Boyle Stadium has had many historic moments in its history, but something special happened there Friday, September 13.

The game was the first game on the Black Knight’s home turf. The game was also the first game after losing two members of the Stamford High Community, Ky-Mani Pollack and Nishawn Tolliver. Both teams honored this tragedy by wearing number 12 and the initials “N.T.” on the back of their helmets.

The game was more than a football game for the team. It was about honoring their family, which was extremely clear by the team’s grit and unity. The energy was there on the field. It was special to watch. Everything lined up. It wasn’t one player for themselves. It was about them as a team, them as a family.

Black Knight Nation was there cheering the boys on. They came in all black and kept the positive energy going through the entire stadium.

Senior Quarterback Isiah Johnson was on fire. He passed two touchdown passes to senior Tyriq Deveaux. By the end of the fourth quarter, the team was down by a point. The team had a decision to make, and it wasn’t easy. They could either kick a field goal or go for the two-point conversion to help secure a win. A two-point conversion was risky, but the team went for it anyway. They wanted to win, even if it meant taking a risk to get there.

The risk paid off. They had a successful two-point conversion and ultimately won the game, 14-13. The game was much more than a “W” on their schedule. 

After the victory, Deveaux told Gametime CT, “I did this for my guy, bro. My guy that passed recently. This is all for him. All of it. And it’s going to keep going. I promise that.”

The team was aware of how special the victory was. Jay Lockwood, the Black Knight’s senior wide receiver said, “Going into the game on Friday night there was a different feeling on the field within all of the players. Everyone wanted to win, there was no option of losing.” Lockwood also spoke about Staples High Schools sportsmanship. “ When Staples announced they were also going to wear the decals, that really made everyone realize that this game is for our guys above,” he said.

The victory meant everything to the people on the team, fans watching, and close family and friends of the boys.