SYRACUSE, N.Y. — For the first time ever, the Monroe Red Jackets are state champions. On Saturday, the Red Jackets used a second-half effort to shut down Sleepy Hollow, 34-0, in the NYSPHSAA Class B final. This victory marked not only a milestone for the program but also the first state title for the Rochester City School District, and the first for Section V since 2018.
“This is for the 585,” said Alijah Jones, the game’s MVP. “Glory to God. It feels unreal, man.”
“It feels great, it’s a dream come true. The biggest day of my life right now,” said quarterback Terrell “Pooty” Cunningham Jr.
“A group of young men, group of coaches and administration, principal, athletic director and all these wonderful parents, they all believed in this program, going back to when many of them were seventh or eighth grade,” said Monroe head coach Terrell Cunningham Sr. “And at the end of the day, I’m glad and thankful that they believed in the program and me as a coach to take in their sons and to ultimately lead them to, to be to the state championship.”
Coming into Saturday’s contest, Monroe’s lowest offensive output came against East, with a 16-point showing back in September. In the dome, the Red Jackets offense couldn’t even muster that in the first half–high snaps, low snaps, sacks, and a failed fourth-down try or two–something just wasn’t clicking for the usually incredible offense.
“Last night was just really emotional for us,” said senior Messiah Hampton. “It was our last ever high school practice together. We’ve all been together since about sixth, seventh grade. And during halftime, we were just like we got two more quarters to play the game we love together and go out there, sacrifice for your brother, lay your life down. And it’s the last two quarters, man, we gotta give it all we got.”
To start the third, however, Monroe looked like a different team. Their first drive of the latter half was capped off with a 19-yard run by Jermaine Montgomery. Three minutes later, Terrell “Pooty” Cunningham Jr. was walking in on a QB Keeper. Two minutes after that? Hampton was racing to the endzone off a screen pass from Cunningham. Before Sleepy Hollow could wake up, it was too late.
“We knew the energy had to pick up on both sides, special teams too,” Montgomery said. “But, capitalizing on certain stuff that they were giving us, we were getting every stop on defense. I said, as long as we score on offense one time, I know it’s gonna start ascending from there.”
But the biggest change at halftime wasn’t a rah-rah speech. No, it was Coach Cunningham’s decision to give offensive playcalling duties to his son, the team’s junior quarterback.
“My quarterback said I got it, I’ll call the plays the rest of the game,” Cunningham Sr. said of his son. “He said I got it, he waved me off, and at that moment, I already knew. When it gets to that point with him, his line, his receivers, they got that almost telepathy. I just get out of the way and let them do what they do.”
“I saw something that the defense did, and I kind of thought I could adjust,” Cunningham Jr. said. “So I used my ability from seven-on-seven, calling my own plays, to translate on the field.”
As good as the team’s 28-point output in the third quarter was, though, the Red Jackets defense might’ve been better. Monroe held Sleepy Hollow, a team that came in averaging 38 points-per-game, to just one first down through the first three quarters and shut them out of the endzone the entire way.
“Play physical, hit ’em first, run your feet when you tackle,” Jones said. “We’re real strong up front.”
Monroe ends the season as the first Section V team since 2018 to win a state championship (Aquinas), ends the season with a 12-0 record, and a point differential of 534-32. Of those 32 points given up, 21 came in the state tournament.
“Top to bottom, I think when it’s all said and done, this team from every position, in my opinion, arguably is probably the best season and best [Section V] team put together,” Cunningham said. “To come out here and compete and win the state championship.”
“Forget about me,” Hampton said. “The greatest section five team all the time, regardless of class, regardless of year. The greatest team of all time.”
So, how good is this Monroe team that trampled through Class B? That’s up to you to decide, but good luck trying to tell the Red Jackets they’re anything but the best that Section V has ever seen. And at the very least, they ARE the best team that the city of Rochester has ever seen and feature a player, in Hampton, that could very well find himself in the Mount Rushmore of Section V players.
“Messiah Hampton, in my opinion, will go down as I’m gonna say, arguably the best player in Section V history,” Cunningham Sr. said. “And I say when it’s all said and done, because obviously, we’ve had guys make it to the league and stuff like that. But the kid’s work ethic, his drive, his determination to be great. He has it. There’s things that he sees offense, defense, special teams. He’s lightyears ahead of where he should be…He’s a great kid. He’s God fearing. And at the end of the day, I wish him nothing but success. And I know no matter where he ends up in life he’s going to be great.”
Saturday’s win is in the record books already, but it and the “585” chants raining down at the JMA Wireless Dome served as a showcase for Monroe and the RCSD.
“It just goes to show, we tell people all the time you don’t have to send your kids to private school, different schools outside of your district, outside of the city, for your kid to be great. They can be great right where they are with other people that have the same goals as they do,” Cunningham Sr. said. “All of our guys want to play at the next level. Some of these guys want to do other things to be great in life. But at the end of the day, we just want to give them the opportunity and the platform to say, hey, I can go to the school in my community, in the city that I’m from and not have to worry about safety and not have to worry about getting a good education, being prepared for college and that’s what we shown over these past few years. And we’re sending these guys off to college, multiple guys year in and year out, and we’re having success on the field as well.”
GAME RECAP
The Red Jackets faced Sleepy Hollow from Section I. The game remained scoreless at halftime. Jermaine “Baby J” Montgomery broke the tie with a delayed handoff, putting Monroe ahead 6-0 in the third quarter. Pooty Cunningham then extended the lead to 14-0 with a successful option play on the ensuing drive.
Messiah Hampton added to the score with a reception, breaking a tackle and racing to the end zone, showcasing why he’s heading to Oregon next year. Ray Garcia also contributed with a shifty run at the end of the third quarter, and Luis Falu sealed the win with a jet sweep in the fourth quarter.
Remarkably, just four years ago in 2021, the Monroe Red Jackets did not win a single game. Now, in 2025, they have achieved a perfect 12-0 record and a state title.
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