Yesterday morning, I was up before the crack of dawn, dressing in many layers to keep warm. It was going to be a long day. At 6:15 we left and picked up five McKee Staten Island Tech Football (MSIT) players, who all live in our neighborhood, and headed out across the island to get them to the bus, which was waiting for them at the Tech field.
At 7:45 or so, two buses drove past me on New Dorp Lane, as I sat in Mike's Diner, eating breakfast and getting my caffeine fix on. I was not the only parent in the diner wearing our MSIT fan gear either. It looked like our team was all napping on the bus as they drove by.
Soon, we followed to Brooklyn, for the Championship game. Somewhere about four miles away, I am sure the parents at Petrides were going through the same routine.
At 9:15, we were allowed on the field at Midwood. The teams were already in the mist of their warm up routines.
I was one of the first in and I took first row at the 50-yard line with my family, right behind the MSIT team. The stands continued to fill up for the next hour, parents and fans from both side, plus award recipients from all teams in our division. Principals, alumni and reporters also arrived. It was the big game.
At this point, the only two Staten Island teams standing, in any football divisions were, Petrides and MSIT. Someone was bringing the city championship home to the Island.
Quick fact - two teams, but three schools! MSIT consists of two sister schools, McKee Technical and Career school, in St. George, and Staten Island Technical School in New Dorp. And of course, Petrides is from Sunnyside.
MSIT and Petrides are the only two Staten Island teams in the Cup Division and they are rivals, by default. You have to fight your own borough, don't you? Each year, they seem to have very close games and deny one or the other, a spot in the playoffs.
Last year, Petrides denied MSIT a spot, by one point. This year, MSIT clinched their spot with one touchdown in OT against Petrides during their homecoming game. Petrides got a spot, the next week.
Last weekend, in the playoffs, MSIT, the third place team, knocked the second place team, Adlai Stevenson, out in double overtime. Petrides won in the last minutes of the game, taking out the first place team, Lafayette.
Now it was their turn to fight it out for all the glory and the bragging rights on Staten Island.
Not too long past, noon, the score stood at 22-0, and MSIT took home the trophy.
The coach got his customary dosing from the Gatorade cooler with a few seconds left and then they took the game moments later.
Today, the kids are still on a high at McKee and Tech. All us parents have sore throats from screaming our heads off. I think I can still hear everyone chanting M-S-I-T in my head. Hopefully that will pass in a day or so.
The game has been covered in the local papers. Take a look to read about all the action.
Congrats to both teams, you did Staten Island proud.
From Staten Island Advance
From the New York Daily News
From the New York Post
From ESPN New York
 |
| All photos by Nick Rozak |
