity cheerleader, was at the hairdresser’s at 9:15 a.m. Friday.

“We had company coming in to spend the night with us,” she said. “We got to school at 11:15 a.m.”

Kyli said she was fortunate that her homecoming gown was the first one she tried on.

One thing different about this year’s coronation was an additional flower girl. Bailey Harmon and Alyssa Stores, both dressed in white, were this year’s flower girls. Kyli said Bailey is one of her cousins and Alyssa is the stepsister of Lawson, the homecoming queen escort.

Several students agreed the coronation looked especially wonderful this year.

“I had to cry three times for the queen and her court,” said junior class vice president Tiffany Rice. “They are really beautiful, so stunning.”