Stuyvesant’s Homecoming Triumph

As the referee blew his whistle, signaling the end of the Stuyvesant Peglegs’ homecoming victory against Beach Channel, the Stuyvesant community rejoiced. Students, alumni, faculty, and parents looked on as the Peglegs hugged on the field, bathing in the sweet reward of a homecoming victory. “It feels great. It’s been a month now since we have won, so to come out on home field and execute the way we know we can, it’s a good feeling,” junior running back Samuel Glusker said. Those good vibes were present all around as the spectators got to watch the Peglegs’ best performance of the season.

Led by senior quarterback Esteak Shapin, the offense was untouchable. Shapin himself racked up 230 yards and three touchdowns on only 12 attempts. While those figures are impressive, perhaps more striking was Shapin’s grit. Twice during the game he was drilled by a defender while in the pocket, leaving him sprawled out on the field. Although he had to be taken out of the game both times, he returned nonetheless, always providing the spark the offense needed. He was helped by senior wide receiver and captain William Woodruff, who caught four passes for an absurd 195 yards, grabbing two of Shapin’s touchdowns. Junior running back Sam Glusker put up 157 yards on the ground, with junior Adam Sherer adding two scores in the run game as well.

The offensive explosion was a sight for Stuyvesant supporters’ sore eyes. Their 437 yards of offense marked the first time all season they had more than 300 yards, and their 36 points were the most since they had 22 in a thrilling loss to Sheepshead Bay. It was a refreshing performance that left hope for the rest of the season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Peglegs were much more erratic. They let up several plays of 40 yards or more, with many players struggling to tackle in the open field, often looking flat-footed or simply too slow. However, the defense stepped up when it mattered, exploiting Beach Channel’s lack of kicking game to get several fourth down stops to put the offense back on the field. Those stops proved to be enough in the end, and the Peglegs earned their victory.

The win was especially important to Woodruff and Shapin, who were both coming back from serious injuries that cost them multiple weeks. “It’s pretty nice. I wasn’t able to play the last two weeks because of my injury, but I was able to work through it […] and get the win with the team,” Woodruff said.

Shapin echoed Woodruff’s sentiment. “I thought I played really well,” he said. “I was very nervous. I felt like I couldn’t trust my knee, [but] once I got into the game, it felt great.”

For the seniors, this was their last Homecoming and their last game at Pier 40. “In a time [when] their junior year got robbed, this is something special for them where they can play and win,” head coach Mark Strasser said.

Strasser also noted how much it meant to the team that many Stuyesant alumni came back to watch the game. One of those alumni, Peter Horn (’97) was impressed by the team’s performance. “Peglegs were great tonight. The offense was off the charts, it was a great game to watch, and I am glad we could all be here to watch it,” he said.