Homecoming is a valuable tradition in schools across America, including Hendrick Hudson. Hen Hud’s forty to twenty-eight win against Rye Neck on homecoming night, September 19th, was deserved for the hard work the coaches and players put into the game. 

Cole Coyle, Hen Hud’s varsity football coach, played football at Pearl River high school. Though he enjoyed football, Mr. Coyle felt that it was “time for me [Coyle] to move on and focus on what I want to do with my life.” Before coming to Hen Hud, Mr. Coyle coached JV and Varsity football at Ardsley High School.

The varsity football team improved a lot over the years. Mr. Coyle thinks that “we have eleven guys that play together rather than eleven individuals.” and that the team is “clicking and jelling and kind of coming together.”

Mr. Coyle explained, “They kind of showed us everything that we thought we were gonna get.” Since Hen Hud was prepared for Rye Neck’s team, Mr. Coyle was able to give many people playing time as well as trying out different strategies. Because of this, “They exposed us with a little bit of the exit motion stuff that they did.” Billy Magliano, a player on the Varsity Football team, explained, “All eleven players are never all perfect on the field.”

There’s many highlights of the Homecoming game and when asking what they were, a specific few kept coming up. “J.P. (Justin Parkes) scoring six touchdowns was definitely a highlight,” said Salpreme Taylor, another Varsity player. Hen Hud’s ability to work together isn’t something that you can learn.

Two players in particular have a good dynamic on the field, Justin Parkes and Shawn O’Mara. “They both bring the energy with Shawn on defense and Justin on offense.” said Coach Coyle. 

The homecoming game is a special time of the school year where all students come together to support each other. When the bleachers are full and students are chanting, the team gains the most confidence to win. Not only is homecoming about the students and players at the school now, “it’s about the alumni that come back.”

Mr. Coyle expressed. “There’s a million examples of people that come to homecoming because it meant something to them when they were a student here, and they want it to mean something to the students that are here now.”