History of DTR

By Elijah Yamanaka, Terrence Sorn, and Mai’loni Thompson

On October 9, 2026, the senior class of 2027 secured its second DTR victory in a row. The last time a class achieved back-to-back wins was the Class of 2020, six years ago. This achievement raises an interesting question: What classes have won DTR more than once?

For 103 years, Hayward High School has held its annual Downtown Rally (DTR), a tradition filled with creativity, class colors, and unique themes. Each class gets its own color and theme, which helps them show off their class spirit. For example, in 2005, the junior and senior class colors were red and blue, while today, the juniors are orange and the seniors are purple. Each class also gets to vote on its theme, leading to a wide variety of ideas over the years. In 2012, the themes included The Hulk, Candyland, Friday the 13th, and Cirque du Freak. The junior class even had an interactive float that people could go inside.

Over the years, some themes have made a comeback. Shrek was used by the freshman class in both 2005 and 2024, while the Minions theme was used by the sophomore class in 2014, 2023, and 2026. Although themes may repeat, each class brings its own creativity to the event. For years, the senior class was known for taking home the win, but there have been a few exceptions. In 2019, the juniors won with their “Juniors of Pride Rock” theme based on The Lion King. Then, in 2025, the Class of 2027 broke the seniors’ five-win streak with their Wreck-It Ralph theme.

They followed that victory with another win on October 9, 2026, using a Disney Villains theme. Winning two years in a row is a rare accomplishment that shows how much school spirit and creativity the Class of 2027 brought to DTR.

Overall, DTR has been a big part of Hayward High’s school spirit for years. Every class gets a chance to show its creativity through its themes, colors, and hard work. Looking back at past winners shows how memorable these victories can be, especially when a class wins more than once. With the Class of 2027 now earning back-to-back victories, they’ve added another memorable moment to DTR history. It will be interesting to see which class wins next year and whether anyone can match their achievement.