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02/03/2016 11:00 PMDaniel Stecher had a breakout season for Warriors’ football in 2015 and his efforts didn’t go unnoticed by his teammates and coaches, who voted Daniel one of the captains for the 2016 squad. Still in his junior year at Valley, Daniel isn’t waiting for next season to get started with his leadership duties.
“At the end of the season, everyone voted and, thankfully, I was chosen to be one of the captains. It’s very humbling. Ever since I started at Valley-Old Lyme, it was a goal of mine,” says Daniel, a Deep River native. “I wanted to take on a bigger role in the program. Being voted by my teammates is a great honor and now I need to show them that they can rely on me. I’m working out five days a week to be a role model for the younger players, so they know what you have to do and how much you need to sacrifice to be good football players.”
Last season, Daniel led Valley-Old Lyme in rushing yards with 793 on 129 carries for a 6.1-yard average. He also topped the team with 11 touchdowns and added 21 receptions for 129 yards. On defense, the linebacker accumulated 110 tackles that included 11 for losses, while intercepting one pass and recovering a fumble.
One of Daniel’s most-notable showings came in a 27-13 victory at Old Saybrook-Westbrook that saw him take over the game by mixing his athleticism with keen awareness to break off some long runs. In the fourth quarter, the Warriors were holding on to a 20-13 advantage when Daniel took a handoff on third down. The run looked bottled up, but Daniel cut back to the inside and turned the play into a 34-yard gain. Later, he sealed the victory with a 5-yard touchdown run and finished with 176 yards and two scores on 25 carries.
As exciting a victory as that was, Daniel notes another game that sticks out in his mind even more. On Oct. 1, Valley-Old Lyme played at North Branford and Head Coach Tim King’s father, George, Sr., had passed away at the age of 92 just two days prior.
“We wanted to win for coach so bad. He was handling the funeral arrangements all week and trying to prepare us for the game with the little time he had,” Daniel says. “Our coaches did an amazing job getting us ready for the game and we needed to get this one.”
The Warriors fell behind, yet fought back to tie the game at 14 and send it to overtime. Both teams scored and made their extra points and the contest went to a second extra session. Valley-Old Lyme scored to go ahead 27-21, but missed the extra point. North Branford then had the ball on the 8-yard line. A score would tie the game and the extra point would send the Warriors home with a heartbreaking loss.
“North Branford sent a player in motion across the field. They had done that earlier and scored on us with a pass, so I watched him and read it.” Daniel recalls. “When the quarterback threw the ball, I just dove and made the play.”
Daniel intercepted the pass to clinch the win and give Coach King the best present he could have amidst such a difficult time.
“The play Daniel made to win the North Branford game was huge. Huge. It was an unbelievable diving interception that showed everything about him.” King said. “It was incredibly athletic, intelligent to read the play, and clutch to do it when the game was on the line. It was just such an emotional moment.”
Daniel also ran for 115 yards on 16 carries and made 10 tackles on defense to complement his pivotal interception. He kept getting better as the season went on and proved a key factor on both sides of the ball, impressing Coach King with his effort on both the field and in the weight room.
“Daniel had a great second half of the season for us. It took him time to learn how to run downhill instead of sideline to sideline, but as soon as he did that and just relied on his ability and trusted his blockers, he really blossomed,” King added. “He’s one of our better athletes. He’s not big, but he’s very versatile. On offense, running, catching, on defense, he plays inside and outside, you name it. And he’s a tough, tough kid. I love how he’s always in the weight room. He’s a weight room warrior who is always trying to get better and that’s why he was voted a captain.”
Valley-Old Lyme also progressed immensely as the campaign unfolded and that seemed to coincide with Daniel hitting his stride. After injuries and some inexperience hampered the team early, the Warriors won their last four games to finish 6-4 and grab second place in their division.
“We started slow. Our quarterback [Matt Sapere] was hurt, we lost a lot of players off last season’s championship team. We just had a lot of adversity,” says Daniel, who was part of the Warriors’ undefeated state championship squad in 2014. “During the last stretch of the season, we got healthy and everyone came together and played hard for each other. It was a down year, but we fought and I’m fired up to bounce back next year.”
The future looks bright for Valley-Old Lyme next season with Daniel and fellow captains Sapere, Garrett Burdick, and two-year captain Mitch Conrad leading the way. Daniel wants the Warriors to vie for a playoff berth and he knows it will take a ton of work, but he’s definitely ready.
“We need to hit the weight room, watch game film, trust our coaches, and execute what they want us to do. My job as a captain is to bring the team together, build chemistry, and redeem ourselves for last season,” Daniel says. “I can’t wait until next year. I love the intensity on Friday nights, playing for my teammates, family, and our school. I love to compete and, hopefully, we can battle for a playoff spot. Being a captain means I have to be a leader for this team and I definitely want to thank my teammates and coaches, especially Coach [Bobby] Sanchez and Coach King for teaching me to grind, and also [2014 captain] Chris Jean-Pierre, who helped me become a better player and showed me what it takes to be a champion.”