Millbrook-Pomfret Day: A Tradition Is Born

As a bright-eyed, true-blue Millbrook student, young Jon Downs longed for an interscholastic rivalry…a way to assert the primacy of his school over all others. As the newly-minted headmaster of his dear alma mater, Jonathan Downs ’98 was finally in a position to make it happen. Thus was born the inaugural Millbrook-Pomfret Day: The Battle Of Route 44: East Vs. West.

Longtime Headmaster Drew Casertano, in fact, set the wheels in motion in 1997-98 when he tasked then-Student Council President Jon Downs with identifying a suitable rival for Millbrook. As both schools grew and developed, their athletic programs and student bodies began to align closely enough that the creation of a rivalry made good sense all around. The first Millbrook-Pomfret Day was planned for 2020 but was unfortunately scrapped due to the pandemic.

 

Flash-forward to November 13, 2021—a fleet of coach buses loaded with the Mustang volleyball, soccer, football, and field hockey teams made a hard left out of School Road and rumbled east on Route 44. Their destination: Pomfret, CT. A day of spirited competition lay ahead. Pomfret rolled out the red (and black) carpet as first-time hosts, and their facilities were top-notch. In fact, the home-field advantage may have factored into Pomfret’s victory tally as they defeated Millbrook in every contest besides volleyball and boys JV soccer.

Pomfret Head of School Tim Richards was gracious in victory as Jon Downs dutifully donned red and black Pomfret gear, making good on his end of the gentleman’s bet between the two headmasters. The Peck/Pulling Trophy, named for Pomfret Founder William E. Peck and Millbrook Founding Headmaster Edward Pulling depicts a Route 44 road sign, the interstate highway that connects the schools. Millbrook took home a consolation trophy emblazoned with the words “Better Luck Next Time” that will doubtless inspire Mustang athletes when they welcome the Griffins to the west end of Route 44 next year.