by TYLER HATHAWAY
For the first time in the history of the Rochester City School District, one of its teams will have the opportunity to bring home a football state championship this weekend.
The Monroe Red Jackets are currently in the midst of their best season in program history. They are 11-0, have outscored opponents by over 460 points, and are one game away from a program-first state title. This season marked the second time in the past three years that Monroe has reached the state final four.
“It means everything,” said Red Jackets head coach Terrell Cunningham said of the state title game after Monroe’s state semifinal win. “We’ve almost accomplished our goal that we set out many years ago. Our goal was to be a championship caliber team and to bring the first state championship to the city of Rochester, RCSD.”
“This is bigger than us,” senior wide receiver Messiah Hampton said of the chance to win a state title. “This is for the future and past generations. It’s not just for Monroe. It’s for the whole city of Rochester, the whole 585.”
Sleepy Hollow (I) stands in the way of the Red Jackets. The Horsemen enter Saturday’s title tilt after winning their first sectional championship in nearly 50 years, and have won 10 straight games. A win this weekend would result in a program-first state championship.
History will be made one way or another this weekend at the JMA Wireless Dome when these two heavyweights meet. Here’s the breakdown:
MONROE RED JACKETS (11-0/Section V)
vs.
SLEEPY HOLLOW HORSEMEN (12-1/Section I)
How they got here: Monroe (No. 1 Class B NYSSWA) won the Section V Class B title game after defeating Honeoye Falls-Lima 40-0. In the Far West Regional, Monroe defeated Lackawanna (VI) 40-14 to reach the state semifinals, and in which, they defeated Owego Free Academy (IV) 48-7. The Horsemen (No. 3 Class B NYSSWA) began their postseason run as the No. 3 seed in Section I Class B and picked up wins over Pleasantville (33-6), Ardsley (42-26), and Westlake (27-14) to win a sectional title. In the NYS playoffs, Sleepy Hollow took down Saugerties (IX) by a score of 46-26 and defeated Glens Falls (II) 42-20 in the semifinals to book a spot in the state title game.
Points scored: Monroe (45.5 PPG), Sleepy Hollow (38.7 PPG)
Points allowed: Monroe (2.9 PPG), Sleepy Hollow (16.7 PPG)
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM JEROME DAVIS.
Players to watch for Monroe: Messiah Hampton Sr. WR (56 catches, 1,079 yards, 12 receiving touchdowns, 259 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, 62 tackles, two interceptions, University of Oregon commit), Terrell “Pooty” Cunningham Jr. QB (75% completion rate, 2,773 passing yards, 38 passing touchdowns), Luis Falu Sr. WR (24 catches, 529 receiving yards, nine touchdowns); Anthony Omebe Sr. DE/WR (55 tackles, 11 sacks, three fumble recoveries, three catches, 44 yards, one touchdown), Jermaine Montgomery Jr. Sr. RB/LB (350 rushing yards, 8.4 yards per carry, three rushing touchdowns, 87 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries), Ray Garcia Jr. RB/WR (304 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, 28 catches, 528 receiving yards, seven receiving touchdowns), Christien Franklin Sr. SS (team-high 88 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks)
Sleepy Hollow: Brayden Richardson Sr. RB (2,418 rushing yards, 36 rushing touchdowns, 83 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns, University of Rhode Island commit), Jeremiah Bowen Jr. QB (59.3% completion rate, 1,126 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, 391 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns), Gilbert Onwe Sr. WR (32 catches, 809 receiving yards, 14 receiving touchdowns), Ben Meyer Sr. (149 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 13 catches, 214 receiving yards, three receiving touchdowns)
Coaches: Terrell Cunningham (Monroe), Anthony Giuliano (Sleepy Hollow)
History 101: Monroe has won two sectional titles in three seasons and is looking to win its first ever state championship after reaching the Class B Final Four in 2023. No Rochester City School District team has ever won a state championship in football. Sleepy Hollow is also attempting to win its first state championship. Before this year, the Horsemen hadn’t won a sectional title since 1978.
Kickoff is set for 3:00 pm this Saturday at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse.
Leave a Reply