Varsity Football Dominates Port Richmond
Midwood’s winning streak started with a 30-6 victory against John F. Kennedy Campus on Oct 15. Photo: Continental Studios
By JEFFENIQUE RICHARDS
with contributions by Alondra Brooks
The Varsity boys football team overpowered Port Richmond High School 32-8 at the Senior Night Game October 22 at Midwood Field.
“The game went really well,” said offensive coordinator and assistant coach Jonathan Skelly. “Every guy on the team had a great week at practice. They showed up executing exactly what we had practiced, leading to the game we had today.”
"We’re a top tier team,” said team captain Caleb Toppin ‘23. “We dominated and we showed out."
Chants roared across Midwood Field as proud parents and friends encouraged the team. “Let's go Midwood, let's go!” shouted fans on the bleachers. The energy was high from the moment the team hit the field.
In the first quarter, Midwood took a 20-0 lead, with Makai Cleophat ‘23 scoring within the first five minutes of the game. Cleophat played both wide receiver and linebacker in the game.
"Our offense did a great job," said versatile senior Quentin Ogunyemi. "We have great discipline, but we need to remember to always play higher than our competition."
Team chemistry also looked strong. Darnell Harris ‘23, a defensive end, said, "The team has pure comedians. There is nothing but laughter in the locker room."
By the end of the second quarter, Midwood had widened the gap between the two teams to 32 points, and with the Hornets’ defense holding strong, it seemed like Port Richmond would need a “miracle” to come back, in the words of senior Patrice McDonald, a fan in the stands.
While halftime didn’t feature any cheerleading acts or marching band performances, fans were greeted by the smell of hot dogs and burgers being grilled. Many left the stands to grab a snack and talk about the game.
They returned to see both teams come back from halftime stronger than before. The defenses held tough on both ends, with no one scoring during the third quarter.
The Hornets’ offense did most of its damage against Port Richmond in the first half. Photo: Jeffenique Richards
With two minutes left in the game, Port Richmond finally broke through to score their first touchdown. But it wasn’t enough to beat our Hornets.
Johnathon Boyd, a player on Port Richmond’s team, said, “It was disappointing. There were some things we could’ve done better. But there are other games and we can use this loss to help us.”
Just as it started, the game ended with high energy for Midwood’s Senior Night win. “We did pretty good. The boys came out hot,” said offensive line coach Mr. Biggs. “We scored on the first few drives. However, there is always room for improvement.”
As the team builds on its latest hot streak, they’ll be looking to improve on last year’s first round playoff exit, a narrow loss to Canarsie 18-14. If they keep up this level of play, anything’s possible.
“The boys impress me more and more every game,” Mr. Biggs said.