(Newington boys' volleyball earned the top sports moment of 2017 with come-from-behind championship victory over South Windsor on June 8)

#1: Indians Volleyball Back on Top
June 8: Newington boys’ volleyball dropped the first two set but roared back and defeated South Windsor to capture the Class M championship. Zach Harmon put the exclamation point on the memorable rally with a thunderous spike in the fifth and decisive set on an assist from Evan Metzger. Kevin Bilbraut earned the match MVP after a dazzling 31-dig, three ace performance. It was the Indians fourth title in the last six seasons, including three in the last four. The latest championship cemented a dynasty in Newington.  

#2: Middletown’s Big Day on Track
May 30: Middletown boys’ track and field entered Manchester High School with a ton of swagger and left with a state title, winning the Class L Outdoor Championship behind a total team effort. DeShaun Bradshaw won the 100 meter dash and combined with Tyshaun James, Justin McMilliian and Garrett Dandridge to win the 4x100 meter relay. James, McMillian, Dandridge, and DaJaun Lomotey also won the 4x400 meter relay, while DaAaron Lawrence topped off the day with a state title in the high jump.      

#3: Sanzaro Crushes the Course
June 5: Wethersfield senior Andrew Sanzaro shot a (-5) 67 to win the Division II Golf Championships at Tallwood Country Club in Hebron. Sanzaro capped the one-shot victory with a birdie on the 18th hole, capturing the individual title and helping the Eagles finished third overall as a team. The victory was the cherry on top of a terrific high school career for Sanzaro, who is now teeing off at Assumption College.     

#4: Stockman Breaks the Ribbon
Oct 28: Rocky Hill’s Elizabeth Stockman pulled away from the competition and won the Class M Cross Country Championship at Wickham Park. The sophomore won by 12 seconds and set a 6:23 pace to beat a tough field which included teammate Lilah Devine, who finished third overall. The Terriers placed fifth overall at the event and Stockman set a mark that she can strive for over the next two years. 

#5: Budzik and Roy Serve Up a Pair of Goose Eggs
May 30/31: Cromwell baseball began the Class M tourney with back-to-back shutouts, thanks to pitching gems from Noah Budzik and Austin Roy. Budzik fanned five batters and blanked Suffield (1-0) with Don McCaleb driving in Sean Melaven for the game’s only run. The next day Roy struck out six and scored a run in a 2-0 win over Northwestern Regional. The dangerous duo set the stage for 2018 and both will be back on the mound for the Panthers this spring.

#6: Perfection for Eagles Swim & Dive
Oct 27: Girls swimming and diving at Wethersfield has been a consistent force for many years but 2017 was an extra special year as the Eagles finished their first undefeated regular season, defeating East Lyme to improve to 10-0. The team went on to win conference and finished fifth overall in the Class L finals behind a state championship performance from junior Abigail Francis, who won the 200 Freestyle.

#7: Aresco’s Leg- Breaking Record
Nov 10: Middletown all-state kicker Mike Aresco shattered the previous state record for the most field goals in Connecticut High School history when he blasted a 44-yarder during the Blue Dragons 51-20 home victory over Platt. Aresco nailed three more field goals before the end of his senior season; giving him 25 career field goals and setting a mark that will be hard to top.

#8: Historic Rally in Rocky Hill
April 18: Rocky Hill softball trailed Berlin 12-1 in the fourth inning, but stormed back to defeat the Redcoats 16-15. Rachel Roncaioli put on an inspirational pitching performance and drove in the game-winning run to polish off the biggest comeback in the history of the program. Roncaioli and Gina Genovese each had three RBIs and Maddi Santo and Megan Khanna each scored three runs in the historic victory, which head coach Tyler Catlin called his “favorite win” to date.

#9: Shutout City for Cromwell Soccer
Nov 7/9: Cromwell girls’ soccer blanked Griswold 6-0 to open the Class M tourney and then upset Woodland 3-0 on the road in the second round. Jessica DellaRatta was a brick wall in goal during both shutouts, while Jenna Serrantino scored four goals and Levi Belcourt added three more during the two convincing victories. 2018 could be even more memorable as the Panthers only lose three players to graduation with DellaRatta and Belcourt leading a strong returning class.  

#10: Cimini Hangs 10 on Cromwell
May 17: Rocky Hill’s Sam Cimini was simply unstoppable, scoring a school-record ten goals in a 15-5 lacrosse victory at Cromwell, spoiling the Panthers’ Senior Night. The senior attacker scored seven in the second half, including four in the final frame, helping the Terriers to their fourth straight victory and the win secured a spot in the postseason tournament.
  
#11: Night of Perfection on the Gridiron
Nov 22: Both Middletown and Rocky Hill football wrapped up undefeated regular seasons (10-0) on the same night. The Blue Dragons defeated nemesis Windsor 24-7 on the road behind a smothering defense and three touchdowns from Stone Belzo. Rocky Hill took down Cromwell/Portland 35-7 at home thanks to three touchdown tosses from Dan Cavallaro, with two of those scoring strikes going to Matt Osgood, who also threw a touchdown of his own. It was an unforgettable and history-making night for both programs.        
        
#12:  Eagles Hockey Takes Flight
March 6/9: The Wethersfield/Middletown/Rocky Hill/Plainville co-op team made history with a pair of tournament wins. The Eagles first blanked Eastern CT 6-0 thanks to a hat trick from Paul Wheatley and a perfect game between the pipes from Stephen Vaughan. Vaughan followed it up his tourney shutout with a 22-save performance during a 3-1 second round victory over the Redhawks of Uncasville. The 2017 team set the stage for a program on the rise.

#13: Wilborn Overpowers Plainville
Jan 3: Middletown’s Brielle Wilborn scored 35 points and hauled down 19 rebounds as the Blue Dragons defeated Plainville 67-48. Wilborn’s spectacular night helped Middletown improve to 7-0 and her performance was her most productive during a dominant senior season for the now Hartford Hawk, who finished her high school career with 1000+ points and 1000+ rebounds.

#14: Miraculous Turnaround for Eagles Field Hockey
Nov 2: Caroline Kennedy scored in overtime and Jackie Samse was flawless in goal as Wethersfield defeated Newington 1-0 in overtime during their regular-season finale. The win qualified the Eagles for the postseason, marking an incredible turnaround for a group of seniors who were freshman during a one-win, five-goal season in 2014.

#15: Sikorski’s Slam Stuns Spectators
Feb 15: Rocky Hill’s Alex Sikorski hammered home an alley-oop pass off the backboard from Willi White during the Terriers 57-45 victory over Berlin on Senior Night. The emphatic dunk caused a celebration that literally shook the gym inside Rocky Hill High School and the video sent shockwaves through the Connecticut basketball landscape. Sikorski finished the night with 15 points and left the frenzied fans with an image they will never forget.

#16: Terriers Tennis Makes History
May 27: 2017 saw several firsts for Rocky Hill girls’ tennis. The Terriers won their first division title and also reached the quarterfinals for the first time in school history, blanking Woodland (7-0) in the qualifying round and rallying to beat St. Paul (4-3) in the first round of the Class S tourney. Seniors Urja Desai and Brooke Chao sparked the rally against St. Paul with a come-from-behind doubles victory. It was a shining moment for head coach Mike Dudis and his blossoming program.    

#17: Sizzling Softball Bats in Middletown
May 30: Wethersfield had impressive back-to-back wins over Hall to qualify for the postseason, but they ran into a Blue Dragons buzzsaw in the first round of the Class LL tourney.  Middletown upended the Eagles 27-0, as Sam Pizzonia and Niya Earl combined for a one-hitter and the Blue Dragons churched out 25 hits in the lopsided victory.
   
Bonus: Mozzicato Shoots for Record in Thriller
Dec 19: Wethersfield’s Mike Mozzicato tied a school-record with 42 points in an 86-85 loss at Windsor. The senior’s historic night almost led to a momentous victory, but the Eagles came up just shy of a landmark road win following a fourth-quarter rally.

Midway through the second quarter of the girls’ basketball game between Wethersfield and Newington, the score was tied at 13.

That’s when the nerves settled down and the surging Eagles took flight, scoring the half’s final nine points to start a mammoth 35-6 run which extended into the fourth quarter. The end result was a 58-25 season-opening victory over the Indians last Wednesday night at NHS.

“They played for each other tonight and played at a level that even the refs were tired tonight. What we preached all preseason and all offseason is playing for each other. We can control our effort and sometimes we need to find ways to affect the game positively even if we can’t score or when we’re nervous, “said Wethersfield coach Jeff Russell, who liked the frenetic pace of the game, “That lends to our advantage and we hoped it would work out like it did and that we’d have more energy in the second half.”

Newington head coach Rick Bangs was impressed by his rivals composure, “It’s always fun playing Wethersfield, we always know what we’re in for. I thought they played great and I know they have a ton of kids that didn’t get a lot of varsity experience last year and they played like they had been out there forever tonight. They came out like a house of fire and we were on our heels. ”

Sophomore Nicole Gwynn found her groove during the second-half onslaught, scoring 15 of her game-high 19 points after the break. Gwynn and senior Cheyenne-Mone Smith (16 points) were all-around dynamos, scoring at will and heading the Eagles swarming press defense.

“I told them that we’re going to have the freedom offensively if we get 100% buy-in on defense and the two of them have bought in defensively like nothing I’ve ever seen,” Russell said of his returning all-conference duo, “They’re so gifted physically and they have high basketball IQs, so to put in that level of intensity on defense and to feel the free flow of confidence on offense is starting to pay off for them.”

Smith was a consistent force all night, scoring four points in each quarter and igniting the Eagles up-tempo offense with quick and precise outlet passes. Guard Isabella Samse was the benefactor of several of those passes, scoring 10 of her 14 points in the first half.

“I was worried about her the most because she was the only one that started tonight without varsity experience. She was starting her first varsity game in the opening night against our biggest rival and she stepped up and played with energy,” Russell said of his sophomore guard, who canned a pair of threes, “We talk about playing fast with the body but slow in the mind and I thought she did that tonight.”

Samse scored the Eagles first five points and often checked Newington’s all-conference guard Ashanti Frazier on the defensive end. Frazier, who was coming off a 23-point performance in the team’s 55-52 opening win over Berlin, scored a team-high 10 points for the Indians but missed most of the third quarter due to foul trouble.

“Ashanti is always learning. Sometimes you forget that she’s just a sophomore and she’s going to have to learn to play with fouls, but she’s still coming into her own as a player. She’s going to make mistakes from time to time, but she gives us a ton of good,” Bangs said of his floor general.

Frazier was one of eight Newington players to break into the scoring column Wednesday night. Olivia St. Remy and Maya Gajowiak each tallied four points and gathered several rebounds. The two are key pieces to a balanced rotation that can score from inside and out.

“I like to think that we can score. I don’t think the game tonight was indicative of us offensively whatsoever. We’re fairly experienced and we need to play like we’re experienced and not play like we’ve never seen a pressure defense before. We really wanted to be the aggressor but the turnovers really hurt us, especially early. We had talked at halftime about taking care of the ball and being aggressive on both ends, but give them credit they made plays and we gave them dozens of extra possessions,” added Bangs, who is attempting to replace the void left by last season’s leading scorer and senior captain Abrial Murray, “Sometimes a player like Abrial can be a crutch and you can lean on her, but the girls this year have to realize that they are all capable of contributing offensively and it’s not a matter of relying on one person. These are the growing pains of early in the season and I think these are just lessons that we’ll continue to learn every game.”

Bang’s team matched the road team point-for-point for the first dozen minutes of action, but the confident and deep rotation of Wethersfield proved to be too much.    

“We have 17 girls right now in our program and every one of them dressed because I view them all as a valuable part of this team. I told them that the way we get better is that everyone is playing for the person next to them and everyone is buying into each other,” added the second-year coach, “They all have to be ready to go at any point in time. We never know how deep we are going to go into the bench, some nights it might be a ton and some nights it may not be.”

Gwynn, Smith, and Samse did most of the offensive damage, including scoring all of the team’s points in the first half.

After the break Juliana Mandile, Malena Mandile and Alice Kelly came out aggressive, combining for nine points in the pivotal third quarter, in which the Eagles outscored the Indians 25-6.    

Last winter in his first season on the sidelines Russell implemented a speedy tempo and first-year assistant coach Ryan Alger has added another dimension this season.

“He’s been a tremendous help to me in terms of the energy in practice. He’s really good with the motivation stuff and he taught at West Point, so he’s got a great pedigree and reenergizes me and I think that it’s reenergized the team.”

The Eagles suffered their first loss on Saturday, 53-44 to Conard and will head back home next week for back-to-back games against Maloney and Rocky Hill on Wed, Dec 27 and Thurs, Dec 28. Both games tip at 7 pm.

Newington fell to 1-2 with a 51-44 loss to Farmington on Saturday and now have their first road game, traveling to Hartford Public on Thurs, Dec 21 at 5:45. It’s the team last game before the holiday break and Bangs is optimist that the team will soon be trending in the right direction.     

“I know the kids that we have and I know the people we have. There’s just a part of us that needs to get hungrier and whether we win or lose I just want to be completive. I don’t have any doubt that we’ll be able to come back from this.”

Wethersfield senior #8 Danielle Elliott was an All-CCC selection

Boys Cross Country
Middletown - Ben Carlson, Matthew Lecky, Stefano Mazzeo
Newington - Aiden Toth, Samuel Geisler, Serhiy Demyanov
Rocky Hill - Ethan Arcata
Wethersfield - Garrett Tougas
 
Girls Cross Country
Middletown - Ariana Monarca, Nicole Nenninger
Rocky Hill - Elizabeth Stockman, Lilah Devine
Wethersfield: Isabella Schroeder, Isabella Samse
 
Boys Soccer
Middletown - Jeffrey Turro
Newington - Hermish Adasrkwah, Trey Sadler, Aslan Tate
Rocky Hill - Chris Conlan, Jake Rajotte, Vinny Weeks
Wethersfield - Drin Berisha, Brendan Berry, Christian Labella, Brendon Mansaku
 
Girls Soccer
Middletown - Kaylee Allegretti, Kaitlyn D’Amico, Madyson Fitzner, Madison Fletcher, Amalia Sessoms
Newington - Skylar Couilard, Abby Molloy, Olivia Mullings, Zoe Walk
Rocky Hill - Bella Montalvo, Grace Moore, Annie White, Nicole Zarrilli, Sara Zarrilli
Wethersfield - Kendall Cathcart, Megan Keleher, Alyssa Prosperi, Madison Righi, Jane Rumley, ChloeTroy
 
Field Hockey
Newington - Maya Gajowiak
Wethersfield - Maya Mulholland, Emma Zaleski
 
Football
Middletown - Mike Aresco, Stone Belzo, Nico Cavaliere, Max Cyr, James Johnson, DeAaron Lawrence, Mike Souza, Derrick Vereen, Xzavier Reyes
Newington - Connor Brennan, Carlum Caldwell, Luke Pappalardo, Damon Stewart
Wethersfield - Rossano DiGiacomo, Brendan Dowd, Austin Harish, Conor Keane, Connor Pace, Ryan Skelly
Rocky Hill - Joseph Catania, Danny Cavallaro, Anthony Feliciano, Joseph Ferreira, Cole Fishberg, Jack Hansen, Matt Osgood, Kyle Sanzo, Will White
 
Volleyball
Middletown - Olivia Lapham
Newington - Yasmin Rincon, Meghan Roberts, Blayne Wanner -Hyde
Rocky Hill - Grace Fisher, Julia O’Connor 
Wethersfield - Danielle Elliott, Cheyenne-Mone Smith, Jacqueline Reatequi
​

Jimmy Sullivan, Tim Blaisdell, and Tyler Fote pictured with head coach Mark Bagdasarian

Tim Blaisdell, Tyler Fote, and Jimmy Sullivan, three seniors at Wethersfield High School, officially committed to play baseball in college next year.  Blaisdell will pitch at the University of Hartford while Fote will play infield at Fairleigh Dickinson University and Sullivan will play the outfield at the University of Virginia.  All three have been four-year members of the baseball team for the Eagles, leading them to the state tournament each season and winning the CCC South Division title during the 2017 campaign. Check out the trio on the local diamonds this spring as they pursue a state championship in their final season at Wethersfield.  

(Content and photo provided by Wethersfield Athletic Director Michael Maltese)

(Center Ryan Pirre celebrates Rocky Hill's 11th win of the season, a 34-21 victory over Valley Regional/Old Lyme in the quarterfinals of Class S)

Quarterback Danny Cavallaro followed a convoy of blockers to his left and scored the game-sealing touchdown in Rocky Hill’s 34-21 Class S quarterfinals victory over Valley Regional/Old Lyme on Tuesday night.  

During the one-yard touchdown run Cavallaro managed to deliver a five finger death punch --- pointing once towards the end zone, once towards the sidelines, a left-right combo towards the stands, and once more towards the sky.   

“I just have so much love for the game and put so much heart into it,” said Cavallaro of his now trademark finger points, “My emotions just take over.”

His passion for the game, combined with his pinpoint accuracy and fearless running style, is what his head coach appreciates about the senior signal caller.

“Danny loves to run the ball and when he starts getting all fired up the rest of the team comes with him,” said Mark Fritz, “It is a testament to his character that he can throw for 300 yards earlier in the season and then come out and play a game where he only attempts one pass. For him to stay even-keeled and to manage the offense the way that he has and to be the leader that we’ve needed him to be says a lot about him.”

Cavallaro added another touchdown run (also from a yard out) and finished with 86 rushing yards. Most of his production came on old-school QB sweeps, which has become a major asset to the Terriers offense.

“That’s by design. We’re a run-heavy team and when the other team stacks the box on us we can kill them on the outside too,” stated Cavallaro.

“It’s something that we’ve practiced all year. We’ve had it in the playbook and we just don’t like to run the quarterback too often for obvious reasons, but when we do we get an extra blocker out there for Danny,” added Fritz.

His scrambling efforts were part of an eye-popping 409 yard rushing night for the Terriers. Smash brothers Joseph Catania and Joseph Ferreira did most of the damage, while Will White and Cole Fishberg churned out first downs as well.

Ferreira, who finished with 135 yards, scored a 33-yarder on the Terriers’ first drive. The score followed a nifty one-handed interception by White on the opening possession of the game.

On the Terriers next two possessions, Cavallaro scored his first touchdown and Ferreira added another from 13 yards out, putting the Terriers up by 20 with four minutes left in the half.

It looked like another runaway victory for Rocky Hill, but the pesky road Warriors took to the air, scoring late in the first half and again to start the second half on touchdown passes from quarterback Michael Cullina to Ryan Santos (25 yards) and Ernest Jean-Pierre (3 yards), narrowing the gap to 20-14.

With momentum not on their side and after Ferreira had an 80-yard touchdown sprint wiped out by a holding penalty, the Terriers offense reignited---literally and figuratively flexing their muscles---going on a 12 play 87-yard drive. The backbreaking drive was capped off by a three-yard blast from Catania, who finished the night with 170 yards.

“I knew the kids would respond the right way. We have so many seniors that are such great leaders,” said Fritz, “You never want to see that as a coach coming out of halftime, but for them to respond the way that they did by marching down the field and scoring was pretty good.”

Rocky Hill’s defense allowed a season-high 21 points, but got key stops when they needed against the pass-happy Warriors. Dante Baker ended a pair of drives with sacks and cornerback Jack Hansen blanketed receivers all night long.

“We knew the pass rush was going to be important coming out. If you watch us play you know we like to blitz so we were coming after the quarterback the whole night,” added the fourth-year head coach, “They have great weapons over there. They made it hard for us to get there, but when we did it happened to be in big moments.”

Cullina ended up with 229 passing yards and three scores through the air, including a 32-yarder to Jacob Kruszewski in the fourth quarter to bring the Warriors within two scores.

But as he had done all night Cavallaro rose to the occasion, recovering the ensuing onside kick and essentially ending what was a contentious and penalty-filled night at McVicar Field.

“I don’t think we came out as strong as we wanted to in the second half and to be honest the refs really got to us, but we just had to play our game,” added Cavallaro, “We definitely need adversity to be a championship team. Everybody needs adversity to see where they are really at and championship teams take on adversity.”

It was a bittersweet victory for Cavallaro and the 15 other seniors, who played their final game at on the picturesque home turf outside Rocky Hill High School.

“I just love being out here. I’m enjoying my senior year and you have to cherish every moment of it,” stated the three-year starter, “I’ve played twelve years on this field and I’m going to miss it, but that’s a way to go out. We’ve had some great memories and wins on this field.”    

The victory propelled Rocky Hill to the semifinals, where they fell to the Cadets of St. Joseph 49-20 at Trumbull High School on Sunday.

The high-octane Cadets scored early and often, taking a 21-0 lead after the first quarter, before holding off the Terriers who battled valiantly until the final whistle with Cavallaro scoring on a short run for game’s final touchdown in the waning seconds of regulation.

It wasn’t an ideal end for the departing seniors, but the exceptional group put their stamp on a program that has risen to great heights.

Several of the seniors started or received significant playing time over the course of the past three years. During those three seasons the Terriers won 30 0f 35 games, including three postseason games, and became the first team in history to finish the regular season undefeated (10-0) this fall.  

As juniors a season ago they helped propel the program to their first state championship, winning a pair of playoff games before losing a heartbreaker to Ansonia last December.

Next year many of the faces on the field will have changed and the new players will be building their own legacy and striving for the the bar set by the unforgettable class of 2018.

Quarterback Danny Cavallaro followed a convoy of blockers to his left and scored the game-sealing touchdown in Rocky Hill’s 34-21 Class S quarterfinals victory over Valley Regional/Old Lyme on Tuesday night.  

During the one-yard touchdown run Cavallaro managed to fire off a five finger death punch --- pointing once towards the end zone, once towards the sidelines, a left-right combo towards the stands, and once more towards the sky.   

“I just have so much love for the game and put so much heart into it,” said Cavallaro of his now trademark finger points, “My emotions just take over.”

His passion for the game, combined with his pinpoint accuracy and fearless running style, is what his head coach appreciates about his senior signal caller.

“Danny loves to run the ball and when he starts getting all fired up the rest of the team comes with him,” said Mark Fritz, “It is a testament to his character that he can throw for 300 yards earlier in the season and then come out and play a game where he only attempts one pass. For him to stay even-keeled and to manage the offense the way that he has and to be the leader that we’ve needed him to be says a lot about him.”

Cavallaro added another touchdown run (also from a yard out) and finished with 86 rushing yards. Most of that damaged came on old-school QB sweeps, which has become a major asset to the Terriers offense.

“That’s by design. We’re a run-heavy team and when the other team stacks the box on us we can kill them on the outside too,” stated Cavallaro.

“It’s something that we’ve practiced all year. We’ve had it in the playbook and we just don’t like to run the quarterback too often for obvious reasons, but when we do we get an extra blocker out there for Danny,” added Fritz.

His scrambling efforts were part of an eye-popping 409 yard rushing night for the Terriers. Smash brothers Joseph Catania and Joseph Ferreira did most of the damage, while Will White and Cole Fishberg churned out first downs as well.

Ferreira, who finished with 135 yards, scored a 33 yarder on the Terriers’ first drive. The score followed a nifty one-handed interception by White on the opening possession of the game.

On the next two possessions, Cavallaro scored his first touchdown and Ferreira added another from 13 yards out, putting the Terriers up by 20 with four minutes left in the half.

It looked like another runaway victory for Rocky Hill, but the resilient road Warriors took to the air, scoring late in the first half and again to start the second half on touchdown passes from quarterback Michael Cullina to Ryan Santos (25 yards) and Ernest Jean-Pierre (3 yards), narrowing the gap to 20-14.

With momentum not on their side and after Ferreira had an 80-yard touchdown sprint wiped out by a holding penalty, the Terriers offense reignited, literally and figuratively flexing their muscles, going on a 12 play 87-yard drive. The backbreaking drive was capped off by a three-yard blast from Catania, who finished the night with 170 yards.

“I knew the kids would respond the right way. We have so many seniors that are such great leaders,” said Fritz, “You never want to see that as a coach coming out of halftime, but for them to respond the way that they did by marching down the field and scoring was pretty good.”

Rocky Hill’s defense allowed a season-high 21 points, but got key stops when they needed against the pass-happy Warriors. Dante Baker ended a pair of drives with sacks and cornerback Jack Hansen blanketed receivers all night long.

“We knew the pass rush was going to be important coming out. If you watch us play you know we like to blitz so we were coming after the quarterback the whole night,” added the fourth-year head coach, “They have great weapons over there. They made it hard for us to get there, but when we did it happened to be in big moments.”

Cullina ended up with 229 passing yards and three scores through the air, including a 32-yarder to Jacob Kruszewski in the fourth quarter, bringing the Warriors within two scores.

But as he had done all night Cavallaro rose to the occasion, recovering the ensuing onside kick and essentially ending what was a contentious and penalty-filled night at McVicar Field

“I don’t think we came out as strong as we wanted to in the second half and to be honest the refs really got to us, but we just had to play our game,” added Cavallaro, “We definitely need adversity to be a championship team. Everybody needs adversity to see where they are really at and championship teams take on adversity.”

It was a bitter sweet victory for Cavallaro and the 15 other seniors, who played for the final time in front of their adoring home crowd.

“I just love being out here. I’m enjoying my senior year and you have to cherish every moment of it,” stated the three-year starter, “I’ve played twelve years on this field and I’m going to miss it, but that’s a way to go out. We’ve had some great memories and wins on this field.”       

Ideally the Terriers have two more games left, starting with a road semifinal bout against St. Joseph at Trumbull High School this Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

The high-octane Cadets have lost only one time this season, a 42-10 loss to Darien back in September, and are coming off a 62-0 pasting of O’Brien in the quarterfinals.

It took only moments after the quarterfinals win for the uber-focused Fritz to turn his attention to the 'next game.'

“It’s always nice for the senior class to go out with a win of their home field, especially this class being my first one, but we know how good St. Joes is. They have a great coaching staff over there and they’re top three in the state for a reason. We definitely have our work cut out for us. Our kids have worked hard for it, they’ve earned it and I’m excited to see what we can do Sunday.”