On Friday, Nov. 8, Cardozo hosted Bayside High School for their annual homecoming football game, bringing home a victory of 22-20.
Homecoming was a huge event for the Cardozo student body. Tickets were on sale for $10 and students were able to purchase them through their My School Bucks accounts. The demand was so high that tickets immediately sold out, despite the student complaints in the changes. In years past, tickets were $5 and were able to be purchased in-person.
Before the kickoff at 6 p.m., students were invited to partake in a tailgate party in the Cardozo staff parking lot, where numerous programs such as the PTA, NJROTC, Leadership class, and Journalism program sold food, drinks, and merchandise to fundraise.
The expectation for the night were high, and newly elected student council president Ivy Varricchio believed the same, stating, “I think that everybody’s working really hard, things are shaping up to look good.”
Once the game started, Cardozo’s stunt and cheerleading team hyped the crowd up with their school spirit. The bleachers were packed with students, staff, and parents from both schools cheering on their players. The colors of the night were white for Cardozo and navy blue for Bayside.
In addition, during halftime, Cardozo’s marching band performed, exciting the crowd with popular hits such as “Dance the Night.”
Homecoming 2024 was also senior night, with the seniors on the varsity football team taking home the win for the last time as a Cardozo football player. The two team captains expressed their pride for their team.
Co-captain Gilbert Flecha Jr. shared, “My favorite part about being a captain was helping the younger players get to know the sport and help them get better the longer they play.”
As for advice for future football players, he said, “Some advice I would tell students who want to try out for football next year is to not be scared of the sport and to learn the true reality of the sport to fully understand what they are getting themselves into and if they really want to play or not.”
Tyler Clarke reflected, ”My favorite part of being captain was being able to have my teammates rely on me and come to me for help.” “My advice for upcoming players is to come ready to hit fast and hit hard.”
Congratulations to the varsity football team on the big win for Cardozo and for an amazing night for all.
