Despite their slow start, Poly Prep football has secured the number one seed heading into the 2025 MIFL (Metropolitan Independent School Football League) playoffs, seeking back-to-back league championships. After a demoralizing start to the season, the team went on a winning streak, now 5-3 (4-1 in league), giving them a first-round playoff bye. “We can only win if all eleven guys are getting it done,” were Head Coach Jerell Jones’s words to the team following their substandard start to the season, said captain Henry Crowley ’26.
After being “embarrassed” by Hoboken on Blue Devil Night, which dropped the team to 1-3, the players felt a new sense of urgency and a drive to “represent the school well,” said running back Benicio Quinones ’27.
In the last decade, Poly Prep Football has been a program known for its success. The team has won multiple MIFL titles in recent years, including one last season after a 41-21 win over Hackley. “We were spoiled coming into this season…we’re used to being the best,” said running back Aidan Regina Kagan ’27.
The first few games of 2025 tested Poly Football’s thriving reputation. Poly faced several out-of-league opponents in what were “tough games,” said Crowley, explaining that the schedule’s difficulty contributed to the team’s early struggles. In those first four games, Poly was outscored 104-42.
After the 0-25 loss to Hoboken, in front of a large, spirited Blue Devil Night crowd, Quinones reflected on how the defeat “drove a lot of the kids on the team to want to do better and do better for the school.” The turning point came at the next practice on September 22, just three days after the loss.
Typically, Jones arrives with a detailed practice plan—a sheet handed out to the coaching staff that outlines each drill. This time, though, only ten minutes in, Jones “scrapped the entire practice plan” and decided to spend the next hour and a half working solely on blocking assignments, said Regina-Kagan. The practice was “eye-opening,” Kagan said, pushing players not only to be better individuals, but better teammates as well, reinforcing Jones’s message that wins come when “all eleven guys are getting it done.”
Keeping team spirit high after consecutive losses is often one of the biggest challenges, but it’s a responsibility Jones embraces. “He really is the foundation of the team’s morale and spirit,” said Crowley. Jones “sets the tone” for the kind of program Poly football strives to be, he added. That Monday practice after the Hoboken loss, Jones didn’t “hold back.” “He said to some guys…I haven’t seen you win a rep all year,” Crowley recalled. His directness, players say, is part of what makes the program work. “The madness Coach Jones brings to the program is what makes us succeed,” said Crowley.
The comeback that followed has been remarkable. Since that pivotal practice, the Blue Devils have outscored opponents by a combined 155-26. This reignited spark has carried into playoff preparations. “We went hard and hit hard,” said Crowley, reflecting on the past week of practice.
With a championship in sight, taking place on Saturday, November 8, confidence is building around the locker room. “They can’t beat us” has been the mentality for players and coaches as the final games approach, said Crowley. This intensity has been emphasized by the seniors specifically, many of whom will finish their football careers at the end of the season. “We’ve got nine days to give it our all,” said Crowley. Still, the team is careful not to lose focus. Players are making sure to remain humble and not “overlook” their upcoming opponents, Quinones said.
Poly will face Rye Country Day School in the semifinals, and, assuming a win, will play either Pingry or Riverdale in the championship game. Rallying from their slow start, consecutive championships are within reach, and Poly football has all the motivation to make it happen.
Editor’s note: Poly beat Rye Country Day in the semi-finals and lost to Pingry in the Championship (27-15).
