Mustangs Light the Night with a 21-0 Victory
By Ezra Chen ’27
As students on campus prepared for the second 3-day weekend of the school year, Milton Academy’s Varsity Football Team geared up for its annual Under the Lights game at neighboring Curry College. Coming off a 1-1 start to the season, the Mustangs took the field on October 10, 2026, backed by a whiteout-themed student section – ready to face St. Paul’s School, which traveled from Concord, New Hampshire.
The matchup marked another meeting between the two schools in early October. When the teams faced off on October 4 last year, Milton came away with a dominant 29-7 victory. This time, the Milton Mustangs returned to the field seeking the opportunity to build on that result.
One of these players was Osiris Niven ’28, a junior on the team who recounts the week leading up to the game as filled with “intense preparation.” Both the offensive and defensive units broke down film to identify St. Paul’s strategic tendencies and determine how to respond to different situations on the field. Practices throughout the week were then designed to incorporate formations and plays that mirrored St. Paul’s approach. Niven believes that going against St. Paul’s concepts and plays throughout the week ultimately “helped [them] as a team and made [them] prepared to execute during the game itself.”
From the opening kickoff, both teams looked to establish control, keeping the game scoreless through the first quarter. Milton broke the deadlock in the second quarter when freshman quarterback Hudson Garrity ’30 completed a 25-yard touchdown pass into the endzone, finally putting the Mustangs on the scoreboard. The touchdown marked the beginning of a series of successful runs, as the team went on to score twice more in its 21-0 shutout victory. The 3 touchdowns featured receptions by juniors Jordan Toribio ’28, Ben Allen ’28, and Dan Nichols ’28. Senior kicker Jonah Selter ’27x added 3 extra points with successful point-after-touchdown attempts.
Besides being a major success, the game brought a memorable atmosphere. Several players appreciated seeing so many students come out to support them, noting that the crowd’s energy significantly fired up the team and made the overall vibe of the game considerably better. Captain Zahir Mitchell ’27 reflected on the team’s chemistry, saying that they “felt great” because “everything was clicking for [them], and firing on all cylinders.” He added that the team felt as though they “had truly come together,” describing the atmosphere as “light and positive.” For Mitchell, it was “one of the most fun games” to be a part of.
When asked about what the Milton Football team hopes to accomplish as the 2026 season moves forward, linebacker Dion Kitsos ’27 encourages the team to “clean up the small things” such as proper assignment and alignment, along with better execution of plays and concepts. Kitsos believes that the continued refinement of these factors will be a “big part of [their] success in the remainder of the season.” As with any good team, there are things to work on, and things to look for-
Source: Adam Richins Photography
