BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — History is in the making at Bennett High School with one win standing between them and the program's first ever state championship.
"We're gonna go out there and play four quarters and we're gonna give our best effort," head coach Stevenson McDuffie said. "Hopefully it's the best effort that everyone can be proud of."
McDuffie has been at the helm of the Tigers program for more than a decade and has gone through his fair share of adversity. This season, his team's regional game was delayed due to COVID-19 issues with the McQuaid program and just days later, they had to play in the state semifinal game.
Through it all his team has remained resilient, humble, and most importantly fought as one.
"No matter what happens, we're gonna be proud of each other," McDuffie said. "They were able to pull it off over these last few weeks and I'm really proud of them for it."
A group of resilient players who've always believed they can go the distance. They take pride in being able to represent Western New York and more importantly, the Buffalo area.
"We're trying to show them we're the real deal," lineman Rashard Perry said. "It's good to make up the inner city kids and all that, that rarely get looked at, we're showing them that we're here."
And all of Western New York is behind them, including past players like Isaiah McDuffie, a 2016 graduate and member of the last Bennett team to win a Section VI title. He's currently with the Green Bay Packers but is home during the bye week, coaching alongside his father and passing on words of wisdom to his alma mater.
"I walked the same hallways that you walked, the same shoes, the same field, and this is where I'm at right now," Isaiah said. "You can be right where I am too."
Bennett will play in the Class AA state championship game on Saturday at 3 p.m. The game will be played inside the Syracuse Dome.
