By Chloe Edmonds – Staff Reporter

The Law football team this year is being led by three captains, including junior Evan Nash.

Nash said he was excited and honored to be named captain.

“When announced as a captain, in my eyes, no one was upset or thought there was a better choice,” Nash said. “And if there was a better choice, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today as one of the three Season 62 Jonathan Law football captains.”

Nash, as well as the other captains, has been showing great leadership skills since the season began last month. 

“Evan is a good leader,” junior Michael Merchant said. “He works extremely hard to help the team be the best versions of ourselves.”

Nash has been extremely helpful and welcoming to the incoming freshmen and new players.

“He has welcomed me into the team and made me truly feel welcome,” freshman Logan Mullarkey said. 

After the team lost its first two games of the season, Nash knew he needed to step up. The Lawmen responded in their third game, beating Amity at home 51-20. They followed that win up with a 42-6 win over Wilbur Cross.

“I think Evan is a great leader on and off the field,” senior co-captain JT Nelly said. “I think he leads by example and I think he is a role model everywhere.”

Nash has been described as helpful, hardworking, a leader, athletic and an overall friendly person. He is a supportive person who is always there for people when they need him.

“I think Evan’s best characteristics as captain are that he is always there for everyone and he keeps everyone in check and makes sure they stay locked in on what’s going on,” Merchant said.

Nash said he is continuing to work on his weaknesses, including getting too emotional over the game.

“I can let my emotions come through and show,” Nash said. “If we are having a bad game or me and the offense isn’t thriving I could become unmotivated and start to play at a lower level that I’m capable of and expected to play at.”

Nash, a lineman, is also adept at turning a potential disadvantage on the field into an advantage.

“Some people may say that my height is a disadvantage but in some instances it’s an advantage,” Nash said. “Because I’m 5’9”, I’m able to get under the taller opponents and block better and as a result start winning more games and have a positive year.”

By Layla Alogna – Staff Reporter

The captains of the Law boys soccer team are looking to lead the team to a successful fall season.

The team is off to a solid start with one win and two ties so far this season. The three captains of the team are seniors Cooper Fitzgerald, Eliot Melgar, and Declan Wywoda.

The captains set good examples for their teammates and have many responsibilities. 

“My responsibilities as a captain are keeping the team organized and getting everyone to show up on time to every practice and warmup,” Melgar said. “I also have to lead by example, always giving my full effort in games and practices.”

The three captains always make sure to put the team first.

“A big misconception is that being a leader is being the best on the team, and ordering everyone around,” Fitzgerald said. “To lead is to know your team, work hard to set an example, and keep everyone’s head in the game. Being the best on the team isn’t  a bad thing, but to be a good leader I believe you need to have good communication skills and a strong mental game.”

Their passion for the sport started at a young age and has only grown through the years.

“Soccer was my first sport,” Wywoda said. “I started when I was four years old I believe. It wasn’t always my favorite sport as a child but now I love the game and everything that it brings.”

Head coach Mr. Gruber had nothing but positive things to say about the three leaders.

“I chose the three captains because they have been with the program for the last 4 years and witnessed from past captains what it takes to lead the team and each of the three captains each have different qualities to them which makes them successful,” Gruber said. “Declan leads by example on and off the field, Cooper is great with communication and getting guys together and organized and Eliot preaches positive feedback and helps younger players achieve success but helping them in practice and giving them advice.”

Their teammates think very highly of their captains and admire their leadership.

“Our captions lead by example and really help to guide us during the game,” junior Alex Rodriguez said. “I admire how hard the captains work not just during the games but in practices as well.”

The underclassmen look up to their captains and are looking forward to a successful season.

“They make us work harder,” freshman Kevin Cepetelli said. “I admire how they push us to try harder and not make us slack.”

By Alexia Poloski – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls swim team is halfway through the season and is led by captains Gianna Gagliardi, Sarah Bagdasarian, and Christina Ayala.

The swim team began their season in early September and meet every day for practice. The captains have many goals they hope to accomplish this year.

“This year I hope to have a bunch of state qualifiers and SCC finalists,” senior captain Gianna Gagliardi said. “I also hope that everyone has a fun and enjoyable time while on the team because fun is the most important thing.” 

Gagliardi has been swimming her whole life. She joined the Law swim team her freshman year and has been doing it ever since. Gagliardi has made states by accomplishing the 200 freestyle. 

“I swam for my whole life, I joined Law girls swim my freshman year and I never would have thought I would have accomplished so much,” Gagliardi said. 

The team doesn’t just bond together with swimming, they also host weekly pasta parties as a team bonding exercise. 

“Everyone’s friends with everyone,” senior captain Sarah Bagdasarian said. “There’s not really any toxic part of swimming, everyone is a team.”

Ayala has been swimming since she was eight. She joined the Law swim team when she was a freshman. She also is extremely passionate about being captain.

“I like that as captain I can help my coaches and individual teammates when they need,” Ayala said. “I like being there for the girls in a different way, it feels more helpful”

Bagdasarian has been swimming competitively since she was in seventh grade. She enjoys being captain for the leadership role. She believes being captain means to be a role model for the other swimmers.

“Being a captain just means to be a helpful person for the coach but also to the team because we could understand the team on a more personal level because we are with them,” Bagdasarian said. 

The captains welcomed new swimmers by going to Starbucks and Dockside for team bonding.

“They are extremely welcoming people,” freshman Aislyn McKernan said. “They are always hyping me up when I’m nervous about events or really anything like practice or meets.”

New members of the team hope to become captains one day because the captains inspire them so much. 

“The whole atmosphere of law swimming is so happy and welcoming so I would like to contribute to creating that same environment for the younger swimmers in the future,” freshmen Avery Oliveira said.

By Avery Moulton – Staff Reporter

Senior captain Gianna Gagliardi is excited about the 2023 swim and dive year. 

The swim and dive team is 3-2 to start the year with wins against West Haven, Hamden, and Mercy and losses against Daniel Hand and Lyman Hall.

“The team is looking great,” Gagliardi said. “We received new talent from incoming freshman class so that helped a lot and our recurring members improved over the off season.”

Gagliardi has been involved in swimming for years. She swims for a club team aside from Law’s team. 

She loves being with her teammates and building closer relationships with them. 

“We do a lot of team bonding, our biggest priority is making sure that everyone is having fun and getting along with one another,” Gagliardi said. “Team bonding is everyone’s favorite part about the swim season.”

The captains of the swim team are seniors Christina Ayala and Sarah Bagdasarian. The team is led by head coach Rob Rosner and assistant coach Mr. Lui.

“Our overall goal is to get as many girls as possible to states,” Lui said. “We have really close meets this year and we want to come out on top.”

Gagliardi has already qualified for states in the 200 freestyle. She is continuing to push herself and qualify in more events

“She always takes action when something needs to get done, and even in the pool she works very hard to perform better in meets,” junior Natalia Gagliardi said. “She is always working hard to build up her endurance.”

Gagliardi is very motivated and wants to lead the team to success. No matter the circumstances, she is always willing to step up.

“The skills and strengths Gianna has as a captain is that she always takes responsibility and she is there to help no matter what,” sophomore Melissa Servas said. “She is very good at handling all situations professionally and never fails to keep positive vibes throughout the team.” 

Servas and Natalia Gagliardi have built close relationships with the team due to Gagliardi’s help. She brings people closer together and helps win as a team.

“Gianna is the really great type of captain who doesn’t use the fact she is a captain for authority, she is still very close to the team no matter what position she’s in,” sophomore Sarah McCann said.

Gagliardi and the swim team are excited to continue with the 2023 season and see what successes will be showcased from the swimmers. 

By Addy Barber – Staff Reporter

The Law volleyball team is off to a strong start led by senior captains Ashley Borecki and Helen Chizmazia.

The seniors have worked hard during the offseason to prepare themselves and the team for the demanding schedule. The volleyball team is currently 5-1, and they are setting their sights on states under Borecki and Chizmazia’s leadership.

“My personal goal for the season is just to bring everything to the court every game,” Borecki said. “We have a pretty tough schedule this year in terms of teams and the actual schedule itself, so I just want to give it my all every time.”

Borecki has been on varsity for three years and has been a captain for two years. Chizmazia has been on varsity for two years and it is her first year as a captain. 

“I chose my captains based on what I had seen over the last few years,” head coach Ms. Loch said.

Both captains are passionate about the team and the game.

“Ashley’s passion for the game and her drive on the court is contagious,” Loch said. “Helen is a fireball. She gets pumped up, excited, has a great attitude all the time and works hard always.”

The team also spends time together off the court. They hold pasta parties and enjoy team bonding activities.

“I think a huge part of what makes our team dynamic so good is our chemistry with each other,” Chizmazia said. “Communication on and off the court is a huge reason that keeps us so close and a comfortable place to be.” 

The captains try their hardest to keep the team’s morale up throughout the season.

“Captains keep team morale up in lots of different ways,” senior Caden Simpson said. “It could be as simple as cheering and staying positive on the court, or as much as organizing things outside of school such as pasta parties.”

The captains have led the eight seniors and six juniors on the team to their 5-1 record.

“Each senior brings something to the table to be a leader for our team,” Loch said. “It’s been exciting to see them grow and improve through the four years on this team. They are all a great asset to Law volleyball and we will miss them all so much next year.”

The captains started preparing for this season with the team over the summer.

“They organized a summer league for us to get ready for the season and practice playing other teams,” junior Hannah Engel said.

By Gemard Guery and Bobby Black – Advocate Editors

The Jonathan Law volleyball team is off to a great start to the 2023 season. 

The team is captained by seniors Ashley Borecki and Helen Chizmazia and coached by Ms. Loch, a math teacher at Jonathan Law.  

The team is currently 5-1 with wins over Foran, West Haven, Lauralton Hall, Mercy, and Sacred Heart Academy. Their only loss came in their season opener against New Canaan.

“I think the season has been going really, really well,” Borecki said. “We are very scrappy and have a good relationship on and off the court which I think shows in our gameplay.”

Law graduated several key seniors from last year’s team, but they have continued to work well together this season. Some key members of the team this season have been Borecki, Chizmazia, seniors Olivia Hudak, Zoe Johnson, Caden Simpson, Kiley Sherman, Angie Robinson, and Samantha Chy, and juniors Addy Barber and Hannah Engel.

“I think our chemistry is super solid right now and I hope to continue to make the team a super place to be.  We all really want the best for each other and I definitely want that gratitude to carry throughout our season,” Chizmazia said.

While the team is having a lot of fun, it can also be challenging at times.

“The beginning of the season is always so hard because we are getting back into a routine and schedule after having no specific schedule and no school in the months leading to our season,” Loch said. “We are all readjusting to ‘back to school’ and keeping our energy up.”

Barber said the team is looking to improve collectively and individually as the season continues.

“I am working to improve my blocking and attacking transitions,” Barber said. “As a team, we are also working hard to improve our weaknesses.”

The team is working hard to go to SCCs and states this year and are also trying to just have fun and enjoy the season.

“I’m most looking forward to just enjoying the season to its fullest and playing my best,” Borecki said. “This is my last season, so I am looking forward to using what I’ve learned over the past three years and seeing it translate onto the court.”

By Quinn Willett and Haley Stroffolino – Social Media Editors

The Jonathan Law varsity cheerleading team has been on the sidelines for the past two Jonathan Law football games rooting the team on.

These games are part of the start of cheerleading season which begins in the fall and continues through the winter.

“A goal I have for this season is for everyone to push themselves,” junior captain Alexa Rosati said. “I want people to feel like they have people to talk to about anything even outside of cheer and build long lasting friendships.”

The cheer team is excited to participate in competitions in the winter and to win some titles.

Head coach Morgan Colombo has shared some goals that she has herself as well.

“It’s been a while since this team has competed and I can’t wait for them to shine on the competition mat,” Colombo said. “I’m not pushing for a first place trophy, but my goal is to hit zero.”

As the season begins, new members of the team are starting off strong and already improving. 

“I think this season will go pretty well for us,” freshman Avery Dubielewicz said. “We have to keep improving but I think the season will go very well for us.”

The team as a whole is excited for the annual Thanksgiving football game and for their new halftime show. 

“I am really looking forward to the Thanksgiving game,” Colombo said. “I graduated from Law in 2015 and am a Law cheer alum. Being back in general is giving me déjà vu, but the Thanksgiving game has always been one of my favorite law events and I can’t wait to be back, but, on the other side.”

The team has made great progress since last season and team members are working on new skills, stunts and routines. 

“Since last season, we’ve made great progress in synchronization and tumbling,” senior captain Mikayla Capobianco said. “It’s amazing to see our progress and how our hard work has been paying off.”

Along with goals and improvements, the team has also had some struggles they have overcome. 

“Our struggle is boosting self-confidence, but we’re committed to overcoming this,” Capobianco said. “Confidence is key.” 

The Jonathan Law cheer team has new exciting things to share this season and cannot wait to show the fans.

By Will Smith and Tim Firla – Entertainment Editors

The Law girls soccer team kicked off their season on September 9.

The team currently has a record of 2-2 with wins over Lauralton Hall and North Haven and losses to Hand and Amity. 

Law math teacher and head coach Mrs. Francisco is excited for what is to come this fall.

“Every season brings new challenges, but some always stay the same,” Francisco said. “Learning to play with new teammates and build a strong team chemistry is always the first challenge we want to tackle.” 

Being a young team in the SCC with only two seniors starting is not easy, but Fransisco said it is promising to see how the underclassmen have stepped up this year.

“I am looking forward to seeing how the underclassmen step up this season,” Fransisco said. “With a team that currently only starts two seniors, it’s exciting to see how the younger players take charge not only on the field but within the SCC. We are definitely going to be turning some heads this season.”

Key players for the team so far this season include senior goalie Chloe Haasch, junior captain Maddy Baranowsky, sophomores Layla Alogna and Avery Moulton, and freshmen Sophie Kalagher and Emily Vella, who had two goals in the team’s win against North Haven.

Macy Tiche is one of the two seniors that start for the team and has high hopes in her personal goals this year to help the team.

“My goals are to make states, and further my soccer career in college,” Tiche said. “I would like to play club Division 1 or Division 2 soccer at a nice school somewhere down south.”

Junior Tessa Piselli is starting her third year on varsity and is excited for the soccer team to reach new heights this year.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how far our team goes, bonding with my teammates, and facing new teams and competitions,” Piselli said.

By Zack Sulkis – Social Media Editor-in-Chief and Cesar Mendez – Sports Editor

Jonathan Law’s girls swim team recently started their 2023 season. 

The captains and members of the swim team have all been practicing hard and are ready to dive into this season

“I am so excited for this season and  I love the girls and the environment,” senior captain Christina Ayala said.  “I can not wait to see everyone’s improvements through the season.”

As of September 22, the swim team as a record of 2-1 with wins over Hamden and West Haven.

The captains this year are very excited and are focused on doing whatever they can to ensure the team performs at its best. The whole team spends lots of time together to grow their bond within each other.

“As a captain, I serve as a leader and make sure that there is always a positive attitude among the team,” senior captain Gianna Gagliardi said. “We also plan fun things as a team, we do team bonding, frequent pasta parties, secret psycher, and more to ensure that everyone is having an enjoyable time on the team.”

There are a lot of big expectations for all of the girls to compete at high levels and break their own personal records. Many girls swimmers qualified for states last season, so the team is hopeful they can repeat this previous year with even more girls going to states.

“I plan to improve from last season by working hard everyday and giving my 110%,” junior Sana Joshi said. “My biggest goal is to break the 100 breaststroke time this year.”

Seniors this year are trying to leave a good mark on this team especially because they won’t be back next year to help the other girls.

“I am very excited for this season especially since it’s my later year,” senior captain Sarah Bagdasarian said. “ I have to be a good role model and make sure that everyone is feeling safe and well heard on the team.” 

Assistant coach Mr. Lui is very excited for this upcoming season and what it has ahead. He is also very excited for this year’s Senior Night and is going to miss the Class of 2024.

“I know it’s about a month away, but I’m excited for our senior night against Foran,”  Lui said. “Last year’s meet was extremely close and we’d like to come out on top this season. Senior Night is always a fun way to celebrate the achievements our veteran swimmers have accomplished.”

By Kayla Markowitz and Harshitha Kothapalli – News Editors

The girls’ and boys’ cross-country teams at Jonathan Law are three weeks into the season and are off to a great start.

The teams have already participated in three meets and are working every day to get better.

“The season’s going pretty well,” senior Claire Moulton said. “The frst meet was very good but there’s definitely room for improvement.”

This year, the teams are being led by Coach Beler and Coach Schulte. Head Coach Beler is ready to lead the team this year and he is excited for the season.

“The team has demonstrated a strong work ethic and we have shown constant growth every meet,” Beler said. “We are excited as we enter the competition portion of our season with meets at Winding Trails and Wickham Park as well as SCC Divisions and the Milford championships.”

This year’s captains on the girl’s team are Claire Moulton, Alana Pires, and Skye Hamilton. The boys’ captains are Tanner Matchett, Matthew Barrett, Aidan Hope, and Chris Rickard.

Matchett is ready to be a leader for the team and has lofty goals for the team and individually.

“My goals for the season is to improve my times each race and continue to lead by example as a senior and captain for the next athletes and upcoming runners,“ Matchett said. “My personal goal for the season is to hopefully break 20 minutes or even 19 as the season progresses and place well in SCCs and states.”

This year, the season started off a little rocky with back-to-back meets and constant schedule changes due to excessive heat and rain. However, the teams took it as an opportunity instead of a challenge.

“It definitely has been stressful but we have been starting dynamic workouts and jump rope at the beginning of practice to warm up our bodies in different ways,” sophomore Dulce Paz-Gomez said. “I can already tell it’s helping and bonding the team making us stronger going into our races.”

The team has been preparing for the upcoming season over the summer to be in the best shape possible.

“As a team, we prepared by having captains practice five times a week during the summer starting in late June,” Matchett said. “This gave us time to get into good condition when the season comes around.”

Both teams are excited to watch the growth of each of their teammates and are ready to encourage all members.

“My favorite part of being on the team is seeing my friends and teammates improve,” sophomore David Lickteig said.

Moulton and other captains are making sure all of their teammates are prepared and ready.

“We lead the team during runs but also make sure we always create a safe space for the team to talk if they ever need anything and we let them know we are here for them whether it’s running-wise or not,” Moulton said.

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief

The Jonathan Law Boys soccer team kicked off their season earlier this week and are super pumped for the 2023 season.   

The Lawmen are led by captains; Cooper Fitzgerald, Elliot Melgar and Declan Wywoda. Their next game is Tuesday, September 19 against Sheehan at Lawmen Stadium. 

“I am looking to see how we compete against the top teams in the state,” head coach Mike Gruber said. “Our schedule doesn’t have any easy games so each game will be a battle and will be very competitive.”

The team unfortunately fell short when they opened up against Daniel Hand, they also played Hamden on September 14 and ended the game in a tie 2-2.

“I’m expecting a big improvement from last year, I’ve been working with all the younger guys since last season ended,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve developed a lot as a group both physically and tactically and I’m excited to see what we can produce this year as a team.”

The team’s expectations are always to make it to the SCC Tournament and the State Tournament and go as far as possible.

“I plan on making practice as difficult and challenging as possible so that when we play in-game, it comes easy,” Wywoda said. “Practice needs to be at 100 percent at all times so that the speed of the game doesn’t surprise us.”

The team has a lot of talented players, and a lot of leaders, that are not just the captains. 

“The transition to the high school game is tough but they are acclimating very well and I see them getting better each and every day,” Gruber said. “They are a big part of the future and I am excited to see growth from them in the next four years.”

The team lost eight seniors last year, leaving spots for new players or freshmen to fill. This year the team got 7 freshmen. 

“I plan to lead by example and work as hard as possible, so that our team will be able to make the postseason tournaments,” junior Alex Rodriguez said. 

A few players from the team commented on the fact that they always look forward to Law Vs Foran rivalry games. 

“I am also looking forward to seeing these student athletes gel both on the field and off the field and make long lasting friendships that they will have throughout their life,” Gruber said. “We are a tight knit group and everyone looks out for each other which is nice to see.”

Last year the Lawmen ended their season with a record of 3-10-3. Playing top teams in the state made it hard for the Lawmen to have a promising record. 

“We played and competed with high-level teams in the state in order to get in shape to prepare for the season,” Wywoda said. “We got our conditioning up and played more as a team so we could start the regular season strong and make the state tournament.”

By Harry Fisher – Sports Editor

The 2023 Jonathan Law cross country season is in full swing under the direction of new head coach Mr. Beler.

Beler replaces Charlie Phillips who retired from coaching the boys cross country team at Law for the past 55 years. He is excited to see the Lawmen compete in their first meet of the season.

“I am excited for all of the meets,” Beler said. “Every chance we have to get better gets me excited as a coach.”

Beler is highly motivated to take over and help each individual on the team achieve their personal best. He has reached out to some notable coaches in the area and researched some intense workouts to ensure each practice is designed to push the Law runners toward success. 

“We are mixing up workouts with distance, threshold, anaerobic and aerobic workouts to increase our wind and speed,” Beler said.

The weather has delayed some of the opening meets, but the Law runners are ready to attack the course in the rescheduled events this week.

With a full season on the horizon, Beler is planning new ways to help get all of the cross country runners in shape for the upcoming season.

“I am looking for constant decrease in times so by the time we get to the SCC and Milford Championships we will be running our best times,” Beler said.

He hopes that all of the cross country runners are ready to run there best times at every meet. The main goal for the cross country team is to win everyday by working and training everyday.

“The main goal is to win every day,” Beler said. “As a team we will continue to work hard to get PRs.”

By Cesar Mendez – Sports Editor

Mr. Drew is Law’s new Athletic Director.

Drew takes over for Mr. Ragaini, who was the interim Athletic Director last year after Law’s previous Athletic Director, Mr. Sarullo, left for Staples High School.

Drew said he has had a great time here at Law so far. 

“My experience so far has been great,” Drew said. “We have wonderful coaches here at Law who care about their student athletes.”

Drew has big plans for the future of Law athletics. 

“My goal is to continue to encourage our student athletes (if they are not already) to become multi-sport athletes who are well rounded in the classroom, community, and in competition,” Drew said

Before coming to Law. Drew was a Special Education teacher at Foran and also taught Special Education at Law. He was also Foran’s head coach for football and girls lacrosse and he hopes to grow more at Law.

“I started off my teaching career in Milford at Law,” Drew said. “I love the culture, the community, and the school pride that exists. Law truly is a special place.”

A group of administrators, coaches, and captains were involved in the interview process to hire Drew. 

“I think he is a very good Athletic Director,” senior football captain JT Nelly said. “He handled the high temperatures very well and I believe his background in coaching brings in certain skills that other possible athletic directors may not have. His long term plans for the school are something to look forward to seeing develop after I graduate.”

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief

The Jonathan Law football team is hoping to pick it right back up where it left off last year.

Last season, Law made it all the way to the Class M semifinals for the first time in program history before losing to Notre Dame-West Haven 28-14. 

“I feel spectacular about our returning players,” junior Cam Upchurch said. “I think we are gonna be even better than last year and we have new players that will definitely help us out too.”

The team has been preparing for the season for a couple weeks now being led by their two captains: JT Nelly and Chase Sisto. 

“I feel like we have a strong set of returning players that will play big roles this season,” sophomore Nick Cosmas said.

They have had a handful of scrimmages against Platt, Lyman Hall, Woodland, Seymour and Brookfield. 

“This year saw a talented and capable incoming freshman class,” head coach Chris Haley said. “A number were already physically committed to being ready for football when they arrived and came in beyond some returners.”

Last year, the Lawmen graduated 13 player, including Gatorade State Player of the Year John Neider (QB), Matt Hagerty (WR), Jack Sellman (LB) and Devin Calvin (OL). The team is excited to see new players step up and fill these roles. 

“This year saw a talented and capable incoming freshman class,” Haley said. “A number were already physically committed to being ready for football when they arrived and came in beyond some returners.”

The team starts their season off on September 8, at Lawmen Stadium against defending Class SS state champions Joel Barlow. 

“I feel pretty comfortable with the fellas because they already know what to do,” junior Charlie Becker said. “I’m excited for this season and can’t wait to see what happens.” 

Becker is at quarterback this year for the Lawmen. Last season he saw some time at wide receiver and is now eager to lead his team. 

“I’m excited about the move to Tier 2; it gives us a new slate of opponents mixed with some familiar ones,” Haley said. “We’ve been working towards this as our destination over the past couple of years.”

The Lawmen are anxious for the season to start and are hoping to kick off the season with a win. 

By Hannah Engel – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law boys outdoor track team season is coming to a successful end. 

This season, athletes from Law have been setting multiple personal records as well as qualifying for states in several events. 

JT Nelly, Gabe Garnett, Jack Bretthauer, and Shane Pritchard qualified for New Balance Nationals in the 4×100  This will take place on June 15 in Philadelphia. 

Athletes have a large variety of events they can compete in such as sprints, long distance, long and high jump, pole vault and more. 

Head coach Beler had goals set for the whole team this season. 

“The goal of every track team is to win a division and state championship,” Beler said. “The goal for every athlete is to win every day, which means the goal is to get a personal record every meet.” 

The team has also set individual goals to achieve throughout the season. 

“One of my goals was to see my mile time get better,” senior Jake Ackley said. “But my overall goal throughout the season was to break five minutes on my mile.” 

Many captains have been able to see growth and improvement in younger athletes. 

“We have promising underclassmen getting better and better throughout the season,” Nelly said. “I am excited to see what the future of this team will look like.”

Garnett shared his favorite part of track. 

“My favorite part about track is definitely running and winning of course,” Garnett said. “But what leaves the biggest impact on me is the friends I have gained from the sport and the memories I have made with all of them.”

By Aryan Sikhinam – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s girls track team wrapped up an amazing spring season on May 18, with 23 girls qualifying to compete in the SCC Championships.

Several members of the team set personal bests at the SCC meet.

“The girls track team did very well this year, both individually and collectively,” track coach Ms. Corriveau said. ”I’m especially impressed by the many underclassmen who continue to show incredible amounts of dedication and focus as we head off to states on June 1st.”

Team members are proud of their achievements this season. Junior girls track captain Claire Moulton was excited to make SCCs.

“I was very excited and happy that I was able to qualify,” Moulton said. “I was also very proud of the relay team that I qualified with.”

The girls faced many challenges this season, including the rainy weather to start the spring.

“In the beginning of the season the weather was very cold and rainy,” senior captain Elly van Waveren said. “It was hard to get good consistent workouts outside.”

Many freshmen joined the girls track team this year and had very successful seasons.

Freshman Charlotte Baldieri, freshman Molly Croce, junior Hailey Russo and freshman Andrea Crump, ran the 4×100 relay and broke their own personal record with a time of 51.7 seconds.

“I ran the 4×100 relay, and the 100 open,” Baldieri said. “I feel like I saw myself and everyone around me really improve and I think my freshman year set me up really good for my next three years in track.”

The team broke one school record this season – junior Lexi Borecki in the pole vault – and nearly every athlete earned a personal record in at least one event. 

“This track season I ran the 300M hurdles and the 4×400 relay,” freshman Layla Alogna said. “I was able to try out a bunch of different events and find the one that fits best for me”

The team feels they improved greatly, both boys and girls. They feel closer both as friends and as a team. 

“Our team has greatly improved throughout the season,” junior captain Caden Simpson said. “With our boys 4×100 going to Nationals, I would say my teammates have definitely learned to work with each other and support one another.”

By Chloe Konareski – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys tennis team recently finished the regular season with a 7-13 record. 

The team has gone through a rebuilding season loosing many seniors and getting a brand new coach. 

“We finished the season 7-13 and missed out on states by one win,” Wood said. “Our goal was to qualify for the state tournament and we fell short with a loss against Wilbur Cross 4-3. It came down to the wire. We put ourselves in a position to make it after playing a very challenging schedule.”

The team met their goals and persevered throughout all their matches.

“We met our goals because of the way we left it all on the court,” Wood said. “Junior Jon Uruchida was playing in the final match and was cramping up in that final set against Cross and gritted it out. It was a good first season and we hope to build upon what we did for next year.”

Senior captain Rishabh Nair said he enjoyed is final season on the tennis team. He is the team’s lone senior this season.

“As a captain, although I did help my teammates improve overall during practices, I do wish that I could have spent more time with individual players, especially the newer players, to help improve their game,” Nair said.

Nair was the team’s #1 singles player this season and sophomore Dean O’Donnell played #2 singles.

The team improved day by day after every match and practice learning more about each other’s playing styles.

“By the end of the season we had gotten more practice and me and my doubles partner had learned to communicate better as well which makes a huge difference at the end of the day’, junior Arshaq Ahmed said.

By Harshitha Kothapalli – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s girls lacrosse team finished their season with a record of 3-13.

The girls started off the season with a new coach and many new players and tried to adjust to the changes. 

“It was difficult having a brand new coach two weeks before the season started and a lot of new girls to the sport but it was a learning experience for all of us,” sophomore Chloe Konareski said. 

However, the team tried to make the best of the situation and managed to accomplish many things still.

“Our team won 2 home games and 3 games overall,” Konareski said. “Our team also accomplished getting our coach, Kevin Wielk, his first win as a coach at Jonathan Law.”

The team made many memories over the season and made the season enjoyable for the seniors.

“My favorite memory of lacrosse has been this season’s game against North Haven,” senior Maya Rosado said. “It was our first win of the season and I scored 5 goals.”

The team continued to persevere grow throughout the season and they are excited for next year.

“We had some tough games this year, but our record doesn’t reflect the hard work these girls put forth in practice every day,” assistant coach Maci Mursko said. “At any level of sports, the concept of improvement is a continuous cycle.”

The returning members tried their best to help the new players transition smoothly.

“I really focused on supporting the girls who had just started lacrosse this year and just being there for teammates,” junior Helen Chizmazia. “I really enjoyed getting to build new friendships and making the best out of games or practices.”

This season also allowed players to personally grow and improve.

“I ended the season with 91 goals for my entirety of last year and this year’s season as a sophomore,” Konareski said. “My goals are to play at the next level which starts with high school and club season but I think that our new coach helped me improve and start to reach my future goals.”

Junior Zoe Johnson also hit a milestone this season and aims to continue to work hard.

“I think I personally improved significantly as I had gotten 100 goals this past season and was able to come back to the sport after I had an injury,” Johnson said.

By Cesar Mendez – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s golf team just finished its regular season with a record of 7-9.

The team now prepares for their States match on June 6.

“My favorite part of the season was being out there with our kids,” coach and health teacher Mr. Maurutis said. “We have a great group of kids and it was nice to work with them on improving their game.” 

There were a lot of improvements in all aspects of the team’s performance this year, from driving to chipping and putting.

“I improved on my mentality when something doesn’t go my way and being able to have a positive attitude,” junior Jaden Archuleta said. “I also worked on my iron game and it improved a lot to where I added 15 yards to each club in my bag, making it easier to play.”

There were many memorable matches for the golf team this season, including some wins by just a few strokes.

“This years season for me has gone very well, there has been a lot of improvement from last year, ” sophomore PJ Savoie said. “My best match was against Career Magnet where I shot a 40 which is just five over par.”

Even though the team had a solid regular season and are awaiting their States match, there are still things the players want to improve upon.

“I definitely need to improve on putting and getting better at reading the line to the cup, as well as hitting the ball of the tee,” sophomore PJ Pacelli said. “If I can improve on that my score will be significantly better and I can do more to help out the team.”

The team is excited knowing that all members will return next season and they are looking forward to the postseason as well.

“As we come to the end of our season, I will say that our team improved every day and has come a long way from the beginning of tryouts,”  junior Patrick Paules-Harrold said. “I am looking forwarded to seeing how our hard work will pay of in States.”

By Quinn Willett – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys lacrosse team just finished their season with a record of 3-13.

The Lawmen beat Norwich Tech twice and West Haven once while battling injuries all season. 

“I’m really proud that we finally found our culture,” head coach Mike Ayala said. “Our routines have become concrete, and our expectations of ourselves and each other are also clear. We focused on being tough mentally and physically, being disciplined, and we understand the sacrifices we’re going to need to make in order to be competitive.”

One of the key injuries for the team this season was senior Matt Haggerty. Haggerty suffered a knee injury and had surgery just weeks before the season started.

“My biggest accomplishment of this season so far has been being able to slowly come back from a knee injury without any problems playing on a varsity level,” Haggerty said.

As the season went on, the boys said they grew as a team and a family.

“The boys have such a great bond and are very motivating to each other,” assistant coach Mike Loschiavo said. “Therefore it makes the atmosphere of coaching quite fun.” 

The Lawmen were led all season by senior Connor Chirico, who went Second Team All-SCC and scored his 100th career goal.

“The boys lacrosse program at Law has been great for my four years here,” Chirico said. “My favorite memory was the bus rides with the team.” 

Sophomore Tyler Davis was impressed with the progress the younger members of the team made.

“Our team’s biggest accomplishment this year was overcoming the seniors that we lost this year,” Davis said. “We had some important seniors that helped us win last year and we needed to fill those positions.”

By Tanner Matchett – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law softball team finished the regular season with a record of 18-2, qualifying them for the SCC and State tournaments. 

“We had good freshmen come in and fit into the right spots,” senior centerfielder Paige Jolley said. “With our coaching and team bond I never really doubted us.” 

Jolley is one of many seniors, including Nicolina Salanto, Elizabeth Roos, Hailey Oliver, and Macie Rascoll, who have led the team in the right direction and to its success. 

“I just tried to do my part the best I could,” Jolley said. “I try to lead by example so I always kept a good attitude, cheered on my teammates, and always gave 100%.”

The team’s pitching has been one its biggest strengths this season, led by sophomore Mady Bull. Her success came from setting goals and working to accomplish them. 

“The major goal I set for myself this year is to make it to states and also have better control over all my pitches and I believe I’ve accomplished that,” Bull said. 

After losing seniors to graduation, several incoming freshmen stepped up and filled the shoes of the previous seniors. This was a major factor to the team’s accomplishments. 

“The freshmen stepped up and filled in the gaps from the graduating seniors last year,” Bull said. “We all work hard for each other and push each other to get better every game and every practice so at the end of the day we will come out ahead.”

The long-term goal for the team is to come out on top of State tournament. 

“The goals were to win every single game and if not then win the ones that matter the most and win the SCC and States championships,” Bull said.

By Kayla Markowitz – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls tennis team has finished up the regular season and is heading to states. 

Their regular season ended with a 13-7 record and is the team is seeded #9 for the Class L State Tournament. 

“This is the hardest working group I’ve ever had and they have been determined to get better every day,” head coach Mr. Kulenych said. “I’m so proud that all of the hard work paid off for them.”

Despite losing three key seniors from last year’s team, Law was able to navigate through a challenging schedule.

Key singles players on this years team included senior captains Samantha Burns and Sabrina Lawless, and junior Isabella Gecaj and Kaitlyn Goldberg. Key varsity doubles players were senior captain Caroline Doyle and junior Olivia Hudak (who were named All-SCC), junior Chloe Haasch and freshman Harshitha Kothapalli, juniors Kayla Nastasia and Moulika Sivalenka, and sophomore Kacey Pagaduan.

The team is excited to go to the state tournament and is preparing every day. After a hard-working season, the team is excited to get some time off to get some rest before they dive back in. 

“To prepare for states, the first thing we did is take some time off,” Doyle said. “We’ve been playing pretty much every day since the start of the season, and everyone got a much-deserved rest.” 

The team fought hard throughout the season and finished strong. The girls made it to states, finished with the second most wins in a season in school history (13) and beat several highly skilled teams along the way. 

“We made states which we are proud of that and we also have the second most wins in school history,” Goldberg said. “We also beat Lauralton Hall, a Tier 1 team who we’ve never beaten before.”

Throughout the season, the girls worked every day to improve their skills. They fought hard during their matches to win a lot of difficult games.

“Everybody stepped up when needed, and I know there isn’t one girl on the team that doesn’t put everything into every match,” Lawless said. 

One of the main goals the team had was to make it to the state tournament. They accomplished this and they’re excited to show off what they can do competing in their first states game at home on May 26.

“Some team goals we had were to make states (which we did) and to overall just have a good successful season and to not only have fun on the court but off as well,” Goldberg said.

The girls also did team bonding events and got closer as a team. Getting to know each other was a big part that played into how they played as a team during difficult matches. 

“I think that our team bonding improved over the season. We definitely got closer as the season went on,” Burns said.

The seniors are sad to leave behind such a hardworking group and will miss the rest of their teammates as they graduate and leave Jonathan Law. 

“I am going to miss the family feel the most after this year,” Lawless said. “Having it be a smaller team, because it is a varsity-only sport, you’re able to connect more with your teammates.”

By Chloe Konareski – Staff Reporter

The Law and Foran softball teams played the annual Danni Kemp fundraiser game on April 26.

Law softball coach Mrs. Blude helped arrange the fundraiser in hopes of raising money for the Danni Kemp Memorial Fund. Danni was an All-state softball player at Foran High School who passed away in 2017 of a brain tumor.

Danni went All-State her junior and senior year of high school and event spent a small amount of time playing for the Stratford Brakettes. 

“We want to remember Danni,” Blude said. “We have players on our team who knew Danni personally and some with older sisters that played with and against Danni. And we want to continue to help supplement the scholarship fund so that scholarships can be given to current students yearly. We sell T-shirts and Foran has a bake sale at the game to help support this.”

The slogan “Danni Strong” has been printed onto many shirts, bracelets, stickers, and are even worn on the helmets of hundreds of softball players throughout Milford.

“Danni was an incredible ball player but even better person,” Blude said. “We celebrate her life to honor her and what she brought to Milford Softball.”

While this was a fundraiser game, it is also the town rivalry game. Both teams prepared and worked hard for the outcome in this rivalry and Foran came out with the 2-1 win.

Law’s players were proud to be able to take part in the game.

“The Danni Kemp game is played every year in order to fundraise money for brain cancer research,” senior captain Nicolina Salanto said. “It is a good way to fundraise but it is also way that Milford keeps the memory of Danni alive. We raised funds by selling T-shirts and inviting friends and family to come watch the game. Foran also played a part in remembering Danni by selling baked goods, T-shirts, and other merchandise. Danni was a kind soul that was loved by everyone and it is important that we remember her Legacy and pass it on to remember that even when it gets hard you keep fighting.”

The purpose of the game is to raise money for those who face the battle that Danni did but also Inspire those who did not know Danni. This game is how both teams – and all of Milford – celebrate the life that Danni lived. 

By Maya Markowitz – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s baseball team recently finished the regular season with a 10-10 record.

The Lawmen are now advancing to states. After beating Weston, they met the qualifications for the Class M playoffs.

The team is extremely happy with this achievement, and excited to move forward. 

“We had a slow start to the season with a record of 2-5, but now we are 10-10, which is enough to qualify for states,” junior Hunter Hoxie said. 

Senior captain Aidan Ryan was impressed with the team after their huge turnaround mid-season. He is hopeful for what the rest of the season will bring. 

“We qualified for the state tournament with a very tough schedule,” Ryan said. “We also won games against teams that we haven’t beaten in a while so I feel we can make a very far run come playoffs” 

This year, Law defeated Foran, their cross-town rival, twice. The team has not swept Foran prior to the current season since 2014. 

The strength of the team all year has been the pitching staff led by Hoxie, juniors Brian Goglia, Jaxson Smith, and Declan Wywoda, and sophomore Michael Merchant.

With the season coming to a successful end, the team was able to reflect on the challenges that they faced. 

“I would say that one of our biggest challenges was the difficulty of our schedule this year,” junior Jaxson Smith said. “We played teams like St. Joseph’s and Notre Dame because of how far we made it last year.” 

One of goals the Lawmen set for themselves at the end of last year was to make it states again. With practice, the team focused on their weaknesses, which allowed them to improve over the duration of the season.

“One of our mantras is ‘get a little better every day,'” assistant coach Mr. McPartland said. “Every day, we make a conscious effort as a team to focus on what we can control and on getting a little better that day.”

The team will have a week of practice before competing in their first round of the State Tournament on May 27. 

By Tanner Matchett and Jack Bretthauer – Staff Reporters

Tom Drew was hired to be the new Athletic Director at Jonathan Law High School on April 21. 

Drew, a special education teacher at Foran High School, was also previously the head football and girls lacrosse coach at Foran hopes to get close to student-athletes at Law. 

“The reason I became a coach was to have a positive impact on kids, and to help them become the best versions of themselves,” Drew said “The bond that is created between coach and athlete during that process is special, being an athletic director will allow me to have a greater impact amongst more student athletes.”

Law Principal Mr. Darcy and Dean of Students Mr. Ragaini knew that Drew was the best choice for the job. Darcy said the “process was intense” and that Law “interviewed several candidates from across the state.” 

“There were two major things that stood out for Tom Drew during the process,” Darcy said. “First, this is a bit of a homecoming for Tom. He actually started his teaching career in Milford at Law before moving over to Foran. He’s going to raise expectations we have for our athletic programs and I’m excited to work with him in this process.”

Ragaini, who has been serving as the interim AD at Law since Mr. Sarullo accepted the AD job at Staples High School in February, said the interview process was a thorough one. 

“The interview process did feel a bit different than other interviews I have been part of recently,” Ragaini said. “Since I have been covering as our interim Athletic Director, I have a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of an AD. I tried to use that lens during the process.”

Coaches and teachers at Law were also involved in the interview process and knew the importance of hiring the right candidate. 

“The Athletic Director is the straw that stirs the drink,” head outdoor track coach Mr. Beler said. “He provides the implements for coaches to do what they do best. A supportive Athletic Director is the foundation to a successful athletic program.”

Girls tennis coach Mr. Kulenych was excited when he heard Drew was selected.

“Coach Drew is a perfect fit for the student-athletes at Law,” Kulenych said. “He knows Milford, he knows Law, and he is going to to continue to lead all of our athletics programs in the right direction.”

By Helen Chizmazia – Social Media Editor

Junior Olivia Hudak is excited for the upcoming girls tennis season. 

The tennis team opened its season with a win over Abbott Tech on April 4.

“I want to better myself this season by really trying to work harder and improve on certain skills,” Hudak said. “Also, putting in the work at practice.”

Hudak is a two-sport varsity athlete. She plays volleyball in the fall and tennis in the spring.

She said she is ready to help lead the team on and off the court.

“I’m most excited about the team bond that we have everywhere,” Hudak said. “I love getting close with my teammates and forming good bonds that last throughout the season.” 

The captains of the tennis team this season are seniors Samantha Burns, Caroline Doyle, and Sabrina Lawless.  

Hudak and Doyle will play in the #1 doubles spot for Law this season. They went All-SCC as a doubles team last season.

“I play my best as a player when I’m most determined to do well and succeed on the court,” Hudak said. 

Hudak’s goal is to continue to improve throughout the season and contribute to the team with her positive attitude and great sportsmanship. 

“My favorite thing during tennis season is the relationships I have with my teammates,” Hudak said. “It makes matches and practices so much more fun.”

By Cesar Mendez – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s wrestling team recently finished its postseason with the SCC Tournament, Class M State Tournament, and State Opens. 

Law had two wrestlers to make it to the State Opens tournament  – sophomore Braydon Hancock and senior Brayden McCourt.

“Both Bradyens wrestled well at State Opens,” Assistant Coach Mr. Ruzbarsky said. “We are looking forward to Brayden Hancock coming back next season and wish Brayden McCourt the best of luck.”

Hancock started varsity as a first-year wrestler and surprised the team and himself with his exceptional wrestling skills.

“I was excited to make states as a first-year wrestler,” Hancock said. “I had no idea or plans to make to the state tournament but as the season progressed, I went from one match to next and somehow made it to states, which came as a shock.”

Law’s wrestlers faced stiff competition at the Class M State Tournament.

“I didn’t do so well at the Class M Tournament,” junior Zack Sulkis said. “The heavyweight bracket was stacked and I was battling a ligament injury in my foot from a couple weeks before that had really caught up to me when I was about to clinch the State Open. This offseason I need to work on more strength training, got to build more core and leg strength and work on becoming more versatile on offense because my offense is virtually the same five moves. I already signed up for more club wrestling with Southside.”

The team enjoyed the regular season and all of the postseason tournaments.

“It felt good to come this far in the season and make it way farther than I would have thought a year ago,”  sophomore Will Smith said. “While I am mad that I missed State Opens by one match, I’m glad I even managed to get this far and next season I have no excuse to not make State Opens.”

Next season, all wrestlers expect themselves  to make big improvements, and those improvements start in the offseason.

“This off-season, I am going to improve my recovery and make sure I’m as heavy as possible at my weight class,” junior Ben Girandola said. “ Im also going to improve my drive and focus for practices so they can reflect in my matches.”

By Chloe Konareski – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys Sprint Medley Relay team and junior Caden Simpson recently competed at the New Balance Nationals in Boston.

The boys Sprint Medley Relay (SMR) team is made up of four runners: Shane Pritchard, Gabe Garnett, Jack Bretthauer and Liam Fedigan. 

The team ran a 3:41.68 in the SMR, setting a new school record by over nine seconds.

“It was such a fun environment to run in,” Bretthauer said. “There was a loud crowd and the announcer even said my name on the intercom. It felt great to go as a team and to get a record with kids that wanted it just as bad as me.”

Bretthauer runs the 400 leg of the relay and ran his best split of the season. 

“It was fun going to Boston with the SMR team for two days,” Garnett said. “This Nationals is my second time going after last year. New Balance did everything right with the track to the colors of everything at the building and the bags.”

At the New Balance Nationals some of the best high school athletes in the U.S. competed. 

The SMR team will now turn its attention to the upcoming outdoor track season.

“My new goal for the spring season is to be as diverse as I can. I want to be able to run everything from the 100M to the 800M,” Bretthauer said. “This will not only help me as an overall athlete but help me provide for every relay that we will have at Law.”

Fedigan will continue his running career next year at Iona University in New York.

“I want my legacy at Law to have a positive impact on everyone,” senior Liam Fedigan said. “Through my hard work and dedication I wish to inspire people to work hard on something they love.”

Pritchard will finish his Law track career this spring as well.

“Law track has taught me not only to be there for one another and to have fun, but always bet on yourself,” Pritchard said. “This is because in the end you’re family and can always achieve higher when you push yourself past your limits.”

Pritchard also ran a 7.30 in the “Rising Stars” 60M Dash beating the school record by less than one second at the New Balance event.

Simpson re-broke the school record in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of a 9.46. 

“Having been the only girl to make it to Nationals this year feels so rewarding,” Simpson said. “I had supportive teammates who brought the season by pushing me to be the best I could throughout the season. Although, this upcoming season my goal is to have not only myself but more girls on the track team represent Law at the national level, because we are all capable of it.”

By Tanner Matchett – Staff Reporter

This past football season was one to remember for Jonathan Law quarterback John Neider.

And the awards keep piling up. 

On January 6, John was named Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Connecticut, adding to his other awards which included First Team All-State honors. Most recently, Neider was named Walter Camp High School Football Player of the Year. 

“It feels great winning this award; I feel like I am a part of a great group of people,” Neider said. “My initial reaction to winning this award was I was frozen. I remember hearing my name and just freezing up. Everyone started clapping and standing up around me and I was just sitting down frozen. It was awesome.”

Neider attended the Walter Camp Ceremony on Saturday, March 11, where he was selected for the award. 

“The ceremony was awesome,” Neider said. “There were a bunch of great speakers like Tony Boselli and Caleb Williams. There were around 700 people there. It was a great event.”

The award was definitely not handed to Neider. Lots of hard work and long days during the off-season were put towards an incredible season. 

“The off-season for us started the day after Thanksgiving last year,” Neider said. “From that point to the first practice, we were in the weight room and on the field working out at least five times a week.”

For the next four years, Neider will be attending the University of Connecticut to continue his academic and athletic career.

“Go Huskies,” Neider said.

By Truman Martin – Entertainment Editor

The Jonathan Law wrestling team recently finished their regular season with a record of 14-13.

Since then, the teams’ postseason run has also come to a close following SCCs, Class M States, and State Opens.

On February 11, the Lawmen traveled to Branford High school for the SCC Tournament. Everyone battled on the mat and the team had one placement – junior Zack Sulkis, who took fourth place at heavyweight.

Sulkis was the only Lawmen to get a first round bye at the #3 seed in tournament in a very competitive bracket, finishing with a pin in under a minute against East Haven and a come-from-behind pin on Guilford. 

“I had mixed feelings about the placement,” Sulkis said. “I was the three seed and finished fourth which was the biggest thing eating at me as well as how I didn’t get on the podium and finished lower then how I was ranked, I knew it would be a tough bracket and I’m proud of my wins especially the come from behind headlock to a pin on guilford but the losses I took were the only thing on my mind for the rest of the weekend.” 

The following week, Law hosted the Class M state tournament with 28 teams present over the long weekend. The Lawmen put in a great effort with two wrestlers, Brayden Hancock and Brayden McCourt, qualifying for the State Open tournament. 

On the girls side, Megan Velasquez, Sophia Abbaspour, Mackenzie Nichols, and Marissa Wargo competed in the Girls State Championships.

“I’m really proud of how the team did this year,” assistant coach Mr. Ruzbarsky said. 

Law’s wrestlers are already setting their sights on next season.

“I’m happy with how I did this season overall although I’m pretty mad that I missed states by a match.” sophomore Will Smith said. “Next year, I have no excuse not to qualify.”

By Caden Simpson – Social Media Editor

The Jonathan Law boys basketball finished the 2022-2023 regular season with a record that will go down in history. 

With a win against Bunnell on February 21, the boys finished the regular season 17-3 – the second best regular season record in school history. 

“I couldn’t be happier with the result of our regular season,” junior Liam Valvo said. “Not only is our team strong skill-wise but our grit and determination is strong on and off the court as well”.

The #3-seeded Lawmen began Division III State Tournament play on March 8 with a win over Wethersfield. They now advance to the quarterfinals against #6 seed Platt on March 10.

“I had confidence that our team would make it to the quarterfinals this season,” junior Derek Rainey said. “I knew by the way we would perform in practice and our ability to work together on the court.”

Rainey and the rest of the team have full confidence heading into the quarterfinals and even have their sights set on a state championship.

“This is a great year for Law basketball,” Valvo said. “Seeing how hard everyone has worked to get to where we are is incredible and it really shows in the games we play.”

The team has improved each week in practice in order to have the record they have. 

“I am very pleased with the performance of the team from start to finish in the regular season,” Rainey said. “You can see all the work we put in during practice”. 

The team accomplished various goals throughout the season, including making it to states and SCCs.

“Our goals changed throughout the season as time went on,” sophomore Cam Upchurch said. “As we played into SCCs one of our goals was to get further than any other team in school history, which we accomplished.”

This year’s team has been led by its seniors, including Nolan McKenna-Hansen, John Neider, Christian Andriolas, Brendan Buchner, Aidan Ryan, and Lenny Ialeggio.

Although these seniors will have graduated next year, the team is still confident in their ability to make it far next season.

“The team is losing a lot of seniors for next year,” Andriolas said. “Experience from some juniors and sophomores will be key in leading the team next year.”

Until then, their quest for a state title continues March 10 against Platt at Law at 7 p.m.

By Zack Sulkis – Social Media Editor

The Jonathan Law boys swim and dive team has reached the finish line on their 2022-2023 season. 

The team has gone through a rebuilding season this year but has acquired many new, talented swimmers and has seen interest in the sport continue to rise.

“It’s been a great season for the time I’ve been there,” senior captain John Cummings said. “A lot of people have been really fast over just a few months. I’ve made some new friends and they’ve made me a better swimmer.”

The team finished with a 5-7 record this season. The team put up very close scores against several strong opponents, and impressed a variety of SCC teams with how close they were.

“I am very proud of how our season went,” junior Chris Rickard said. “Going from last year after losing many of our All-State swimmers left us in a major deficit in our competitiveness to other teams. During my freshman year, we won a majority of the meets we went to, and being able to see our team see more wins and becoming stronger each year is great. Individually, many of our swimmers made great improvements. Seeing people like John Cummings break the minute on his 100 freestyle, and others achieving personal goals and celebrating is fulfilling to see as a teammate. I can only look forward to what else this team has to offer for next season.”

The team qualified for SCCs and states in several events, including the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay. Individuals such as senior captain Gerold Gutierrez medaled at SCC finals and is a regular competitor at State Opens.

“Gerold has always been a powerhouse on the team, and a star swimmer,” Rickard said. “He is a kind person, and a great teammate, and will be missed when he graduates. We wish him the best in whatever he goes on to do.” 

Senior captain Jake Ackley feels the team has made a large growth in overall quality of their talent. 

“I feel we definitely improved from last year,” Ackley said. “Every meet we went all out and everyone improved throughout the season and at SCC’s the entire team had personal bests in their events.”

By Olivia Hudak – Entertainment Editor

The Jonathan Law girls basketball team recently finished its 2022-223 winter season.

The girls team had a new coach this season, Kevin Wielk. The captains were senior Sabrina Lawless and senior Nicolina Salanto.

After qualifying for states last season, Law was faced with a difficult schedule this year. While they didn’t win a game this season, they competed hard in each game and made significant progress as the year went on.

“The season didn’t go quite how we would have liked it too unfortunately,” Lawless said. “We knew we were going to have a very tough schedule from what we earned last year, and having a completely new coaching staff, but we tried to make the best of it as we could.”

The team fought through the season with team bonding activities. With lots of new players to welcome, they created strong friendships on the court and off of the court.

“For team bonding, we had a very small team this year which worked well with the relationships we had,” Salanto said. “Everyone on the team suited up for the varsity games and we all practiced together. Out of my four years, it was the closest our team has been.”

Girls basketball made noticeable improvements as the season went on. Getting used to new coaching and new members of the team it took some time, but paid off as the season continued.

“As the season progressed we definitely improved,” Lawless said. “We ran through our plays much more smoothly and we were fighting harder on defense.”

Although the season didn’t go as planned, the girls team was able to finish with amazing bonds and memories that they will carry with them.

By Bobby Black – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law indoor track team recently completed a very successful winter season.

The team had two new coaches this year – Frank Gaines as the head coach and Mike Loschiavo as the assistant coach – and they helped continue the indoor track team’s run of excellence.

Junior captain Caden Simpson said she was excited about how the girls season went.

“I think we exceeded our expectations for this track season,” Simpson said. “Our 4×200 relay with two freshman legs ran at States, our SMR team ran at Opens, and we had girls and boys qualify for Nationals. We had great coaches helping us throughout the season as well.”

In the 4×200, Alani Perez, Molly Croce, Hailey Russo, and Elizabeth Roos ran at States. Simpson qualified for Nationals in the hurdles. 

The captains and coaches thought the team competed well.

“The track team had many kids PR over the season and qualify for meets that you had to hit times for,” junior captain Jack Bretthauer said.

The team, as well as the captains, accomplished many goals throughout the season. 

“We got third place in the 4×200 at SCC Championships and fourth place in the 4×200 at States,” junior captain JT Nelly said. 

The captains are looking forward to next year’s season as they are already setting goals. 

“Next year I am looking forward to building a strong relationship with my team and achieving our goals as captain,” Nelly said. 

With the track team having new coaches, the players and coaches had to build a relationship this winter. 

“First I talked to (Coach Gaines) about how we ran the team last year and what was good and bad about it,” Nelly said. “Then I talked to him about goals I had in mind and goals he had in mind and then we just applied how we both felt to the team.”

This year, there were many new members who contributed to the team.

“A lot of freshman stepped up along with new athletes from all grades,” Bretthauer said. “They all encouraged each other at practice and helped make sure they knew what they were doing at meets.”

Law set many records this season, including the SMR relay team beating the previous school record by seven seconds. This group includes Shane Pritchard, Liam Fedigan, Bretthauer, and Gabe Garnett. 

Fedigan also set school records in the 1-mile, 2-mile and the 1000 meter races. 

By Kaitlyn Goldberg – News Editor 

The Law gymnastics team wrapped up another record-breaking season.

The team was led by senior captain Olivia Coddington, and junior captains Lexi Borecki, Claire Moulton, and Natalie Morrell.  

The team is very happy with how the season went and how they bonded over the course of the season. 

“Our season was a success again this year and we had a great time,” head coach Mr. Simon said. “We were second place in the SCC and qualified for the CIAC tournament.”  

Every year, the team has goals they want to reach, whether it’s getting personal bests or just improving their skills  – and they did just that.  

“This season I reached a few of my goals which were to get personal bests on an event, which I did this year on all of them,” Moulton said. 

Making sure the events are executed in a way that will keep the gymnasts safe is always a priority.

“My goal every year is for a safe season, to have fun, and qualify for the state tournament,” Simon said. 

There were also lots of new members of the team that contributed heavily  to the success of the season. 

“I think the season went pretty well,” Borecki said. “We had a bunch of new people who contributed to the team and Natalie did very well breaking one of the records at the meet.”

One of the most successful things that happened during this season was Morrell breaking the school and SCC record on the balance beam. 

“Natalie broke the school and SCC record on balance beam with a 9.6 at the SCC Championships and she also qualified for the All Around in the CIAC meet,” Simon said.

Overall, the season went very well, the team is happy about their accomplishments, and is excited for next season as well. 

By Ella Franzman – Sports Editor

Jonathan Law Dean of Students Mr. Ragaini has been appointed interim Athletic Director, replacing Mr. Sarullo who recently accepted a position at Staples High School. 

Ragaini will continue to work as the Dean of Students until the end of the year as well. After a formal search ended without the selection of a new AD, the administrative team asked Ragaini if would be willing to fill in for the remainder of the year. 

“I love being the Dean of Students at Law, however, everyone knows I love sports,” Ragaini said. “This will be a good opportunity to get my feet wet a little and for me to see if I enjoy the role of Athletic Director.”

Ragaini is very sad to see Sarullo leave, but he knows that he left the athletic program in great shape and he can’t wait to step in. 

“The reason this decision was made is because he fits exactly what we need right now as far as supporting students, coaches and families as we continue the interview process to find a permanent replacement for Mr. Sarullo,” Principal Mr. Darcy said. “Rags has built so many relationships with everyone and I know he’ll be able to do the job as we move on.”

Ragaini, whp played baseball at the University of Connecticut, has three children – Nico, Bella, and Taya. Nico is a Division I football player at the University of Iowa and will be completing his final season next year, Bella is a junior at the University of Iowa who in high school played volleyball, basketball, and was All-State in track, and Taya is a senior at East Haven High School where she cheers. 

“Rags has experienced athletics from the role of a player, coach and parent and cares so much about our student athletes,” Law softball coach Mrs. Blude said. 

There was a committee of many different people – staff and coaches from Law, Central Office staff, coaches, teachers, parents, and student-athletes – who interviewed several external candidates for the Athletic Director position over the past few weeks. By the end of the process, it was decided that they were not comfortable moving forward with any of the candidates and needed to re-post the position.

They then decided to move forward with Ragaini as interim Athletic Director. 

Ragaini said he will lean on the rest of Law administrative team for help. Assistant Principal Mr. Hoggatt and Principal Darcy are both former Athletic Directors and  Assistant Principal Mr. Marko also has a lot of experience with high school sports as he was a successful basketball coach in Fairfield. 

“The administration will help me with some of the Dean responsibilities on those busy days when there may be game cancellations, issues with the buses, or any athletic concerns,” Ragaini said. 

Ragaini is excited to get started and to work with Law’s spring coaches. He’s also hoping to make the transition as smooth as possible. 

“We have many veteran spring head coaches which will be key as I step into this role,” Ragaini said. 

Law’s spring coaches are thrilled with Ragaini’s new role.

“Rags, a.k.a. the Dean of Winning, has always been a big advocate for Law sports,” outdoor track coach Mr. Beler said. “This role will allow him to help lead the Law sports program on a positive and upward trend.”

Girls tennis coach Mr. Kulenych agreed.

“Rags is the perfect fit for this position,” Kulenych said. “He bleeds black and gold, he knows our school and our student-athletes, and his passion for sports is obvious. We are all looking forward to working with him to continue the success of all of Law’s sports teams.”

By Ella Franzman – Sports Editor and Maya Rosado – Editor-in-Chief

Jonathan Law Athletic Director VJ Sarullo has been appointed to the same position at Staples High School in Westport. 

The news of Sarullo’s departure was announced in early January. Previously, Sarullo was the Athletic Director at Notre Dame-Fairfield and Sheehan in Wallingford before coming to Law. This is now his 17th year as an Athletic Director in the state.

Sarullo will fill the position held by Marty Lisevick, who will retire after 22 plus years as the Staples Athletic Director on January 31. 

Sarullo’s last day at Law is February 28. He said that he is excited about the move but will remember his time at Law fondly.

“First, I will miss all of the student-athletes, coaches, families and staff members that I have the good fortune to meet over my nine years here,” Sarullo said. “Next, I will miss the sense of family that our school community has developed over the years.”

Sarullo also holds the title as the president of the Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors and will continue to hold this position at Staples. He also is the SCC Chairperson for girls basketball and softball, which he will have to step down from as he will move from the SCC to the FCIAC.

“I think with any new position, there is some excitement with the unknown,” Sarullo said. “With that said, the parts that I know about are also exciting – 40 teams, 900 student-athletes, great coaches and facilities and supporting families.”.

Many Law coaches described their feelings about Sarullo’s departure as bittersweet. They said they are happy for him and his family but sad to see him leave.

“As our friend and Athletic Director, we are going to miss him, but we are excited for him as well,” girls tennis coach Mr. Kulenych said. “VJ has taken all of our athletic programs to new heights and his support and leadership has been incredible over the years. When he told us about the move, VJ said that his goal when he came to Law was to leave the athletic program better than he found it, and that’s exactly what he did.”

Softball coach Mrs. Blude said she will miss how much Sarullo supported all of Law’s sports teams.

“VJ’s biggest contribution over the years was doing all he could to support the coaches and players but truly caring about the success of the teams at Law,” Blude said.

Boys basketball coach Mr. Anderson said that Sarullo’s impact on Law athletics goes beyond the field or the court.

“VJ’s contributions to our Law family and community are extensive,” Anderson said. “He has been the driving force in reshaping and building our athletic programs to the highest levels of sportsmanship and sustained success.”

This past spring, Sarullo also served as an assistant baseball coach and helped lead them to the Class M semifinal game where they fell short to Woodland. Even with that added coaching responsibility, Sarullo still attended countless spring contests.

“I will miss his presence at games,” Blude said. “When he couldn’t be at an away game because of other teams having home contests, I will miss the texts asking if we won almost immediately after the game ended.”

In his time at Law, Sarullo also had a significant impact on the JLHS Booster Club.

“VJ has been a tremendous partner with the Booster Club since our founding in 2015,” Booster Club President Sherri Franzman said. “With his unwavering support we have been able to do a lot for the student-athletes at Law, like our highly successful Law Nation program that has led to increased student attendance at our sporting events.” 

In the fall of 2022, there were over 1,400 Law Nation admissions to sporting events. Since the program began in the fall of 2017, students have entered games using the Law Nation program over 7,200 times.

Sarullo said he is confident that Law athletics will continue to thrive under the new Athletic Director.

“I know that nothing but success lies ahead for all of our programs,” Sarullo said. “I have loved every second of being a part of the Lawmen Family. No matter where I am, I will always be a Lawman.”

By Truman Martin – Entertainment Editor

The Jonathan Law wrestling team grappled to a win in their first match of the season against Cheshire.

The score was 45-24, and it was a dominant performance by both majority returning and new members of the team, including sophomore Braden Hancock who walked away with a decision win at 126 pounds.

“I was pretty nervous before my match,” Hancock said. “I ended up walking away with the win and I am happy with my performance.”

This year, the wrestling team also has a returning assistant coach in Mr. Ruzbarsky.

“I am very excited and enthusiastic to be back coaching for this season,” Ruzbarsky said.

In other early season results, junior captain Zack Sulkis finished third in a large competitive heavyweight bracket at the CJ McCormack Invitational at Berlin High School. This was the first placement on the podium of the season for the Lawmen.

“My goals are to make sure the entire team is putting in the maximum effort to win matches,” Sulkis said. “The team has a collective goal to go over .500 this year because we got really close last year.”

Sophomore wrestler Will Smith went 5-0 at the Joe Beler Sr. Duals in late December. 

“I was proud of my performance,” Smith said. “I look forward to having more days like that.”

Later this season, the Law wrestling team will be hosting the Class M State Tournament as well as the Jonathan Law Invitational for the first time in three years. 

“I am looking forward to both tournaments we are hosting, a goal of mine is to place at both, most importantly Class M’s,” said Sulkis. “Placing at M’s and qualifying for states in my own school motivates me the most practicing after having to sit out for that tournament last season.”   

By Katie Servas – Editor-in-Chief

The Jonathan Law High School indoor track team is racing for those school records.

This past week, the boy’s indoor track team was invited to run at The Armory in New York for a chance to compete at Nationals. The highlight of the trip was the boy’s sprint medley relay team of Shane Pritchard, Liam Fedigan, Gabe Garnett, and Jack Bretthauer, who broke the school record with a time of 3.44.29.

The preparation for this meeting involved team building and setting goals to achieve throughout the season.

“My goal for the season is to be the best leader that I can be,” said junior captain Jack Bretthauer. “Whether that is helping organize things or guiding kids on how a meet works, I just want everyone to have a fun season that can run smoothly (no pun intended).”

This year’s team by new head coach Frank Gaines, who takes over for longtime indoor track coach Mr. Beler. Beler made the decision earlier this year to step down as indoor track coach due to family obligations.

A handful of captains this season are seniors who are competing for the last time with the team. Many of them have set goals for themselves as well as the team collectively. 

“This season I am most excited to try new things and watch the team grow and have success together,” said senior captain Aislinn Burns. “I am excited to watch the hard work pay off for our athletes and I am also excited to try to get personal records throughout the season as well as make sure I am a reliable and hardworking captain to set an example for the rest of the team and be there for others if they need anything.”

The team includes both boys and girls who compete in events such as sprinting, long distance, shot put, long jump, pole vault, and more. 

There are many events to compete which allows flexibility for athletes who want to try new events. 

“It’s cool being a captain on a big team, and my goal for the season is to make nationals for the SMR and the 55-meter dash,” said senior captain Gabe Garnett. “My other goal is to help younger athletes on the team get better at outdoors or other sports they play.”

Many of the members of the team compete with multiple teams at Jonathan Law as well as some outside of the school. With practices continuing throughout the winter, there is a lot of flexibility with times and scheduling to allow as many athletes to participate as possible. 

These practices have been rewarding for senior captains who have seen growth with younger athletes who are new to the sport.

“Being a captain is very rewarding,” said senior captain Kalli Kinsman. “It’s kind of a full-circle moment for me because I looked up to my captains as a freshman and now I get to help coach the current freshmen so it’s really cool especially since I want to see them get better with every practice and every meeting.”

Though there are multiple senior captains, there are a few junior captains stepping up to lead and support the team.

“I am most excited about how much we are going to accomplish on the track,” said junior captain JT Nelly. “I am very confident in my sprinter’s abilities to perform and represent our team and my  goals for this season are to win the 4×2 at states and to break the school record for a long jump.”

The boy and girls indoor track team is projected to have a record-breaking season as well as many new personal records.

By Helen Chizmazia – Social Media Editor

Sophomore point guard Cameron Upchurch is ready to lead the Jonathan Law boys basketball team this winter.

The Lawmen are off to a 3-1 start this season with wins over Cheshire, Pomperaug, and rival Foran. Upchurch said that he and his teammates are excited about how they have played so far, but they also have bigger goals in mind. 

“Some goals I am planning to accomplish are competing for a state championship and getting better as a team,” Upchurch said. 

Upchurch has been on the varsity team since his freshman year.

“I am expecting my teammates to help me get better,” Upchurch said. 

He started up his basketball career in Bridgeport and played there until he moved to Milford in fifth grade. 

“I expect this to be a great season and we expect a better result from last season,” Upchurch said. 

Upchurch also plays football in the fall.

“This season I am most excited about winning games,” Upchurch said. 

Assistant basketball coach Mr. McPartland is also excited about the potential of Upchurch and this year’s team.

“Ultimately, our goal is to be playing at Mohegan Sun in March for a state championship,” McPartland said. “However, for that to happen we have a number of ‘micro-goals’ including qualifying for the state tournament and winning every practice by getting better each and every day both individually and as a team.” 

McPartland has lofty goals for his Upchurch and the rest of the team this season. 

“Their best. Every single day,” McPartland said. “Our expectation never changes – give us your best every single day and we’ll grow together as a team. I’m certain it will be a great time. Wins and losses aside, every year I look forward to working with the boys, watching them grow individually, and growing as a team.”

McPartland hopes his positive attitude will leave the team in a determined mindset. 

“I love coaching, I love basketball, and I love the relationships I have with each student-athlete and coach that is a part of the team,” McPartland said. 

McPartland makes sure he maintains a good relationship with his athletes. 

“Being around the guys and battling with them every day,” McPartland said. “I really look forward to continuing to build the relationships I have with each of them.”

Overall, the Law boys basketball team has big expectations this season. They are ready to fight challenges that are yet to come their way.

By Harrison Fisher – Sports Editor

The Milford Mariners hockey season is off and…skating.

After a busy off-season and the hiring of a new head coach, the team is ready to take on a tough schedule. The Mariners had an up-and-down season last year, and have been working hard at practice for their upcoming games.

The Mariners’ first scrimmage was against Staples which afforded the team a chance to practice solid plays and form aggressive new lines. The team’s first regular season matchup was a tough matchup against Amity at Bennett Rink in West Haven.

Shaun Malay is in his first year as head coach with the Mariners. Malay has had tremendous experience with CT high school hockey.

Malay is looking to lead the Mariners to a successful year and has done a tremendous amount of preparation and training for the games coming up.

“We are looking to have a successful season in all facets of our Mariner organization both on and off the ice,” Malay said. “A ton of organization goes into running a high school team with any sport. Ice hockey is particularly complex given we are a co-operative team with Law, Foran and Platt Tech. And although our home rink is in Milford, we do not play onsite at any of the schools. There are different procedures across the schools.  We have players from different towns. And yet we need to bring the entire Milford hockey community together, which is a unique and wonderful opportunity.”

Malay’s goal is that the team is greater than the sum of its parts.  

“Creating that ‘whole’ is what I would like to accomplish,” Malay said.  “Although it would be great to win lots of games and play and win our conference and state championship, we really have one goal for the season. It is to show up every day and work as hard as we can. If we do that, everything else will fall into place.”

Malay said he is happy with the effort he has seen from the Mariners to start the season.

“They are a tough and speedy bunch who can skate with everyone we play against,” Malay said. “The players will need to trust themselves and their teammates and always work as hard as they can. And if they do, we should be very competitive this year”

Foran senior Chris Adkins is one of the three captains for the Mariners.

Adkins, who plans to attend Eastern Connecticut University next year to play lacrosse, has played for the Mariners for four years and has become a leader for the club. He has high hopes for this team and looks to set an example for all his teammates.

“A personal goal I have is to develop throughout the games and be able to look back and see areas of improvement,” Adkins said. “Some of the strategies that we have are just working hard in practice every day and getting our team chemistry going. We have been having pasta parties before the games to try and get us closer as a team.”  

Senior defenseman Connor Chirico from Law is also a captain this year. Chirico is a leader on the ice and is ready for a full competitive hockey season.

“I think that we will definitely improve from next year,” Chirico said. “A personal goal is to score a hat trick in a game. A team goal is to qualify for states. My favorite thing about hockey is the relationships I’ve made through the sport. We have prepared for the season by practicing every day. We also workout as a team and have pasta parties to prepare for our games as a team.” 

Chirico said he is excited to begin his final season with the Mariners.

“This season means a lot to me because it’s my final season playing hockey,” Chirico said. “It is also important to me and the team because we want to make a good impression for the new head coach.”

Platt Tech senior Matty Wright is the third captain for the Mariners this season.

The team is encouraging all hockey fans to head over to the Milford Ice Arena this winter to catch a game. Fans can also follow them on Twitter (@MarinersMilford).

By Bobby Black – Sports Editor

The Jonathan Law girls basketball team is excited to start the 2022-2023 season.

Law opened its season against Mercy on December 16. The team is looking forward to upcoming games against West Haven on December 20 and Foran on December 22. 

“We’re preparing for the season by just taking it game by game and working on our weaknesses and mistakes during practice improving everyday,” sophomore Chloe Konareski said.

This year, the girls team has a new head coach, Kevin Wielk. Wielk, who takes over for long-time coach Dan Young, was formerly the boys basketball coach at St. Joseph’s.

Last year, the team finished with a record of 12-8 and qualified for the SCC and state tournaments.

“We have a very tough, and well deserved schedule this year,” senior captain Sabrina Lawless said. “To prepare for it we have been working very hard not only in our practices but also going over our plays at home.”

This year’s team has a collective goal of making both tournaments. 

“Some of our team goals are the same as always like making both tournaments but having a new coach this season and some of our goals are different than most having to quickly build new relationships,” Lawless said.

The team wants to continue the momentum from last season and to do that, they need to build relationships with each other the new coaching staff. 

“Losing four starters and our past coaching staff makes it more difficult as well as having a young team, but I think a fresh start is going to be good and think we can be very successful moving forward,” Konareski said.

Lawless said she has set several team and personal goals this season.

“Some of my personal goals for the season are to average 10 points and five assists a game and to make All-SCC,” Lawless said.

By Maya Rosado – Editor-In-Chief 

The Jonathan Law gymnastics team is flipping into the start of a new season.

The team is led by senior captain Olivia Coddington and junior captains Claire Moulton, Lexi Borecki and Natalie Morrell.

The captains have high hopes for the team and want to build a strong relationship with the new girls in order to come out of the season with many wins. 

Despite having a small team, the girls feel ready for their upcoming meet against Oxford and Pomperaug on December 21.

“I’m really excited going into this season, we have a lot of new girls and new talents on the team so I’m excited to see what the season holds,” Moulton said. “With a few more practices I think we are going to be ready for our first meeting next week.” 

The team is scheduled to have nine regular season meets as well as CIAC Championships and CIAC Opens. 

The girls have worked hard in the off-season at their own gyms to improve their skills and master the skills they already have. 

The team has been very successful in recent years, winning two consecutive SCC championships in 2020 and 2021. 

The girls hope to accomplish something similar this season.

“I really hope to go all state this year, I will work really hard to achieve that goal but we will see how the season goes and I hope that this is something I will accomplish,”  Moulton said.

The girls are coached by Pat Simon. Simon competed on the men’s gymnastics team at Southern Connecticut State University from 1965 to 1969. 

Through the years Simon’s coaching style has never changed. 

“You know what I tell the girls: just have fun,” said Simon. “I say to the girls, go out there, show off and have a good time doing it. If they have a score they want to reach and they get it, great. If they don’t get there this time, well we’ll work on it.”

There are many reasons to be excited for the first meet of the year but most of the girls are most excited to get back out on the mat and perform. 

“I am most excited for our first meet of the season,” Coddington said. “Just being able to perform and practice together as a team is the best part.” 

The girls have stayed focused during practice and are hoping for many positive outcomes this season.

By Gabe Garnett – Sports Editor

After coming off an amazing 2021-2022 season the Law indoor track team will step back out on the track in a few days to kick off the indoor season.

Last year’s indoor team finished second at the Class M Championships last year and hopes are high for the 2022-2023 team.

This year’s team is led by new head coach Frank Gaines, who takes over for longtime indoor track coach Mr. Beler. Beler made the difficult decision earlier this year to step down as indoor track coach due to family obligations.

“Due to my family obligations, I stepped down as the head indoor track coach,” Beler said. “I am staying on as the head boys outdoor coach. After a long family discussion, I can not put the night hours that the indoor coach requires.”

Athletic Director Mr. Sarullo hired Gaines as the new boys and girls indoor coach. Gaines then brought in Law alum Mike Loschiavo to be the new assistant coach. Loschiavo ran track and cross country for four years at Law. He plans to help the distance runners succeed throughout the season. 

Gaines has many goals for the upcoming season.

“I want to develop talent, get athletes to reach their PR’s, and build team camaraderie,” Gaines said.

Gaines previously coached football at Masuk and is currently a coach for the football team here at Law. He also coached indoor and outdoor Track at Trumbull High School for five years. Gaines is also a certified personal trainer and a counselor for juveniles coming out of detention centers.

By Ella Franzman – Sports Editor 

The Jonathan Law boys basketball team is ready to have a very successful winter season.

The team starts off their season with its home opener on Thursday, December 15 against Cheshire. The freshman team plays at 3:45 p.m., JV plays at 5:15 p.m., and varsity plays at 7 p.m.

“Ultimately our goal is to compete at Mohegan Sun and get better every day at practice, sophomore Cam Upchurch said. 

The whole team has a collective goal of making it to the state championship together and to improve on their record from last season.

“Every game is a big game and you should take the same approach to every single game because you should never play down to your competition,” junior Liam Valvo said. 

The team’s record last year was 10-12. This year, captains Nolan McKenna-Hansen, John Neider, Aidan Ryan and Brendan Buchner are hoping to lead their team to the postseason. 

“Before our first game we hope to get ready for the season, meaning we are well conditioned, know the plays, and just all around ready for the start of the season,” McKenna-Hansen said. “We have little time, so we need to make the most of our practices.”

The team is hopeful to start off the season by picking up a win against Cheshire. 

“Our student-athletes work extremely hard all season and before we get into gameplay we focus on getting in the best condition possible, so we’re ready to compete,” head coach Jamie Anderson said. 

Upchurch said that on every game day he stays focused during school, gets his work done so that by game time he’s focused and ready to play. 

“We pretty much treat every game the same no matter how good a team is, usually we have a scouting report on them and use that to help guide what we will do in practice the night before,” Hansen said. “But, some games are bigger than others and we just have to be ready and amped up to play.”

The team is looking forward to having a normal season this year with no masks.

“My expectations for this season are very high, I think we have a chance to be great this season if everyone goes hard in practice and stays focused,” Valvo said. 

The boys are very well connected on and off the court which helps them play better and be able to work together to achieve their goals. 

By Ella Franzman – Sports Editor & Maya Rosado – Editor-in-Chief

The annual Thanksgiving Day football game between Jonathan Law and Foran drew a huge crowd for the showdown between the two talented teams.  

Foran came into the game with a record of 9-0 and Law entered 8-1. Law came out on top beating Foran 60-29 for the Mayor’s Trophy at at Law on Thanksgiving morning.

Head coach Chris Haley said he was proud of the way the team handled themselves in the much-anticipated game.

“It’s not pressure to me; it’s a platform, 5 or 5,000, we’re expected to play and perform the same way,” Haley said. “This is our community, there’s no pressure, it’s simply an obligation to perform at the level of their expectation, not necessarily deliver a result.”

The game was back and forth for the first half with Law consistently leading till they eventually were able to pull away in the second half. 

“Going into the game I felt really confident that my team would be able to hang in with Foran and I knew it would be a good game,” sophomore Michael Merchant said. 

Senior quarterback John Neider, the SCC Tier III Player of the Year and the game’s MVP, accounted for 377 yards and six touchdowns.

Neider threw for 236 yards and two scores and added 141 rushing yards. 

The two teams came into the game expecting to put up big numbers. Each team compiled for a combined 926 yards of offense, including four touchdown passes.

With all the offense, the game turned on an interception late in the third quarter. Trailing 41-29 and driving deep into Law territory, Foran’s drive was stopped on an interception by Tyler Nethercott at the Law 38 yard line.

Law improved to 25-22-2 all-time in the city series and 9-1 overall this season. Following the win against Foran, Law advanced to play in the Class M State Tournament where they beat RHAM 42-13 in the quarterfinals.

“Our hopes for the playoffs are to make history and to win as many games as we can,” Neider said. 

Merchant agreed.

“Our hopes for the playoffs are to play as many games as possible so that we can make it to the championship game,” Merchant said. 

After their win against RHAM, Law next faces #2 seed Notre Dame-West Haven in the semifinals on Sunday. The Lawmen know they will have to play well on both sides of the ball if they want to win.

“Going in, I know I want to improve more on my tackling,” sophomore Michael Smith said. 

(Game statistics courtesy gametimect.com)

By Lana Hanania – News Editor 

Foran defeated Law 7-0 in the annual Powder Puff game on November 22.

Although the result of the game wasn’t what they had hoped for, members of the team had fun playing and working together. 

“During the game I played aggressively,” junior linebacker Talia Salanto said. “It was enjoyable and fun for me which made it easier to dive at the other team and helped me be a good linebacker.” 

Junior running back and wide receiver Samantha Chy agreed.

“I think I did pretty well – I had a 50-yard run but I could have ran more vertically than horizontally during my other runs to get more yards,” Chy said. “Overall, it was fun and I enjoyed playing.” 

The result did not stop the team from having fun. They enjoyed the atmosphere and excitement of the game and loved competing against their crosstown rivals.

“If I could have done better It would have been to talk with the other lineman more about what we can do individually and together to have defended our offense better, “ senior center Nicolina Salanto said. “Foran’s defensive line came out strong.”

Head coach Mr. O’Reilly said he was proud of how hard the girls fought throughout the game.

“I thought despite the loss we handled ourselves admirably. We never gave up, and we put so much effort into those two weeks,” O’Reilly said. “Moving forward, I think a big thing to focus on next year is to win the battle of the lines. And get as much speed on our offense as possible.”

After the game, junior linebacker Marissa Wargo, who led Law in flags pulled, was named Team MVP for the game.

By Jack Bretthauer – Staff Reporter 

For their rivalry games against Foran, the Jonathan Law boys and girls soccer teams decided to raise money for breast cancer awareness to benefit the Get In Touch Program.

The boys and girls played against Foran on October 27. The Foran girls defeated Law and the Law boys tied Foran 1-1.

The night before the fundraiser, the Lawmen soccer players created signs that were later posted up in the cafeteria. The captains of both boys and girls soccer went around during lunch waves to collect money. 

“While going table to table fundraising in the cafe, we had a lot of people wanting to donate what they could,” senior girls soccer captain Elly van Waveren said. “If they did not have cash on them they would use our Venmo to donate.” 

The fundraising was fun for the teams themselves.

“I had a lot of fun fundraising”, van Waveren said.

Together the teams were able to raise almost $700 for the foundation. 

“Sports are so much more than winning and losing,” girls soccer coach Mrs. Francisco said. “I think that it is important to give back to the community and help instill those values into my players as well.” 

The fundraiser was a great success and had a positive impact on the community. The atmosphere of the games was also affected by the fundraiser as it added more hype to each game.

“I think it makes the girls play a little harder when they play for a cause,” Francisco said. “Of course, we chose to play our charity game against Foran so we were able to raise the most money as it is always a big game.” 

The players also felt these impacts as there were more people at the game.

“The crowd was super loud and all I could hear was the different sides screaming,” senior captain Demi Carrapico said. “On one side of the field you have people cheering you on.”

Boys soccer team members said they were extra focused going into the game because it was against Foran.

“It made us more competitive and more ready for the game because we were hyping it up,” junior captain Elliot Melgar said.

The younger members of the boys team stepped up in one of their first rivalry games against Foran.

“Everyone fought for one another and had each other’s back all game long,” junior captain Cooper Fitzgerald said. 

By Alana Pires – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s girls soccer team has finished an excellent 2022 season.

Senior captain Sabrina Lawless was impressed with how much the team improved over the course of the season. Law finished with five wins and two ties.

“We did fall just short at the end unfortunately so we didn’t make our goal of making states but in my opinion we had a good season, much better than I thought we would have from the start,” Lawless said.

Lawless is also proud of the individual achievements she had this season, including making All-SCC and winning several other awards.

“My goal from the beginning of the season was to make All-SCC which I achieved,” Lawless said. “I did win a few other awards which I am very grateful for like the GNHSOA Outstanding Female Player, and SCC Fall 2022 Scholar-Athlete Award.”

Senior captain Demi Carrapico said the 2022 season was one to remember.

“I’ve never felt so close to a group of girls before and every single day I got excited to see them and play soccer with them for the next two hours. They felt like my home away from home and I wouldn’t change a thing,” Carrapico said. “The season did end a little earlier than I would’ve liked, but everything happens for a reason.”

Sophomore Taylor Coretti recalled preparing for the season, especially before games.

“I made sure I had a good mindset going into the game and warming up well,” Coretti said. “My teammates did a great job of hyping us all up during and before the game.”

The welcoming atmosphere is definitely an important factor to the incoming freshmen. This year, freshman Fiorella Gargulio, has had an amazing experience with her first year as a freshman.

“It was really great, everyone was so welcoming and I couldn’t have wished for a better high school team,” Gargulio said.

Sophomore Maddy Baranowsky has also seen a lot of growth and development for the team since the beginning of the season.

“I think this year has gone well for me and for the team. I think we grew a lot and learned a lot,” Baranowsky said. “It was also nice that we were able to do a lot of team bonding along the way, which helped contribute to our team bond on and off the field.”

By Harshitha Kothapalli – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s girls cross country team had an excellent finish to their fall season.

Junior Claire Moulton feels her team has made great progress throughout the season.

“The team has improved so much since our first meet of the season to the last one,” Moulton says. “Everyone on the team made improvements this season and I’m so proud of everyone.”

Moulton is also proud of her achievements this season and is prepared to reach her goals for next season.

“It feels really good to go All-State this season, and for that to be my second time back-to-back is really exciting,” Moulton said. “My goal for next season is again to go All-State and next year hopefully break 20 or get in the low 20’s.”

Senior captain Elizabeth Roos had a great season as a captain and a runner.

“As a captain, I led practices and workouts such as road runs and track workouts alongside my co-captains,” Roos said. “I also helped introduce the underclassmen to the sport, as many of them had never run a 5k before.”

Roos also explained her development from freshman year.

“Personally, I have grown a lot since freshman year. Before I started cross country I had only run a couple of 5K’s for fun,” Roos said. “But since then I have dropped about six minutes off my time.”

Senior captain Maya Rosado shares her favorite memories from cross country.

“My favorite part of cross country is definitely the team aspect,” Rosado said. “You get to meet so many people you wouldn’t have been friends with before and become a family.”

Rosado is proud of her team and her personal accomplishments.

“I’m proud of the whole team, especially the new girls for showing up every day, working hard, and listening to me and the other captains,” Rosado said. 

Sophomore Emily DeLucia is proud of her improvement throughout the season.

“My goal for next season is to continue to improve my times and set a good example for the incoming freshmen,” DeLucia said.

Sophomore Skye Hamilton believes that this past season was great for everyone.

“I really feel that this past season went well for the team,” Hamilton said. “We definitely had a rocky start, but everybody improved significantly by the end of the season.”