Dominic Salato cherishes every time he walks onto a football field. Win or lose, he is passionate about the sport and his teammates. This year, he is a senior captain and the starting quarterback for the East Haven football team.

The Yellowjackets have a young team and have faced their share of challenges this season. Through a difficult schedule, Dom has been a constant source of leadership. Head Coach Scott Benoit recognizes this.

“I think he’s done a good job of trying to hold our young team together,” says Benoit. “We’re very young, we start eight sophomores, Dominic’s leadership has been pivotal, him along with the other captain, Jason Toth, they’ve both done a really good job.”

Regardless of age, Dominic talks about all his teammates as close friends. He’s developed a keen chemistry with sophomore wide receiver Dante Rodriguez whom he calls “always open.” He is also thankful for sophomore halfback Nick Bilides and his ability to pick up chunks of yardage after the catch.

“I love my team I love my coaches. Dominic says, “I wouldn’t trade my team for the world, I just wish we won more games. Losing is hard for us. Last few games have been close, obviously it’s hard to lose, but when you have a team like I do its still awesome being on the team.”

During Dominic’s senior year, the Easties have thrown the ball more than any season in recent memory. Coach Benoit enjoys having the option to air it out thanks to his quarterback’s strong arm, along with his ability to extend plays with his legs.

“He has a very strong arm,” Benoit says. “He’s very accurate with his passes and he also moves well to buy time, which I think is really important. He can run, he’s an all-state track kid, he’s got good speed…he creates time for himself and his receivers to get open.”

Mobility in the pocket is an essential skill for any quarterback, especially when facing a formidable pass rush. Coach Benoit praises his QB for his ability to feel the pressure and extend plays, buying valuable time for East Haven wide receivers to get open. According to Dominic, his evasiveness came naturally.

“I just saw a guy and didn’t want to get tackled,” Dominic says. “Running around in the pocket helped me improve my game a lot, I’m glad it came through because it made my game more dangerous, because you don’t know what he’s going to do now.”

Numerous games this season have seen Dominic light up the scoreboard with multiple touchdowns. However, his recollection of his best game centers on a goal line stand, when Dom sealed a Yellowjackets victory from the defensive side of the ball.

“I would probably put Bethel as my best game,” Dominic says. “No time remaining, two-point conversion for them wins it, I make a stop at the goal line and that’s just really what sets that game apart, that we won.”

On defense, Dominic has made a name for himself in pass coverage, playing both cornerback and free safety during his career. He has

2 interceptions this season. He enjoys the mental aspect of the game in the secondary and believes it has helped him become a better all-around player.

“On defense you look at all the reads,” Dominic says. “It translates to offense because now I realize you can’t give this away because that safety knows exactly what you’re going to do because I do the same thing to his QB. You get a better feel for every inch of the game.”

Dominic and the East Haven coaches met years before his first day as a freshman, and they saw his potential immediately. “I met Dominic the summer of 2018,” Coach Benoit says. “I was working at the East Haven day camp and Dominic was probably in seventh grade at the time. He was the best athlete at the camp. I said to him ‘when you come to high school, you’re going to be our QB.’”

Dom remembers that day at camp well, calling it “one of the most important days of his life.” His relationship with the coaching staff has continued to translate to success for him on the field. He has been able to soak up knowledge from Coach Benoit, a former QB himself.

“He’s shown me a lot of footwork that’s been helpful and beneficial,” says Dominic. “Having a veteran QB like he was has really helped me improve my game and helped me see things and make it a lot easier to focus on in-game situations.”

A natural athlete, Dominic is also a star on the East Haven Track and Field team, earning All-State honors and capturing the Class MM state title last spring. He believes his experience as a QB has helped him in the Javelin toss.

“Being a QB really helped me improve my javelin game,” says, Dominic, “because it’s just that with a spear, and there’s no pocket with people running at you in Javelin, so I feel like it makes it ten times easier. I can really relax, get in my follow through, do exactly what I need to do to throw farther, I kind of just imagine a wide receiver running a post down there and trying to hit him in stride. It helps.”