By Debbie Adams
Keaton Band and Reagan Tuck were crowned as William Byrd High School’s 2021 Senior King and Senior Queen during halftime festivities at the home football game on March 29.
The announcement of the King and Queen was originally scheduled for the game with Northside on March 27 but was postponed when the game was called after the first quarter due to thunderstorms. The game was rescheduled for March 29, and so was the crowning of the king and queen by Assistant Principal Travis Anderson. All 12 members of the Senior Court were introduced and escorted to the field by family members before the king and queen were revealed.
The six candidates for Senior King were Keaton Band, Tyler Dean, Isaac Fix, Hunter Harris, Dylan Hatfield, and Joey Johnson.
Candidates for Senior Queen were Grayce Dantzler, Bayla Kessler, Faith Parrish, Haley Thomas, Megan Thomas, and Reagan Tuck.
“High school activities for 2020 and 2021 have been quite unique and the naming of a Senior King and Queen has been no exception,” said WBHS Principal Tammy Newcomb. “This year we combined Homecoming and Prom into one Senior Court and made it all about the seniors.”
Candidates for the Senior Court were nominated by the WBHS Class of 2021 with the king and queen voted on by the entire student body and faculty electronically. Each candidate created a video detailing their activities at William Byrd for their fellow students to view before voting took place.
Keaton Band was escorted by his mother, Sandy Cales. He is president of the Senior Class and the Prevention Club, a member of the Red Cross Club, the Habitat Club, the Chick-fil-A Leadership Academy, and a Team Terrier Mentor. He has run indoor and outdoor track for all four years of his high school career, winning All State last year. He plans to attend Virginia Tech next year.
Tyler Dean has played basketball and football for William Byrd for two years, and baseball for all four years. His parents are Michelle and Steve Dean. He plans to attend Virginia Tech next year and play baseball.
Isaac Fix is the son of Mark and Liz Fix. He has participated in the varsity football, baseball, basketball, and indoor track programs at William Byrd. He is a member of the Red Cross Club and the Beta Club. He plans to attend Davidson College, major in physics, and play baseball.
Hunter Harris is the son of Shannon and Stacey Harris. He plays football and baseball and is a member of DECA and the Beta Club. He plans to attend Liberty University. He enjoys playing sports, hunting, and fishing.
Dylan Hatfield is the son of Carla and Fred Hatfield. He has run indoor track for two years at WBHS, is the quarterback on the football team, and the catcher on the baseball team. He is also a member of the Team Terrier Mentorship program. He was chosen by his peers as Top Terrier for the 2020-2021 school year—the highest honor at student can receive at Byrd. He plans to attend Virginia Tech and play baseball.
Joey Johnson’s parents are Kathleen and Jason Johnson. He has played baseball for William Byrd throughout middle and high school. He is also a member of the DECA Club. He plans to attend Radford University and major in business.
Grayce Danztler’s parents are David and Alyce Dantzler. She has played varsity volleyball for four years at Byrd. She is a member of the DECA and Beta Clubs, the Red Cross Club, and the SCA. She serves this year as Senior Class Vice President. She plans to attend Virginia Tech and major in Animal Science, then attend veterinary school.
Bayla Kessler’s parents are Eric and Vicky Kessler. She is a member of the Choir and yearbook staff. She dances competitively, and takes classes and student teaches at Mill Mountain Theatre. Her plans are to double major in psychology and theatre at either JMU or Lynchburg University.
Faith Parrish is the daughter of Daniel Parrish and Tara Parrish. She is the captain of the Marching Terriers Band Color Guard. She is also a member of the Knitting Club, the Beta Club, Terrier TV, and the Early Scholar program. She plans to attend Radford University and major in Biology.
Haley Thomas is the daughter of Amanda Lee. She is a member of DECA and the Dog Pound. She plans to attend Radford University and major in nursing.
Megan Thomas is the daughter of Amanda Lee. She has played soccer in middle and high school. She is a member of the DECA and Reindeer Clubs, and volunteers at the Vistar Eye Care Center. She was a member of the Homecoming Court in her junior year. She plans to attend Radford University and major in nursing.
Reagan Tuck’s parents are Melissa and Kevin Tuck. She is a member of the Reindeer Club, the Beta Club, DECA, and the SCA. She has played junior varsity and varsity volleyball throughout high school. She works after school in an elementary school program. She plans to attend Virginia Tech and major in Public Health, in order to pursue a career in physical therapy.
