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12/20/2022 02:13 PMThe recent Class M State Championship victory by the Notre Dame-West Haven (ND-WH) football squad actually had quite a bit of local connections to the Connecticut Shoreline, as several athletes on the title-winning team are residents of both North Branford and Branford.
The Green Knights faced off with Berlin for the Class M state crown back on Dec. 10 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. ND-WH dominated the Redcoats with a 35-8 victory in which it held Berlin off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter.
The victory was not only the Redcoats’ first loss this year, it yielded the 10-3 Green Knights their first state crown since 2009 and fourth overall. Three crucial senior members of the squad this season were local Shoreline residents in captain and offensive/defensive lineman Joshua Kuczynski of North Branford, alongside Branford’s own with tight end/linebacker Cooper Torrey, and another two-way lineman in Max Kyle.
Kuczynski noted that the sojourn to the summit actually began at the conclusion of the Green Knights’ prior 3-7 campaign. He added that ND-WH playing in the always highly-competitive SCC aided its composure on the championship center stage.
“As a team, our goal over the past two years was to bring Notre Dame-West Haven a state championship,” said Kuczynski. “Our junior year did not go the way anyone imagined; that was just extra motivation to work hard all summer. We played in big games all season, so coming into the championship game we were already so battle-tested that it felt as normal as it could possibly be. We knew coming into this game that Berlin was a good team and that, if we wanted to win, we needed to play our brand of football and play near perfectly.”
Kyle said that even playing in the backyard of UConn football under the bright lights, the venue was irrelevant as the Green Knights came ready to play and prevail with the crown.
“It meant everything to beat Berlin the way we did. We worked for years at this and to see the team’s hard work pay off is something I won’t forget,” said Kyle. “The environment was different and the numbers were definitely bigger, but if you looked past the field and the bigger numbers, it was the same game we had been playing this whole time.”
Torrey detailed that the reversal of fortunes from a year ago made this championship triumph that much sweeter. He also stated that the atmosphere of “The Rent” was awe-inspiring, but not at all intimidating.
“It meant a lot to me personally to beat Berlin in the state championship because of how last year we went 3-7, and we completely flipped the script this year through hard work and determination,” said Torrey. “Our team was led by a group of seniors who were determined to win the championship. It was an amazing experience to play at Rentschler Field. When we were pulling up with our bus, the stadium was a lot bigger than we imagined. But that just added to the excitement of the game.”
ND-WH football Head Coach Joe DeCaprio commends the trio for not only their athletic efforts on the field but also their character away from it and commitment to the classroom, as Kuczynski sports a 3.88 grade-point average, Kyle a 3.1, and Torrey a 3.5.
“All three kids are leaders in the building, not just our football program. The way they carry themselves in the building and how they treat their peers is a testament to how they were raised,” Coach DeCaprio said. “Their attitudes and leadership make all three of them beloved by both the faculty and students, and all three of them also excel in the classroom.”
Following the championship pomp and circumstance, Kyle began to put things into perspective and thinking about the genesis of his football career, making it very difficult to hold back his emotions.
“After we won the game, I was soaking it all in,” said Kyle. “I have been playing this game since 3rd grade in Branford with Cooper, and to see how far we have come and the things we accomplished, I couldn’t help but get emotional.”
When harkening back to home, Kuczynski was especially thankful to represent his town the best way he could after what the community has given back to him.
“To represent the town of North Branford not only as a student but as an athlete has been an honor,” said Kuczynski. “I have put this sort of pressure on myself to be as successful as I possibly could. I always felt that being the only player on Notre Dame that is from North Branford has been self-motivation to be a role model to the North Branford community as a whole, but especially to the North Branford Youth Football organization. I would not be the young man and the football player that I am today without that great organization. This idea of being looked up to was my motivation as a student-athlete here at ND-WH.”
His local roots followed Torrey to the stadium, a factor which motivated him even further to be at his best on that momentous day.
“It feels great to represent the town of Branford,” said Torrey. “I had a lot of local support through my friends and family at the game, which meant a lot to me, because during the game you feel like you’re playing for something beyond yourself.”
Speaking more to his hometown pride, Kuczynski praised the North Branford Youth Football program for forging his path to success with the pigskin.
“I want to accredit these awards to the North Branford Youth Football organization, as they’re the ones who built my foundation and gave me the tools to succeed. I would not be where I am today without the town of North Branford as a whole, and the Notre Dame community who has had my back for these past four years.”
DeCaprio goes on to state that the title would not even be on the table without the heart, commitment, and efforts of these young men.
“There is absolutely no way we would win a state championship without one of these kids,” said DeCaprio. “They meant so much to our team on and off the field, and I am honored that they call me Coach.”
Additional members of the ND-WH roster who are Branford residents are junior Dominick Basti, sophomores Jaeden Konesky and Alexander Chavarria, along with freshman Giuseppe Capasso.