By Catie Rice – Staff Reporter

The boys and girls tennis teams are trying to serve up a successful season.

The girls return many strong individual players who gained varsity experience last season.

“We have a really talented group coming back,” head coach Mr. Kulenych said. “The girls worked really hard in the offseason to get ready for the spring and we should be very competitive.”

The team finished with a 7-13 record last year. The goal for this season is to make states which means the team will need to win 10 matches.

This year’s captains include senior Emma Shea and juniors Victoria Contaxis and Megan Gleason.

Other key players on the team this year are Maeve Rourke (junior), Trisha Brady (junior), Deepika Senthilnathan (junior), Meghana Jaladanki (junior), Brianna Arnold (junior), and Anna Downs (senior).

“The team for this year looks great and we hope to have another successful season,” Contaxis said.

There are several new players that will have an immediate impact on the team this season. Sophomore Brianna Gardner will play #1 singles and freshman Monica Pydipati will play doubles.

This will be Kulenych’s ninth year coaching the girls tennis team.

“Mr. K. always  pushes us to do our best and works with us when we are having trouble during a match,” Arnold said.

The girls open their season on Wednesday, April 6, at home against East Haven.

The boys tennis team, meanwhile, finished off its 2015 season with a 4-13 record and are hoping to improve a lot this year.

The captains for this season are seniors Bobby Phong and Ian Hugo.

Some key players are James Mercaldo (senior), Manar Almidani (junior), Brandon Macey (senior) as well as Hugo and Phong.

“I believe the team is going to be much better if we keep working hard at practice with the help of our coach, Jared Dye,” Almidani said.

The team will have to work hard against  challenging opponents like Xavier and Cheshire but plan on capitalizing against teams such as Wilbur Cross and Career.

The Lawmen have set several team and individual goals for the season.

“Bobby (Phong) is looking to make states again this year and Brandon Macey and I are looking to improve on our six wins last year,” Hugo said. “We also hope to make states as a doubles partnership.”

By Kristin Frank – Staff Reporter

As a junior captain of the Law girls tennis team, Victoria Contaxis has a promising season ahead of her this spring.

Contaxis leads by example in everything she does on the court. She is described as a hard-working and dedicated player.

“I try to lead the team by encouraging everyone to have a positive attitude and to never give up on a match,” Contaxis said.

Even though Contaxis has been playing for Law’s tennis team for three years now, this was not an unfamiliar sport for her coming into high school.

“I played on and off from elementary school until eighth grade in tennis clinics,” Contaxis said. “My first real match was my freshman year.”

Contaxis herself shows how hard work can really pay off. She commits herself to hours of this sport a day.

“I commit most of my time during the week to tennis in the high school season,” Contaxis said. “In the off-season I play two times or more a week indoors.”

Contaxis is close with many girls on the team. She is an outstanding leader and really supports all of her teammates.

“Tori always tries to encourage everyone to do their best and never looks down on us when we mess up,” junior Brianna Arnold said. “She is definitely the perfect leader for our team.”

There are many other key players on this team this year, such as juniors Megan Gleason, Maeve Rourke, and Trisha Brady, as well as senior Emma Shea and sophomore Brianna Gardner.

These players all contribute to the team’s success throughout the season.

Contaxis believes this year’s team record will improve from last year. She is hoping for another division win.

Being the great role model Contaxis is, she helps her teammates become better players themselves.

“Tori is just is so nice to everyone and you never are too scared to speak with her,” said Gardner. “Personally, this helps me become more relaxed on the court knowing that someone is always rooting for me and the rest of the team as well.”

Contaxis is always supporting her teammates during practices and matches, helping them to strive for success.

“I try to motivate my teammates to always work hard and play with all of their effort,” Contaxis said. “Whether they are playing jv or #1 singles, it is important to play your hardest.”

The head coach of the girls tennis team, Mr. Kulenych, said that Contaxis is a leader of the team on and off the court.

“Tori is everything you want in a player and a captain,” Kulenych said. “She is such a talented player but she still works so hard every day in practice and is such an amazing role model for the rest of the team.”

Contaxis has a lot of plans for this upcoming season. She is excited to lead her team to a successful spring.

“I am looking forward to personally work on improving my attitude and mentality because tennis is such a mental sport,” Contaxis said. “Also, spending time with my teammates is something I look forward to do.”

By Megan Grabowski – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law baseball team is ready to start their new season this year.

The team is looking to make a comeback after a rare 3-17 record last year. Their ultimate goal is to make states.

Head coach Mr. Simler is looking to make improvements to ensure success this season.

“I’m looking to improve our hitting and ability to put up runs,” Simler said. “It’s my goal to be able to finish out games and win them.”

Captains for this season are seniors Rob Griswold, Evan Carollo, and Francesco Mucciacciaro. All three captains are ready to lead the team and plan on ending their high school baseball careers on a high note.

“I’m looking forward to this season,” Mucciacciaro said. “It’s senior year and I’m gonna give it all I got.”

Key players for this season include Griswold, Carollo, Mucciacciaro, senior Kyle Frey, and junior Jeremiah Bravo.

“This year we have a lot more experience so we will feel more comfortable with each other,” Bravo said.

Some of the hardest teams the Lawmen will play this season include Amity, Notre Dame-West Haven, and Fairfield Prep. The team is ready for the challenge.

“I’m excited to see how the hard work from the past three years pays off and how the bumpy roads we’ve gone through prepares us to be mentally tough enough to compete with the best,” Carollo said.

The Lawmen are a very close group and some of the teammates have been playing together for years. The underclassman are looking to keep the team close as they get older.

Sophomore Carl Maxwell plans on being successful over the next few years.

“I’m excited to improve on last years season and get more wins,” Maxwell said. “Being an underclassman, it’s good to get varsity experience and learn how the game changes as you play at higher levels.”

The Lawmen are looking forward to playing Fairfield Prep at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport on May 14 this season.

“It’s exciting, Harbor Yard is a fun place to play and many of us have played there in the past,” said senior Tom Marchitto. “We know playing there will be a big game so it’s something we are all looking forward to.”

The seniors are looking to have a successful final season.

“I can’t believe it’s already our last season,” said Mucciacciaro. “I really want to make this one count.”

The team opens up their season on April 5 at home against Branford.

By Colleen Rice – Staff Reporter

The girls and boys lacrosse teams are getting ready for a winning season.

Last year was the girls’ first varsity season and they finished strong with a 7-9-1 record and qualified for the state tournament.

The team’s captains are sophomore Stella Patrick, junior Angela Sciuto, and senior Kayla Carollo.

“It feels great to be an underclassmen captain but also intimidating because I’m younger,” Patrick said. “My personal goal is to help my team beat Foran twice again this year.”

The girls lacrosse team won 13-6 in their first scrimmage against Bunnell High School on March 28.

Some key players on the team are Sciuto (junior), Patrick (sophomore), Colleen Goodwin (sophomore), and Olivia Keator (sophomore).

“I have high hopes for the team this year and want to make at least the second round in states,” Sciuto said.

The team is led by head coach Jessica Shaw and assistant coach Lynette Martinez. The two have coached the girls lacrosse team at Jonathan Law for two years now.

“I am very excited for the start of our season,” Shaw said. “I am most eager to see the improvement in our two brand new goalies, Mimi Chrzastek and Kyra Murray. They are stepping up to fill a difficult position and are learning quickly.”

Some difficult games on the schedule this year include Foran, West Haven, Sacred Heart, and Lauralton Hall.

Jonathan Law’s boys lacrosse team finished last season with a 5-11 record.

The team’s three senior captains – Logan Danville, David Patrick, and Tyler Cavallaro – are prepared for a great season.

“We have a strong leadership core from David, Tyler, and I so hopefully that will lead us to the state playoffs this year,” Danville said.

Some key players on the team consist of Patrick, Danville, and Cavallaro, Jake Bombace (sophomore), Nick Torres (junior), and Jimmy Boyle (sophomore).

The head coach of the team is Michael Forget.

Some difficult games the boys will be facing are against Cheshire, Notre Dame-West Haven, Foran, and Shelton.

“Being on the team is great and it is a lot of fun,” Bombace said. “I definitely recommend anyone to play because you can learn quickly.”

The team’s first game is against Stratford at Law on Saturday, April 2 at 11 a.m.

By Brianna Arnold – Staff Reporter

Senior baseball captain and shortstop Rob Griswold is getting ready for his final high school baseball season.

“I commit my daily hours to playing baseball,” Griswold said. “When I am not in school you will probably find me with some type of baseball equipment in my hand.”

Griswold is excited for the upcoming season, hopfull that they will beat their last year’s 3-17 record.

“Our record should greatly improve from last year, hopefully qualifying for the state tournament this year,” Griswold said.

Senior captain Evan Carollo is good friends with Griswold and cannot wait for their last baseball season to begin.

“Together we lead the team in a way where everyone will follow,” Carollo said. “We do a good job communicating on and off the field.”

Their hardest competition for the Lawmen this season will be Amity or Fairfield Prep. Both schools have strong teams that bring their “A” game every game.

Mitchell Smith, a junior on varsity, has known Griswold for three years and knows how much passion he has for baseball.

“Rob is definitely a key player on our team,” Smith said. “He has always showed his dedication since I’ve been on the team.”

This is Griswold’s second year as a captain on the team and he likes to get everyone ready for the season.

“I like to lead my team by example and carry myself,” Griswold said. “I want them to be independent and carry themselves.”

Griswold is ready to finish his last high school baseball season and play division one in college.

“I am very excited to play college baseball and have been playing ever since I can remember,” Griswold said. “This is a dream of mine.”

Junior Jeremiah Bravo has been on varsity for two years and looks up to Griswold as a leader for the team.

“Rob motivates everyone and pushes them to be the best player they can be,” Bravo said.

Griswold’s coaches are proud of him and are excited to see him get back out on the field for the final time.

“Our coaches do a good job in making us the best we can be,” Griswold said. “They put us in situations where we have the ability to succeed and they not only make us better baseball players but they mature us and prepare for the real world.”

Griswold has high hopes for this season.

“Key players are going to be our seniors and the young guys that are going to have to step up and help,” Griswold said.

By Paige Szygiel – Staff Reporter

The Lady Lawmen are very confident for their 2016 season.

They have high expectations and plan to fill the big positions they lost.

This year the team is led by senior captains Erin Saley, Gege Romero, and Megan Smith.

“My expectations for this season are to make states and make it through the first round again,” Smith said. “I expect the underclassmen to step up and work their hardest to fill the positions we lost last year.”

The Lawmen lost three big starters last year, and were a little hesitant on how the younger freshman would fill their positions.

“Some upcoming freshman are Cali Jolley in the infield working at shortstop and Ally Stein tracking balls in the outfield,” sophomore Erin Harrigan said.

Some other freshmen are Erica Boehm and Gina Bocamazzo.

“I’m very excited for this season to start,” Jolley said. “They expect a lot from everyone and that really motivates me to do the best I can.”

The talent doesn’t just stop there: the team is filled with very talented players and that will be a key to getting to their goal of reaching the state tournament.

“Gege Romero is one of our key players,” Saley said. “We rely on her because she can play multiple positions in the infield and is very confident.”   

One of the team’s strengths is the bond they have on and off the field.

“I’ve been playing with these girls for awhile, even before high school,” Romero said. “We’ve all created great bonds and all of us are great friends.”

The Lawmen know which teams will be tough this season.

“Some challenging teams will be Lauralton, Amity, and East Haven because they always go far in the tournament,” Saley said.

They will put their key players to the test and they are confident that they will be the ones coming out on top.

“Maddie Murphy is one of our big hitters,” Smith said. “We lost big batters last year and she definitely has what it takes to step up her game even more this year.”

The senior leaders plan to steer their team in the right direction.

“We all look up to the captains,” Boehm said. “They help us with whatever we need and make sure we fully understand the positions we have to fill.”

By Renee Lynch – Staff Reporter

The golf team is looking for success in their 2016 season and is excited to hit the course.

“I’m very excited about this years team,” head coach Mr. Koorejian said.

Law has plenty of talent, coming from both upperclassmen and underclassmen.

“We should have a pretty good team this year,” senior Matt Marino said. “We didn’t lose anyone from last year and we have new kids on the team who have potential for the future.”

Talented players include Marino, captain Jake Mola (junior), and captain Max Caserta (senior).

“Mola, a three-year starter and a junior captain, should be a top scorer this year along with his four year starter co-captain Caserta, with help from Marino and newcomer Brian Hayes (junior),” Koorejian said.

The season will start on April 6 against Career Magnet at Law’s home course at Orange Hills Country Club.

The boys have worked hard in the off season, attempting to improve their weaknesses.

“I personally need to work on making my swing more consistent to have a successful senior year season,” senior John Ralston said.

Law will face cross-town rival Foran on April 13 on Foran’s home course. Foran will return to Law’s home course on Monday, May 2, for another rivalry match.

“I think that we will fair better against Foran this year considering they graduated three of their top six players,” Petrie said. “I’m hoping to go out and sweep them this season.”

With some additions to the team, Lawmen golfers plan to have a great season.

“We didn’t graduate any seniors last year and we have additions to the team, so underclassmen will really be playing a part this season,” Petrie said.

Hard work and dedication will give the team success to achieve their goals.

“We’re looking to have a great season,” Caserta said. “We might be able to make states as a team this year, considering we have the same team as last year, plus some new freshman.”

The golf team has underclassmen talent with potential for promising seasons to come in the future.

“We have five sophomores and two freshman that can develop into future leaders of the team,” Koorejian said.

The team’s seniors are excited about their last high school golf season.

“I don’t play golf to win, I play to challenge myself everyday because on the course it’s just you and yourself,” Marino said.

By Paige Szygiel – Staff Reporter

The Milford Indians recently finished their winter season with a record of 4-15-1.

The team was coming off a 10-win season and was confident that they were going to make it to states again this year, but they fell short late in the season.

Senior captain Brandon Argyros was one of the main players that helped bring the team to success. He was one of the team’s leading scorers and went All-SCC and All-State.

“My own memorable accomplishments were scoring the game winning overtime goal vs. Amity,” Argyros said. ”Going All-Conference and All-State is something I’ll remember forever.”

Argyros showed his leadership on and off the ice all season.

“Brandon was positive all season,” said Cicarelli.” His good leadership really makes others want to be more like him, they look up to him.”

Argyros has been playing hockey since he was little. He’s been passionate about this sport since the first day he stepped out on the ice and that continues to this day.

“Being co-captains with Brandon was a great experience for my last season,” Ericson said. “He tries his best at whatever he does and it motivates not only me but the whole team.”

Argyros was a co-captain with Andrew Gobany, Luke Gibbs, Nash Ericson, and Doug McLenthan.  Some other key players were Jake Comeau, Gobany, and Gibbs.

“My most memorable moment was getting player of the game against Branford,” Ericson said.” Even though our season didn’t go as planned, our team kept up our focus and intensity.”

One of the Indians’ most exciting wins was against Amity.

“Our line was the first to score in the 4-3 overtime win,” Cicarelli said. “I think that was one of the keys to the win.”

Some tough losses were against Guilford, Trinity Catholic, and Fairfield.

“We came in confident against Guilford, but just fell short,” Comeau said.

Next year, the boys have high expectations and their goal is to make it back to the state tournament.

The team has big shoes to fill considering all of the seniors leaving, but they are confident they can get the job done.

By Megan Grabowski – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law indoor track team just concluded a successful winter season.

The team finished the season with many broken records and personal bests.

The captains for the girls team this year included senior Kayla Carollo and juniors Colleen Rice, Olivia Steiner, and Kiki Smith.

Steiner and Smith went All-State this year. Steiner went All-State in the long jump and Smith went All-State in the 55 meter sprint. Steiner qualified for the New England Championships as well.

The girls both followed the words of encouragement from Coach Rhode to “jump far, run fast,” at every meet.

“Going All-State for me was literally a dream come true; it’s been a goal of mine forever,” Steiner said.

Rice is excited about how the season went this year and is looking forward to just as much success next year.

“I think overall everyone did very well and I’m proud of my two co-captains going All-State,” said Rice.

The team was coached by head coach Mr. Beler as well as Mr. Rhode. Ms. Martinich joined to coach the team as well this year.

“I was so lucky to have been able to volunteer this winter with the shot put throwers,” said Martinich. “I think our throwers’ accomplishments speak for themselves.”

Martinich is proud of how the throwers competed this season.

“We had an amazing group of throwers who threw way into the postseason, with six throwers making it to states,” said Martinich. “Our throwing squad was a tremendous part of the team’s success this season.”

Senior Mark Dow broke the shot put school record and junior Maddie Murphy broke the girl’s shot put school record.

The boys team was just as successful this year. They were led by senior Nick Ferrara and Gabe Haynes and juniors Joe Mugford and Charlie Fonck.

“Being a captain gave me a leadership role and was a great experience,” said Ferrara. “I was able to help out and give input in ways I wasn’t able to before.”

Ferrara is happy with how the season went this year.

Ferrara, Mugford, Haynes, and sophomore Alex Pratcher broke the 4×200 relay school record. Mugford and Ferrara were in the Top 3 school record list for the 55 meter.  

“This indoor season went great, we broke school records and personal bests consistently,” said Ferrara. “As a team we all improved as athletes and the younger kids learned a lot.”

The team’s freshmen enjoyed their experiences this year and are looking forward to future seasons.

“Indoor track was a lot of fun and the coaches push you to do your best,” freshman Sammi Franzman said. “I really enjoyed being part of the team and meeting new people.”

By Catie Rice – Staff Reporter

The Law girls basketball season was a slam dunk.

The team finished the regular season with a record of 10-10 and qualified for the SCC Tournament and for states.

The team had many key players, including senior captains Laura Dulin, Erin Saley, Jess Centore, and Kailee Frank that helped lead them to victory.

“It was a great season,” head coach Mr. Young said. “We overcame a lot of adversity and got many good contributions from freshman to senior. The seniors have had a huge impact on the team and coaching staff.”

The team connected on and off the court and that closeness helped them get the results they wanted. They introduced strong players Cali Jolley, Fallon Andriolas, and Samara Thacker to varsity as freshmen.

“I loved the incoming freshman, they really helped out on varsity,” senior Paige Szygiel said. “It was fun to be with the team everyday.”

As a freshman, Thacker got a lot of playing time that benefited the team. Against Amity, Thacker scored the game-winning free throw.

“It was a fun new experience to play with older girls and they made me a lot better for next year,” Thacker said

During the season, Dulin achieved a personal record scoring her 1,000th point.

“It was great getting 1,000 points,” senior Captain Laura Dulin said. “It was such a relief because I knew I was so close and to finally do it was very exciting.”

Dulin has played varsity basketball at Law since she was a freshman and was a captain her junior and senior year.

Members of the team said they will miss playing for Young next season.

“Mr. Young is a great coach, all of us were so close on and off the court,” Szygiel said. “He’s a great role model and helps all of us get better.”

Law defeated Amity 52-51 in the first round for SCCs before falling to Career in the second round. The Lady Lawmen lost to Farmington in the first round of the Class L State Tournament.

The girls also dominated their cross-town rival Foran 47-27 in the second meeting of the two teams this season.

By Nick Ferrara – Staff Reporter

Senior captain Jess Centore had a strong finish to her last girls basketball season.

Centore started playing basketball prior to high school, and began playing for Law her freshman year. Her skill quickly caught the eye of the coaches and Centore began to start on varsity towards the end of her freshman year.

Centore earned All-SCC honors as a junior and repeated that feat this season.

“Jess has impacted the team by stepping up when we needed it the most and scoring,” senior captain Kailee Frank said. “Her leadership shows through her captain’s position by making sure underclassmen take practices seriously and pre-game warmups seriously so we have enough focus to win.”

Centore has also shown great leadership as a captain of the team the past two years.

“The captain position gave me more skills because I learned that underclassmen are always watching what us captains are doing, and there are always eyes on you,” Centore said. “This forces me to try and be the best version of myself at all times.”

She helps out all the underclassmen, especially the freshmen, and works non-stop at making them better each practice.

“I’ve learned to take charge and the four of us (captains) learned to be serious when we have to be,” Centore said. “We know when and how to get everyone else to focus.”

With the help of Centore, the girls made SCCs and states each of the last two seasons. This year, they advanced to the second round of the SCC Tournament.

“Jess is always supportive and always tries her best to help us if we are having trouble,” senior captain Laura Dulin said. “She is fast so it’s so easy to find her and her jump shot is really good so we can always rely on her to score if we need points.”

Senior manager Seamus O’Reilly said that he will miss Centore’s work ethic and dedication to improving her game.

“I’ve seen her training pay off so well, she works harder than anyone else,” O’Reilly said. “She went into basketball freshman year with low expectations of herself and was really just an athlete, but with so much hard work she is now a two-time All-SCC basketball player.”

By Arielle Eighmy – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law wrestling team boasted many individual and team accomplishments this year.

Senior captain Daniel Ouellette and freshman Troy Anderson went to SCCs while sophomore Kevin Brockson qualified for State Opens.

“We were pretty close, we were 16 and 14, we did OK but we did have a few wins that slipped away from us that we could’ve won,” assistant coach Mr. Ruzbarsky said.

During the season a few players were injured, but the team managed to make it through until the end.

“We had our ups and downs this season,” Ruzbarsky said. “We had a couple kids get injured at certain times that we weren’t able to make our goal of 20 wins.”

Despite these obstacles,  always having a good time wrestling and cheering on their teammates.

“I had a lot of fun with the team at Class Ms,” Ouellette said. “It’s a fun experience besides the wrestling part.”

The Lawmen Invitational Tournament was also a success for Ouellette, who finished first.

Even though the team was young this year, they all managed to do their best.

“The team was very young this year, but we managed to win a decent amount of matches and everyone improved significantly over the course of the year,” junior Matt Grace said.

Grace said that he looks up to his coaches and loves working with them.

“(Head coach Mr. Schoonmaker) and Ruz are both fantastic coaches who always push me to do better at this sport,” Grace said.

Anderson has helped the team come close to reaching their goal in more ways than one.

“I wrestled well this season and took third at SCC’s and I had a winning record,” said Anderson.

Ruzbarsky has high hopes for new wrestlers and the team as a whole.

“Next year we are gonna have some pretty high hopes, because we have a lot of returners coming back next season,” Ruzbarsky said. “We are definitely going to be looking for 20 plus wins and looking to contend for the SCC Division Championship.”

By Colleen Rice – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law gymnastics team had a “fliptastic” season this winter.

The team finished their season with many athletes beating their personal goals. They finished with a 17-9 record including regular season and states.

With this record, the gymnastics team improved from their previous season of 13-7 last year.

The girls also qualified for states which were held at Pomperaug High School on February 27. The team was very successful and ended up placing third overall.

“We had a couple of beneficial meets which helped us make it to states,” junior Kristin Frank said.

Daniel Hand was one of the more difficult meets for the girls but it only pushed them to try their hardest.

“Hand has a strong team so we always push ourselves more to get better results,” Frank said. “They challenge us which is always good.”

Law faces every team twice in the regular season. Some schools the girls went against included Hand, Foran, Hamden, Pomperaug, and Mercy.

The captains for the past season were all seniors: Megan Grabowski, Niamh Nelson, and Kira Chandra. The captains have been on the team for four years and have been very dedicated towards pushing the girls to do their best.

“I was so excited to be captain this year, it was a lot of fun being on the team with all of the girls,” Grabowski said. “I’m very proud of them for working so hard and making it to states.”

Some key athletes on the team this season consisted of Chandra and juniors Kristin Frank, Maddie Sosa, and Melanie Coleman.

“This season I felt like I’ve hit all the events at multiple meets and I’m looking forward to seeing how much the team can accomplish next year too,” Coleman said. “I’m excited to help the girls become the best they can be.”

Head coach Mr. Simon pushed the girls every day, leading them to a successful season. New assistant coach Abby Shackett was a great addition as well.

“Even though I miss Nicole LaLuna being assistant coach, Abby really brought our team together and made us a family,” Nelson said.

According to the team’s freshmen, the sport is very welcoming to everyone and even with no experience, trying out for gymnastics is a great idea.

“As a freshman on the team, I loved how welcoming all the team members were,” freshman Bella Carroll said. “I also loved how close everyone got by the end of the season.”

By Renee Lynch – Staff Reporter

After a tough season, Jonathan Law boys basketball plans to make a comeback next season.

“Even though we had rough season, I’m going to miss this sport more than anything,” senior captain Destin Johnson said.

The boys had a close game on their Senior Night against Lyman Hall, losing 76-73. The seniors ended their season playing to the best of their ability.

“I’m really going to miss playing with my boys,” senior Matt Marino said. “Without this sport, I feel like part of my life is over and my childhood has ended.”

Lawmen basketball had a neck and neck game against Hand at the Harbor Yard Arena in Bridgeport, CT, ending with a tough loss of 62-59.

“Playing at an arena with a 10,000 seat capacity was insane,” Johnson said. “It was by far one of my favorite memories and just walking onto the court in such a huge gym with my jersey on gave me chills.”

Key players this season included Nolan Beardsley (senior captain), Johnson and Evan Carollo (senior).

The team will be losing 10 seniors, and all their starters from this season. However, underclassmen are ready to take over.

“It’s all hands on deck for next year,” head coach Mr. Dooley said. “A lot of playing time open for those who put the work in and can show they’re ready for the rigors of a varsity season.”

Assistant coach Mr. Zuraw has prepared the underclassmen to take on starting varsity positions.

“We have a talented group of underclassmen who I think will be very successful over the next couple years,” Zuraw said. “The future of Jonathan Law Boy’s basketball is promising and I’m looking forward to what’s to come.”

Conor Creane (sophomore), Sam Nassar (sophomore), Matt Tournas (sophomore) and Dean Pettway (sophomore) have plenty of potential for the 2016-2017 season and look to be key players.

“There’s tons of potential and talent on this team,” Dooley said. “The next nine months are very important for our success next year.”

Underclassmen are looking forward to their season next year and can’t wait to be more successful.

“I’m looking to work hard in the offseason to improve my game,” Pettway said. “We have potential but we need to put in the work to get wins.”

Offseason is crucial for the boys and will hopefully guarantee wins, along with a prosperous season.

By Jessica Cuevas – Staff Reporter

Junior Kevin Keramis has aspired to improve and meet his personal goals during this year’s swim season.

Keramis has been apart of the boy’s swim team since freshman year and swims multiple events such as the 200 meter freestyle and a couple of the relays, but his best event is the 500 meter freestyle with a time of 5:48.

He is determined to break his personal records this year. Although he hasn’t reached his expectations yet, he plans to in the near future.

“Kevin is always enthusiastic about swimming,” senior captain Colby Brennan said. “He gives his all every day, even during the most difficult sets.”

Keramis’ swimming career began when he was six years old.

He discovered he had a natural talent for the sport so he then decided to continue his passions all the way throughout high school.

“Swim has been a part of my life for a long time,” Keramis said. “It’s taught me many valuable lessons about hard work and dedication and where all that can get you.”

Keramis has gradually progressed in his years of swimming and has improved his best times since he began his high school career.

Along with working on his own ambitions, he is always willing to aid his teammates in order to assist them in reaching their own goals.

“Kevin is always helping out the team,” senior captain Ian Hugo said. “Whether he is swimming the 500 or helping people out with their form, he’s always there to lend a hand.”

In addition to being helpful with his teammates, Keramis is also friendly and bonds with them very well.

“Kevin is the most enthusiastic when it comes to speaking to me,” senior Miguel Pinheiro said. “He likes to practice his Spanish, even though I’m Portuguese.”

Seeing as Keramis is not only amicable with the team, but also supportive as well, many believe he would make a great captain for next year’s season.

Even though he is only a junior, his teammates can already recognize leadership traits from him.

“Kevin always leads the lane during warm ups,” senior James Mercaldo said. “He has helped the team tremendously by swimming some of the most difficult events.”

The swim team concludes its season against West Haven on February 23.

By Kristin Frank – Staff Reporter

Laura Dulin’s senior year on the girls basketball team is bringing her success, especially after scoring her 1,000th point in Law’s game against New London.

Dulin has committed herself to basketball for four years now and is always improving her offensive skills to benefit her team during games.

According to head coach Mr. Young, Dulin is one of the top scorers in the the SCC. 

Laura is the second Dulin to achieve this goal. Casey, her older sister, also reached the 1000 point mark during her junior year in 2009.

“I was very happy and relieved when I scored my 1,000 point,” Dulin said. “Knowing my ball will be next to my sister’s in the trophy case was cool to think about.”

During this tough game against New London, Young was very proud of Dulin.

“This has been the first player that I have coached that was able to reach 1,000 points,” Young said.

The other girls on the team are very happy for their teammate’s accomplishment.

“Laura is always focused during the games and has a winner’s mentality,” junior Cassidy Boath said.

Dulin has also been a captain for two years now and works well with all her fellow teammates.

The captains for this team also include seniors Kailee Frank, Erin Saley, and Jessica Centore.

“We work together by constantly talking on defense and letting each other know where to go and who to guard,” Saley said. “We always pick each other up if one of us messes up on a play or has a bad game.”

In addition to being the successful offensive player she is, there are many reasons why Dulin stands out on the court.

“Laura makes great moves on the court and she shoots three pointers in needed times during our games,” Frank said.

Dulin is characterized to be a great leader on the team. Her teammates are impressed by her leadership skills along with the other captains.

“Laura always thinks of the team first and always supports her teammates,” Boath said. “She picks the players up when they are down during games.”

During basketball, it is always important to play well with your teammates. When trying to win games the players on the court should communicate with one another.

“All of the seniors help during our games,” Dulin said. “We have been playing together for the past four years now and know when to help one another.”

Dulin has won many awards these past four years because of her outstanding performances during her games.

“Laura was nominated for going All SCC,” Young said. “She has been a consistent scorer for all four years and one of the top scorers in the SCC.

Dulin has come so far in basketball and many would love to see her continue with it after her high school career is over.

“It would be really cool to play at the next level but I am not entirely sure what I  want to do just yet,” Dulin said.

The girls basketball team is three quarters of the way through with their season and have amassed a 10-8 record. They qualified for states with a win over Cheshire on January 29.

By Paige Szygiel – Staff Reporter

The Law boys basketball team returns a veteran team this season, led by senior captains Destin Johnson and Nolan Beardsley.

The Lawmen plan to bring a whole new energy and focus in order to win games and make it to the state tournament.

“Our goal this season is to make the state playoffs,” Johnson said. “If we play solid defense and share the ball on offense we should be able to make it.”

Johnson and Beardsley plan to take their captain roles head on and lead their team to victory.

“In practice we’re focusing more on defense and preventing teams from getting in the paint,” Johnson said. “We’re also working on offensive fundamentals.”

The Lawmen practice seven days a week and work up their skills with every drill they do.

“Practice is where we can make mistakes and improve them,” Beardsley said. “We put 110% into all the drills we do, and that is going to make us successful this year.”

Head coach Mr. Dooley expects a lot from his senior captains.

“(Mr.) Dooley really pushes us in the right direction and wants to see us succeed,” said Beardsley. “He really wants to see us get the results we deserve.”

The team returns many experienced players this season. Seniors Matt Marino, Evan Carollo, and Justin McFadden will work together with the captains to get results.

“Our key players this season are Nolan and Justin,” Johnson said. “They’ll do a majority of the scoring, while myself, Evan, and Matt will anchor our defense.”

With 10 returning seniors, the Lawmen are more confident about their potential.

“The most enjoyable thing is just to play with my friends,” Beardsley said. “All of us have been friends for years and that’s what keeps us so close.”

Last year’s Foran games were tough tests for the Lawmen. The cross-town rivalry goes back and forth every year, and this year Law plans to win both games.

“Our schedule this year isn’t as difficult on paper as previous years but we have no guaranteed wins either,” Johnson said. “Hillhouse and Hand are always tough to play, and the Foran game is the game I’m looking forward to the most.”

 

By Ian Hugo – Sports Editor

Senior hockey captain Brandon Argyros is looking forward to the season ahead and to the challenges it will bring.

Argyros, who has been on varsity since his freshman year, believes that the preparation the team put in during the off season will pay off once their season starts on December 23.

“Yes, I believe we will have a very successful season and make states, due to working hard in practices and playing a painfully tough scrimmage schedule to prepare us for the season,” Argyros said. “Also, we have  talented offense and defense to go with strong work ethic.”

The team worked hard in the offseason to get ready for the season and to make sure they’re prepared for their key matchups against schools such as North Branford, who they play first and who is expected to win the division, North Haven, and West Haven.

“In [the] offseason we worked a lot on conditioning, with running laps before practice and during practice we work on game situations and more conditioning,” Argyros said. “We focus very much on strong defensive play because a good team starts with good defense.”

Argyros and the rest of the squad, comprised of students from Jonathan Law, Joseph A. Foran, and Platt Technical High School, are focused on their goals as a team rather than as individuals.

“As a team our goal is to get eight wins and make states,” Argyros said.

The Indians, who went 10-9-1 in the regular season last year, losing in the first round of states, and who two years ago lost to Amity in the semifinals of the state tournament, are looking to go deep into the tournament this year, according to Argyros.

“We hope to make a deep run into states, based off our sound defense and string offense,” he said.

This hope is looking likely to be fulfilled, with many key players such as Argyros, Tommy Sampson, Jake Comeau, and Nash Ericson from Law, Andrew Gobany from Platt, and Luke Gibbs from Foran.

“They are very talented,” Argyros said. “Gobany is extremely fast, Luke Gibbs is a hard worker, Jake has a hard shot, and Nash holds the blue line down.”

Argyros, the lone captain, is supported by his four assistant captains Gobany, Ericson, Gibbs, and Doug McLenithan (Foran). According to Argyros, head coach Mr. Follo wanted representation from all schools on the team.

“It was fairly easy [in preseason being the only captain] because everyone on the team gives 100% and leaves nothing behind,” Argyros said. “Everyone is there for each other and supporting others to do their best.”

Although Argyros dealt with the responsibilities of the captaincy quite well before his assistants were picked, he says he is glad that he has them by his side.

“I am happy to have assistant captains [because] they all work hard and it’s well deserved,” Argyros said. “Together we create a strong nucleus to set the tone for games.”

The Indians get their season underway December 23 at North Branford at 3:45.

“The boys and I are vibing,” said Argyros. “We’re all really ecstatic”

By Nia Cordero – Staff Reporter

Law’s indoor track teams are off to a great start this year according to head coach Mr. Beler and captains Olivia Steiner and Joe Mugford.

Although there are separate captains for boys and girls indoor track, Beler explains that the team is still one.

“We’re co-ed , we’re one team,” said Beler. “The motto of the team is ‘one team, one family.’”

The team is expanding this year and is welcoming many newcomers.

“We have a large number of new kids coming out,” Beler said. “We have 38 freshmen that came out this year and we have a lot of balance between the teams.”

Having so many student athletes on the team this year requires more help and support.

“The coaches are myself and Rhode, we also have Coach Martinich joining us this year,” Beler said.

With so many new members, the team really relies on the guidance of their captains and the coaches.

“The team could not work without strong captain leadership, since there are only three of us coaching the entire team,” Beler said. “Our captains are Joe Mugford, Gabe Haynes, Nicky Ferrara, Charlie Fonck and for the girls it’s Olivia Steiner, Kiki Smith, Colleen Rice, and Kayla Corollo.”

Mugford is excited for the upcoming year and for the depth that both the boys and girls teams possess.

“Some key members are Gabe [Haynes], Olivia [Steiner], she long jumps and is really good, Jason Baker, and Charlie [Fonck],” Mugford said.

Mugford has a list of personal and team goals for the season.

“I’m  trying to get better and faster, trying to get a banner, (trying to) go All-State indoor and outdoor season,” Mugford said.

Indoor track is a team sport, but for the team to improve, each individual has to better themselves.

“We work together and don’t at the same time, track is considered an individual sport but it’s good to have your teammates there supporting you to get better and to push each other,” Mugford said.

In addition to having more team members, there are also other changes happening around the teams this year.

“We’ve added a few more meets,” Beler said. “We’re starting this weekend with the Hillhouse Invitational.”

Beler has high hopes for the girls and boys teams this year.

“We could go as far as New Englands and Nationals this year,” Beler said. “We have a large number of talented kids.”

By Jessica Cuevas – Staff Reporter

Senior indoor track captain Nick Ferrara is working towards becoming an exceptional athlete while motivating his team to do the same.

Ferrara competes in the 55m dash, the 4x200m relay, and the sprint medley relay. He has been a member of the indoor track team since his freshman year.

“I have made many improvements from freshman year to now,” Ferrara said. “I have significantly gotten faster and stronger.”

On top of the regularly scheduled indoor track practices, Ferrara does high-intensity workouts in the preseason and during the season. He hopes to reach personal bests in all his events this season and hopes to go All-State with his 4x200m team.

Ferrara has many team goals for this season as well. He wants to see his teammates working hard day in and day out.

“As a team, we will succeed in competing our best and getting better each meet,” Ferrara said.

Ferrara’s teammates said that his determination and optimism make him a great leader and captain. He has a very positive influence on the team and likes to bring new ideas to the table when it comes to track.

“He’s a hard worker and dedicated,” junior captain Joe Mugford said. “He’s pretty helpful and a great leader.”

Ferrara is especially supportive to the team’s younger members. He tries his best to instruct them, fix their form, and motivate them to raise their confidence levels.

He does this in hopes to get some of the underclassman to qualify for the bigger away meets.

“Nick as a captain makes sure everyone does what they have to and if they need help he helps them,” junior Charlie Fonck said.

Since the indoor track team has over 100 members, the coaches rely heavily on their captains to help out with the plethora of athletes. The coaches benefit from all the extra help they get from their captains.

“Nicky is doing a fantastic job,” head coach Mr. Beler said. “We have high expectations for him and many of our athletes.”

The team is excited for all of their meets this season, especially their first few qualifying meets, for New Englands, and hopefully, for Nationals.

The team is also looking forward to the Yale invitational that takes place in January. This meet is special because schools from all over the East Coast come to New Haven to compete.

By the end of the season, Ferrara hopes to become a better athlete and lead his team to success.                                                                                  

By Cyntia Santos – Staff Reporter

The Law boys swim team is ready to get underway with its 2015-16 season.

With two coaches, 20 swimmers, and 12 meets coming up, they’re ready to build tradition with every stroke – after a bit of practice. The swimmers practice Monday through Friday at Foran and have a bus provided to get them there. Their practices consist of a warm-up, sets that vary each day, and a cool down.

“The practices are challenging at times but overall they’re fun,” sophomore swimmer Jack Pincus-Coyle said.

Head Coach Miss Kizavul is very excited to be coaching her second season of boys swim and is looking forward to seeing progress with the team.

“I hope to get another win this year, maybe even two,” said Kizavul. “And I’d like to see more records being broken.”

Leading the team this year as co-captains are seniors Ian Hugo and Colby Brennan. Brennan was a team captain last year as well.

“I’m expecting for everyone’s times to improve and for us to win a couple of meets since last year we won one and tied one,” Hugo said.

The team is very eager for their upcoming meets. Their first meet this season is on December 21 at Foran against Daniel Hand.

The other teams the swimmers are competing against are Hamden, Haddam-Killingworth, Sheehan, Foran, Lyman Hall, Joel Barlow, North Haven, Bunnell/Stratford, Shelton, Kennedy, and West Haven.

This year’s team also features two girl swimmers, Molly Mercaldo and Irmina Chrzastek, who said they are both happy to be there.

The team’s managers are also ready for the start of the winter season.

“I expect all the boys to try their hardest like they do every season and get some of their best times,” junior manager Abigail Williamson said.

The team has nine managers that time lanes and writes in the books to keep the score.

“Managing boy’s swim is always so much fun, going to the meets with the team and timing for all of them is exciting when you get to let [the swimmer] know if they’ve broken their best times,” junior manager Isabela Roldan said. “Managing gives you the opportunity to interact with all kinds of people and all the swimmers are so welcoming that it feels like more of a family than a team.”

The team has recently raised money by selling soy candles. The money collected will go towards the end-of-the-season banquet.

By Layla Corona – Staff Reporter

Senior captain Dan Ouellette is looking to come out on top in his final season as a Law wrestler.

Ouellette has been wrestling for the past seven years. Ouellette wrestles outside of school at Team Tugman Wrestling Club and continues to practice throughout the summer at the gym and at occasional camps.

“My responsibilities are to lead the team in spirit and to set an example,” said Ouellette. “I lead the team in setting up and warming up, but more importantly I set the example on how to be sportsmanly and cheer on our teammates and show the effort that goes into the sport.”

Even with all this responsibility on his shoulders, Ouellette still manages to be a great role model as captain and maintains good grades.

Ouellette does his best to keep a clear, steady mind when preparing for a meet.

“We warm up and stretch as a team, but before my match I listen to music and move around and try to clear my mind because I cannot wrestle well with things on my mind,” Ouellette said.

Ouellette and his coaches share some similar expectations for the team this season.

“We have over 32 dual meets and our goal is to win 20 of those,” assistant coach Mr. Ruzbarsky said. “We have a young team, but they seem capable of achieving these goals.”

Junior Matt Grace agrees with Ouellette and Ruzbarsky.

“Some goals I definitely think are good are getting 20 wins and hopefully winning the B division,” Grace said.

Ouellette has many goals for the season and plans to accomplish all of them.

“My personal goals are to reach 25 wins, never get pinned, and to make states,” Ouellette said.

Grace sees great potential in Ouellette and is expecting great things from him this season as well.

“He’s a great wrestler and captain, and I think he’ll help our team excel this year,” Grace said.

Even though the team is very young, Ouellette still sees much potential and expects great things from the team this season.

“As a team I want us to overall improve, we are a very young team and we should have a winning record and hopefully reach 20 wins,” Ouellette said. “I feel that even though we have a younger team, by the end of the year we can all improve with a winning record and have an overall good season, despite us losing a lot of talent.”

 

By Colleen Rice – Staff Reporter

The wrestling team is ready to “take down” the upcoming season.

After finishing with a record of 16-16 last year, Law’s wrestlers are eager to get back on the mats and beat that record this season. They are also looking forward to competing against their crow town rival Foran.

“I’m excited to wrestle Foran this year,” junior Matt Grace said. “They’re an experienced team but I know with our skills we can take them.”

Grace is a returning wrestler who has been on the team for the past two years. His individual goal is to win the B division title.

Senior captain Dan Ouellette is one of the key members of this year’s team. As of now, Ouellette is the only captain, but if a wrestler shows effort and leadership, someone else may also be appointed.

“My personal goals are to have a winning record, never get pinned, and make state opens,” Ouellette said. “A team goal is to reach our program’s 550th win, 20 wins for the season, and to overall improve.”

The team very young this season and has only four upperclassmen: Grace, Ouellette, Ire Opayemi, and Chris Osorinio.

The team has study halls after school and practices start at 3 p.m. and last until 6 p.m. every day.

“Usually practice lasts pretty late so mandatory study halls allow student athletes to do homework after school,” assistant coach Mr. Ruzbarsky said.

This is Ruzbarsky’s eighth year as the team’s assistant coach.

“Our team has great potential since we have 11 sophomores and six freshman,” Ruzbarsky said.

Freshman members of the team say they feel very welcome to be a part of this team.

“I’m really excited for the season because this is my first time wrestling,” freshman Jared Steiner said.

The wrestling team is also a great place to try new things and find new interests at the school. Sophomore Storm Furtado is new to the team but has high expectations for the season.

“This is my first year on the team and I’m reaching for varsity time and to get stronger throughout the season,” Furtado said. “I’m very excited.”

Law will host a Duals tournament on December 28. This tournament features 12 teams, including Farmington, Ledyard, Foran, and Fitch.

“We hope to come in top three this year at the tournament,” Ruzbarsky said.

The team’s first three SCC cross-over meets are against Xavier, Hand, and Foran. Law will host Xavier for their first match on December 16 and visit Foran on January 6.

By Megan Grabowski – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls basketball team is shooting for a successful season this year.

The girls are excited for a new season, coming off of an impressive 14-6 record last year.

Senior captains include Laura Dulin, Erin Saley, Jess Centore, and Kailee Frank. The girls are looking for a victorious season to finish off their high school career.

¨My goals for this season are to make it further in the state tournament and improve on our record,” Saley said. ¨Our underclassmen this year have a lot of talent so I think we will be really successful.”

The team had three scrimmages against East Haven, Stamford, and Joel Barlow to start off their season. The girls feel that they played strong, but could use improvements.

Head coach Mr. Young knows that with hard work at practice, the girls will improve.

“The team is working hard and improving every practice,” Young said. “We want to improve defensively this year and play fast.”

Key players for this season include Saley, Centore, Dulin, Frank, and senior Paige Szygiel.

The hardest teams the girls will play this season include Mercy, New London, and division rival Daniel Hand, but they know with teamwork they can come out on top.

“I think these teams will be good competition for us, but we need to work together as a team if we want to win,” Centore said.

The team’s freshman are also excited about the new season and are looking forward to their next three years on the team.

“I’m excited for the upcoming season working on skills and improving in basketball,” freshman Pam Ellison said. “Also working with a different team will be a new experience for me.”

Despite the exciting year ahead, seniors already know they will miss the team once the winter season comes to an end.

¨I will miss the team so much because they make basketball fun and they all became very good friends,¨ said Frank. ¨We all make eachother better and Mr. Young has taught us so much.¨

To make their last season worthwhile, seniors are planning pasta parties and other team bonding events to ensure a fun season.

“It’s important to have team bonding so we can have good chemistry on the court and play as a team,” said Frank.

To start off their regular season, the girls will play at Amity on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

The girls first home game is against West Haven on Wednesday, December 23 at 6 p.m.

By Abby Williamson – Staff Reporter

Captain Ian Hugo has big plans for his senior swim season.

After joining the swim team his junior year, Hugo proved himself dedicated and was awarded one of two captain spots along with senior Colby Brennan for the 2015-2016 season.

Hugo had no previous experience competitively swimming before he joined Law’s swim team last year.

“I was really bored and I felt like I should do something other than sitting home, eating chips, and watching Netflix all winter,” Hugo said.

He joined for fun and to spend time with his friends but Hugo continues to succeed in all freestyle events.

“I hope to make SCC Trials again this season,” Hugo said.

Head coach Miss Kizavul didn’t think twice when naming the captains for the upcoming swim season.

“I noticed that Ian was a very good leader and teammate. He is an awesome role model for the rest of the team,” Kizavul said. “He has good school spirit, is a friend to all, and is somebody that a lot of the kids look up to.”

Junior teammate Mike Jalaf is a good friend and strong supporter of Hugo in and out of the pool.

“He always stays focused no matter what is going on,” Jalaf said. “He never fails to pump us up and get us ready for meets.”

While Hugo is a strong swimmer, he has played varsity soccer for three years and tennis for one.

“[Swim] is a lot harder, the practices are a lot harder,” said Hugo. “Unlike soccer and tennis, it’s a full body workout. When I go home I’m always really sore.”

Junior Manar Almidani is on all of the same sports teams as Hugo and thinks he’s a good motivator for everyone.

“As a captain, he’s responsible and is always cheering everyone on even if we’re losing,” Almidani said. “He always motivates us because to him, it doesn’t matter if we win or lose as long as we try our best.”

Another teammate of Hugo’s, sophomore Jack Pincus-Coyle, believes that Ian is mostly responsible for the team being so close knit.

“My freshman year was mine and Ian’s first year on the team,” Pincus-Coyle said. “I didn’t expect everyone to get along as well as we did. We immediately bonded and that is probably because of Ian and his eager personality.”

With Hugo anticipating this upcoming season along with the support from the whole team and coaches, he plans to make a splash for his last high school swim season.

By Nick Ferrara – Staff Reporter

Senior captain Colby Brennan hopes to swim toward success in the upcoming season.

Brennan has been on the swim team since his freshman year. He was chosen to be a cptain last year (his junior year) and again this year as a senior.

“My personal goals are to beat my times from last season in all of my events,” Brennan said. “My goals for the team are to have us win at least two meets and have us be able to send as many swimmers as we can to SCCs”.

The boys swim team has many promising athletes, including senior captain Ian Hugo, senior James Mercaldo, junior Kevin Keramis, sophomore Jake Gwirtz, and sophomore Jack Pincus-Coyle.

The team has a goal of winning two meets, and plans to send eight swimmers to SCCs.

“In preparation for the season, I’ve been playing sports and keeping myself in shape,” Brennan said. “As a team we did dry land practices before the season began, and we have been pushing ourselves during practices.”

Hugo said that Brennan is well-prepared, supportive teammate.

“Colby is one of the most fit people on the team; he seems to always be in shape,” Hugo said. “Whether or not he’s in the water or on the sidelines, he is always cheering people on.”

Brennan focuses on and favors the 100 meter butterfly and 200 meter IM. 

“Colby is an experienced swimmer who is willing to swim any event for the team,” senior James Mercaldo said. “He sets a good example by swimming his best every day and is happy to help the team out in any way he can, at every meet.”

Brennan is pushing this season to beat all of his personal records and to keep on improving as an athlete and as a leader.  

“I think Colby is a really great motivator for the team, he never fails to make sure everyone tries their best, even if things aren’t going the way they want that day,” said junior boys swim manager Abby Williamson.

“Since freshman year I’ve definitely improved,” Brennan said, “My strokes are longer and stronger, and I have gotten a lot better at controlling my breathing while I’m swimming.”

By Brianna Arnold – Staff Reporter

Junior Madison Sosa is ready to give it her all for the upcoming gymnastics season.

Sosa has been doing gymnastics outside of school at Polly’s Gymnastics year-round for 13 years and has been a part of the Law gymnastics since freshman year. As one of Law’s key gymnasts, she has many goals she wants to accomplish for the upcoming season.

“One of my goals this season is for our team to make states,” Sosa said. “We have been working hard as a team and I really think we will be able to accomplish it this season.”

Sosa competes in every event and her strongest is her floor routine.

“Before a meet, I usually go over my routines to prepare or I talk and get ready with my teammates so I can go out confident,” Sosa said.  

Senior captain Niamh Nelson, who has been on the team with Sosa for three years, has seen great improvement in her ability to be a leader on the team.

“Maddie’s scores are going to really help the team out this year,” Nelson said. “She is really dedicated and puts in a lot of work in every event.”

Being a part of Law gymnastics is important to Sosa and is different to her than her Polly’s team outside of school.

“Law gym is different in that I have the opportunity to be on the same team as girls I usually compete against,” Sosa said.

Junior Kristin Frank has been on Sosa’s Polly’s team for 13 years as well and knows how hard she works at practice.

“Being on the same team as Maddie is a fun time, we help each other become better gymnasts and strive for success,” Frank said.

Gymnastics is a difficult sport to master and takes a lot practice and time to get it right.

“When I need help I go to my coaches or close friends on the team that cheer me up,” Sosa said. “I definitely want to beat my scores from last year and try to work on new skills on every event.”

Juniors Abby Williamson and Bianca Hanania, who are close friends with Sosa, know how committed she is to gymnastics.

“Even though we are not a part of the gymnastics team we still know about Maddie’s success through gymnastics and her talents,” Williamson and Hanania said. “She talks about it in school and we can tell she is truly dedicated.”

Junior Victoria Contaxis, a former gymnast and current manager for Law gymnastics, is one of Sosa’s best friends and sees great potential for Sosa in the future.

“She always focuses on every new skill and puts in 100% effort in every day,” Contaxis said.

Junior Melanie Coleman, another key gymnast on the team, knows how to help Sosa get ready before a meet.

“During meets Maddie supports us by cheering her hardest to make sure we know we can hit our routines so we keep going and try our hardest,” Coleman said.

With all of Sosa’s preparation for the upcoming season, she’s eager to see what’s in store.

By Renee Lynch – Staff Reporter

The Law gymnastics team is excited to tumble into its new season.

The team’s first meet of the season will be at home against Hamden on December 22. 

Senior captains Megan Grabowski, Niamh Nelson, and Kira Chandra are preparing to lead to team to a successful year.

“I am excited for my senior year to hopefully make it to states again,” Grabowski said. “We have a lot of freshmen with potential and I think we will have a successful season.”

The incoming freshmen have already proven to be great additions to the team, and the upperclassmen are looking forward to challenging them to work harder.

“The freshmen have a lot of potential this year”, Grabowski said. “I know they will be able to lead the team in the future.”

In the 2014-2015 season, the Lady Lawmen finished with a 13-7 record.

Key gymnasts this season include Grabowski, Nelson, Chandra, and juniors Maddie Sosa, Kristin Frank, Melanie Coleman, and Arielle Eighmy.

“It’s definitely going to be different without the graduated seniors this year,” sophomore Emma Carollo said. “But, I am really looking forward to this season and getting to know the freshmen.”

Tough opponents this season will include Daniel Hand and cross-town rival Foran.

“We need to work together as a team to be successful,” Nelson said. “We will condition to get stronger and better.”

All of the gymnasts have set individual goals for this year.

“I really want to get my half half on vault by the end of the season,” freshman Lizzy Lombardi said.

The girls have a new assistant coach this season as well. Abby Shackett, a former Law student and gymnast, joins the staff.

“So far it’s been a lot of fun and it’s only been a week or so,” Shackett said. “I’ve been looking forward to this since I left Law in 2012 and I plan on helping create the strongest team so we can place top three at states like last year.”  

All the girls are passionate about finishing this season with a victory.

“I’ve been doing gymnastics for 13 years now and I’ve never had such a passion for a sport like this one,” Frank said. “Your whole body is so involved and gives the audience a thrill as they are watching.”

The team’s seniors are excited to spend their last year together doing what they love.

“Gymnastics has always been there for me,” Nelson said. “I’ve started high school with my co-captains and I wouldn’t want to end it any way other than these girls by my side.”

By Kristin Frank – Staff Reporter

Law is finally moving into its winter sports season, and students are excited for those 7 p.m. boys basketball games.

The Lawmen are looking forward to improve on their 2-18 record from last year. The team plans on being more aggressive during their games this season.

There are two senior captains this year, Destin Johnson and Nolan Beardsley, and their goal this season is to lead their team to many accomplishments.

“As captain, I will get everyone ready for the games during our practices,” Beardsley said. “Our mindset is to play our absolute hardest all the time.”

The key members of this year’s season are Johnson, Beardsley, Justin McFadden, Matt Marino, and Evan Carollo. Head coach Mr. Dooley has very high hopes for these five players.

“We will have to be competitive in every game,” Carollo said. “Everyone has had a varsity experience and we all gel together as team when we work hard.”

Members of the team said that they each know what their job is on the court. 

“To help my team this year I will run the offense and put the scorers, Justin and Nolan, in the position to make shots,” Johnson said. “Matt, Evan, and I play a big role on the court with defense for the team.”

The team is excited about the talent pool they have assembled this season. 

“When you are a varsity player you have to be so aggressive when trying to stand out,” junior Jeremiah Bravo said. “You have to play your position well and know where you are on the court.”

Coach Dooley said he will do whatever it takes to push his athletes to the best of their ability.

“During practices we spend a lot of time trying to prove our offense philosophy,” Dooley said.

Along with Dooley, many of the players are well aware of the skills they need to improve on. All of the athletes’ answers were similar.

“We need to work on our attitude as well as finishing games the way we started them,” Carollo said. “It is important to stay up and continue to have energy throughout the whole game.”

Dooley and the members of the team all seem excited to play crosstown rival Foran twice this season.

“Foran is the team we need to beat,” Johnson said. “ We lost to them twice last year so it is very important that we beat them this season.”

The Lawmen are excited to kick off their season and start on a high note.

“I’m mostly excited for the fact that we have so many upperclassmen with a lot of experience in the program,” junior Matt Zancewicz said. “The team this year really knows how to work together because of that.”

By Ian Hugo – Sports Editor

Law took down rival Foran 10-3 in the annual cross-town Powderpuff game on November 24.

It was second straight win for the Lady Lawmen, who are 14-4-1 all time in Powderpuff.

“It was a great feeling winning the game,” said senior captain and quarterback Gege Romero. “Going into it we were pretty confident because of all the work we put into it in practice, but it was awesome to see it all come together and have the work pay off.”

The game was back and forth throughout the entire first half. Law’s Bethany Edwards kicked a 26-yard field goal to put Law 3-0 up towards the end of the first quarter. Foran tied it up right before halftime with a field goal of their own that barely squeaked over the crossbar.

Law’s defense played a key part in keeping the game close, with defensive players Paige Szygiel (LB), Kailee Frank (LB), Keala Hoff (DL), and Maddie Murphy (DL) playing a key role in shutting down Foran’s offense.

“(Mr. Ragaini) and (Mr. Nigretti) worked us really hard and taught us so much and tweaked everything so we could be the best defensive players we could be in about a month,” said Frank. “Being on the defensive side was so much fun but you had to be disciplined enough to do your part and make the play.”

The second half was just as close. The game went into the third quarter knotted at 3-3 with both teams looking to make the final push towards the end zone and close the game out.

This push came in the form of senior running back Jess Centore.

Centore, who was arguably the player of the game, with 12 carries for 113 rushing yards. With time running out late in the fourth quarter, Romero shanded off to Centore who took the ball down the left sideline to the end zone to put the Lawmen ahead 10-3.

“It felt good [scoring the game-winning touchdown] because towards the end of the game we were getting nervous that it was just gonna remain a tie,” said Centore.

Although Centore had the lone touchdown of the game, she was not the only key offensive player on that cold night across town: Romero had four completed passes for a total of 45 yards, all of which ended up in the hands of senior wide receiver Erin Saley.

“Any time you can beat Foran is a great feeling,” said Robinson. “Just seeing the joy on everyone’s faces makes [winning] worth it.”

Law held on for the win in the closing minutes, with junior Victoria Contaxis intercepting a last-ditch Hail Mary effort from Foran’s quarterback as time ran out.

“[The game] was nuts,” said head coach Mark Robinson. “But we had faith that the girls would find a way to make the win happen, which they did. Contaxis didn’t catch a single ball in practice for three weeks and she seals the game with an interception? They wanted the win.”

The game took place at Foran this year, but that did not stop legions of fans from coming out to support the Lady Lawmen in the frigid weather in hopes that this year’s squad could repeat last year’s success.

“Even though it was cold on the night of the powderpuff game it didn’t stop us from coming out and supporting the girls,” said senior Frankie Mucciacciaro. “It definitely was fun rooting for them especially in a close game.”

By Nick Ferrara – Staff Reporter

Senior captain and running back David Patrick is starting to reflect on his last year playing for the Law football team.

Patrick has been a member of the varsity team since his freshman year. This season, Patrick was chosen to be a team captain.

“Personally, good things that came for me this season involved becoming a leader and becoming a better player physically and mentally,” Patrick said.

The Law football team may not have performed as well as it hoped this season, but that hasn’t stopped Patrick from stepping up as a leader.

“As a team we became closer and learned to keep fighting, even when the results do not go the way you want them to,” Patrick said.

Patrick is a multi-sport athlete. He also plays lacrosse and track which keep him in shape year-round.

On and off the field, Patrick has an impact on all of his teammates.

“David impacted me greatly by hyping us up come game time, and leading us on the field by doing the right thing in certain situations like confrontations with other teams,” junior cornerback and running back Joe Mugford said. “He leads in practices and keeps us on track.”

The football team’s goals for finishing out the season are to beat Lyman Hall on November 13 (Law won 30-7, Patrick had a touchdown) and then to beat Foran on Thanksgiving. Patrick said he hopes to make some more memories in those games to add to the ones he has from earlier in the season.

“I would say our Senior Night vs. Hillhouse was the most memorable moment for me,” Patrick said. “We were down 26-0 at the half but made a comeback and were within 12 points about to score on the 11 yard line. Although we didn’t win, it was the best we’ve played all season as a team, and individually I had 110 all purpose yards (rushing and receiving), an interception, and seven tackles.”

Teammates say they are going to miss Patrick next season.

“David is a great leader, and is destined for success in the future,” Mugford said.

By Colleen Rice – Staff Reporter

The Lady Lawmen recently wrapped up their volleyball season.

With a record of 6-14 this year, the team improved from last year. Their six wins came against Hillhouse (twice), North haven (twice), West Haven, and Shelton.

“Some games we got lazy and didn’t move our feet enough which costs us easy wins,” senior captain Kailee Frank said.

Key players on the team include juniors Kristin Frank, Cassidy Boath, and Angela Sciuto, as well as sophomores Colleen Goodwin and Stephanie Felag. The girls are already excited for next year’s season.

“Talking is a big part of volleyball, it makes the game so much easier,” junior setter Kristin Frank said.

Junior Cassidy Boath was a key part of the varsity team as the libero. She recently went All-SCC and has improved immensely throughout the season. Boath had 311 digs and a 93 serving percentage.

“It feels really great to know that my hard work helped me achieve this,” Boath said. “I couldn’t have done it without the support from my coaches and teammates throughout the season.”

In order to qualify for the state tournament teams need eight wins. Sadly the girls fell short this year but are determined to redeem themselves in the upcoming season.

“We want to make states and continue to be a team that works well together,” said Boath.

The team is losing five of their starters next year including Renee Lynch, Tori Nabors, Kailee Frank, Heather Sherrick, and Molly Vargo.

Their Senior Night was held at Law on Monday, October 19 against Daniel Hand. The team performed well and worked together to play all five games. Hand won 3-2 but it was a memorial night as the seniors played their final home game.

“I’m going to miss ‘LV’ more than anything,” Kailee Frank said.

Kailee Frank has improved throughout her four years on the team and intends on playing club volleyball in college. She is very excited to see how the girls do next season.

Head coach Ms. Loch has a positive outlook on the past season and is ready to improve and see the girls succeed.

“I am very proud of the girls this year,” Loch said. “Every game was a close game which shows how well the girls played against competition.”

Although the team usually consists of 24 varsity players, freshman are always welcomed and Loch is excited to see the new talent coming in next year.

By Brianna Arnold – Staff Reporter

Junior Mitchell Smith, Law’s quarterback, is looking to turn the team’s season around on Thanksgiving and give the Lawmen some momentum going into next year.

Law’s current record is 0-8. The team is looking to improve their season within the next couple of games against Lyman Hall on the road and against Foran at home in the highly-anticipated Thanksgiving game.

“The Thanksgiving Day game looks like it’s going to be a close game,” said Smith. “Even though our current record isn’t great we are getting better week by week and all of our hard work should pay off on Thanksgiving.”

The team is excited for the Thanksgiving game, hoping to finally take home the trophy after last capturing it in 2007.

Senior captain running back Tim Caldwell sees great potential in Smith for his future as a football player.

“QB1 is the man,” Caldwell said. “Watching QB1 on the field is electric, he’s a great quarterback and very intelligent.”

Smith wants to make the end of the season a good one, and as a leader he has some goals for the rest of the season.

“In order to make this season better we have to win our last two games,” Smith said. “If we can win these games it could give our underclassmen starters some confidence going into next year.”

Smith started off the season pretty well on a personal level. He was excited for the rest of the season; however, it did not go exactly the way he wanted.

“Even though I personally had a decent game week one, we still didn’t win the game which is the goal every week,” Smith said.

Dennis Theis, a varsity receiver and one of Smith’s closest friends, knows how hard Smith works everyday to improve.

“Playing with you best friend as a quarterback is a great experience and I will hopefully be captain alongside him next year,” said Theis.

Smith’s younger brother Zach is a freshman and also has a spot on the team. He looks up to Mitchell and is just as committed to the team.

“Being able to play football with my brother is a great experience and I cannot wait to see what he does as a captain next year,” said Zach Smith.

Mitchell Smith sees great potential for the freshman team, however, believes that they need to work harder off the field and in the classroom.

“To have a brother on the team is not a big deal to me,” said Mitchell Smith. “I treat him as I do everyone else because our whole team is a family.”

Smith views Jake Mola as one of the best juniors on the team. They have been friends for years and have always had each others back.

“Mitch is a great offensive leader,” said Mola. “Next year as a captain he will bring great confidence to our team.”

Ideally, Smith’s hard work and dedication to his team and the sport will lead to a successful season next fall for the Lawmen. Now it’s just about winning these last two games and putting in the work during the offseason to get off on the right foot come Week 1.

By Emma Saley – Staff Reporter

Junior cross country captain Lauren Paredes is looking to improve in the off-season and hopefully go All-Division next year.

This past season, Paredes consistently ran well and improved, reaching many personal goals she had set for herself.

A highlight of Paredes’ season was when she ran her personal record, 22:40,  at the SCC meet.

“My personal goal was to run under 24 minutes in every race, which I achieved,” Paredes said. “As a team, our goal was for everyone to run well at SCCs and place in the top 20 at states, which we did.”

As captain, Paredes focuses on motivating the other girls on the team by pushing them to do their best every race, and working hard every practice to become better runners.

“Lauren cheers on and believes in everyone,” junior teammate Taylor Haase said  “She motivates us to do our best.”

Paredes has been running cross country for the past three years, but it wasn’t until her sophomore year that she started to prove herself as a runner, cutting her times down from 29:00s to 24:00s and 23:00s.

“Freshman year I was running 29:00s, but last year I worked hard and was able to really improve” Paredes said

Paredes is looking forward to next season, and hoping to improve by running long distance during the indoor and outdoor track seasons.

“To prepare for next season I’m going to be running a lot during off seasons and the summer, and participating in a lot of 5k road runs,” said Paredes.

One area she hopes to improve on is speed.

“I struggle most with sprinting, so I’m looking to work on that so I can have a stronger finish.”

Another challenge that Paredes is looking to overcome for next season is to beat cross-town rival Foran, which the team was unsuccessful in doing at the multiple meetings they had this season.

“Foran’s our biggest rival, but if we work hard during the summer we can beat them next year.” Paredes said

Paredes is already setting big goals and hopes for next season.

“My biggest goal for next season is to run under 22 minutes or better,” Paredes said “As a team I want everyone to improve, and run well at states again.”

Paredes is excited for the upcoming season, and for the team to continue to bond and motivate each other to run their best times.

“I love cross country and the girls on the team, and I can’t wait for next year,” said Paredes.

By Megan Grabowski – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls swimming and diving team is wrapping up their season.

The season is coming to a close as the girls attend SCCs, SCC Finals, and States. They finished their regular season with a 3-13 record.

Senior captain Kelly Scianna is impressed with how the season went this year.

“In the beginning I was nervous, having lost some solid swimmers last year, but we pulled through with some great times,” said Scianna. “SCCs (went) really well.”

At SCCs, Scianna finished 31st overall in the 100 backstroke. Sophomore Hannah Savoie finished 15th overall in the 200-meter freestyle and 18th overall in the 500-meter freestyle breaking a school record set back in 1983. Both Scianna and Savoie will be competing at the Class M state championships.

Head coach Ms. Paolini feels that many girls contributed to the team this year.

“Our depth in many of the odd-stroke events helped us win meets against Bunnell, East Haven, and West Haven,” said Paolini.

The girls believe that their hard work all season is more important than their record.

“We didn’t win a lot of meets, but together as a team we tried our best and beat our times,” said freshman Julie Myers.

On top of swimming, the team also has three successful divers, including freshman Christina Gleason who finished 17th overall in the SCCs. Junior divers Arielle Eighmy and Maddie Sosa have big plans for their senior year.

“My goals for next season are to go to SCC’s and to qualify for states,” said Sosa.

Paolini is looking forward to more success in the future.

“We had many personal bests accomplished this year and had an amazing season with the girls,” said Paolini. “We had a very strong freshman class which shows a bright future ahead of us.”

Freshmen are also excited for their next three years on the team.

“I’m so happy I joined the team, everyone was so welcoming and fun,” said Myers. “I’m super excited for the next three seasons and to meet the new swimmers next year.”

With the season coming to a close, the seniors are reflecting on all of the memories they have made over the past four years.

“I feel really lucky to have bonded with so many people over my four years of being on the team and to have had this experience that I can cherish forever,” said senior Jess Schreiber. “I’m definitely going to miss the bus rides both to and from Foran’s pool and having the pre-meet jitters.”

The CIAC Class M Qualifying meet will be held on November 14 and the CIAC Class M Finals will be held on November 18.

By Renee Lynch – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law soccer team finished their season 2-10-2 and is already looking forward to next season.

The girls wins came against Foran and Harding.

“I had higher expectations for this season,” senior captain Paige Szygiel said. “However, our girls pulled through a much needed win against crosstown rival, Foran.”

The Lady Lawmen shut out Foran, winning 4-0 on their home turf. However, when the girls played at Foran, they tied 2-2.

¨Next year we will have a majority of our starters returning,” junior captain Bethany Edwards said. ¨This is going to be key for us to get wins.”

The girls are looking forward to the 2016 season next year. The team has a lot of underclassmen talent, so they are preparing for a big season.

¨Key players this season have been Paige Szygiel, Kristen Passaro (junior), Bethany Edwards and Taylor Kandrach (sophomore),” junior Colleen Rice said.

Underclassmen will need to step up their game to reach their goal of making states.

¨In the off season we will need to work together to get faster as a team” junior Catie Rice said. ¨Sprints will help us get the speed we need.¨

Captains Szygiel, Edwards, Passaro and Megan Smith (senior) lead the team throughout their victories.

The team’s pair of ties came against West Haven and Foran.

¨Our toughest games included Shelton and East Haven,” Colleen Rice said. “We had to fight hard against an advanced team.¨

The girls plan to win more games in the upcoming season and to work hard to achieve their goals.

Edwards went All-SCC and led the team as a strong midfielder. Edwards used her speed to end the season as the team’s leading scorer.

The underclassmen talent will help the girls make their way to states for the upcoming years.  

¨I´m looking forward for the incoming freshman to advance our team,” freshman Joceyln Wirth said. ¨We can make it far in states with all our talent combined.¨  

Seniors will be missed and the Lady Lawmen will need to pick up the slack since key players will have graduated.

¨I¨m going to miss being out on the field every fall season,” Szygiel said. ¨Also, I made bonds with these girls that are irreplaceable, I¨ll miss everyone and I wish the girls best of luck next year.”

By Kristin Frank – Staff  Reporter

As junior captain of the girls soccer team, Bethany Edwards had a great season and led her team to success.

Edwards, personally, had a very strong season by playing her absolute hardest at every game. Her job as captain is to lead the team to a great season and pick up their spirits when needed. Being the outstanding captain she is, she did just that this fall.

“As captain I tried keeping everyone’s spirits up,” Edwards said. “Every time we would get a goal against us, I would tell my teammates to just brush it off.”

Edwards believes that coming together during a stoppage in play is very important and helps pump the players up. Soccer is a game of mostly endurance, so this will provide the players with a lot of energy to finish out the rest of a game.

“Before each half of the game, the captains have a huddle with the girls and say what we need to work on and accomplish to win, this also helps pump us up,” Edwards said.

Her teammates and fellow captains believe she does an impressive job with leading the team.

“Bethany is a great player and is very easy to get along with,” junior captain Kristen Passaro said. “She is a great leader.”

Mr. Rhode is the head coach for the girls and has watched Edwards mature and develop over the past three years.

“(She is) an outstanding player always makes their mark on the game; Bethany does just that in the midfield,” Rhode said. “Despite her smaller stature, she plays big on the field.”

Rhode has high hopes for Edwards for next year, believing she will continue to lead the team.

“She’s super technical on the ball and has outstanding vision,” said Rhode. “We rely on her to dictate plays on the field.”

Having a favorite game is very common in sports. This usually reflects off the team’s effort as a whole, as well as how that individual player performed.

Edwards explains that her favorite game was their home game against Foran High School. This game really set the pace for the rest of the season.

“At the Foran game, we beat them 4-0 which is a crazy score in soccer,” Edwards said. “We worked as a team and that pumped us up for the rest of the season.”

Edwards received the All-SCC Hammonasset Team award this year for her outstanding performance on the field and her dedication to the sport as well as her team.

To be selected for this team, an athlete is nominated by the coaches from other teams that they play against. Other girls in Law’s division will be nominated as well.

Rhode explained that he is looking forward to next year with Edwards because she’s developed strong leadership skills this past season, and has the potential to be an All-State player.

Edwards shows what a true team player really is. Many of her fellow teammates look up to her, and she is always trying to get the other players involved during games.

“Bethany helps out all the girls on the team and really knows her teammates’ strengths and weaknesses,” junior Rebecca Tighe said.

As a growing athlete, it is important for Edwards to know what she needs to work on personally during the off season. She explains that she could improve on communicating better with the other players and to talk more on the field.

All the returning players for next year are excited to build from their record of this past season. Edwards believes they are a promising young team that can only improve themselves by working to the best of their ability.

“I’m looking forward to next season,” Edwards said. “I think towards the end we really figured out how to work as a team.”

By Bianca Hanania – Staff Reporter

Kristin Frank, one of the most devoted members on the volleyball team, helped guide her teammates to success this year.

Everyday on the court, Frank was very motivated and worked hard to do her best no matter what came her way. She practiced everyday to help her peers improve themselves and grow as a team.

“Volleyball is such a passion of mine and I love the girls I play with,” said Frank. “Even though we did not make it to states, we improved our record from last year and can only get better.”

At the Shelton game, Frank was at her best, which helped her to win GametimeCT’s Star of the Day.

“My favorite game of the season is definitely the home game against Shelton, we communicated so well during all five matches and it was such a close game,” said Frank. “We had all the energy we needed to play and win while having such an amazing time out on the court.”

Frank’s coaches, Miss Martinich and Ms. Loch, see a lot of potential in her.

“Kristin is the ideal player and works just as hard at practice as she does in games,” said Martinich. “Her aggressiveness on the court saves plays for us and she will be a great candidate for SCC’s next year.”

Frank enjoys playing with her teammates and is a great role model for each one.

“Playing with Kristin has been so much fun, she really is a great leader on the court,” said junior Victoria Contaxis.

She looks forward to playing next year and can’t wait to get started on a new season.

“For the team next year, I am mostly excited for all the younger players getting pulled up to varsity because they all have such great talent to show off,” said Frank. “We need to stay up the whole season and play smart as a team.”

Cassidy Boath, one of Frank’s teammates, plays libero and knows how hard Kristin works to help out the team.

“It’s great to have hardworking teammates like Kristin on the court,” said Boath. “She does whatever she can to set the ball to our hitters no matter where it is on the court.”

Frank tries her best to keep the team ready for what’s to come next. She is constantly communicating with her peers and pushes everyone to do their greatest and succeed.

“Volleyball is a sport with nonstop communication,” said Frank. “When it comes to games and practices I do everything I can to talk during every play so my teammates know where to go on the court.”  

By Maeve Rourke – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys and girls cross country team enjoyed a successful season.

Both teams were determined to become stronger and more competitive over the season. Many of the runners made their personal bests, which in turn improved the team’s overall ranking.

“The girls all had a lot of personal records this year and really ran their hearts out,” senior girl’s captain Amita Sastry said. “I’m so proud of [the girls] because so many of them shaved two or even three minutes off their time from last year.”

Throughout the season the teams did drills everyday to ensure improvement.

The boys team did a lot of hill workouts to ease the flat road races, and to get stronger. They also ran several miles a day to practice.

The girls Team ran five miles everyday and did drills to improve their speed and endurance.

The drills paid off, for this year at SCCs, the boys team placed 16th and the girls 17th.

“The team did really well [this year], especially in the JV race, which gives us hope for the future season,” junior captain Matt Zancewicz said.

This year at States six girls ran: Lauren Paredes, Chloe McCullough, Cassandra Soda, Emma Saley, Irmina (Mimi) Chrzastek, and Samantha Franzman. Overall they placed 18th.

“The team did great at states,” junior Emma Saley said. “We all worked to achieve our goals and improve our times.”

This year seven boys ran at states:  Matthew Zancewicz, Dan Wasserman, Michael Lanzaro, Ryan Wasserman, Jonathan Feher, Thomas Gambardella, and Matt Paulus. Overall they placed 17th.

Not only have the runners personal times improved, but also the friendships on the teams.

The 16 runners on the girls cross country team are now closer than ever.

“The girls team is really close, we’re like a family,” said junior captain Lauren Paredes. “We all got close with one another and really bonded this season.”

The Boys team has also enjoyed their season, and have become closer friends.

“Cross country’s been a great experience,” senior Mike Lanzaro said.  “It has given me the chance to run on beautiful courses around Connecticut, meet new people, form close bonds with teammates, and make lifelong memories I’ll keep forever.”

Both teams are already getting excited for next year, and plan to improve even more. Both teams work toward achieving their ultimate goal for next season: beat Foran.

By Paige Szygiel – Staff Reporter

The Law boys soccer team recently wrapped up its season, falling short of states but keeping an eye on the future.

One of their goals was to make the state tournament and win at least one tournament game. The team finished 4-11-1, just five points shy of their goal for the season.

“I think we could’ve done a lot better, our record didn’t show how well we play,” sophomore Kevin Linn said. “What we wanted to achieve didn’t happen, we just weren’t connecting.”

Members of the team said that one of their challenges was communication on and off the field.

“We argued (a little) on the field, which made it challenging to achieve our goals and getting the win,” Linn said.

In their four wins, the boys really executed their strategy and controlled the midfield.

“Winning and controlling the midfield really helped us to victory,” said senior Jaret Petrie. “We really took control of the game and set the pace.”

Head coach Mike Gruber switched things around to see which strategies worked in the team’s favor and which worked against them. Their formation this season was a 4-2-3-1.

Their formation last year was a 4-4-2. 

“I’m disappointed in how we ended the season,” Petrie said. “Different formations work with different teams, we just have to find the one that fits us the best.”

The team’s 1-0 win over Foran at the beginning of the season set a positive tone. The rival Lions, however, owned the rematch later in the year, winning 4-0.

“This season did not go as good as we planned it,” senior Taylin Altin said. “We wanted to make states and that didn’t happen. Next year things will be different.”

They boys turned the Foran loss into a positive and kept going foward to get more wins.

“Losing to Foran only motivated us more to win the next game,” Linn said.

On Senior Night, Law defeated East Haven 5-2, which ended their season on a positive note.

“Winning my last home game of my high school career felt good,” senior Antonio Gjuraj said. “I’ve made many good memories the past four years that I will keep with me forever.”

Overall, members of the team said they battled all year despite some tough losses and tried to make the best out of the season.

By Layla Corona – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys cross country team has enjoyed a very productive fall season.

This season’s top five runners for a 5K are junior Matt Zancewicz (18:10), junior Ryan Wasserman (18:51), senior Mike Lanzaro (19:05), senior Matt Paulus (19:28), and junior Thomas Gambardella (19:37).

“I think the team and I are both excited about the improvement we’ve seen from the beginning of the season,” head coach Charlie Phillips said. “I’m seeing them get more and more competitive with each other and because of that, it’s the first time in years that we’ve had five to six runners running under 20 minutes for a 5k this season.”

Some of the members of the team chose to run because it makes them feel some type of way that no other activity makes you feel.

“It’s a great stress reliever and there’s no better feeling in the world than crossing the finish line after a well run race,” junior captain Matt Zancewicz said.

So far, the team has had a number of meets against Wilbur Cross, Hand, Lauralton, Platt, and Foran a couple of times already.  The team is doing their best to win every one of those meets.

Everyone is extra excited when it comes to racing Foran.

“They’re the school we try to beat more than the others,” senior captain Joe Warzel said.

The team is pumped about attempting to beat past records whether it’s someone else’s record or even a personal record.

“It makes you feel a sense of invincibility because once you start running and get into your rhythm,  you feel as if nothing could stop you, and that is motivation to keep going and to keep getting better,” Zancewicz said.

Every year previous team members do their very best to improve and beat their best time from last year.

“Training hard today will make tomorrow easier,” senior captain Matt Paulus said.

This year, the team has continued to do drills to ensure improvement.

“We do a lot of hill workouts to ease the flat road races,” Zancewicz said. “(Our motto is): Remain consistent with your workouts, don’t skip out on training days and don’t give up, push yourself to the limit every time you run.”

When it comes to eating, the team sure does stock up on carbs, whether it’s eating multiple servings of pasta at the team’s pasta parties or just eating carbs on your own.

“[We eat] a lot of pasta and other carbs to make up for the loss of carbs from so much running,” Zancewicz said.

Team members said that cross country is a good way to make new friends. They bond at the team-coordinated pasta parties and they share an incredible bond with one another.

“It’s a great sport, your only real competitor is yourself,” senior Mike Lanzaro said. “The bond you form with your teammates goes farther than just school.”

By Seamus O’Reilly – Staff Reporter

The Law football team is preparing for the rest of season after getting off to a slow start.

The Lawmen had much success last season, winning five of their last seven games. This season they look to continue that success.

The Lawmen have 14 seniors on roster who are all contributing to the team. There a decent number of underclassmen who contribute a lot to the team as well.

“As an underclassman and starter on the team, the seniors are always pushing me to the best I can be,” sophomore wide receiver Dean Pettway said.

The Lawmen have six varsity captains on the team: Logan Danville, Tim Caldwell, David Patrick, Brandon Chiaraluce, R.J. Lynch, and Joe Coury, the majority of whom got playing time as a sophomore.

Head coach Derrick Lewis refers to the captains as “The Six Sons of Thunder.”

When asked about his personal goals Logan Danville said, “I hope to set an example for the future captains in leadership and go all-conference at middle linebacker.”

Law has a total of 36 players on its varsity roster this year, not including freshmen. Even when these seniors graduate Law will still have key players returning and 14 rostered sophomores. Some of the key juniors who will be returning next year are quarterback Mitchell Smith, linebacker A.J. Repollet, lineman Sam Rossi, and wide receiver Dennis Theis.

Law has some seniors who are new to high school football before but are doing exceptionally well. The two players are basketball standout Justin McFadden, who is starting at receiver, and Gabe Haynes who is a varsity sprinter on the track team.

“We want to be competitive in every game for the rest of the way,” senior Tucker Saley said. “We have the skill to, we just have to put it all together and try to start to gel. Then, and only then, will we be able to achieve that goal.”“We want to be competitive in every game for the rest of the way,” senior Tucker Saley said. “We have the skill to, we just have to put it all together and try to start to gel. Then, and only then, will we be able to achieve that goal.”

The Lawmen are currently 0-3 but are looking to improve as the season continues.

“My goal for the team is to go 1-0 for every week and most importantly beat Foran on Thanksgiving,” said Chiaraluce.

Law hasn’t been able to get a “W” on Turkey Day since 2007.

The Lawmen have seven more games left in the season: they travel to Fairfield Prep this Friday, followed by two home games against East Lyme and Hillhouse. After that comes three straight road games against Branford, Sheehan, and Lyman Hall before their much anticipated crosstown rivalry game against Foran at home on Thanksgiving.

By Bianca Hanania – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls cross country team is excited to work harder than ever this season.

After practicing and running for miles, the team is finally ready to compete against of the rest of the SCC.

“We are extremely determined this year to improve and become a stronger and more competitive team,” junior Taylor Haase said.

Each student is required to run five miles every day. They have been working on more speed workouts to boost themselves.

The team is motivated to win against Foran, one of their top competitors.

“I am really looking forward to competing against Foran again,” freshman Samantha Franzman said. “Even though we have already went against them twice, they are one of our largest rivals so beating them would be a big win for the team.”

There are 16 runners on the girls cross country team and each of them motivates one another to never give up.

“Cross country is a true definition of a family, we all treat each other like sisters,” Haase said. “We have each other’s backs no matter what.”

They truly encourage everyone to participate in the sport.

“Joining cross country gave me a great opportunity to try something new and make new friends,” Franzman said.

The team’s coach, Mr. Schulte, makes sure the team gets the practice they need no matter what it takes.

The girls cross country team is very hardworking and industrious. They are constantly preparing themselves to kick off this exciting new year.

The captains, Lauren Parades and Amita Sastry, are excited for the season and ready to take on the new year as leaders.

“As a captain I have to try and encourage the girls to work hard and do their best,” said Paredes, a junior. “They have been doing really well this season, our times have been getting better and better.”

Sastry has been a four-year member of the team and is thrilled to now be captain.

Haase suffered an injury prior to cross country season and this is her first season coming back to running full time. She has struggled due to her ACL injury but is working really hard to get back into it.

“Even though I just got cleared to run in meets, my knee has always been in a lot of pain,” Haase said. “But I can’t wait to get back on track.”  

By Nick Ferrara – Staff Reporter

Senior goalkeeper Jaret Petrie is looking for a successful season for the Jonathan Law boy’s soccer team.

Petrie has been a member of varsity since freshman year and is expected to start the majority of games this season

“Personally my goals are to remain the starting goalie for the entire season and continue to grow as a player,”  Petrie said. “As a team, our goal is to make the state tournament, and make it out of the first round.”

The Law boys soccer team has a big task in front of them, since before last year, they had not made states for 13 years. Petrie will be one of the keys to the team returning to states.

“Jaret is passionate about soccer and knowing that he is guarding our goal gives us the confidence needed to make plays without hesitation,” senior outside midfielder Colby Brennan said. “He isn’t afraid to challenge for the ball and quickly distribute it, which helps us out tremendously”.  

Preseason training helped Petrie, strengthening and preparing him for the upcoming season. Petrie works on and off the field, in and out of the gym.

“Jaret spent a lot of time in the offseason working out and getting into the best shape of his soccer career at Law,” Law’s head boys soccer coach Mike Gruber said. “Jaret came to our voluntary workout sessions in the offseason where we worked on strength, agility, and speed”.

The team’s toughest competition this year will be Hand and Guilford. The team’s biggest rival this year is Foran.

To prepare for these big games, the guys are training hard and consistently putting in 100% effort into each and every practice.

“I think Jaret will be fairly successful this season,” senior captain James Mercaldo said. “The defense on the team is working together much better this year, so I don’t think there will be too much thrown at him that he can’t stop.”

Among Law’s key players this season are junior midfielder Dennis Sweeney and sophomore forward Kevin Linn.

Linn has an extraordinary work rate and stamina, meaning he will most likely rise up and be one of the main scorers for the team.

Sweeney plays the center of the field very well, often times isolating the opposing team’s best offensive player and starting a counter attack as soon as Law get’s possession.

“As a captain, I hope the team continues to grow stronger and players grow stronger individually and I hope we can continue to work hard this season in hopes of making the state tournament,” senior captain Ian Hugo said.

By Arielle Eighmy – Staff Reporter

Law senior soccer captain Ian Hugo has goals for goals this season.

Hugo has been playing soccer since freshman year and is one of Law’s four captains. Hugo has many goals for this year both for himself and his team.

“I’d like to see us make the state tournament, which I believe is realistic and win at least one game,” Hugo said.

Hugo’s individual goals are to work hard and improve as a player, which he strives to do every time he steps out onto the field.

Last year, Law finished with a record of 6-7-3 and qualified for the state tournament which Hugo is hoping to do again this year.

The team prepared for this season by working out and staying fit; they had captains practices, conditioning, and weight room.

“Towards the end of the summer we worked a lot more on our conditioning to get prepared for the upcoming season,” said Hugo. “I think it’s shown that we are one of the most fit teams out of everyone we’ve played so far.”

The team is adjusting very well to the new coach Mike Gruber. Gruber coached Law’s JV team last year and is now the head coach for varsity.

“He’s a good coach, he knows what he is doing,” said Hugo. “When he gets the best out of us we are able to work hard and get the results that we want.”

The team played Foran on September 21 and came away with a 1-0 victory, thanks to a goal from Hugo towards the end of the first half.

“Once I saw Taylan lining up to take the free kick, I knew it was going to be a good chance for us to score,” said Hugo. “It was just a tap in, but it was amazing to score against Foran, at Foran, and help lead my team to victory.”

According to Hugo, Law’s new style of play is helping the team stay in and compete in games in which they previously struggled.

“We’ve adapted our style of play by making our team more defensive minded by putting five defenders at the back and two central defensive midfielders in front of them,” Hugo said. “This has helped us compete with tougher teams such as Hand and Guilford in which we limited their attacking and held them to 2-0 and 2-1 games, both of which we unfortunately lost.”

Hugo’s teammates think very highly of him and that he leads the team well as being a new captain.

“He’s making the team better with his leadership,” junior Dennis Sweeney said. “ He leads by example, he would only ask us to do stuff that he would also do himself.”

The team thinks Hugo is a very serious captain and takes soccer into consideration every time he steps out on the field.

“He is giving it all he’s got because it’s his last year and tries very hard,” sophomore Santiago Palacio said.

With Hugo’s high hopes for the season and the performances he and his teammates are putting into every practice and game, Hugo is confident that the Lawmen will be successful throughout the rest of the regular season and make the state tournament.

By Larissa Santos – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s cheerleading team is back for another season.

Th team is ready to get back in motion by catching the freshmen up to speed. In practices, they have been trying new and different things to get their team ready for competition.

“We have been doing a lot of side cheers and practicing hard to improve our skills,” junior Megan Mower said.

Since they have a young team, they have been trying to improve themselves.  Members went to a camp at Western Connecticut State University over the summer to help the team bond and to try new and different things.

“My plans this year are to take more tumbling classes to get better,” sophomore Marina Callahan said.

There are only 13 girls on the team this year, which is down from last year.

“We still want more people to join and welcome everyone,” Mower said.

Every girl on the team has joined for different reasons. Some wanted to make new friends while others wanted to join their old ones.

“I had joined because my friends wanted me to and told me it would be fun,” sophomore Ashlee Chiaraluce said.

The freshmen seem to fit in well and are catching up to the speed with the older girls. The team is really close this year.

“I feel like fitting in was easy and the older girls are really nice to us,” freshman Kaitlyn Griffin said.

Because they are such a small team, they don’t have to fund raise as much as they usually do. They fund raise at the Bridgeport Flyer, sponsor T-shirts at football games, and continue to do their pizza prize fundraiser.

Later in the year, the team will go to the Top Gun competition. Three girls from Law went All-State as a result of this competition last year.

“This year, we are trying to get four girls to go to All-State,” head coach Bonnie Etense said.

Etense had been a cheerleading coach for eight years. She has coached college and high school teams, but she said Law is her favorite because she loves the team’s spirit.

“I wanted to be a coach because I love building relationships with the girls,” Etense said. “I am glad I became a coach since I have learned so many lessons being a coach and taught these girls [lessons] as well.”

By Nia Cordero – Staff Reporter

Senior football captain Tim Caldwell is excited for the upcoming year.

Caldwell is a running back and one of six captains on the team. As an individual, he is determined to improve and reach his goals.

“To improve I am studying a lot more film this year than I did last year and getting my eight hours of sleep,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell is a three-year starter and is optimistic about his team putting more points on the board this upcoming season.

“I think we’ll do pretty well, a little better than last year,” Caldwell said.

With his hopes high, Caldwell knows what the team needs to improve on in order to make this season successful.

“The team needs to improve by being ready from the jump because we usually start out slow and we need to start out fast,” Caldwell said.

For Caldwell, motivation has a lot to do with how sports teams perform.

“We’re working on firing up the team for this upcoming week,” Caldwell said. “It’s my job as one of the captains to lead the team during adversity.”

Along with motivation, attitude also has a big impact on the team. After a loss the team usually goes to the weight room to talk about it with the coaches .

“We stay positive by taking it one day at a time,” Caldwell said.

Mentality is also an issue that teams can struggle with, especially staying positive after a loss.

“This upcoming game (against Fairfield Prep) is going to be more mental, our biggest problem is our mentality going into the games,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell’s teammates said they fed off his leadership.

“Tim isn’t much of a talker, he’s stronger on the field,” fellow senior captain Logan Danville said.

Caldwell is a player who proves himself out on the field rather than in the locker room. His teammates look at him as a strong leader.

“Tim isn’t as loud as the other captains, but he leads by example and his silence is still heard,” teammate Joe Mugford said.

Caldwell also looks forward to college and furthering his football experiences.

“Of course I want to play football in college,” Caldwell said. “I want to go to Holy Cross.”

Caldwell has goals on the football field as well as off.

“I want to go to college to be a physical therapist because I like helping people getting back to full strength, especially if they’re athletes,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell and the rest of the team are determined to make this season count and lead the Lawmen to victory.

By Megan Grabowski – Staff Reporter

The Lady Lawmen are “setting” up for a big season.

With a 3-17 record to end the season last year, the Jonathan Law volleyball team is ready to make improvements to ensure a comeback. Currently, they have a 4-6 record, with wins against West Haven, North Haven, Shelton, and Hillhouse.

Head coach Ms. Loch is ready to do whatever it takes to ensure a successful season ahead.

“In order to improve we need to work on our weaknesses game to game,” Loch said. “We need to strategize and set up our rotations the best we can to enforce our strengths when we play teams the second time around.”

The team’s seniors are looking to bond as a team to end their careers on a high note.

“We have a great group of girls this year,” senior Tori Nabors said. “Communication and teamwork is key for success.”

Despite the rough season last year, the team still has high hopes for the new year.

“We only lost one of our starters last year,” senior Renee Lynch said. “Our team is still strong and we have a lot of chemistry.”

Senior captain Kailee Frank plans to lead the team to victory.

“I’m excited about my senior year and to play with my team one last time,” Frank said. “I try to be loud, uplifting, and high spirited to lead the team.”

Key players this year include seniors Molly Vargo, Frank, and Renee Lynch, as well as juniors Cassidy Boath and Kristin Frank.

Many juniors are looking forward to helping the team out this year, as well as helping to lead the team next year.

“Since a lot of our key players are graduating this year, it is important for us to practice in the off season and work on our defense for next year,” Kristin Frank said.

In order to qualify for states, the girls need to win at least eight games. They believe if they practice hard and work together as a team, it will be possible.

“I think we can work hard enough to make it to states this year,” Kailee Frank said.

The underclassmen are also rooting for the varsity team to do well.

“I’m looking forward to seeing varsity hopefully make it to states and have a lot of wins,” freshman Ally Stein said.

Some of the most challenging teams Law will face include cross-town rival Foran, but the girls know if they work together, they can win.

The team’s next game is against Sacred Heart on Monday.

By Brianna Arnold- Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s girls soccer team is excited to kick off their fall season.

Law’s current record is 1-6-1 with the tie coming in their game against Foran. They are looking to improve their season within the next couple of games.

“My most important thing to succeed in games is communication,” junior captain Bethany Edwards said. “When we work well as a team and work together we have success.”

The team has a total of 21 girls on varsity this year. Freshman Jocelyn Wirth starts on varsity and plays full time.

“It’s an amazing opportunity to be a freshman starting on varsity,” freshman Jocelyn Wirth said. “I am honored by playing with such a great team.”

They have tried to improve their season by giving it their all at practice every day and switching up people’s positions to see how they work best as a team.

“I try and set standards for everyone to meet so that our team can be the best we can be,” senior captain Paige Szygiel said.

The physical part of the game is just as important as the mental part. Getting prepared mentally before a game is a big part in everyone on the team succeeding.

“Our mindsets will make this season even better than last years,” Edwards said. “We have the mindsets to win. We just have to show it on the field.”

Junior Kristen Passaro is coming back from last season’s ACL injury and she is ready to give it her all and get back out on the field.  She is most excited to play Foran again.

“I am looking forward to playing Foran again because we tied the last game and I know by the time we play them again we will be ready to win,” Kristen Passaro said.

Captains Szygiel, Edwards, Passaro, and Megan Smith are all hoping to make states this year.

“We are off to a rough start but we are hoping to pick it back up and make it to states,” Smith said

The team is competing without one of its key players, junior Colleen Rice. Rice tore her ACL just before the start of the season.

Rice had surgery two weeks ago and is on a fast track to recovery. Even though she is out for the rest of the season, she still supports her team all the way.

“I expect the team to step it up and keep on pushing toward states,” Rice said. “I am upset about being out this season but I am excited to support the team and see how far we go.”

By Renee Lynch – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law football team is excited to tackle a big season ahead.

After a tough three losses against North Haven, Guilford, and East Haven to start the year, the Lawmen are working hard to make a comeback.

“The past three games have been a rough start,” senior captain Tim Caldwell said. “However, we are willing it give it our all to get the wins.”

The Lawmen graduated many key players from last years team, including running back Max German and Giovanni Marzullo, and many of their starters are underclassmen.

”Logan Danville (senior captain) and Tyler Cavallaro (senior) are stepping up along with quarterback Mitchell Smith (junior),” senior captain David Patrick said. “We have a lot of young starters for us, such as Jimmy Boyle (sophomore) and Dave Tortora (sophomore).”

The Lawmen have been working hard this past off season in an attempt to increase their win total from last year. The team started slowly last year but finished 5-6 and were co-division champions.

“We’ve all been working hard during preseason,” junior Mitchell Smith said. “I’ve been lifting and been working on my speed.”

Smith is Law’s new varsity quarterback and his teammates believe that he is ready for the challenge.

“Mitchell has been adjusting very well as a new starting quarterback,” said Danville. “I’m really excited about this season considering how well our team has come together.”

Tough remaining games this season for the Lawmen will be Foran, Fairfield Prep, and Hillhouse.

The Lawmen will travel to Fairfield Prep on Friday, October 2 to face the Jesuits.

“Prep is good; we really will need to focus and rest up for this game,” said Danville. “This game will be a tough one.”

Team members believe their results will improve when they become balanced on offense.

“As a team, we really need to work together, to work on defense,” sophomore Ryan Pisacane said. “We have strong running backs, but we do need to focus on throwing the ball.”

Even though it’s still early in the season, the Lawmen are looking forward to and working hard for the anticipated Thanksgiving game against Foran.

“Foran graduated a lot of valuable players last year,” Smith said. “If we work hard to prepare, this game could be a piece of cake.”

The Jonathan Law football team have a lot to look forward to for the rest of the season, and are really looking ahead and working hard to get wins.

“We have high hopes of making the postseason this year, and with our attitude and motivation, we have potential,” Caldwell said.