Terrell Cunningham Jr. and the rest of the Monroe Red Jackets walked off the football field Sept. 18 at East High with a healthy list of accomplishments.
Cunningham, Monroe's quarterback, set the Section V career touchdown passes record during the team's 12-7 win over East High/World of Inquiry. The senior's seven-yard touchdown pass to Jason White-Perry with 9:58 remaining was Cunningham's 78th.
"It's something I've worked for, for a long time," Cunningham said. "Ever since I stepped my foot on a high school field, I knew that it was my turn, it was going to be something special."
Cunningham entered the game with 76 touchdown passes, tied with Aquinas graduate Jake Zembiec. A first-quarter touchdown pass set the record.
Monroe had first-and-10
deep in Eagles territory when junior James Brumfield made a spectacular catch with 56 seconds remaining in the quarter.
"My name was called, I had to make the play," Brumfield said. "I think there were two or maybe it was one on one, either way, I had to make the play."
East High/World of Inquiry led 7-6 after James Mobley Jr. landed in the end zone at the end of a four-yard run with 1:40 remaining in the second quarter. The Eagles made it to the Monroe 24-yard line in their next possession after Monroe retook the lead early in the fourth quarter. Last season's Section V Class A2 champions turned the ball over on downs.
Monroe's victory underlined its status as the team to beat in Section V Class B, after becoming the first state champion from the Rochester City School District in 2025. East High/World of Inquiry moved from Class A2 into Class B this fall. The Red Jackets also are champions of the Rochester City Athletic Conference, since they have defeated all of the other members: the merged Edison team, McQuaid and East High/World of Inquiry.
James Johnson, who grew up in the city of Rochester, has worked as a full-time journalist covering high school sports for the Democrat and Chronicle since 1996. Follow him @jjDandC on X (Twitter) and Instagram. Please contact him at JAMESJ@Gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Monroe quarterback breaks Section V touchdown pass record
