SYRACUSE – Carson Miller’s expectations at the beginning of the football season were straightforward: “Go undefeated and win a state championship.”
That’s the ideal outcome for any team, but it’s only possible for one to actually achieve it. Led by legendary coach Dino Garr, their star quarterback, Miller, and his fellow record-setting senior teammate Henry Shoemaker, the Garnets achieved their ultimate goal Friday in the Dome.
The 2025 Rye football team was perfect in every sense of the word. The Garnets performed immaculately from start to finish, capping off arguably the greatest season in program history with a 28-14 victory over Brighton to finish 14-0 and win the school’s first Class A state championship and fifth state title overall.
Every week seemed to feature a record-breaking milestone, with Miller and Shoemaker putting together two of the greatest single-season performances at their respective positions, and Garr etching his name into the record books as New York’s all-time winningest high school football coach.
“It honestly is the best feeling in the world,” said Miller, who threw three touchdown passes to Shoemaker on Friday to conclude his high-school football career with two rings and the Section 1 record for most passing yards in a single season (3,531). “Sophomore year, it was an awesome time, but I didn’t have that serious of a role, so to get it done, having a big impact on the success of the team is just incredibly special.”
Rye’s second state championship team in the past three years rivals the best in Garnet football history. They steamrolled opponents week after week, setting school records for points (570) and wins (14), with every victory coming by double-digits.
“This team, like the state championship team from two years ago, was able to get the best out of themselves,” said Garr, when asked before the game what stands out about this year’s team. “They’ve done an outstanding job this season, and they’ve made a commitment to giving it their best shot every week, and they managed to make it very far.”
Ending the season in Syracuse’s JMA Wireless Dome almost felt obligatory given the Garnets’ unparalleled success, and the team showed no signs of slowing down after a 35-7 blowout win in last Friday’s semifinal against Cornwall.
After close calls on the way to a Section 5 championship, Brighton (11-3) rolled through the state tournament with 42-14 and 47-14 wins to reach the school’s first title game. The overall media consensus was Rye would defeat Brighton in the teams’ first meeting, but the key to the Garnets’ consistent success this season was their ability to approach each game in the same fashion.
“We’ve always had high expectations from the community, especially now that we’ve in Class A,” Garr said, “but our goals remain the same, and the community has gotten excited for us as we strive to get to the pinnacle of our season.”
The excitement reached a fever pitch Friday, with a strong contingent from Rye making the trip to Syracuse. The first question on many of their minds was whether star running back Charlie Garnett would play after an injury sidelined him for most of the semifinal win. They didn’t have to wait long for an answer, as Rye started the game with the ball and the senior jogged out with the rest of the starting offense.
“He’s been a godsend to us,” Garr said about the senior transfer, who returned to Rye after playing last season at Taft, a private school in Connecticut. “It’s hard to replace a guy like Charlie, but he’s been at the heart of the team’s success this year.”
With Garnett anchoring the ground game, the Garnet offense muscled down the field on their opening possession. The drive wasn’t as fast-paced as most this season, but a quick run up the gut from Miller gave Rye an early 6-0 lead.
Brighton’s offense also started strong, fighting for every yard on an opening drive that spanned most of the first quarter. A touchdown by senior tailback Justin Medina and an extra point put the Bruins ahead 7-6, but it was the last time they led.
Rye fought back quickly as Miller began to find his rhythm on the ground and in the air, rushing for over 20 yards on the drive and completing multiple passes. After finding junior Charlie Brady on a 10-yard out pass to cross midfield, Miller threw two passes to Shoemaker, the second one a touchdown that restored the Garnets lead. Miller’s two-point conversion made it 14-7 Rye.
A fumble on Brighton’s next possession gave Rye the ball back in prime scoring territory. Miller found Shoemaker for an 8-yard touchdown to increase the lead to 20-7. With the connection between this dynamic duo in full effect, time seemed to be running short early for the Bruins, who trailed by 13 at halftime, their largest deficit since October.
Rye’s stalwart edge rushers and linebackers kept the Bruins’ hopes at bay, with junior Jagger Fenton, and senior captains Nigel Strazzini and Carsten Steinmann making key third-down stops.
In Rye’s recent state championship games, there always seems to be one key play fans and players look back on as the moment they knew they’d take home the trophy. Two years ago, senior Koen Turloew blocked a punt in the end zone against Maine-Endwell that echoed throughout the stadium and gave the Garnets a two-score lead.
This year, a play just as remarkable took place on offense. Facing a blitz late in the third quarter, Miller evacuated the pocket to evade multiple defenders, something he’s done effectively all season against pressure. This time, he was running out of space near the sideline and decided to heave up a pass despite being completely off balance. In a matter of seconds, Shoemaker closed what appeared to be a large gap between himself and the ball, snagging it out of the air and outrunning a defender into the end zone for a 20-point lead with 15 minutes to go. The Rye bench erupted, and it suddenly seemed the Garnet and Black would soon secure another ring and trophy.
Brighton’s slim hopes of a comeback were dashed by a pass breakup by Brady, and tackles from seniors Jack Levine and Steinmann to force another punt midway through the fourth quarter. The Bruins scored their second touchdown in the game’s final minutes, but it was too little too late, as celebrations had already begun on Rye’s sideline.
At the end of it all, the Garnets emerged undefeated and victorious, capping off an illustrious season with their fifth state championship and memories to last a lifetime for the coaches and players who overcame every obstacle in their path.
The key to success this season? Character, according to Garr.
“They weren’t going to let anything slip away from what they were working toward,” he said. “They worked so hard to get each of these wins, despite a very tough schedule. We knew we had to overcome playing state champions and tough opponents, but they just weren’t going to let that get away from them.”
Garr finishes his 50th season as head coach with 375 career wins and a fifth state title in the past 20 years. Miller’s 3,531 passing yards and 38 passing touchdowns were both section records, and Shoemaker’s 1,796 receiving yards and 22 receiving scores also set section records. Miller credited his eye-popping individual numbers with the company he kept throughout the season.
“People stepped up throughout the year,” he said. “Our offensive line, the ‘wabi-sabi’ line, was amazing, the defense, the running game … It just means the world to me to get that ring with all of my best friends.”
Before the opening kickoff of every game, Garr asks his players how good they want to be. Their reply is always the same: “The best!”
An undefeated season is all the proof anyone needs that they meant it.
