A Win on and off the Field

Brentwood, N.Y. (October 2019)—The Brentwood Union Free School District’s varsity football team recently took home a 52-35 win over the Riverhead Blue Waves. After a difficult first half which left the Brentwood Indians down 35-27, they fought through the heat, played as a team, and dominated Riverhead’s Blue Waves—giving the Blue Waves their first loss of the season. Brentwood’s performance wasn’t just about their tenaciousness and determination on the field, but it was their actions before the game that really won over the crowd.

“I’m proud of the boys and the way they battled through adversity. They showed true character, but today was also about something else I witnessed. Something that happened before the opening kickoff was my biggest takeaway from the game,” said Coach Wayne Warsaw, Assistant Varsity Football Coach. “Something that exemplified the spirit of the players, the spirit of Brentwood, the spirit of the community in which I am so proud to be a part of and give back to on a daily basis.”

Before kickoff, both teams were lined along their respective sidelines as the Riverhead Color Guard walked from the end zone to midfield with the American flag. A high school student from Riverhead sang the National Anthem, and with hands over hearts, the quiet crowd listened intently to the beautiful rendition. Nearly halfway through the Anthem, the microphone malfunctioned, and the young lady’s voice became barely audible through the stadium, but she continued to sing.

“I began to hear the voices of the young men in Brentwood Indians uniforms. One by one, they joined in to sing our nation’s anthem along with the young lady on the field,” said Coach Wayne Warsaw. “Together, our boys’ voices helped fill the stadium and listening to them, my eyes filled with tears of pride. You see, that’s the thing about Brentwood: often perceived as the underdog, our students and players have learned to help one another, to come together in times of need, to have empathy, to be kind.”

For more information about the Brentwood Union Free School District, please visit the district’s website at www.brentwood.k12.ny.us. Happenings in the district can also be followed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BrentwoodUnionFreeSchoolDistrict.