The North Haven football team is preparing for the 2022 season with its sights set on continuing the dominant play that ignited the Nighthawks at the end of last year. Head Coach Anthony Sagnella is looking for North Haven’s momentum to carry over from when the team won five of its last six contests in 2021. The hard work began in the spring, continued into the summer, and will now be on full display as the Nighthawks hit the gridiron this fall.

North Haven has been participating in some scrimmages to get ready for its season opener against Simsbury at home on Friday, Sept. 9. Coach Sagnella’s squad will then play a road game versus Notre Dame-West Haven on Saturday, Sept. 16, after which the Nighthawks will host Platt on Friday, Sept. 23 for their first of four-straight home games.

North Haven is coming off of a season that saw the team finish with an overall record of 5-5. After losing their first four contests, the Nighthawks picked up steam while shaking off the rust from missing the canceled 2020 campaign in order to finish the season strong.

Coach Sagnella believes that building a stable foundation will be one of the keys for North Haven in the team’s quest for the success. The Nighthawks got a taste of what it takes to succeed in the SCC last year, and Sagnella feels confident that they’re going to put their experience to good use with a solid cast of veterans on board this season.

“We have to stay healthy as much as you can, but more importantly than that, we have to develop depth. It’s almost impossible to play a schedule like we’re going to play and do it with the same 11 guys every week,” Sagnella said. “Guys have to come into their own, and that’s where we’ve been looking all preseason.”

Last year, the Nighthawks had a small senior class that was headlined by captain Matt Dodge, who earned All-SCC Tier 1 honors, along with fellow captain MJ DeVilliers. North Haven’s senior class also featured Jake Langner and Steve DiCristina, who were both All-SCC Tier 1 selections.

Coach Sagnella admired how North Haven’s outgoing seniors led the team through all the complications that stemmed from COVID-19. Sagnella wants to see this year’s seniors emulate that same type of leadership.

“We got a lot of mileage out of guys last year that didn’t have a lot of experience. Traditionally, you don’t expect much from those players,” said Sagnella. “The senior class from last year showed this year’s team how to do it. They showed this team the blueprint.”

North Haven is being led by four senior captains this year. The Nighthawks’ captains are Michael Masto, a tight end/defensive lineman; Brian Lastomirsky, a running back/linebacker; Sal DeMaio, who plays blocking back and linebacker; and Jeffrey Karavas, who is both a quarterback and a defensive back.

Coach Sagnella said that North Haven has a unique group of captains leading the team toward its goals this season. Sagnella likes that fact that each one of the captains is bringing his own specific style to both the locker room and the field.

“This year, we were pretty fortunate to have four different personalities. Having the four of them is a good blend for our team,” Sagnella said. “The most important role for any leader is to lead by example, and they do that. They’ve done a good job.”

Coach Sagnella is excited about the potential impact of junior Adam Pandolfi this season. Pandolfi plays a versatile role on both sides of the ball for the Nighthawks. With Pandolfi’s speed, strength, and overall knowledge of the game, Sagnella is expecting him to be a major factor in North Haven’s quest to make the playoffs.

“In both scrimmages, if he wasn’t the best player on the field, he was one of the top few,” said Sagnella of Pandolfi. “He has grown up so much. He can do almost anything.”

Many of the players who Sagnella will be relying on this year play both offense and defense for the Nighthawks. On the offensive line, senior Brendan Ryan will be guiding that unit as one of the team’s most experienced linemen. Sagnella is also anticipating senior Yousef Gebril to provide stability on both the offensive and defensive lines.

Coach Sagnella is eager to see production of the Nighthawks’ ground game this year. Senior Daniel Thomas is slated to be significant piece of North Haven’s versatile attack as a running back. Junior Cam Thompson will also play a big role in the backfield to go along with his duties as a linebacker on defense. Senior Chayse Mangino will be counted on as a blocking back in the run game, while also serving as a key cog on the defensive line.

There are five other athletes in North Haven’s senior class. The other members of the Nighthawks’ senior corps are Declan Finkle, Matteo Fraschilla, Jayesh Komal, Mateo Raiano, and Jayden Roby.

With a new season about to kick off, Coach Sagnella feels encouraged about the big turnout at North Haven’s summer training programs this year. Sagnella believes that the dedication of his players toward getting better during the offseason was the first sign of better things to come for the Nighthawks in 2022.

“When we get to our summer conditioning program, the biggest thing is the turnout that we look for. We got a roster of approximately 80 guys, and we were averaging 65 to 70 kids a day throughout the summer, so that’s a good sign,” Sagnella said. “Are they willing to get in shape, and are they willing to work and improve themselves? It’s volunteer, so fortunately, our kids demonstrated that [it] mattered to them.”

Coach Sagnella thinks that things are coming together pretty smoothly for his squad thus far. With North Haven’s underclassmen gaining a wealth of experience last year, Sagnella feels optimistic that the Nighthawks are going to be able to build off their late-season hot streak when they take the field for the 2022 campaign.

One of North Haven’s biggest goals is to qualify for the playoffs this fall. The Nighthawks haven’t made it in a few years, but are ready to give it their all in their mission to get back into the postseason. If everyone joins together to form a powerful force, Coach Sagnella believes that the playoffs are well within reach for his team.

“If we can stay healthy and we can figure out how to push this rock up the hill, it would be very rewarding and deserving if this class can get themselves into the postseason and compete. I can tell you that every fiber on every guy’s body on the team is focused on trying to get that done,” Sagnella said. “Being around them from the end of last season to now, I think they’re holding true to their word. They’re putting their fears aside, and they’re going after their dream.”

2022 North Haven Football Schedule

Friday, Sept. 9: vs. Simsbury at 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 16: at Notre Dame-West Haven at 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 23: vs. Platt at 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 30: vs. Shelton at 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 14: vs. Harding at 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 21: vs. Xavier at 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 28: at Cheshire at 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 4: vs. Hand at 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 11: at Fairfield Prep at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 23: at Amity at 6 p.m.