Bridgeport Central football heads into their game this weekend with something they haven't had since 2017—a team win! Last Saturday, the Hilltoppers started the season by ending their 61-game losing streak.

“It was amazing! The feeling of winning instead of losing was great!” said sophomore kicker William Gomez during practice this week.

News 12 stopped by Kennedy Stadium as the team prepped for their second game. Their opener against Wilbur Cross ended in a score of 21-8, snapping the longest standing slump in Connecticut.

The team last tasted victory Nov. 16, 2017, against Fairfield Ludlowe. That was well before head coach Brendan Miller came on board in 2023.

“This is my third year as coach at Central,” Miller said. “We knew that when I got here that there would be growing pains. We knew you just can't snap your fingers and start winning in football. It's not that kind of sport.”

From the start, Miller wasn't here to play.

“The biggest mission was just teaching accountability and making sure we had people here getting better every day, really upping the strength and conditioning program,” Miller explained. “So, it's the fact the kids bought into the program and culture, and they've been here, and they want to win.”

His players were confident about their chances ahead of the season opener.

“I didn't let it get to my head,” said Gomez, who went three for three in extra points. “I just kept thinking, ‘Yeah, we could win this! We could win this!’”

His classmates weren’t quite as optimistic.

“No, they were shocked,” laughed Gomez. “They were shocked that we won, and they were really happy about it.”

“The kids are super excited. I’m very proud of them,” Miller told News 12. “I love all those guys, but you know, we got nine more of these things left, so I let them on Monday give themselves one last round of applause, and now we're back to work.”

Game 2 will see Central face off against cross-town rival Bassick High School at Kennedy Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 20, starting at 10:30 a.m. The Bassick Lions actually set the state record for consecutive losses with 62 from 2001 to 2007. The Hilltoppers were just one away from sharing that title before they beat Wilber Cross.

“The way the teammates push each other to be better, the way our coaches force us to be better—I love being on this team,” Gomez said.

“I want to win a lot more than just one game here, so that's our goal, and hopefully we can get that going this year,” stated Miller.

Miller and his team have already racked up another win since their last game. On Thursday, the New York Giants and Gatorade named Miller the Lou Rettino High School Football Coach of the Week. The recognition comes with a $2000 grant for the school's football program.