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12/03/2024 12:53 AMFor the Guilford football team, it didn’t exactly have the storybook season the squad was hoping for this fall. Yet despite facing numerous setbacks and competitive opponents, the Grizzlies charged on with positivity and set a strong foundation for the future of the program.
On Nov. 27, Guilford hosted Daniel Hand for its annual Thanksgiving rivalry clash and took a 51-28 loss to conclude the season at 4-6. Head Coach Brian White, who just wrapped up his second season at the helm, saw a lot of growth opportunities from his athletes, as each one remained headstrong over the course of the campaign.
“This year, I would say that we were up and down with results, some good, some bad. Overall, the kids responded well to some adversity. We showed that we can play against tougher competition,” said White. “Our schedule this season was more challenging than last year, which is a good thing too because you want to keep upping the level of competition and keep improving as a program. I think that this was the story of our year, battling some adversity and just trying to stay as positive as we can.”
Last season, the Grizzlies finished with an overall record of 8-2 and 5-1 in Tier 3 of the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC). Hoping to improve on that record even more this fall, it proved to be a struggle to a 2-5 conference mark, as the Grizzlies were in one of the more difficult divisions this season. Before the final game, White noted that he wanted the team to fight until the end and not take their feet off the gas.
“We wanted to be as competitive as we could have been. If we play well in any game against any team, we can compete with anyone in the state,” said White. “It is just a question of how we come out, execute during the game, and how physical we can be.”
Despite taking the rivalry week loss, several athletes were named to the All-SCC First Team for their efforts on the gridiron throughout the course of the campaign, including Caden Hillier (senior, running back), Logan Murphy (senior, captain, defensive line), and Aidan Connelly (junior, linebacker). Rocco Barbera (running back/linebacker) and Murphy were the two senior captains, taking on a lot of responsibility and pressure to keep the team in check.
“They did a great job. We put a lot on our captains in terms of leadership and expectations, like helping the coaching staff, making sure that the team is doing all the right things,” said White. “These guys have always been there and responded well. They are on top of it, they keep their hand on the poles of the team, and they are good leaders.”
Additional contributors that always gave 100% and made their presence known on the competition stages were Hillier, Alex Tafro (junior, quarterback), Connelly, Barbera, and Aiden Ruotolo (junior, defensive back).
“Caden is very talented, physically brings a lot to the table. Alex Tafro, our quarterback, has been doing a great job for us, passing and running the ball. Our whole offensive line has really done a good job of coming together and making holes for the guys and everything else too,” said White. “On the defensive side, we have Aidan Connelly. He’s among one of the leaders in tackles in the state. He is all over the field, making plays. He has been a tremendous asset, leading our defense along with Rocco Barbera and Aiden Ruotolo.”
In the midst of a struggling season, White looked back on a competition against Notre Dame-West Haven that was a standout one for his team, as Guilford earned a hard-fought 35-28 victory against a squad that’s always given the Grizzlies troubles in the past. The win gave White and his athletes a lot more confidence to take on the rest of the schedule.
“One of the things that we came into when we played Notre Dame-West Haven this year was that they were always a challenging team for us. Traditionally, they were one of the better teams in our league,” White said. “It was a back-and-forth game. We ended up coming away with a one touchdown win. It was a high watermark for our guys. They played really well, physical, and fast. All of the positive things that you want to see as a football coach happened for us that night.”
On top of playing a top-notch set of opponents this fall, White explained that the injury plague was another obstacle that haunted his team throughout the fall.
“Every game that we really played in was a physical football game. There were no real let-ups in terms of physical play,” said White. “Sometimes in previous years, maybe we have a game or two where it is a little bit on the easier side. For us, it’s pretty much every game where it has been a dog fight. Physically, it has been really challenging for us. We have had to have other kids step up and play. To their credit, they have done a great job.”
The Grizzlies have a good number of upperclassmen heading into next season, with the exception of the 10 seniors that will be graduating in May. Although Guilford will be losing several key contributors, White remains optimistic in returning most if not all of the remaining veterans that played a huge role in the team’s four victories this season.
“We lose a lot of talent, but it’s like every year, where we cycle out players,” White said. “We have a good core of kids coming back that are hard-working and really dedicated. It is exciting because the young talent that we have mixing with that too is promising for a bright future.”
White is assisted by Jon Reniecke (defense coordinator), Roberto Landino (offensive coordinator), Eric Berlepsch (offensive line coach), Jim May (defensive line coach), Jack Six (linebacker coach), Nick Paradise (receiver coach), Bob Kessler (running back coach), Brad Cunningham (defensive back coach), and Neil Willis (defensive back coach).
The Grizzlies varsity roster is comprised of seniors Barbera, Lucas Deshefy (wide receiver/linebacker), Ryan Gribbon (wide receiver/defensive back), Jake Hedge (wide receiver/tight end/defensive back), Hillier, Murphy, James Oberg (offensive and defensive line), Melvin Omeragic (offensive and defensive line), and Kevin Smith (running back/linebacker); juniors Aaron Bergantino (running back/linebacker), Bodhi Climie (wide receiver/defensive back), Connelly, Lucio Nastri (tight end/defensive line), Sam Martocci (wide receiver/defensive back), Tafro, Wesley Tandler (offensive and defensive line), Ruotolo, Dominick Verme (offensive and defensive line), Ares Vasiliou (kicker), and Zisis Vasiliou (offensive and defensive line); and sophomores Tyler Amasino (wide receiver/defensive back), Easton Crowder (wide receiver/linebacker), Peter Archer Fitton (wide receiver/defensive back), Jayden Gravel (offensive and defensive line), Jackson Hamm (quarterback/defensive back), Reed Hovick (wide receiver/defensive back), Jake Muerrie (wide receiver/defensive back), Giovanni Onofrio (offensive and defensive line), Bryce Perry (running back/linebacker), Aidan Slocum (offensive and defensive line), Owen Stoddard (offensive and defensive line), Jack Thomasson (wide receiver/defensive back), Benjamin White (wide receiver/linebacker), and Hunter Witkowsky (wide receiver/defensive back).