At 6:30 PM, Friday, September 19th, a packed crowd of Mustang fans arrived at the Curry College football field dressed in all-black, creating an intimidating presence in the stands. As the Varsity Football team prepared itself, “Let’s go Milton!” chants filled the field.
From the beginning of the game, the Mustangs quickly got control of the field, gaining a solid 10-0 lead over their rivals Saint Sebastians. The defense was focused, while the offense executed each play with purpose, leaving the crows roaring after each successful play. However, by half time the lead narrowed down. Sebs began to gain its ground, and the scoreboard read 16-7 at the halftime break.
By the last five minutes in the third quarter, the opposing team capitalized on a few opportunities and narrowed the score to 16-14. Yet, the Mustangs refused to let doubts get to their head. Responding with resilience, the Mustangs were able to score a touchdown and field goal within the last few minutes of the third quarter, giving them back a 23-14 lead. Milton was able to surge forward, scoring 14 unanswered points, which sealed the game with a 37-14 victory.
After the game, Head Coach Mike Mason reflected on the win: “I’m proud of how our kids responded to some adversity in the second half.” He highlighted several moments that stood out, including a 95-yard opening kickoff return by Gio Joseph ‘26 and an early blocked punt by Dion Kitsos ‘27, which set the tone for the night. Coach Mason also praised the defense, led by Colin Laurence ‘26, who had two sacks and caught a touchdown pass. On the offensive side, quarterback Quran McNeil ‘26 put together an impressive performance, throwing three touchdown passes and rushing for another. Additionally, Ben Allen ‘28 played a remarkable debut as a Mustang, also catching two crucial touchdown passes.
Jon Cerullo ‘27 praised the team's resilience, saying the team kept “a next-play mentality—we had mistakes but did not dwell on them and stuck together.” Quarterback McNeil added onto this, explaining that “the key to winning was not letting the bad moments ruin our momentum.”
Yet beyond the players' talent and effort, another crucial factor in the win was the crowd itself. Cerullo emphasized the impact of the fans, saying that “playing with the whole school cheering honestly helps a lot with confidence on the field and helps keep our energy up as a team.” For Ed Skeffington ‘28, it was an “unreal experience,” he states, continuing that “the fans definitely had an impact on our confidence.” McNeil also expressed his gratitude for the entire cheering section, saying that “the fans truly helped so much.”