Comets honor Maya Collins in victory fashion, defeat Middletown 41-14 in Homecoming game

October 7, 2017

Jacob Brase | Staff Writer

After the loss of Mason student Maya Collins, who fought Acute Myeloid Leukemia, hundreds of Comet fans wore blue to honor her and cheer under the Friday night lights. The Comets routed the Middletown Middies 41-14.

Head coach Brian Castner said the win was about more than football.

“Tonight was about honoring a wonderful, impactful, young lady that showed this community and this school district that this is how you deal with adversity,” Castner said. “She was so joyful, she was always smiling. The best way to honor that is to embody those characteristics.”

With such turnouts to the Friday night games, Castner said football can be a way to unite the community in times of loss.

“Nights like these are when you really feel like you shut the town down; you get everyone out behind one cause, behind one little girl that made a huge difference,” Castner said. “There’s a lot of crazy things out there in this world, but the one thing that remains constant is high school football here at Mason.

After coming off a loss last week, the Comets showed progress, generating a commanding 26-0 lead at halftime.

By the second half, there was no coming back for Middletown. The Mason offense continued to produce, as Matt Sora led the rushing attack with 119 yards, two touchdowns and 7.4 yards per carry. Middletown scored a few touchdowns late in the second half, but their offensive surge was too little and too late. The Comets went on to win 41-14, placing them fourth in the Greater Miami Conference, with a 5-2 overall record.

Castner said his team looks to continue to stay on the winning side, as they face Princeton next week in their eighth game of the year.

“We’ve got to continue to fight for consistency, to be great every time and every rep,” Castner said. “We’ve got to build off this win as we move into the Princeton week.”

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