Article by Phoenix writer Ryleigh O’Neill ’28:
By a score of 14-13, Varsity Football defeated St. John the Baptist, in the annual homecoming game this year, except, with an exciting twist: It was held for the first time ever on St. Matthew Field at Kellenberg’s beautiful Uniondale campus.
Admin wanted football home football games, understandably, to feel more home-like, instead of being at an “away” location such as Mitchel Field or Hofstra University, where they’d traditionally been for the nearly forty years.
Senior James Watkins, who attended Homecoming for four consecutive years, said, “I’ve enjoyed the games at Mitchel Field, but being here on our campus was really special. You could feel the energy and sense of ownership.”
Utilizing the bleachers, recently renovated in 2022, the brand new FCAA, and the newly erected Student Section Bleachers, now known as the Bird’s Nest, the Kellenberg faithful made Homecoming 2025 the first of its kind.
The event was an extreme success with roughly 600 students, faculty, family, and fans watching the game this year.
Firebird QB Daniel Licari ‘26 said, “I’m so proud to be a part of this team. Playing in front of the homecoming crowd was an awesome experience. Running out to completely packed stands was exciting. There was so much energy that day.”
The entire team shared their play caller’s perspective. The energy was evident in the nail-biting win of an extremely competitive game throughout. The Firebirds fought to the win of 14-13 until the very last second, where St. John the Baptist’s touchdown was deemed incomplete with one second left on the clock.
“It was a thrilling game. The end was great! Between the student section, the parents of players, the varsity and junior varsity dance and cheerleading teams, faculty and staff, and even our school dogs, the crowd went wild!” observed senior attendee Emma Wagner.
While the extraordinary game can’t be dismissed, Mr. Fetchmann’s favorite part of this exhilarating day was the generations of Firebirds present.
According to Athletic Director Fechtmann, “You had your alumni watching from the balcony in our new Maria Regina room, as well as our staff that are alumni watching in the stands, then you had your current Firebirds in the student section, and playing in the game, but you also had your future Firebirds: siblings of students watching their big brothers play ball, as well as our faculty’s children who will also be coming to Kellenberg soon, all on the campus watching the game. It was amazing to see one big community come together to support our players and have a great day of fun.”
All Varsity home games will now be played on Matthew Field. KMHS Family is always welcomed back to their home.
