Sayreville student filmmaker makes positive video about football team

SAYREVILLE, N.J. (WABC) -- More than a half dozen athletes were arrested on hazing allegations and the football season canceled.

But a senior at Sayreville High School says that's not representative of the team and she's made the video to show it.

"The news wasn't doing anything positive for us, so I was saying let's do something positive," said Kennedy MacFadyen, a student filmmaker.

Kennedy MacFadyen says she was determined to tell the other side of the story and made a video to show the world the Sayreville High School Football Team she knows.

She says they are upbeat young players who care about their community and each other, not the seven boys arrested on hazing and sexual assault allegations, whose headlines cast a shadow on the entire school.

"I know the football program is already working out in the gym, they're preparing to come back, they want to come back strong. They want to show everyone, 'what the news said, forget it. We're back in 2015 for a strong season and we're here to win a state championship,'" Kennedy said.

Kennedy's video highlights the team's community service, their work with local seniors and the homeless. And one of the players coaches a younger, Pop Warner team.

"It gives me a great sense of pride and accomplishment to know that these kids who are in 7th and 8th grade are looking up to me as a leader to them and a mentor," said Sean Mcintosh, a Sayreville Football player.

"They're not bad people, they're very good people," Kennedy said.

Kennedy says her classmates are still struggling to come to terms with the allegations, and makes clear that her video is not intended to defend any of the boys arrested.

"I'm not taking sides here, I'm just showing that this is what the football team is about, they're good people," Kennedy said.

"It's not everybody, some people made some mistakes and we are moving past it, we've learned a lot from it, and we will continue to grow and get better," said James Brown, the Sayreville High School principal.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: http://vimeo.com/116159392