The Midlo Varsity Football Team under the leadership of Head Coach Matthew Hutchings played their second home game of the season during the homecoming night celebration on Friday, October 1, 2021. After an astounding 41-14 victory over Clover Hill on Friday, September 10, 2021 fans eagerly lined up to see the Trojans take the field once again as they battled the Cosby Titans.

Before the game began, Midlo students, faculty members and community members gathered on the practice field for an action-packed carnival where many clubs had set up activity booths. Dressed head-to-toe in all white, which was the theme for the night, crowds roamed between each station. From the ever-popular Pie a Teacher booth, to ring toss, bowling and face painting, the carnival set the tone for the rest of the evening. During the carnival, participants even had the chance to win prizes and the Kona Ice food truck even dropped by. About halfway through the carnival,  crowds took a break to watch the homecoming court as they drove around the bus loop, waving to spectators from the back seat of convertibles for all to see.

After an hour and a half of activities, carnival-goers made their way to the gates of F.W. Poates Stadium in anticipation of the game. With hundreds of fans filling the stands, the energy remained high leading into kick-off.

The game opened with two penalties for the Trojans at the beginning of the drive, but they returned strong as they marched down the field to score a rushing touchdown, carried by junior Ashby Berry. Establishing a 7-0 lead, the Trojans carried the momentum throughout the rest of the quarter. The Titans tried to respond after a drive by the Trojans, but ended up turning the ball over by throwing an interception, thus allowing a touchdown by junior Gabriel Semidey, extending the Trojan lead 14-0 with an extra point. Towards the end of the quarter, freshman Drew Kleski successfully blocked a punt, allowing for a touchdown by junior Zach Wirt who put the score at 28-6 heading into the second quarter.

Having earned a combination of 34 points in the first quarter, the Midlo team returned to the field charged and ready to continue their scoring streak. Both teams got off to a relatively slow start in the second quarter, but the Trojans took advantage of a good field position at the Titan’s 40-yard line, flipping the switch on their mentality. Juniors Cooper Meads and  Zach Wirt connected for a 35-yard passing touchdown, the first touchdown scored in the second quarter. This helped the Trojans take complete control of the game, adding two more touchdowns and putting the score at 49-6. Emerging on top, the Midlo fans found themselves in a euphoric state going into halftime.

“The energy was unreal and it was very exciting to the team demolish Cosby early on in the game,” sophomore Jack Deantonio said.

While both teams regrouped in their respective locker rooms, the halftime events were officially underway. After both the Trojan Marching Band and Trojanette dance team received a standing ovation for their performances, it was now time to crown the homecoming queen. With senior Mattew Babb winning the title of Homecoming King during the pep rally earlier that day, each of the nominees for queen gathered on the track. Once everyone was lined up, guardians of each of the court participants escorted their nominee across the field as their name was announced. Principal Shawn Abel then asked for a drum roll from the crowd. With the anticipation building, the student section braced themselves for the results. The silence of the crowd broke when senior Lauren Cassano was finally announced as the winner. Abel crowned her as the crowd roared, signaling their excitement for their classmate, which undoubtedly fueled the fans and team for the final half of the game.

Making their way back to the field, the Trojan football team was greeted with cheers from spectators. In the third quarter, Midlo dominated Cosby both defensively and offensively, which was a theme that carried into the fourth quarter as well. Although, by the end of the third, the Trojans primarily relied on a strong defense rather than running up the scoreboard like they had during the first half. Such a game plan coming out of halftime worked seamlessly as the Trojans held Cosby scoreless at a 49-6 lead.

With their final chance to secure the win during the fourth quarter, Midlo continued to play a strong defense while Cosby struggled to get down the field. Midlo was able to remain in a comfortable position with their 49-6 lead, so their goal now was to finish strong. Cosby, however, did eventually recover a fumble and score a touchdown in the middle of the fourth. In conjunction with a two-point conversion, the score was now bumped to 49-14. Yet, Midlo froze the scoreboard there, eventually emerging victorious over the Cosby Titans 49-14.

“It was a lot of fun watching the game ,and the student section was crazy. We won by a lot so that’s always good,” freshman Andrew Parrish said.

After having two games postponed earlier in the season due to COVID-19 precautions, both the Trojan football team and fans alike took this in-person moment to embrace what they had longed for: an electrifying night under the stadium lights. As of now, the next home game is scheduled to take place on Friday, October 15, where the Midlo community can watch their mighty Trojans battle the Manchester Lancers and hopefully continue their winning run.