Monroe football with goals of making history in 2024
Monroe football player 1
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) – On Sept. 6, we can finally say it’s gameday in Section V. But for now, it’s all about preparation, especially for the 2023 Class B champs, Monroe football.
“Every minute, every Indy, every session, you’re gonna be coached and you’re gonna get energy from my coaches as if it’s a championship game,” said head coach Terrell Cunningham.
“Doing what the coaches say. If you listen to your coaches, everything should go good. We got the pieces for it, we just gotta make it happen,” said wide receiver Styhles McKenzie.
And the Red Jackets don’t take any time off. Right after last season ended in the state semifinals, they started getting ready for 2024.
“It still leaves us with work that’s undone. Sometimes you see a lot of teams that win a championship and there’s like a hangover. Guys get complacent and stuff like that. For us to get that far and not to win, it still gives us that motivation,” said coach Cunningham.
“The process is definitely gonna be the hardest part for us this year,” said sophomore quarterback Terrell Cunningham.
And eventually, Monroe football hopes the grueling offseason process will result in some pretty cool history.
“Going to a city school, a lot of us, we come from similar backgrounds of being against the ropes. Nobody really expected much from us, so just to be able to do it, usually it’s suburban schools and not city schools, so we got a chip on our shoulder,” said wide receiver Messiah Hampton.
It might be a day by day approach, but Monroe knows exactly what day they want the season to conclude. And that’s Saturday, Dec. 7, for the Class B New York State Championship.
“I’ve been there as a player, I’ve been there as a coach, so getting to that state championship will be the ultimate goal,” said coach Cunningham.
“We didn’t get what we wanted, we didn’t complete our goal getting that state chip, so that’s what we want to get this year,” said McKenzie.
It might still be preseason, but once that scoreboard lights up, there’s only one thing Monroe football wants it to say at the end of the season.