A truck of young Lady Panthers toss plastic basketballs from a float. 

The Catholic High marching band led their school down Main Street Thursday night playing Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” in the school’s 2017 homecoming parade. 

Fans, friends, parents and relatives lined the downtown streets, dressed in t-shirts that were the bright red of the school’s official color. 

From trucks and floats, football players tossed plastic footballs and basketball players tossed plastic basketballs; cheerleaders tossed candy and beads and plastic cups. Students from every class were there.

Doc Voorhies, in a bright red t-shirt, took a seat at the entrance of the KANE 1240 AM studio just before the parade and reminisced about the homecoming parades of his own youth, when he himself was a Catholic High student. 

“It was all boys then,” he said. 

“Back then, they used to make real floats — big, elaborate things. I remember once, I forget the theme, one of the floats was an airplane. It was huge — maybe 18, 20 feet, with a big wingspan and everything — on top of a truck, and it fell off and crashed on Center Street, right by the old school,” he said, chuckling.

Voorhies was out with a camera trying to snap some photos of his alma mater’s homecoming before hustling back to the Essanee Theater, where “The Last of the Red Hot Lovers,” — which he’s directing — was having its opening night.

This year’s Catholic High School homecoming court included Madeline Lipari, Sarah Armentor, Meghan Robicheaux, Tiffany LeBlanc, Maggie Landry, Amelia Larroque, Jessica Allen, Remi LeBlanc, Marie Resweber, Taylor Fowler, Emily Rosamond and Mary Lissard.