[This post contains video, click to play]

BY MARK JAFFEE

A few minutes with MCW United’s Derek Oakes:

Year: Senior, Wolcott Tech Position: Quarterback, safety Age: 17 Hometown: Terryville Trade: Manufacturing shop Future plans: I plan on working in my trade area and at my current place of employment, H&T Waterbury.

Q Why did you want to play for MCW United (co-op with Housatonic and Wamogo)?

A I want to start a legacy for the next generation of players. I want to show people that I want to play football, no matter the score or the skill level of our team. We are United, and we play united as a team and a family. My teammates are like my brothers, and I’m glad I developed such a strong relationship with them all, especially after joining with Housatonic and Wamogo. Playing for Coach Jamie (Coty), Jennifer (Stango) Garzone, Doug Richardson, Damian Gwinn and Larry Gwinn is <$>a very great honor. These coaches give nothing but their absolute best to make us better players, on the field and off. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better coaching staff, and I can’t wait to spend these last couple weeks of my high school football career playing under such a great, respected and strong coaching staff.

Q What was your best moment playing for MCW?

AAfter every game, taking a knee and realizing, no matter the score, that I tried my hardest for myself, my fellow teammates and my coaches.

Q Why did you decide to attend Oliver Wolcott Tech?

AIt was because of my two older brothers, Stephen and Brandon, who had been at Tech for about eight years altogether. They gave me the opportunity to get to know the school and the coaches of their sports teams as well. Sports, especially football, have been big among my brothers and I would follow proudly in my brothers’ footsteps. I felt very comfortable knowing some of the staff and that the first day I would walk in those doors, I would be given a better opportunity at a job for my future career.

Q How do want to be remembered at Wolcott Tech?

AI am proof that if you want to become something, you can. My older brothers were both starting quarterbacks at Wolcott Tech. They were always the athletic ones of the family, and me being who I was, was always the eater of the family. I never really fit into sports due to being a little more on the bigger side. But when football came around, I jumped on it immediately because I knew it would turn my life around. I ran a 12-minute mile my freshman year of football and now I run a 5:50 mile. I fought for my place at the top of the pile and didn’t give up on the way. I knew that hard work would pay off, and it did. But I didn’t run all those miles for just myself. I ran those for my teammates. I gave all I could to this team so we all can succeed. A team is only as strong as its weakest link, and if there happens to be a weak link, I can pick that teammate up and push through the pain, knowing that the extra work I put in has paid off.

Q Growing up in Terryville, which schools did you attend and did you play sports?

AI attended Plymouth Center School and Eli Terry Junior High. I grew up playing Little League with friends and ran cross country in middle school. Unfortunately, we were not given the opportunity to play football in my town, which was a very big bummer.

[This post contains video, click to play]

By ED DAIGNEAULT

NEW BRITAIN — Top-seeded Naugatuck high wanted to make a loud statement heard statewide. Instead, No. 2-seeded Glastonbury tacked another exclamation point onto a soccer tradition rife with that sort of punctuation.

Sebastian Sanzaro cleaned up a mess in the Naugatuck penalty area in the 63rd minute Saturday, pushing Glastonbury to a 1-0 victory in the Class LL state title game at Willow Brook Park. The Tomahawks notched their 10th state championship and third in the last four years.

The Greyhounds added to the drizzle with understandable tears, leaving unsatisfied except for knowing that they proved something, even if it wasn’t quite the statement they wanted to make.

[This post contains video, click to play]

“Nothing to say but I’m proud of this team,” Naugatuck senior defender Yan Silva said. “We did something nobody in this state thought we could do. They look down on us because we come from a league that isn’t very competitive, but we made a statement this year. Naugy isn’t to be looked down on.”

Glastonbury isn’t doing that.

“That’s a very good team over there,” Glastonbury coach Mark Landers said. “They limited our chances and had some great chances themselves. Whoever came out of this with a title was going to be a deserving champion.”

While the Tomahawks (17-2-1) had the edge in possession and for good portions of the second half had the Greyhounds (19-2-2) on their heels, Naugy hung boot-for-boot with its opponent.

A Sam Rego goal 13 minutes into the second half was disallowed after the referee (more on him in a minute) whistled Chris Akinduro for interfering with Glastonbury keeper Bennett Cole. Akinduro dislodged the ball, which fell right to Rego for a clean shot at the goal.

Five minutes later, a Glastonbury cross was stopped near the back post by Naugatuck’s Matt Carroll, who chested the ball down and tried to gather it. As he did, David Wasilefsky swooped in for a slide tackle that knocked the ball right to Sanzaro, who slipped a shot past Naugy keeper Aren Seeger.

Naugy stepped up its pressure from that point and looked to be robbed of a penalty kick in the 71st minute. Carroll was taken down in the penalty area, which went uncalled. Tommy Martins gathered the loose ball in the top right corner of the box and also was taken down.

That call was made, but the ball was placed a yard outside the box for a direct kick. Knupp’s attempt sailed over the net.

“Two plays that didn’t go our way turned the game upside down and in the end cost us a chance at a state title,” Naugatuck coach Ryan Kinne said. “It’s unfortunate, but obviously those two chances weren’t the only ones in the game. We had others and we just couldn’t finish them.”

The best chance came in the waning seconds when Knupp fired a laser from the left side. The ball appeared headed for the top of the net before Cole leaped and knocked it over the crossbar. Naugy couldn’t gather the ball in time to take the corner kick and time expired on its hopes.

Glastonbury traversed the state tournament without conceding a goal. The Greyounds returned to the state final for the first time since 2001. The missteps of the recent past are forgotten, a base laid for those to come.

“We played the best we could,” Silva said. “I’m proud of these guys. Now it’s time to pass it down to the younger boys and let them come up where again. Next time they’ll have a different outcome. Don’t look down on us. We’re going to come back and we’re going to come back even harder.”

Reach Ed Daigneault at edaigneault@rep-am.com or on Twitter @EdDaigneault.

BY KEVIN ROBERTS

MIDDLETOWN — The heart was there, the effort was there, but there just weren’t enough chances to score for second-seeded Holy Cross in Saturday afternoon’s Class S girls soccer final.

Top-seeded Old Lyme got a great header from Mya Johnson off a beautiful corner kick from Danielle McCarthy to break a 1-1 tie in the first of two overtime periods at Middletown High.

It was enough for a 2-1 victory and a second straight outright Class S championship for Old Lyme. The Wildcats (21-1) were also co-champions in Class S in 2015.

For Holy Cross (16-4-3), there was still pride in what happened.

“I couldn’t be more proud of what we did, what we accomplished,” Crusaders coach Phil Mongelluzzo said.

After a scoreless first half, Holy Cross got a handball call on Old Lyme just inside the box. Adalisse Padilla took the ensuing penalty kick and deposited it in the left side of the goal for a 1-0 lead 8:13 into the second half.

“I think we’re probably the only team other than North Branford that made them shake,” senior Erin Goggin said.

Old Lyme had given up a grand total of eight goals in the first 21 games it had played. Holy Cross, however, knew the game was still far from over.

“They’re really good,” senior Kiley Harnish said. “As a team, we knew they were going to be hard.”

“That was the best team we saw all year,” Mongelluzzo said.

Less than seven minutes later, Old Lyme showed the resilience of a state champion when Madeline Ouellette scored off a loose ball in front of the goal.

From Ouellette’s goal on, the Wildcats put a ton of pressure on the Crusader defense and keeper Tori Schaffner (eight saves), who came up with some big stops. Johnson led the charge down the field for the top seed.

“She did a remarkable job today,” Old Lyme head coach Paul Gleason said. “She had them on their heels.”

Eighty minutes wasn’t enough to decide this game, so a pair of 15-minute overtime periods came next.

With just under five minutes left in the first overtime, McCarthy put her corner kick toward the front left side of the goal, Johnson met it with her head, and the ball went in the net. The Crusaders never had a good chance the rest of the way, and Old Lyme celebrated another championship.

“We’re obviously upset about No. 2, but I definitely think we deserve what we got,” Goggin said.

The season started 1-2-1, and Holy Cross looked anything like a championship contender. The team on the field in the Class S final was much different.
“I definitely think we grew as a team,” Harnish said.

“We brought it together as a team, and we brought our hearts into it,” Goggin said of what happened after the slow start.

Harnish and Goggin saw growth throughout their careers, and they — along with fellow seniors Madison Smith and Nicole Rohlman — leave the Holy Cross program on solid ground. Gleason for one believes Holy Cross isn’t done making noise at the championship level.

“Holy Cross, they’re young, they’re going to be here next year,” Gleason said.

NEW HAVEN — Cheshire’s Elizabeth Boyer won the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:03.15 and was part of the winning 200-yard medley relay to help the Rams finish second at the State Open swim meet at Yale on Saturday.
Alexandra Tyler, Julia Stevens and Sophie Murphy were also part of the winning relay for Cheshire, which fell .37 seconds short of an Open record at 1:44.53.
Greenwich won with 633.5 points. Cheshire had 477, while Seymour came in 15th with 96.
Area top-five finishers were Tyler in the 200-yard freestyle (fifth, 1:52.88) and 100-yard backstroke (fourth, 57.22); Boyer in the 200-yard IM (second, 2:03.59); Murphy in the 50-yard free (second, 23.80) and 100-yard free (third, 51.87); Woodland’s Dia Gawronski in the 100-yard butterfly (fifth, 57.17), and Stevens in the 500-yard free (second, 4:59.92).
Cheshire scored top-five finishes in the other relays. Murphy, Esther Han, Samantha Grenon and Jordyn Deubel placed fourth in the 200-yard free relay in 1:38.0. Grenon, Stevens, Tyler and Boyer capped the meet with a second-place finish in the 400-yard free relay in 3:29.51.

Saturday’s results
FOOTBALL
O’Brien Tech 38, Platt Tech 20
CIAC TOURNAMENTS
BOYS SOCCER
Class LL final
Glastonbury 1, Naugatuck 0
Class L final
Daniel Hand 2, Masuk 1
Class M final
Lewis Mills 3, Suffield 2
Class S final
Morgan 4, Somers 0
GIRLS SOCCER
Class LL final
Ridgefield 2, Staples 1
Class L final
St. Joseph 1, RHAM 0
Class M final
Granby Memorial 3, Berlin 0
Class S final
Old Lyme 2, Holy Cross 1 (OT)
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Class LL final
Greenwich 3, Amity 1
Class L final
RHAM 3, Woodstock Academy 0
Class M final
St. Joseph 3, East Haven 1
Class S final
Coventry 3, Lyman Memorial 0
FIELD HOCKEY
Class L final
Staples 1, Darien 0
Class M final
Daniel Hand 2, New Canaan 1
Class S final
North Branford 2, Granby 1

Class LL boys final
GLASTONBURY 1, NAUGATUCK 0
Goals: G — Sebastian Sanzaro. Assists: G — Devin Walisefsky. Saves. G — Bennett Cole 5; N — Aren Seeger 5, Zachary Alves 1. Records: G 17-2-1; N 19-2-2.

Class M boys final
LEWIS MILLS 3, SUFFIELD 2
Goals: LM — Dylan McCall 2, John Mudgett 1, S — Mike McFarlane 1 (PK), Dylan Carzello 1. Assists: LM — Brady Fox 1, Nick Lutrzykowski 1, Ryan Huydic 1. Saves: LM — Jackson Lord 8, S — Henry Cutler 7. Records: LM — 19-0-1, S — 16-4-0.

OLD LYME 2, HOLY CROSS 1 (OT)
Goals: HC — Adalisse Padilla 1; OL — Madeline Ouellette 1, Mya Johnson 1. Saves: HC — Tori Schaffner 8; OL — Emilly Rivera 4. Records: HC 16-4-3, OL 21-1.

BY MARK JAFFEE

A few minutes with … O’Brien Tech’s Brendan Gilbert:

Year: Senior Position: Center, defensive tackle Age: 17 Residence: Prospect Future plans: To become a plumber

Q When did you get interested in being a volunteer firefighter?

A I started with the Prospect Volunteer Fire Department at 15 with their junior program, but before that I was up there for years with my dad. Now I’m in the process of becoming a full member. I wanted to join because it was what I grew up around and pretty much everyone in my family has been part of the emergency services at one point.

QWhy did you wan to attend O’Brien Tech?

AI liked that fact that when I graduate, I will have a trade under my belt. I chose to study plumbing and heating because it was one of the shops that caught my eye during the exploratory program freshman year. My shop is licensed, so going through O’Brien will help toward my hour for my plumbing license.

QWhat do you like about playing football at O’Brien Tech?

AWhen I was a freshman, I went to Coach Nick Aprea, telling him I wanted to play for him. I was a little nervous starting out because people come from all over to go to school and no one from my hometown of Prospect was there. But on the field, everyone accepted me. One of the first players I met became my best friend and fellow captain, Tyreek Green. We always talked about our senior year and didn’t realize it would come this quick. But now that it is here, I’m proud to say we have grown better as a team and as a program. One of my proudest moments as a football player is being captain this year. I say this because I wanted the chance to help my team move toward success, not just on the field but in school. Being a captain, opened my eyes to the responsibility of leading a team and I feel that are team has came together as a family, not just the players but the coaches to, if we ever had a problem or had a question the coaches are always there. All of this together is why we are successful as a team.

QHow do you want to be remembered at O’Brien Tech?

AAs someone who always tried hard, not just for myself, but for the team. I wanted to be the person that anyone could come up to and ask for help if they needed it.

By JOE PALLADINO

NEW BRITAIN — It was miraculous, but not a miracle. The ball was on the foot of Dylan McCall, alone, in front of the goal. All hearts stopped. McCall drilled it. Top corner. Short side. The net bulged. The clock stopped. There were 10 seconds left.

Hearts began to beat again.

McCall scored a goal that will never be forgotten as long as soccer balls are booted in Burlington, and the Lewis Mills High boys captured the Class M state championship Saturday at Willow Brook Park, 3-2, over Suffield.

The No. 2-seeded Spartans ended the season unbeaten at 19-0-1 and captured their second state soccer championship exactly 20 years after the first. No. 5 Suffield (16-40) was left to ponder just what the heck happened.

It is still a blur for all who saw it. The game, it had seemed, was beyond reach for Mills.

By the way, McCall had already scored off a Mills corner in the third minute, and the Spartans had the early lead. 

Suffield tied it in the 31st on a penalty shot that Mike McFarlane slotted past Mills keeper Jackson Lord. Lord, it was deemed, interfered with Suffield striker Jeremy Walch. Suffield then took the lead in the 42nd minute on a goal by Dylan Carzello — a beauty, too, when he cut in off the wing.

At that point, it just seemed that it was going to end that way, that Suffield was the team of destiny, not Mills, and that the Berkshire League should just go home and stop bothering the big teams in the championship game.

Well, that’s not how the Spartans looked at things.

“We just weathered the storm,” McCall said. “We took their pressure and,

eventually, we knew we’d start coming back at them and we knew we’d gain momentum. We just kept fighting.”

Mills took things over with about 20 minutes to play and finally pressured the Wildcats. The goal that tied the score was started by Brady Fox on the wing. Surrounded by defenders, Fox slipped a pass through them all to the opposite post, where John Mudgett was alone to slam home the equalizer.

It was 2-2. Overtime loomed. The public address announcer kept telling everyone the time: one minute left, 30 seconds left — couldn’t anyone stop that man?

Yes, McCall stopped the infernal countdown at 10 seconds. 

McCall even started this brilliant little moment about 25 yards out from goal. He slipped a pass to Fox — is Fox in on everything? — and Fox moved the ball ahead to Ryan Huydic, who made a deft one-touch pass. An alert McCall had streaked forward.

Yes, he’s a central defender, but Mills needed a goal and everyone attacked. And there was McCall when the ball came back, wide open near the PK dot. We must remember that he had a scoring chance from close to that spot a few minutes earlier, but scuffed his shot.

That was then. This time, all was perfect. McCall put the ball home. You could count the number of ticks left on the clock with both hands.

You can watch soccer games for decades and never again see anything like this.

“The pride they showed in that last 20 minutes was amazing,” said Lord, who made eight saves.

He had the best view of it all, back there in the keeper area. “I have never played on a team that has come together with the most perfect timing possible. They really picked it up, everyone knew there job, and they just did it.”

“The main reason we got here in the first place is our resilience,” Fox said. “No matter what the score is, no matter where we are in a game, we never give up. We will always keep fighting, we will always try to get that second and third goal, and that’s what we did, and that’s why we won a state championship.”

That about sums up the almost indescribable moment. If this really was a miracle, it wasn’t heaven-sent. This was a Mills-made miracle.

BY MARK JAFFEE 

A few minutes with … Efena Onakpoma

Year: Senior  Position: Fullback, defensive end Age: 17 Future plans: Would like to study business, social media marketing at the University of Maine.

QWhat is your family background and when did you move to Naugatuck?

A My mom and dad both are from Nigeria. I was born in Brooklyn, New York and we moved to Naugatuck when I was in kindergarten and went to first grade at Western Elementary School and Hillside Intermediate School.

Q Did you play soccer or football growing up?

ANo. Actually I didn’t play any sports. I wasn’t into sports. When I was younger, I concentrated on my school work and my math homework. I finally started to play football in junior high, only two years in seventh and eighth grade for the Junior Midgets unlimited. I’ll admit that I really wasn’t that good of a player. But I kept working at it and kept getting better. If you put the work in, it will work out in the end.

QWhen you began going to Greyhounds’ games, was there a player you got to know or admired?

AYes. I watched Antoine Sistrunk (a running back, outside linebacker/safety, played 2012-15) and saw how aggressive he was and was amazed on how he could make impact plays literally out of nothing on both sides of the ball. I have tried to emulate the way he played.

QHow do you want to be remembered at Naugatuck?

A As a good teammate and a good friend, just like my best friend, Doreon Chapman. Doreon puts the focus on others, not himself.

QWhen did you first meet, Doreon?

AAs soon as we were freshmen in high school, we connected, on and off the field. We began working out together on the field over the summers and in the off-seasons almost every other day. We both have pushed each other to get better in every aspect of our game.

QDid you expect the team to have such a successful season?

A When Coach (Dave) Sollazzo came in last spring, he immediately set a different tone for the entire season. From the very beginning, he has always emphasized ‘The next man up’ mentality if someone should get hurt or couldn’t play for some reason. That has given us so much depth and because of that, I thought we had a chance to do something special and be a really good team. Every day in practice has been like a businesslike tone and approach. Our best game this season was against Watertown, which we knew was a really good team. We had to come from behind after being down 13-0. We all stepped up in the second half and played to our ability. It was a really good feeling afterward when we had to rally to pull the game out, 24-13.

BY MARK JAFFEE

A few minutes with Ansonia’s Michael LaRovera:

Year: Senior Position: offensive guard, defensive end Age: 17 Future plans: Plans to major in sports management and/or athletic training in college.

QWhat was the best moment you’ve had, both personally and team-wise, playing for the Chargers?

AMy best moment would definitely be winning the state championship last season against Rocky Hill (28-21). It was the most challenging football game I have been a part of, and to come out on top on such a big stage was a great accomplishment for not only me, but for the team as a whole. Becoming a team captain last year was also a big moment for me, as I did not play football until high school. I had to put a great deal of work into not only learning the game on a mental level, but to also become bigger faster and stronger to excel on the field in a physical sense as well. Becoming a captain was a great accomplishment, as it showed that my teammates recognized and respected all the work I put in to better myself, and most importantly, better the team.

QYour family tree with the Chargers’ program is pretty extensive. What did you learn from them?

ASeveral members of my family played for Ansonia over the years. My brother, Jake LaRovera, was a captain in 2011 and my cousin, John LaRovera, was also a captain in 1999. Ansonia Chargers Football has been in my blood for years. I have always wanted to play for the Chargers since I can remember. I wanted to follow in my footsteps of my family members and be a part of an amazing organization. The thing that I learned most from my brother and cousin was the mental game. They taught me that nothing is given to you, but you have to work hard and earn your spot. Even though they had played and been captains, that didn’t mean that it would be handed to me as well. They showed me that hard work is necessary and rewarding.

QAs a captain, what will that mean to go out for the coin flip for your final holiday game?

AIt’s going to be a very bittersweet feeling. On one end, I’m very excited to go out there on the field in front of a huge crowd including friends, family, and former Chargers and play the game that I love. On the other hand, it will be a very sentimental moment for me knowing this will be my very last regular season game playing for this program. I’m definitely very excited and ready to play my last Thanksgiving Day game, and it’s something I know I will remember forever.

QWhat is your role as a captain?

APersonally, I feel I’m more of a lead by example type of captain. I will speak out to the team if needed, but my main focus is to go out every day, work hard, and try to do everything the right way. This hopefully sets a good example for the rest of the team, and if the good work ethic and attention to detail spreads throughout the team, I believe it will help us play better as a whole.

By Joe Palladino

State championship soccer day was an unprecedented day for area teams. Three locals played on Saturday, one from the Berkshire and two from the Naugatuck Valley Leagues.

The Lewis Mills boys won the only championship, and what a championship it was, on a goal by Dylan McCall in the game’s closing seconds. Although the Naugatuck boys and Holy Cross girls lost, the fact that the NVL had two teams in the final game surely had heads spinning around the state. Not to mention that a total of six BL and NVL teams made the quarters or better.

There are broken hearts right now. For the Naugy boys and Cross girls the only current memory is of a loss. But there were some important words said to me on Saturday, and even a few days prior, and what was said may be the key takeaway from championship weekend.

[This post contains video, click to play]

“We made a statement this year,” Silva said. “We can rise up and rise to the occasion. I am proud of these boys.”

But then Silva hit on the key idea: “Now we have to pass this down to the other guys, and let them come up here again and next time they’ll have a different outcome.”

Amid the good news and championship feeling for the Lewis Mills boys, there too were lessons. First, and this is my thought: Can we now stop blaming the Berkshire League for every state tournament defeat?

Time and again, when the Spartans were defeated in a quarter or a semi, the BL was to blame, some said. The league did not prepare the team well enough for state competition. I always felt that was a load of malarky. Mills lost, almost exclusively, to the eventual state champion, and always in toss-up games.

Mills had the look of a champion from, perhaps, this midseason on, and the BL gave them good, stern tests. OK, it’s nice to have even more tests, but let’s give the BL some credit for a change.

And let’s allow this for Mills coach Ben Kulas: What a week he had. His wife gave birth to the couple’s first child on Tuesday, Mills won a semi on Wednesday, a state final on Saturday, and yes, little Alexander was there to see it, in a manner of speaking.

Kulas was almost speechless after the victory on Saturday. Yes, Ben Kulas, speechless, almost.

“I’m happy for the school, for the fans, for the town,” Kulas said when he got revved up again. “BJSA (Burlington Junior Soccer Association), the youth soccer teams in town, I think a lot of them were here, and they’re raising the bar.”

Bingo.

“We’ve been saying for a long time now that we want to keep raising the bar, raising the bar, and these guys did,” said Kulas, now on a championship roll. “We started in the fall. We asked, what is your legacy going to be? And we were still trying to find our identity in the beginning of year. We changed our lineup seven straight games.”

And Mills found it, and maybe set the identity for Mills soccer for all time.

“We’re a hard working, blue collar, don’t ever give up kind of team,” added the coach. “You can’t replicate this team ever again, but, the legacy they are leaving behind, with the younger kids that were in the stands, or the younger kids who were on the bench, they have something to play for now, a higher goal than just the quarterfinals. The goals, and the bar, have been raised.”

Those words should resonate with every team and every player, whether you slipped into the state tourney and lost in the first round, or advanced to a final and won, or lost. The bar has been raised.

Send comments to jpalladino@rep-am.com, and follow on Twitter at @RAOffTheRecord.

[This post contains video, click to play]

By Mark Jaffee

A few minutes with Gilbert-Northwestern’s Alex Smith:

Year: Junior at Gilbert School Position: Left tackle, defensive end Age: 16 Future Plans: Hopes to attend Stanford University and major in astrophysics

Q How have you already decided on Stanford as a college choice, even though you are still not even halfway through your junior year?

A Stanford not only contains excellent academics that are considered to be some of the best in the world. Astrophysics is a field that studies universal laws and how the universe works. The Cardinal also has an excellent football program that I’d love to be a part of, if it is possible.

Q Was is the best part of the Gilbert-Northwestern football program?

A The fact that two rival schools in the same town are able to come together as a family and work with great chemistry in the game of football makes that so special.

Q Was high school your first experience of playing football?

A No. I played for the local Pee Wee League team, the New Hartford Wolverines, for three years before I started playing high school football. Youth football helped me gain friends and respect among others as an athlete. It also gave me an excellent way to vent any frustrations.

Q What was your best moment on the team?

A My best moment was my first varsity game on Sept. 10, 2016 against Lewis Mills. It was on the same (Burlington) field that my head coach (Scott Salius) used to play on, so I felt very honored to play my first varsity game there. We won 41-12. It was my first dominating game being a part of a team as we had over 400 total yards. Our offensive line had excellent blocking.

Q How do want to be remembered at Gilbert-Northwestern?

A I want to be remembered as the nobody who became a somebody_ I missed almost my entire freshman year due to a concussion and was disregarded by many, except for my teammates. Now I’m relied upon by my whole team.

By Mark Jaffee

A few minutes with WCA’s Jessah Doctor:

Year: Senior Position: Tight end, defensive tackle Age: 17 Future plans: To study exercise science in college and is aiming to become a sports physical therapist

Q What is the significance of wearing the No. 13 jersey?

A That jersey number is because my grandfather, Sephus Jacobs Jr., died on July 5, 2013. So I wear 13 for him. Nno matter what would go on in a game or school, he would always have my back so it’s like he still has my back when I wear that number.

Q What is your role as a team captain?

A As a captain and as a person, I have never really been loud or vocal. I could give a great pep talk before the game, but my teammates respond better with action. So, before games and practices I don’t talk up a storm. I just show them the type of energy we need to have, and once our team gets energy going on both sides, we could be scary.

Q What has been the best moment you’ve had playing for WCA?

A The best moment was when we played Kennedy this year, winning 28-20 in overtime. For the first time in three years, I felt like we finally came together as a team and worked off each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Like if the player next to me wasn’t good at pass rushing, I have to go the extra mile when I see the quarterback is passing the ball. In the pregame huddle in that game, we didn’t just say family on three, we meant it.

Q How did you wind up at WCA?

A When I saw that WCA had health services as a strand (of technology), I knew I wanted to go there. I’m glad I did because it was one of the best choices I have made for myself. What I love most isn’t the brand new equipment or the new tools we have. It’s the atmosphere around the school that brings it to life. The teachers are the most caring and helpful teachers you’ll see in Connecticut. The students all help each other strive to get better as a student. If you’re an athlete, your teammates are some of the best people you’ll ever meet. That’s how much we support one another at WCA.

Q As a captain, what will that mean to play your final game?

A To go out there just before the opening kickoff is going to be tough, as it will be the final coin flip of the season. It’s going be a milestone, but nothing’s going change. It just means we have to hope the other team calls out tails because we all know heads always comes out on top. After that, we all are going play our hearts out. Even though our coaches always say ‘Play like it’s your last time putting on pads,’ for some, it definitely will be the last time. That’s going hit us hard when the final whistle sounds signalling the end of the game.