McMillan Runs for Three Touchdowns as Hoboken Clinches Home Playoff Game
Hoboken came into Thursday's homecoming game knowing what was at stake. A win over Weequahic would clinch a home playoff game and push the Red Wings to 6-1. They delivered exactly that, rolling to a 25–7 victory behind a dominant performance from Devin McMillan and a defense that set the tone from the opening whistle.
Weequahic brought some serious size to the line of scrimmage and on paper it looked like it could create problems for a Hoboken front that was giving up significant weight. What happened on the field told a completely different story. The Red Wings offensive and defensive lines played with a physicality and heart that made the size difference irrelevant, consistently winning the line of scrimmage in both phases and allowing their skill players to operate in space all night long.
The defense came out firing in the first half and held Weequahic off the board until late in the second quarter. Jaeden Wright set the tone early with a sack that killed a promising Weequahic drive before it could get started. Samond Walker and Nick Benway both came away with interceptions as the Red Wings defense made life extremely difficult for Weequahic's quarterback all evening. The physical play up front combined with the opportunistic secondary gave Hoboken complete control of the first half and set the stage for the offense to put the game away.
McMillan opened the scoring with a two-yard run in the first quarter to put Hoboken up 6–0. The second quarter score came on a trick play that had the Weequahic defense caught completely off guard. Walker took a pitch in the backfield, rolled out, and found Benway with a sharp 26-yard strike for the touchdown to push the lead to 12–0. It was exactly the kind of creative play-calling that can swing momentum in a big game. Weequahic answered to make it 12–7 heading into halftime, but Hoboken's composure never wavered.
The third quarter provided one of the night's best individual moments. Jae'on Walker went up and hauled in a contested catch over his defender in a sequence that immediately energized the sideline and sparked more momentum for the Red Wings. Walker finished with five receptions for 116 yards and was one of the most impactful offensive weapons on the field all night alongside McMillan. From there, Hoboken controlled the game the rest of the way. McMillan added rushing touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters to put it completely out of reach and finish with 180 yards on 21 carries.
After the final whistle, McMillan reflected on what clinching a home playoff game means for this program. "When I was a freshman we were 0-8, now that we get to host a home playoff game here, it feels amazing," he said. He credited the offensive line for making his night possible. "Today the line really held up. They opened the holes for me and I just hit them from there."
Hoboken improves to 6-1 and will host a playoff game at home for the first time in recent memory. For a program that was winless just a few years ago, this night carried a weight that went well beyond the scoreboard. The Red Wings are building something real, and Thursday night in front of a homecoming crowd was proof of it.