By TOM WILLIAMS
That Ocean City block between Atlantic Avenue and the Boardwalk and Fifth Street and Sixth Street will be jumping this weekend.
It all starts today with a pre-game picnic rally two hours before the kickoff between Ocean City and Mainland at Carey Stadium.
The rally will begin at 4 p.m. and will feature food and drink, music, face painting and lots more. The charge is only $5.00 per person.
The game kicks off at 6 p.m. and is Ocean City’s Homecoming Game, so there will be the usual ceremony at halftime to introduce the Homecoming Queen candidates and announce the winner.
Following the game, fans are invited to gather at the Deauville Inn in Strathmere for Wing Night.
There are three more games Saturday on the Carey Stadium turf. At 11 a.m., the OCHS field hockey team will play Bishop Eustace, the No. 12 ranked team in the state. That will be followed by two games in the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Invitational – the Ocean City girls soccer team against Burlington Township at 1 and the boys soccer team against Glassboro at 3
On Saturday night there will be the Homecoming Dance plus the 20th reunion of the Class of 1997.
Then, on Sunday at noon, eight new members will be inducted into the OCHS Sports Hall of Fame. The group includes four athletes (Kevin Sinclair, Abbey Woolley, Leon Brown and Jen Blizzard); three coaches (Phil Birnbaum, Ralph Carson and Mike Naples); and one team (the 1996 football team).
The induction ceremony will be in the Bill & Nancy Hughes Performing Arts Center in this high school and is free of charge. The public is encouraged to attend. A luncheon-reception will be held after the ceremony, at 1:30, in the OCHS cafeteria. Luncheon tickets are $20 and will be available at the football game Friday night and at the door on Sunday.
There will be a lot happening at Carey Stadium and Ocean City High School this weekend.
It starts at 4 p.m. today.