Westbury couple reigns despite homecoming rain

For Westbury High School seniors Raeco Jackson and Niara Allen, it literally rained on their parade Saturday.

They didn’t mind.

After heavy rain canceled Westbury’s annual homecoming parade, Jackson and Allen were crowned homecoming king and queen during an indoor pregame pep rally held inside a packed high school gym.

The king and queen, who began dating 10 months ago, said while they wish Saturday was a sunny day, Mother Nature was not going to spoil their shining moment.

“At first I was disappointed we were going to be indoors, but it still turned into a memorable day,” said Jackson moments after finding out he and his girlfriend were voted king and queen by their classmates.

Winning the crowns was the start of an already active homecoming for Jackson and Allen. Jackson, who won the 2014 Nassau County wrestling title at 120 pounds, started at quarterback less than two hours later for his last high school football game against Wantagh.

Allen is on the flag corps for the Westbury marching band, which performed a tribute to the nation's veterans during the pep rally.

SEE PHOTOSPhotos: High school homecomings across LI

“The experience was great,” Allen said. “I loved it.”

Westbury assistant principal Reginald Warren served as master of ceremonies for the pep rally and was impressed how the king and queen candidates, along with other homecoming participants, thrived despite the wet conditions that popped up on their big day.

“Everybody put a lot into it and it worked out well,” Warren said. “It worked out much better than I expected.”