By Rick Menning
NEW HAVEN, CT -- The Foote School's fall sports season was powered by high energy and great enthusiasm from amazing athletes across the spectrum of soccer, cross-country, field hockey and a new fitness club.
An all-encompassing desire to do their best and face every athletic challenge head-on and with conviction were the trademarks of all the teams repping the maroon and grey uniforms.
A season of supercharged efforts reached its pinnacle on the final Saturday of competition at both the Pine Point School soccer tournament and the middle school cross-country championships at Wickham Park.
The Foote School contingent not only represented themselves extraordinarily well at both events, but also reached very lofty heights.
For the second straight year, the varsity boys' soccer Falcons wore the crown in Stonington with one outstanding performance after another while compiling a 5-0 record. Meanwhile, in Manchester, the cross-country runners brought pride to their New Haven campus with a highly commendable finish in a race that featured participants from throughout the state.
"Our boys finished second out of 11 small schools, and our girls finished third out of seven small schools (less than 200 middle school students enrolled)," said The Foote School Athletic Director Carrie Boyce. "And overall, Tristan Shahid finished 44th out of 408 small school runners!"
The Falcons charted their course for 2024 success as representatives of the school's boys' and girls' teams crossed the finish line first in the meet at Independent Day School. The Foote School boys and girls continued to be solid and took runner-up recognition at The Country School.
Boyce took great pride, as did The Foote School community, in the Bement School Play Day in Deerfield, Massachusetts. The event was postponed twice last year by rain, making this year's showcase all the more special.
"For girls' junior varsity and varsity soccer, boys' junior varsity soccer and field hockey, it was a cool day of Falcon sports competition and community building for our athletes, coaches and fans. This event will be on Foote's campus next year!," Boyce said.
The following are the season highlights of all the fall sports teams as reported by the coaches:
BOYS VARSITY SOCCER
Five games...five wins...back-to-back Pine Point School Barber Soccer Tournament champions!
Another chapter scribed into The Foote School record book of sports achievements as the Falcons chartered a non-stop flight to history with yet another title.
The remarkable effort at Pine Point included an exceptional team goal that demonstrated the Falcons' cohesion and skill. The play began with a strategic switch from one side of the field to the other.
"After a series of consecutive passes that skillfully opened up space, we finished the move with an outstanding volley from James Elliott. This was a true highlight of our teamwork and execution," said coach John Hay.
Hay noted that the most crucial ingredient for the team's success this season was the incredible work ethic, spirit and cohesion.
"Everyone looked out for one another, creating a supportive environment that made both practices and games enjoyable. This camaraderie and dedication were evident in everything we did, fueling our achievements on the field," Hay continued.
After a challenging start to the season with an initial loss, the varsity squad bounced back with incredible resilience, going on to win nine consecutive games.
In one particularly great rally, the Falcons trailed 1-0 against Hopkins School before making a tactical adjustment resulting in the team showcasing beautiful attacking play combined with resilient defense.
That effort turned the game around and brought about an impressive 4-1 victory.
The Falcons continued to glide along on a winning flight path.
"Everyone looked out for one another, creating a supportive environment that made both practices and games enjoyable," Hay concluded. "This camaraderie and dedication were evident in everything we did, fueling our achievements on the field."
Hay gave a shout out to team captains Jack Ginnetti and Luhao Tang for "their outstanding leadership and the example they set for the entire team."
Ginnetti excelled with some crucial saves in goal, while Tang led the offense with an impressive 23 goals by season’s end.
Team Roster: Ibrahim Abudayya, Teodor Antonello, Justin Aseme, Lucien De La Cruz y Carmin, Bradley DeCew, James Elliott, Jack Ginnetti, Daniel Johnson, Owen Lasater, Gage Lang, Kayo Smith-Souza, Prince Starling, Luhao Tang, Eli Wilderman, Tyler Witkowsky. Coach: John Hay.
Dirty Cleat Award: Luhao Tang.
CROSS COUNTRY
In northern Connecticut, the running Falcons reached a great mile marker as all of The Foote School participants were able to compete in the 'A' race at states.
"Our runners worked together all season to be both supportive and competitive. Natural internal running buddies developed and students would work together to push each other harder and faster," noted coach Andrew Zielinski.
The campaign along the trails was marked by some exciting finishes -- not necessarily for first place, but ones which transpired during each race-within-the-race. Many of the Falcons' runners regularly placed in the top 10 at their bigger meets, and everyone showed a great deal of personal improvement throughout the season.
Improvement was, indeed, the name of the game as the season progressed.
"We really brought our best selves to all of the meets. I’m always proud of the runners when they find a competitor at the finish line and congratulate or thank them," Zielinski emphasized. "Our runners pushed themselves during practices, supported each other, and sought out opportunities to grow."
Team Roster: Tovah Berkowitz, Zachary Brenner, Iris Elliot, Georgie Esselstyn, Eli Grutzendler, Alora Hanson, Dylan Hawkins, Gus Larsen, Daniel Liu, Alex Lu, Nora Miller, Madeleine Normandin, Edward Perry, Atticus Roche, Cleo Roche, Kameron Shahid, Tristan Shahid, Lucy Thompson, Milos van den Bosch, Rosemary White, Thomas Wittenstein, Linnea Wittner. Coaches: Laura Stanley, Andrew Zielinski, Jimmy McCaffrey.
Big Toe Award: Cleo Roche.
Caw-Caw Spirit Award: Gus Larsen.
Steady Eddy Award: Lucy Thompson.
Smooth Operator Award: Alora Hansen.
GIRLS SOCCER
This season, the girls' varsity and junior varsity soccer teams displayed tremendous growth and resilience. The message of playing hard and working together as a team was embraced by all.
The varsity squad exhibited its ability to adapt in a very close game early in its opening showdown against Hopkins School.
"It was a back-and-forth game in which we were playing well but always seemed to be one step behind," said head coach Kossouth Bradford. "Due to a determination (that the team continued to possess throughout the season) and making a positional change, we scored the tying goal and almost scored a few more to close out the game."
That effort carried over into impressive victories against The Williams School and Hamden Hall. The Falcons outscored those two opponents by a combined 10-1.
The JV team carried that momentum into its first game of the season and kept the winning ways going with a shutout win over Adam J. Lewis Academy.
A highlight-reel moment for the junior varsity girls came during an away game at Renbrook School.
In the closing moments, and with the score knotted at 2-2, Violet Bradford delivered a perfect corner kick to the foot of Ellen Ferguson. She one-timed the ball into the opponent's net to give the Falcons a dramatic 3-2 triumph.
The visitors had stormed out to a 2-0 lead at halftime, but Renbrook battled back to make it 2-2 before the Falcons prevailed.
"(Our girls) were able to regain their composure and consistently put pressure on their defense and goalie, eventually scoring the winning goal minutes before the game ended," Bradford said.
Although both Falcons' squads faced some really strong teams over the latter part of the season, the girls never wavered from their desire to play hard and do their best.
"Each practice and game provided an opportunity for learning, and the players' dedication to the game of soccer and each other laid a solid groundwork for future seasons," Bradford concluded.
Sofia Caliendo and Violet Bradford each came through with five goals, while Audrey Lasater and Ellen Ferguson contributed four apiece for the Falcons.
Varsity/Junior Roster: Talia Abeles, Stella Alderman, Violet Bradford, Avery Bruce, Sofia Caliendo, Erica Choi, Alara Deniz, Eloise Dickson, Darcy Driver, Ellen Ferguson, Safiya Gonzalez, Areej Kassem, Greta Kelly, Audrey Lasater, Violet Lloyd, Emma Lyons, Caroline Matouk, Ruthie Myers, Mette Niemantsverdriet, Avina Sadeghipour Roodsari, Rae Shaw, Annabel Sheehan, Ellie Sudmyer, Avery Weiss. Coaches: Kassouth Bradford, Rick Menning.
Orange Slice Award (Varsity): Avery Bruce, Sofia Caliendo, Annabel Sheehan.
Orange Slice Award (Junior Varsity): Erika Choi and Caroline Matouk.
BOYS JUNIOR VARSITY SOCCER
The junior varsity Falcons had an up and down season, but they remained steadfast and resilient as a team.
"I was most proud of the way the players handled themselves not only in their wins but also in the challenges and the adversities," coach Rob Hames said. "In their first game, they were on the winning side of a very lopsided victory, and they (displayed) grace and compassion. The squad did not gloat after a big win or get too down after a tough loss."
Whenever the JV Falcons scored a goal, they excitedly rallied around each other. At the final buzzer, they always congratulated their opponents on a good game.
However, they were also gracious when the final score was not in their favor.
"When they lost a close game late to Hopkins School, they were upset but came together as a team and did not point fingers for the loss," Hames noted.
He couldn't have been more pleased with their effort and dedication.
"The boys worked hard all season and their improvement was evident in not only their soccer skills but also in their attitudes," Hames continued. "I am very proud of this group of young men for the work they put in and for their constant commitment to improvement."
Team Roster: Marshall Bruce, Damian Dal Prete, Hatim Elarabi, Brooks Hinkle, Alex Kotchen, Carter Liston, Xavi Lopez, Owen Messing, Ben Normandin, Daniel Perez, Simon Rodriquez, Eita Sawano, Keda Tan, Kymani Williams, Konnor Yimlamai. Coach: Rob Hames.
Dirty Cleat Award: Alex Kotchen, Eita Sawano.
Most Improved Player: Ben Normandin
FIELD HOCKEY
The Falcons' field hockey team played with a purpose throughout the entire season and wound down their play on the turf with an exclamation point against Hopkins School.
Gaining growth and experience with each game, the players excelled at both ends of the field. When they weren't making strong rushes toward the opponent's goal, they were tenaciously protecting their defensive end of the field.
With good passing and all-around execution, the Falcons achieved a winning record of 3-2-1.
"The team grew so much from the first game to the last," said coach Pablo Devos. "The older players led the team with poise and confidence."
Foote School rose to the challenge of playing a very good Bement team up in Massachusetts. With only one sub, the players wearing the maroon and grey played hard and skillfully, resulting in a 0-0 tie.
"The girls counted on one another and didn't let anyone, their coaches included, down," Devos concluded.
Team Roster: Aila Adams, Slater Boms, Lark Bromage, Noor Burgess, Annabel Burwell, Elizabeth Lang, Molly Larsen, Dorothea Myers, Izzy Pakutka, Eve Reilley, Alex Rouwenhorst, Esther Schonberger, Ava Vidal, Leah Wilderman, Clara Lu. Coaches: Pablo Devos Deak, Sheila Lavey, Lauren Luparia.
GLUE Award: Ava Vidal.
Most Improved Award: Annie Burwell.
Stick Down Award: Izzy Pakutka.
Double Trouble Award: Molly Larsen, Eve Riley.
FITNESS CLUB
The first-year Foote School Fitness Club rose to the occasion amidst an environment where the participants combined nutritional education with physical education.
"It was truly an exhilarating experience working with the wonderful open-minded student-athletes; all while cohesively brainstorming activities to keep them engaged throughout our season," said coach Khalil Dunham-Carson.
In the first week, club members did circuit training from the beginning to the end of each practice, which throughout the season also consisted of pushups, curl ups, planks, wall sits, etc.
The club lived up to its goal of making fitness and exercising fun, but with an understanding of the importance of knowing how to properly exercise. The group mixed up the regimen by playing sports such as basketball, dodgeball, field hockey and more to underscore that there are multiple facets of working out.
The coaches said they were pleased to hear that Levi Lucarelli-Apatow has taken his club participation a step further and found fitness so important that he is "now waking up at 5 a.m., drinking protein shakes and living with a newfound commitment to his fitness endeavors."
"Levi exemplifies the tenacity for fitness that Coach P and I want our student-athletes to have," Dunham-Carson pointed out.
Whether it was enjoying a soccer game, doing aerobic and dynamic stretches, or simply just moving, the Fitness Club athletes used the many activities to become more cognizant of their health and familiar with great behaviors and habits.
"Our practices were fun, vibrant and active," Dunham-Carson continued. "Every single moment, the athletes were engaged."
Team Roster: Christian Banton, Arden Boms, Kia Bourne, Layla Colon, Noah Fisher, Alexandra Ipek, Levi Lucarelli-Apatow, Eleazar Parra, Charlie Schwartz, Eric Silva, Hoji Smith-Souza, Mara Solas-Gandhi, Cadel Tiernan. Coaches: Evan Pasquale, Khalil Dunham-Carson.
Most Improved Award: Chistian Banton.
Commitment to Excellence Award: Eric Silva.
Capybara Award: Arden Boms, Alexandra Ipek, Mara Solas-Gandhi.
Comments