Brother stands in for William Floyd homecoming king

What happens when your brother is homecoming king, is in the middle of a big game for the football team and just isn’t available for the halftime ceremony?

In Kevin Woodhull’s case, there was only one thing to do -- put his brother’s face on a cardboard helmet and stand proudly in his place.

And that is just what Woodhull did Saturday for his brother, William Floyd High School senior and homecoming king Ezekiel Torres. 

“I was more than happy to do it,” said Woodhull, 32, of Shirley, “Ezekiel is awesome. He is diligent and good at everything -- a Jack of all trades. It meant the world to me to walk out there.”

Torres said he is thrilled that his family showed such overwhelming support for him during such an important moment at the William Floyd High School homecoming celebration in Mastic Beach on Saturday.

“Initially, my mother [Eileen Torres] was just going to walk out on the field by herself. But my brother was so happy for me and my mom was nervous,” said Torres, 17. “My mother is so proud of me, which is heartwarming, and my brother is so happy for me.”

William Floyd defeated Patchogue-Medford 35-14, making them undefeated this season with a 6-0 record.

“I wanted to be a part of [the celebration] but I had a commitment to my team,” said Torres, an outside linebacker.

William Floyd High School homecoming queen Alexandria “Lexi” Willets said she loved every minute of the hilarious time spent with Woodhull.

“He was awesome,” said Willets, 17, of Woodhull. “He held the cardboard cutout of Ezekiel’s face in front of his face. It’s the funniest thing. I was sad that Ezekiel wasn’t there but his brother was so funny.”

A graduate of William Floyd High School and a former defensive end for the William Floyd Colonials football team, Woodhull was excited about representing his brother on the football field.

“I was proud that he was king and then being out there for him was the cherry on top,” Woodhull said.

Torres, who was initially crowned with Willets at the homecoming dance on Friday evening, is applying to the United States Naval Academy and wants to study political science with the eventual goal of becoming an attorney.

Willets will attend Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina studying finance and international study.

With a homecoming that offered humor and memories to last the king and queen a lifetime, Willets summed it up by saying, “It was the best homecoming ever.”