Newfield football picks up first win since 2022

Newfield’s Malcolm Jenkins played a big part in helping the football team win its first game since 2022. The junior ran for over 100 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 30-20 victory over Greene on September 26. Photo by John Brehm.

The 2023 season for the Newfield football team was far from ideal. After losing their first four games, the Trojans had to forfeit their remaining four games due to a lack of players. This time around, things have taken a turn for the better.

On September 26, the Trojans’ 11-game losing streak came to an end as they defeated Greene 30-20 on the road. It was also the first win for Ian Valentine as head coach. Having played football in Newfield from the youth level to the varsity team, it was a full-circle moment to lead his alma mater to victory.

“Coming home a few years ago, being able to assist under [former head] coach [Hank] Neubert for a couple of years, and then last year taking over the program, I tried to just keep my head down and work,” Valentine said. “But to say that wasn’t a surreal moment to be able to get a win on the coaching aspect of it after so many hours spent on these fields playing for the team you’re coaching for, it means so much to be able to give back to the school that I once roamed the halls in.”

Newfield jumped out to a 16-0 lead heading into the halftime break, but Greene returned the ensuing kickoff to the house and eventually cut the deficit to just four points. Despite their opponent’s momentum, the Trojans fended it off and held on for their first victory since 2022.

“[I] give the credit all to the kids,” Valentine said. “They didn’t waver once. They buckled down. They fought. We were able to get some stops in, be able to score another touchdown to jump that back to a two-possession lead, and at that point never gave it away again.”

The first three quarters were eerily similar to their game the week prior against Unatego/Franklin. Newfield coasted through the first half with a 22-0 lead, but they then allowed 24 unanswered points and were stopped in the red zone on their final drive to lose a heartbreaker. It was a tough learning lesson for the Trojans that ultimately helped them prevail in a near-identical situation.

“The takeaway from the Unatego week was we played a really cruddy third quarter,” Valentine said. “We played a great first, second and fourth quarter, [but] played a cruddy third quarter. We needed to make sure that our third quarters are better, and I think that talking about that and practicing that, and putting that into perspective, come Thursday night the boys were able to be like, ‘Okay, we’ve been here. We understand what this means. Let’s not do that again.’”

A major part of that victory was the play of Malcolm Jenkins. The junior racked up over 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Jenkins has stepped up both in his game and in his role as a leader on the team as one of their two captains (along with Jackson Chaffee).

“I think we’ve seen that his play on the field just kind of skyrocketed through with that captaincy label,” Valentine said. “He is the essence of ‘I’m going to show you what to do’ versus ‘I’m going to tell you what to do.’ There’s never a moment that we need to tell Malcolm Jenkins how to play football. He is going to continue to play at a high level, and he’s going to set the example for everybody else to follow.”

While Jenkins is in his third year at the varsity level, Warrior Miner has been thrust under center in his first season. The junior had some big shoes to fill with Austin Jenney graduating, but he has impressed and improved as the weeks go by.

“Each week, we see it in practice and on the field all the time [that] there is a growing confidence,” Valentine said. “He is feeling really, really good about understanding the offense, and that’s translating to playing really good football.”

LeMari Spears is another junior newcomer who has added a new dimension to their offense with his speed both out of the backfield and in the receiving game.

“You speak to the athleticism, but what we see is just the fun, bubbly attitude,” Valentine said. “His energy is infectious in the best way possible. He brings a level of energy that we need every night.”

As the Trojans gain confidence and continue to turn things around, it’s a testament to how one win can boost the atmosphere around a program.

“Our job as coaches is to make them believe that the tools that we have here in our program, we’ve got enough to be able to go out there and compete.” Valentine said. “Now you’ve got to go work. There’s only 15 of you, so when you need a break, when you need time off, there’s nobody else behind you. Everybody is involved in that contribution, and I think that what we’re seeing now is a belief in that amongst themselves. They’re believing in themselves and believing in their teammates, and they’re playing really good football right now.”