By Addy Barber – Staff Reporter

The Law boys basketball team has been working hard throughout the season to improve their game play on all fronts. 

After having to adjust to losing eight seniors last season, the Lawmen are currently 3-11 and are still hoping to qualify for the state tournament. The three varsity captains are seniors Liam Valvo and Tanner Matchett and and junior Cam Upchurch. 

“The goals for the team was to get into the playoffs and make a playoff push with a young roster,” Matchett said. “We are still working each day to get towards that goal in practices and games.”

As captains, Matchett, Valvo, and Upchurch set an example of leadership and sportsmanship for the newer players.

“The other captains and I lead by example setting higher standards with work ethic, dedication, and sportsmanship,” Upchurch said. “We help inspire and motivate our teammates especially during challenging situations, and hold ourselves and teammates accountable for their performances.”

Matchett leads the team through hard times by staying positive and cheering on his teammates.

“To lead a team, there are a few things that go into it,” Matchett said. “To list a couple is experience, leadership, positivity, and being vocal.”

Matchett has been a member of the basketball team since his freshman year, and will miss the family bond the team has made.

“The bond the team has is something that will never be broke,” Matchett said.

Assistant Coach Mr. McPartland notices how much the captain’s contribute during practice.

“The captains lead stretches at the beginning of every practice and make sure that our guys are doing the little things everyday,” McPartland said.

Valvo, who is out for the season due to a shoulder injury, is wishing he could be out on the court helping the team. 

“It sucks when I see stuff on the bench that is so hard to see while you’re playing,” Valvo said. “I just wish I could go out there and help in any way.”

Although he can not play, he still leads the team during practices by giving suggestions to his teammates.

“Especially with the younger guys, our defensive principles can be tricky so I try to pull them aside and show them what they’re doing wrong and how they can improve,” Valvo said.

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief

Seniors Natalie Morrell and Zack Sulkis were named December Athletes of the Month. 

Both Morrell and Sulkis are captains of both their respective sports – gymnastics and wrestling. This season, Morrell was recognized as Top 15 Gymnasts by CTInsinder. 

“An ‘Athlete of the Month- should be hard working and persistent in their sports, while also being a strong leader and teammate,” Morrell said. 

Morrell holds the school record on the balance beam with a 9.6. She broke this record at last year’s SCC Championship meet. The score is also an SCC record.   

“Natalie is one of the hardest workers and dedicated to the sport,” head gymnastics coach Mr. Simon said. “She is right there to help the other girls and I value her input as a captain. Natalie is a pleasure to have on our team, very talented, great helper, and overall a great teammate and leader. ”

Morrell was named CHSCA All-State and NHSGA All-American her freshman, sophomore, and junior year.s She has also qualified as an Academic All-American for the past three years.

She said her role model in gymnastics is Olympic champion Simone Biles.

“My role model on a broader scale would probably be Simone Biles, though my teammates often act as role models for me as well,” Morrell said.

Sulkis, a senior wrestler, also was awarded December Athlete of the Month. In the spring, Sulkis is also a thrower for the boys track and field team. 

“Zack is deserving of the Athlete of the Month because he is one of the best examples of a studenta-thlete,” assistant coach Mr. Ruzbarsky said. “He has a strong work ethic, he is dedicated to his academic studies, and he is always challenging himself to do better in order to excel.” 

Sulkis was also named Athlete of the Month in December 2022.

“I feel I was nominated because fans and members of the team constantly tell me how entertaining it is watching me wrestle and how they like how heavyweight closes out every Wednesday night meet, Sulkis said. “They know win or lose I’m going to put on a show on the mat.” 

Sulkis is looking to continue his wrestling career in college and already has a couple of offers. He is hoping to commit to a college within the next few months. 

He credits famed wrestler Gable Stevenson with inspiring him to participate in the sport.

“I would say my biggest role model in the sport of wrestling is Gable Steveson,” Sulkis said. “Him being a heavyweight so dominant and entertaining caught my attention pretty quickly when I first started to get into wrestling.”

By Bobby Black – Sports Editor

The Jonathan Law indoor track teams had a very successful season last year and is looking to continue dominating this year as well. 

Their were four captains named for this indoor track season – seniors JT Nelly, Jack Bretthauer, Caden Simpson, Hailey Russo, and Joey Richardson. 

Throughout the offseason, the captains have used goal-setting and team-building to help them become a better team. 

“As a team captain I have been talking and encouraging the underclassmen to try their best in everything they do,” Bretthauer said. “ My goals are for the team to have great marks at the meet and I want to place at states in the 55M and 300M along with a sub-51 second performance in the 400M.”

Nelly has high expectations for this year’s indoor track team. 

“My expectations are to reach states in all of the events our team competes in,” Nelly said. “I think it is a very reachable goal and good for the whole team to get experience at the states meet with statewide competition.”

Other captains feel the same way about the team’s expectations for the season. 

“My expectations are that a majority of us will make states or SCCs, more of our upperclassmen will make states for our events, and that the team will come together and help each other reach these goals,” Russo said.

The captains are already setting goals and looking forward to the rest of the season.

“We already reached a goal which was to make states for the 4x200M relay,” Russo said. ”Now I want to make states for the 55M dash and help my teammates reach their goal of making states too.”

The team has been to one meet and were very successful during the meet. 

The team has been practicing since November 30 and the work has been paying off as some have already qualified for states. 

“Both guys and girls were very successful with both 4x200M teams qualifying for states and many other athletes in their own independent events qualifying for states and SCCs,” Russo said.

By Harry Fisher – Sports Editor

The 2023-2024 Milford Mariners hockey season is underway.

This year, the Mariners are led by new head coach JP Shimko. After a long, hard-fought year filled with ups and downs, the Mariners are ready turn the page and are ready to begin the new winter season. 

“The goal for the year is to improve every day every practice and every game,” Shimko said. “The boys are now buying into the new culture we have in the room and that will start to be evident on the ice. It won’t change overnight, but if we do the right things then the wins will start to come for us.”

The goal this year is to make the State Tournament. This year’s captains are Hunter Griffin, Sam Strate, and Dan Lavallee. The captains organized practices and conditioning workouts in the off-season to ensure the team was in shape and ready to be competitive this season. 

“As a senior assistant captain, promoting team camaraderie and creating a safe space on and off the ice for everyone is my top priority,” Strate said. “Making the State Tournament is a universal goal for us. But I believe creating a new culture and implementing a winning mentality in all of our players is the quintessential for a structured, successful hockey season.”

As a leader, Strate has been working tirelessly with the other captains to make sure the team is improving.

“I’m a firm believer of perfecting the basics,” Strate said. “In practice, we’ve been focusing on polishing up our passing, skating proficiency, and breakout. Players are also encouraged to work outside of the rink to maintain their performance. All in all, I think these are small but significant steps to building a stronger team.”

The Mariners have played three games year so far this year – tough losses to Wilton, Enfield, and Newtown-New Fairfield. Shimko said he liked the fight his team showed in those teams and said he will continue stress the basics going forward.

“We focus on the basics,” Shimko said. “As simple as it sounds, the skills of skating, passing, and where to be on the ice greatly impact the success we have.”

Assistant coach Brian Kim is in his second year with the Mariners. Coach Kim has been working hard alongside Shimko to improve the program.

“One paramount team goal for this season is to qualify for the State Tournament,” Kim said. “The boys have put the time and work in since the summer and now it’s up to all of us to coalesce and develop into a better version of our collective selves each day.

He hopes that the team continues to practice and work hard to be in the best shape to win big-time games.

“Often times film sessions play a large role in what are coaching staff draws up,” Kim said. “We definitely want to make sure we’re cleaning up the mistakes we see from our previous game. The game is fast and physical so we want to simulate that game pace and pressure in practice”. 

By Maya Markowitz – Social Media Editor

The Jonathan Law gymnastics team is looking forward to diving into the 2023-2024 winter season. 

Last season, the team was very successful with a 10-4 record. Led by senior captains Natalie Morrell, Claire Moulton, Bailey Seaburg, and Dani Matist, the team has been working hard in the pre-season to prepare for their upcoming schedule.  

“I am looking forward to getting back out on the competition floor, and seeing how far the team can get,” Matist said. “I am most excited to compete against teams we never had before, including teams from Fairfield and Trumbull.”

The team will compete for the first time this season on Tuesday, December 19 against Oxford and Pomperaug. They will be competing against teams likeTrumbull and Fairfield for the first time ever this year. 

Along with practicing technique and skill for meet days, the team has been working on bonding to ensure a smooth transition for the underclassmen and new members. 

“My all time favorite meet day ritual is when we all get our sandwiches and eat together before our meet,” sophomore Charlotte Baldeiri said. “I think it gets us closer while having a fun time before a stressful meet.”

Going into this season, many girls have personal goals as well as goals for the team as a whole. 

“A personal goal of mine is to make it to Senior Nationals and as a team we would like to come in the top two at SCCs and top four at States,” Moulton said. 

Moulton has been on the team for four years and been a captain for two. 

“My hope for the team is that we are able to be consistent throughout the season and into the postseason meets,” Morell said. “I’m also hoping that everyone gets to compete and see consistent growth across the season.”

Each of the four seniors captains have been competing since their freshman year. With the expectations of making it to states this year, many returning athletes are excited to see this goal come to fruition. 

“I am looking forward to states the most,” junior Gina Lombardi said. “It is a high energy fun meet with so many great gymnasts with such good energy.”

Team members are ambitious to improve their skills and events as they continue to work hard at their practices everyday, and incorporate pre-meet preparation into their daily lives. 

“As a team, we are looking to expand our experiences and score higher than any other year,” Matist said. “If all goes well, we will be able to compete in the SCC and state meets later in the postseason.”

Morrell recognizes the importance of mindset as well as athletic performance.

“I stay as calm as possible throughout the day so that I’m in the right mindset once it’s time to compete,” Morrell said.

By Kayla Markowitz – News Editor 

The combined Jonathan Law and Foran swimming and diving team is preparing for their upcoming season.

The Milford team had their first practice November 30 and has been having practice six days a week, every week since. Their first match is against Xavier on December 19. 

“We luckily have about two and a half weeks from our first practice until our first meet against Xavier,” head coach Mr. Dooling said. “The focus is to get the swimmers back in the water, get them thinking about the basic skills, building up their endurance and thinking about their individual goals for the season.”

Captains are responsible for making sure every swimmer gets to and from practice along with leading warm up and being a role model at meets.

“As the captain from Law, I am responsible for ensuring everyone is safely transported from here to Foran for practice each day as well as working with Jacob at Foran in coordinating warmups before meets, practice, and being present at the captains meeting before each meet,” senior captain Chris Rickard said.

Captains are also responsible for welcoming new swimmers to the team while also motivating them to be the best swimmers they can be.

“I want to make everyone feel comfortable and a part of the team while also working hard every day to ensure we do our best,” senior captain Jacob Collette said. “It’s important to show the new swimmers that they have someone to go to and a friendly face they can always talk to, and to encourage the team to put their all into practices.”

The team is excited to go into the new season with new goals and expectations for the SCC Championships and states.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the team reach new goals and continuing our success from last season,” senior David Cummings said. 

New members of the team are looking forward to getting to know each other and the rest of the team.

“So far the team has been really fun and welcoming,” senior Dylan Morrissey said. “As a new member of the team I’m really excited to get to know the team and am ready to compete as a team this season.”

The team also has a lot of individual goals for states and SCC Championships that they are working towards. 

“I really want to break a minute in the 100 fly, because It has been a goal of mine for a while,” Rickard said. “I also think it’d be cool if I could take an individual event to state finals.”

Collette, who holds the school record for the 100 freestyle, is looking forward to a competitive season and an exciting postseason.

“Some goals I’m working towards this season is to re-break my record in the 100 free and continue to progress in all of my events to take them to SCC and state finals,” Collette said.

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief

The Jonathan Law girls basketball team is eager to start the 2023-2024 season.  

The team has been practicing for over two weeks and is ready for tip-off tomorrow night. The team opens up at Career Magnet and then again away at West Haven the following week.

“I feel confident about this upcoming season, last year, we had a difficult season due to a hard schedule and loss of players from the years before,” junior captain Chloe Konareski said. “The 2021-2022 season we were division champs and worked hard, earning a tough schedule.” 

This year the team is led by two captains, senior Zoe Johnson and Konareski. 

“One goal of mine for this season is to hopefully make states and have a better record than last year,” Johnson said. “Another personal goal of mine is to make sure the injuries on the team remain a minimum.” 

Taylor Coretti, a junior, unfortunately missed her sophomore season last year due to a broken foot. She is now healthy and ready to get back on the court.

“I am looking forward to being able to play and hopefully having a better outcome this season than last year,” Coretti said. “I am looking forward to playing Masuk because of our old coaches and I think it should be a good game.”

The Lawmen play the Mausk Panthers in January and are looking forward to playing against their former coach Dan Young.

“I’m really pumped up for the Foran game before the holiday break,” Konareski said. “This game is always super exciting being able to see the community come together when we play our cross-town rivals.”

Both the boys and girls basketball teams play at Foran next week in a doubleheader to lead into the holiday break. The boys play first at 5 p.m. and the girls follow after at 7 p.m. 

“I’m super pumped up for this season,” Head Coach Kevin Wielk said. “Last year didn’t go as planned, but hopefully we will win at least 10 games and make states. We have some strong players that will be good assets to the team.”

The team didn’t have the outcome they had hoped for last year and come into this year eager for a win.

“As a captain, I hope to push my teammates, especially the freshmen, to be the best players they can be and work hard every practice,” Konareski said. “Our coach always says “STP” which means Something To Prove, which I believe will be a big aspect to our success and our mentality.”

Many girls on the team worked together during the offseason to prepare for this season.

“The team was able to participate in a fall league, open gym, and workouts in the weight room,” Johnson said. “I believe this training and preparation before the season will allow the team to reach our goals and be ready as a team for our first game of the season.”

With more than 10 freshmen joining the team this season, the future of the program looks very bright as well.

By Harshitha Kothapalli – News Editor

Junior girls swimmer Ella Franzman and senior football player Joseph Nelly were named November’s Athletes of the Month. 

The award is given by the Jonathan Law Athletic Department and is sponsored by the Jonathan Law Sports Booster Club. 

Franzman swims in the fall, plays basketball in the winter, and plays softball in the spring. 

“I think I was nominated for student athlete of the month because as my swim coach said I had a very strong mid-season surge which helped me to qualify for states ahead of the postseason,” Franzman said. “My first two seasons on the team I had qualified for my state events during the SCC meets, so to qualify before that meet I was able to taper right before states.”

Nelly is the captain of Law’s football team. He said he was proud to win the award this month.

“I believe I made Athlete of the Month because I have been able to lead my team throughout practice and games and I strive to become a better athlete and leader every time I step on the field,” Nelly said. 

Each month, two student-athletes are given this honor.

“I think that someone who works hard and is dedicated to their sport and also someone who is a leader and shows good sportsmanship goes into being a good athlete,” Franzman said. “Also being able to maintain the grades to be able to compete on the team and be successful in the classroom fits the student portion. So being able to maintain both are qualities I see fit as an Athlete of the Month.”

Law football coach Chris Haley raved about Nelly’s drive and dedication to the team.

“JT should be the model all athletics programs at Law hold as their standard,” Haley said. “His maturity, trust, commitment to others before self, and understanding of the bigger picture made him a blessing to coach for four years.”

Swim coach Mr. Rosner said that Franzman continued to excel as the season went on. 

“November is when the post season is for girls swim and dive, and that is the time Ella shines,” Rosner said. “She had an unbelievable run throughout the post season, dropping time in every event, and playing a huge role for our relay teams.”

Nelly said there are several role models that inspire him to make a difference.

“My role model is Tommy DeVito because he was able to step up and take charge of the team while in the face of adversity,” Nelly said. 

Franzman said that Michael Phelps inspires her by the way he handles himself in and out of the pool.

“I would say Micheal Phelps has been such a big part of my sports journey as he’s a very decorated and successful Olympian swimmer,” Franzman said. “But his story of his mental health issues and obstacles he’s overcome has inspired me the most.”

Both athletes hope to pursue sports in their future whether it is club season or through a college team. 

By Cesar Mendez – Sports Editor

Jonathan Law’s wrestling team kicks off their year soon after a long off-season. 

The team opens their season at Fairfield Prep on Wednesday, December 13. 

“I am most excited for getting the opportunity to compete and for all the competitive tournaments and duals on our schedule, I like to test myself and the only way to do so is to face high level competition,” senior captain Zack Sulkis said. “I competed a lot this off season all over the northeast so I feel I’m very prepared to face high-level guys.”

Last year, junior Brayden Hancock made multiple postseason tournaments as a first-year starter. 

“I’m excited to try to make New Englands this season,” Hancock said. “I want to place in the top three at a majority of my tournaments.”

The team finished 13-12 last year and are looking to improve big from then. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing our wrestlers succeed, we have some pretty good kids this year so I’m excited to see how they do,” senior captain Ben Girandola said. “As a captain, I have to set an example in practice, and also help people stay focused and driven.”

This year, Law also has a record number of girl wrestlers on the team. 

“I’m excited to have so many new faces and returning faces to the wrestling team this year, as well as seven female wrestlers, the most in a single season in Law history,” assistant coach Mr. Ruzbarsky said.

High expectations have been set by the coaches and the captains for all of the starters and new faces. 

“Some goals that I have for this season is to be varsity 120 and start placing in tournaments and help the team place higher,” junior Sophia Abbaspor said. “I also want to place third in states this year and go to New Englands. What I am excited about the upcoming season is the tournaments and meets with the girls on the team and also the ability to improve and get better during the season, and face other people from other schools, and see where I am and improve as much as I can.”

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief

The Jonathan Law boys basketball team is hoping to have a very successful season again. 

Last year the Lawmen finished with a regular season record of 17-3 and qualified for the SCC and state tournament. The team’s captains this year are senior Liam Valvo and junior Cam Upchurch.

“As a captain I hope I can lead the younger guys to progress into hard workers and help lead the varsity guys to states,” Valvo said.

Senior Derek Rainey, who transferred to Law from St. Joseph’s High School last year, is looking forward to compete in a whole season with the Lawmen.

“I plan on helping the team out by using my leadership skills on and off the court for the team to succeed,” Rainey said. “I also plan on helping the team out by listening to our plays closely and if someone is lost on the court I can help them if needed.”

Valvo had a very successful junior season last year, finding himself open on the court to help score for his team. He will be one of several key returning players for Law this season.

“As coaches we look forward to getting back in the gym full time and working as one unit, to get better each day,” head coach Jamie Anderson said. “We have a  number of guys that are going to get a lot more time this year, so their development will be enjoyable to watch.”

Upchurch has been a starter for the team since his freshman year and is looking forward to seeing what other freshmen will step up. 

“As a captain I hope to lead the team by leading by example and teaching my teammates,” Upchurch said. “This offseason the team lifted, conditioned and played in open gyms together.”

Valvo, who broke his collarbone during football season, is excited to be cleared to return to the court. 

“I’m looking forward to the relationships I’ll build with my teammates and some teammates I’ve already made bonds with during football season,” Valvo said. 

The Lawmen varsity team opens up at home against Amity on December 14 at 7 p.m.

“One game I am looking forward to is against Hillhouse, because last year they knocked us out of the SCC tournament, so it will be a great revenge game,” Rainey said. “Another game I am looking forward to is Foran because it is always a hype environment and I love being able to play with and against friends one last time.”

The team graduated a lot of key players including Christian Andriolas, Brendan Buchner, Nolan McKenna-Hansen, Lenny Ialeggio and John Nieder, but have a good feeling a lot of younger players will fill in these roles. 

“Our goal is and always will be to make the league and state postseasons,” Anderson said. “Along the way we want to increase our team chemistry and put a consistent product on the court every night.” 

The team has been working very hard in practice the past week and is looking forward to continuing that work before their first game. 

By Kayla Markowitz and Harshitha Kothapalli – News Editors 

Jonathan Law wrapped up the football season with an exciting 13-0 win against Foran on Thanksgiving Day. 

The Lawmen entered the game with a 3-5 record and Foran come into the game 5-4. Law’s win earned them the Mayor’s Trophy.

“Milford as a whole has done a phenomenal job embracing Thanksgiving football, with a long proud history of it at Law,” head coach Chris Haley said. “Less and less places are playing on Thanksgiving; I’m glad to say that in Milford Thanksgiving Football is not in jeopardy.”

Law achieved one of its goals by winning the Thanksgiving Game three years in a row. 

“This game took home the ‘Mayor’s Trophy’ which hasn’t been done in a while and occurs every time one school wins three years in a row,” senior football captain Chase Sisto said. 

For his performance in the game, Sisto also earned the Bobby Taylor Sportsmanship Award and accepted the Teddy Kostopoulos MVP Award on behalf of the Law defense. 

Senior captain Joseph Nelly, who won the Jonathan Law Alumni Award, was proud of the way his team performed and was confident that they would work together to bring home the win. 

“I was confident going into the game,” Nelly said. “I trusted that my teammates were going to play their part and contribute to us winning.” 

The team played their hardest regardless of the pressure that was put on them by large crowd. Senior defensive tackle Ben Girandola, the game’s Most Valuable Lineman, said he focused on his own performance to handle the pressure of the game. 

“I don’t really have a method of dealing with external pressure, I just don’t place my security in what people think,” Girandola said. “Going out and playing my hardest is all I can do.”

Freshman quarterback Matthew Witteman threw the game’s lone touchdown to senior Michael Neider and finished with 167 yards passing.

“I gave my 100% and I’m proud of the accomplishments the team and I achieved,” Witteman said.

The team is going to continue to work hard in the off-season and get ready for next season. 

“I would tell underclassmen hoping to improve that you have to stay consistent and determined,” Sisto said. “To be good on the field, you need to have a good attitude off the field and stay focused on the things around you.”

By Harry Fisher – Sports Editor

With the 2023-2024 basketball season underway, the Jonathan Law boys basketball team is ready to take the court.

Tryouts are happening, and players are anxious to show off their skills. Last year, the team finished their season with a 17-3 record. They made the State Tournament and lost in the quarterfinals round to Platt High School. 

This year, senior Liam Valvo and junior Cam Upchurch will serve as captains for the Lawmen. Valvo said the team has high expectations again this season.

“Our ultimate goal is to win the state championship,” Valvo said. “However, our first goal is to make the State Tournament.” 

Valvo is excited to take on the role of captain this year.

“I try to build relationships with the younger guys on the team because they are the future of the program,” Valvo said. “I always try to encourage them during conditioning because it can get tough at times.”

Valvo also pointed out that this season will bring a lot of new additions to the team. He acknowledged the challenges and the obstacles they will have to go through to reach the postseason. 

“We are young so it’ll be tough,” Valvo said. “We graduated seven seniors last year, and they all were crucial to our success. Since we are very small this year, we are going to have to play very fast. Therefore, it is important that we are in the best possible shape. In fact, getting in shape, pushing each other every day at practice, pressing hard every game, and playing hard defense will bring success.”

This year will be a challenging one; however, the Lawmen are ready to rise to the occasion and accomplish the goals they have set for themselves.  

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief

The Jonathan Law Powderpuff team defeated Foran 35-7 on November 22 to bring the trophy back home to Devon.

The team was led by senior quarterback Talia Salanto, who threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns. Salanto’s main receiver was junior Mady Bull who caught for over 180 yards and three touchdowns. 

“Last year playing inside linebacker I thought it was fun until I played QB this year and realized how much more fun it is to be involved in offensive snaps,” Salanto said.

Last year, the Lawmen lost 7-0 and the team came in determined to produce a different outcome. 

“Coming back this year I had a lot of familiarity with the D-end position, so I did not do much differently but I spent more time focusing on what to do better instead of just how the position works,” senior Dani Matist said.

The Lawmen only let the Lions score once – on a 75 yard touchdown pass which made the score 7-7. 

“The turning point was (junior) Tessa Piselli’s interception near the end of the first half, two plays later we scored a 75 yard touchdown to put us up two scores,” head coach Mr. O’Reilly said. “There wasn’t any moment where we felt we were in danger of losing. That was a turning point where it went from winning to dominating.”

Seniors Caden Simpson and Samantha Chy also added rushing touchdowns for Law, who tied the record for most points scored in a Powderpuff game.

“The moment we won was so surreal – after the whistle blew we all just ran onto the field and were cheering and celebrating,” Matist said. “Especially after the loss last year, it was such a good feeling to beat Foran, probably one of the most exciting moments during my time at Law.”

After the game, coaches selected MVPs for offense and defense. The offensive MVPs were the duo of Salanto and Bull as well as tight end Zoe Johnson and the defensive MVPs were Paige Kantor, Marissa Wargo, and Matist. 

“I’m hoping to improve more for next year by getting more tackles, and more flags and getting another interception,” Piselli said.

Many of the players on the Lawmen Powderpuff team were varsity athletes and multi-sport athletes. 

“I think playing sports makes you a better Powderpuff player,” O’Reilly said. “Football and Powderpuff are sports where you can come in and have no knowledge of the game, but if you’re athletic you have a chance to be very good. So having the school’s best athletes come out for the team will make our team better.”

Bull, who is a two-time All-State and All-SCC pitcher for the softball team, was excited to get to play a different sport with her softball teammates.

“It was really fun to be a part of another sport at Law this year after only playing softball for Law,” Bull said. “I’ve always wanted to play Powderpuff, and I’m glad I could play another sport with Tal (Salanto) and I can’t wait for next year.” 

By Zack Sulkis – Social Media Editor-in-Chief

The Jonathan Law baseball team had a huge Signing Day this year with four members signing to play baseball at the collegiate level.

The team had three pitchers sign to play Division I baseball at Rutgers University, George Washington University, and Virginia Commonwealth University and another sign to play Division III at Gordon College.

“I believe the Signing Day went very well,” Law baseball coach Mr. Simler said. “It is an important day that shows the hard work and dedication that the seniors have put forth to fulfill their goal of playing baseball at the collegiate level.”

Hunter Hoxie is a pitcher for Law who quickly burst onto the Connecticut baseball scene his freshman year accumulating many accolades. In the middle of his sophomore year, he announced his verbal commitment to Rutgers University to pitch for the Scarlet knights. 

“The thing I’m looking forward to the most about college is competing and traveling with the team,” Hoxie said.

Declan Wywoda is a two-sport captain at Law with many baseball accolades. He is also an All-State soccer goalie. Wywoda will be pitching for George Washington University in Washington, D.C. after he announced his verbal commitment at the end of his sophomore year.

“I am looking forward to traveling to different colleges and playing in high-level competitions,” Wywoda said. “I like to be challenged and I am excited for the new experiences of playing against colleges from all over and building myself into a better baseball player.” 

Brian Goglia is a pitcher who played all three years of high school but truly burst onto the scene his junior year being named All-SCC. Goglia announced after his junior season his verbal commitment to pitch for Virginia Commonwealth University after graduation.

“I’m looking forward to trying and being the best baseball player I can be with all of the training and practices,” Goglia said. “Also playing the best competition.”

Tyler Fonck is a valuable shortstop for baseball team and has been a staple on both offense and defense for the Lawmen for many years. Fonck recently announced his verbal commitment just before Signing Day – he will be playing for the Gordon College Lions. 

“I am looking forward to meeting new people and traveling with the team, I am also looking forward to developing as a player and a person in college,” Fonck said. “Also, playing in front of a bigger crowd is going to be really fun and exciting for me.”

Simler is very proud of these players and looks forward to seeing what they accomplish over the next four years.

“The dedication and work ethic of the seniors that are going to play at the next level will continue to serve them well,” Simler said. “They all possess the attitude that they want to get better everyday and that will ensure that their skills will continue to improve.”

(Photo Courtesy Ella Franzman)

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief

Senior volleyball player Sammy Chy, senior cross country runner Claire Moulton, and junior Evan Nash named October Athletes of the Month. 

Chy was awarded with All-SCC first team honors and she had a great senior season. 

“I felt happy to know that my hard work has paid off,” Chy said. “I have worked so hard everyday during volleyball season to ensure I did not end my senior season with regrets. I am thankful for my teammates who pushed me to allow me to be the player I am today with all their encouragement and sincerity.”

Chy and Moulton were both awarded the Female Athlete of the Month award as they were both equally of value to their teams this month. 

“I was really excited that I was nominated as one of the Athletes of the Month, and was really grateful that I was chosen,” Moulton said.

Moulton was awarded All-SCC second team for girls cross country and also placed 7th at states, earning All-State honors. 

“Our Athletes of the Month are chosen through a poll that is posted on twitter,” Athletic Director Tom Drew said. “This poll allows teammates, fans, and parents the opportunity to vote for student athletes that they see having a major impact on their respective sports.”  

Moulton also made State Opens where she placed 114th, closing her high school cross country career. 

“To be named Athlete of the Month was a great honor that when the subject of Athlete of the Month was brought upon coaches and the Athletic Director I was part of the conversation,” Nash said. “Everyday I go to practice with the same mentality which is just to get better everyday and push the people around me to get better as a team so that we can become the best together.” 

Nash is a junior captain on the football team and he was awarded October Male Athlete of the Month.

“I hope that this becomes an additional motivator for me and motivates my teammates to do the same and strive to have their hard work recognized,” Nash said. “I’m grateful that I have gotten the opportunity to be given the athlete of the month as well with all of the positive comments I’ve got from staff and students in the school and with those positive comments it will further push me to become a better player than what I am today.”

Nash has been the starting varsity center since his freshman season and many of his teammates describe him as hardworking, dedicated and committed to his team. 

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

The Jonathan Law girls swim team hit the finish line of its 2023 season.

The team ended the regular season with a winning record and closed out the postseason at Class M Finals.

“I feel the season went great, I saw a lot of potential in all of the new swimmers as well as the ones who’ve already been here,” junior Sana Joshi said. “I really enjoyed watching the team grow as much as it did. I feel some of us have a great chance to deep run during this postseason.” 

The team was successful in many competitive SCC matchups. The highlight of the year was a Senior Night win over Foran.

“Senior Night against Foran was a great way to send off our seniors,” junior Natalia Gagliardi said. “It was the closest meet of the season, and we ended up winning by two points. It was one of the best nights but it was a challenge for everyone on the team, every point counted.”

The team has accomplished a lot individually as well with multiple members making a deep run at SCCs. Sarah McCann, Ella Franzman, Gianna and Natalia Gagliardi took 4th place in SCC Finals for the 200 freestyle relay and Natalia Gagliardi took 3rd place in the 50 freestyle, earning herself All-SCC Honors.  

“The past two seasons I’ve always qualified at SCC’s so to qualify before I’ve been tapered is something I’m definitely proud of,” Franzman said. “An accomplishment that me and some of my teammates made this season was at SCC Finals. Our 200 free relay which included Sarah, Gianna and Natalia and myself, we placed 4th which was a huge accomplishment and we were all super excited about that.”

That very same 200 freestyle relay, consisting of McCann, Franzman, and both Gagliardis had a shot of making State Opens but unfortunately fell short placing 27th in the state.

“Being a part of the 200 free relay this season was truly amazing,” McCann said. “The fact that we made it as far as we did was truly amazing and I’m so incredibly proud of everyone.”

Senior captains Gianna Gagliardi and Christina Ayala are very proud of how their seasons went individually. Gianna Gagliardi qualified for states in four different events, and Ayala was back to being a dominant force for the team after having to sit out all of last season due to an injury. 

“My biggest accomplishment this season would have to be qualifying for states in four events: the 100 free, 200 free, 200 IM, and the 500 free,” Gianna Gagliardi said. “I had chosen to compete in the 200 and 500 yard freestyle events in our postseason because I felt that those were my stronger events.”

The team is very confident for their future as they have lots of talented underclassmen.

“I’m so excited to see how they do in the years to come,” Ayala said. “I hope to come to a few meets and cheer the girls on. I think we are in a really good spot for next season’s success.” 

By Brian Goglia – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls swim recently had a fundraiser to benefit Lion Heart.

Each year, the swim team raises money for breast cancer research. This year’s event, which was a joint event with the Foran girls swim team, raised a total of $2,321 for the Lion Heart Foundation.

“The fundraiser was for the Lion Heart Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money for breast cancer research at Yale New Haven Hospital,” senior captain Gianna Gagliardi said. “Lion Heart partnered with the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC) in 2016 and we have been doing this fundraiser ever since.” 

The fundraiser consisted of breakfast, races, and Tik Toks, and everyone had a good time while raising money for breast cancer research.

“We split our team into two groups and each swam continuously,” senior captain Christina Ayala said. “We then joined with Foran and split into relay groups of 5-6 swimmer. We raced for 25 meters each and competed in different races like swimming with a noodle and a pool float and then bringing a pull buoy across the pool without touching it. There was breakfast, music and we were making Tik Toks and taking pictures. We also each made a poster and hung them on our side of the pool.”

All of the swimmers that took part in the event found it to be a rewarding experience.

“I would love to do more fundraisers like the Lion Heart Lap-A-Thon,” senior captain Gianna Gagliardi said. “The team would love to be given the opportunity to raise money for other organizations like Lion Heart that devote themselves to finding cures for diseases that impact so many people.” 

By Yeiden Nieves – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls soccer team held their pink out game against Hamden on October 23.

Every year, Law hosts an annual fundraiser game, and this year, head coach Mrs. Francisco chose to support breast cancer awareness. The team collected donations and also raised money from a donut and hot chocolate stand.

Over $375 was raised and donated to the “Are You Dense” organization. This organization was chosen as a tribute to Francisco’s high school soccer coach. 

“Usually every year we choose a cause we want to fundraise for,” Francisco said. “This year I decided to fundraise for breast cancer in honor of my old soccer coach.”

Francisco’s old coach was also the keynote speaker at the event. The team invited a total of eight breast cancer survivors to the event. 

On the field that night, freshman Emily Vella scored three goals for Law – her season high for goals in a single game.

“It felt great as that was the most I’ve scored in a single game all year,” Vella said. “I feel as I reached a big accomplishment and I’m glad it was during our Pink Out game.”

Senior Macy Tiche finished the game with two goals. Tiche invited Law cafeteria worker Barb to the event as Barb is always encouraging her to be her best.

“It felt great to be able to score two goals during the game,” Macy said. “Barb is always encouraging me to be my best possible self and I’m glad I was able to play my best especially with her watching the game.”

Law’s win over Hamden avenged a tough loss to the Dragons last year.

“It felt great to come back stronger this year,” sophomore Layla Alogna said. “We were able to build our team and beat some of the teams we lost to last year and sweeping Hamden was a big accomplishment.”

Throughout the day the team went around collecting donations. At the game, parent volunteer Anne Matist set up a hot chocolate and donut stand. 

By Alex Rodriguez – Staff Reporter

Sophomore Avery Moulton was awarded First Team All-SCC honors for her performance during the fall soccer season.

Moulton helped lead Law to 11 regular season wins and a spot in the SCC and state tournaments. 

“This season was very successful,” Moulton said. “The team worked together well and we all bonded. We had our ups and downs but we were able to push through them. This season we all had more confidence and knew that if we put effort into practicing and getting better, it will lead to a winning record, which it did.”

Moulton said that two of the team’s goals this season were to make states and SCC and they achieved both. Additionally, Moulton’s personal goal of making All-SCC was a top priority that she successfully accomplished. 

“Avery has been a leader of our team this year,” head coach Mrs. Francisco said. “She got us out of trouble every game and her speed, ball control, and ability to win the ball out of the air, was one of the best in the league. She is more than deserving of an All-SCC award.”

Moulton is known to be a very hard worker and is respected by her teammates. 

“Avery is not only the most skilled player on the field, but she is also the most hardworking and determined,” sophomore Fiorella Gargiulo said. 

Junior captain Madelyn Baranowsky agreed.

“I think that Avery was deserving of this award because she was a smart and consistent player this year for our team,” Baranowsky said. “Avery benefited the team by putting 100% effort into practice and games.”

Moulton admitted struggling with confidence at the beginning of the season which affected her performance.

“Throughout the rest of the season, I would not get in my head and my confidence slowly got better,” Moulton said. 

When the team found out they qualified for SCCs, it was a moment of excitement for Moulton.

“When Coach Francisco told us that we made it, it was the highlight of my season,” Moulton said. “SCC is harder to make than states. To accomplish both, it is also very hard. These were definitely my favorite parts.”

Moulton was also a leader and set an example for some of the younger players on the team.

“Avery definitely deserved this award for not only being a leader on the field but also someone for everyone to look up to off the field,” freshman Sophie Kalagher said. “Avery benefits the team by being a reliable player who I know I can always count on to back me up in the center and someone who will also take her chances on the field.”

By Chloe Edmonds – Staff Reporter

This year, Law Cheer is being led by four captains, including senior Mikayla Capobianco.

Capobianco has tried to step up to the plate with her improved sense of leadership and teamwork. 

“I have learned how to foster a sense of teamwork and unity among the team while keeping my promises as captain,” Capobianco said. “I have worked hard to create an environment of mutual respect and encouragement.”

Selecting captains was done through a team vote with coaches input as well. 

“When picking captains, we look at who motivated their teammates, had good time management, and who was responsible,” head coach Morgan Colombo said. “Mikayla displayed all of these things and more.” 

Even at the beginning of the season, it was a team consensus that Capobianco should be picked as captain. 

“She was one of our picks early on in the season,” Colombo said. “We then has the team vote and their votes solidified our decision.”

Capobianco has been described by many as passionate, caring, understanding, kind, sweet, responsible and respectful. 

Capobianco has been great at introducing the freshmen on the team to life at Jonathan Law. She has actively tried to include them and has been a role model to everyone on the team, especially freshmen. 

“From the start, she has always tried to include us in everything,” freshman Courtney Russo said. “She is always making sure we look good during games.” 

Colombo said that Capobianco has grown tremendously as captain this 2023-2024 football season.

“Her confidence and skills have continued to grow,” Colombo said. “She has become a great leader and cheerleader.”

One common thing people have said about Capobianco is that she is a strong leader. 

“I would say Mikayla is a good leader,’ co-captain Abby Liscinsky said. “She cares for all the girls on the team and takes responsibility.” 

People have said Capobianco is not only skilled with her basing abilities, but with her mindset. 

“One of Mikayla’s strengths is definitely how much she cares for all the girls on the team.” Co-Captain Alexa Rosati said.

This season, Colombo said Capobianco has proven herself as captain, displaying excellent leadership and dedication to the team.

“She continuously is proud of her teammates’ success and motivates everyone to be the best they can be,” Colombo said. “She also does a great job with keeping her teammates and myself informed throughout the day.”

By Ava Vercellone – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law girls and boys cross country teams both had successful fall seasons. 

Although some of the members of the girls team battled injuries, the team was able to improve as the year progressed. 

“The team never quit and always gave their best effort,” Coach Schulte said. “Something to work on is trying to avoid injuries in the future by coming to the start of the season prepared to run.”  

Senior Claire Moulton had another standout season and earned All-State honors for the third time.

“My favorite moment was states,” Moulton said. “I was very excited when I made All-State, but I was also nervous going into the meet knowing there was a lot of pressure on me. I was trying to make All-State again”

Moulton was named All-State after her 7th place finish at State Championships.

“I think our best moment was states,” junior Alana Pires said “It was a pretty fun day.” 

Pires is captain of the girls team along with Moulton and junior Skye Hamilton. She said she is already excited for next season.

“I’m looking forward to breaking my PR,” Pires said. “As well as seeing everyone improve on their running and times, and the new freshmen that will be joining next year, who we’ll get to train and watch grow.” 

Many of the players this year got their PRs and ran better than they have ever before. 

“I think the season went very well and everyone made a lot of progress,” Moulton said “I am very happy with this season.” 

The boys cross country team had an exciting season as well.

“This is the best the team has ever been over my four years being part of it,” senior Aidan Hope said. “I know that I am going to miss the meets and just about everything.” 

This was Hope’s best cross country season. He dropped his time by over a minute and was a part of varsity the entire season. 

“I think the best moments came from the SCC finals,” Hope said “Watching the finishes I saw a lot of kids run faster and put in more effort than they have for any other race.” 

Hope is captain of the boys team along with seniors Tanner Matchett and Chris Rickard and junior Matt Berendt.  

By Charlotte Rascoll – Staff Reporter

As only a sophomore, Sarah McCann has had a major impact on the Jonathan Law girls swim and dive team this season.

McCann is primarily a sprinter for the team. Her usual events include 50 yard freestyle, 100 yard freestyle, 200 yard freestyle relay, and the 400 yard freestyle relay. Her hard work was rewarded this season when McCann had some really good swims in the second half of the season.

“My biggest accomplishments this season were going under one minute in my 100 yard freestyle and placing fifth overall in my 50 yard freestyle at SCC Finals,” McCann said.

McCann found her passion for swimming at a young age when she was struggling to find the right sport for her, and has been competitively swimming for the past six years. 

“When I’m racing I think more things come challenging to me than easy,” McCann said. “Especially during the race, you feel like you have nothing left and it’s challenging to push through the last 10 yards that feel like 10 miles.”

Girls swim coaches Mr. Rosner and Mr. Lui feel that McCann brings a lot to the team, and that she is open to challenge.

“From a swimming standpoint, she provides the ability to do any event we need her to,” Rosner said. “She has had a clear desire to improve, and she’s not afraid to work hard to do it.”

This year McCann was seeded as one of the Top 16 swimmers in the state for her events. She went through SCC trials and straight to the finals.

“Sarah’s season is not over yet, but I’d say it’s been a great success,” Lui said. “She finished 5th in the 50 free and 12th in the 100 free at SCC championships as a sophomore.”

McCann’s will be competing in state trials and state finals these upcoming weeks. She still has a lot to work for even with the normal season being over.

McCann’s teammates respect her hard work and recognize the accomplishments she has made, and know that she will shine these next few weeks.

“Sarah has had an incredible season,” senior Gianna Gagliardi said. “She has hit many milestones in her 100 yard freestyle and I know she will continue to strive in our upcoming state championship meets taking place in East Lyme and New Haven. “

McCann is not only respected for her skills, but also her attitude by those around her on the pool deck.

“I enjoy that Sarah has a lot of motivation,” junior Sana Joshi said. “She is always trying her best as a swimmer.” 

By Maya Markowitz – Social Media Editor

The Jonathan Law boys soccer team concluded their regular season with a 5-6-5 record. 

The 27th-seeded Lawmen now advance to the Class M State Tournament against 6th-seed Bulkeley on Tuesday, November 7. The team is excited to make it to states, and they are proud of their accomplishments thus far. 

“We had some struggles in the first half of the season, but we were able to turn it around in the second half, and finish strong by stacking results,” senior captain Cooper Fitzgerald said. “Now we take everything day by day to best prepare for the State Tournament.” 

Following the regular season, the team has continued to practice everyday to prepare for the upcoming State Tournament.

“During the postseason, we have been working on our mindset so that we can go into states with the best chance,” senior captain Eliot Melgar said. 

Reflecting on the first half of the season allowed the Lawmen to improve in the second half. Whether it was mindset or game strategy, they honed in on aspects that would ultimately help them in the long run. 

“It was a good season overall,” junior Christian Meade said. “It started out rough but we worked hard to ultimately get eight results in a row at the end of the season, allowing us to go to states.” 

Many goals were set at the beginning of the season to give players things to work on. 

“A lot of my personal goals as well as goals that I had for the team were met this year,” senior Declan Wywoda said. 

The team believes they have improved throughout the season. 

“We struggled with team chemistry in the beginning of the season with a lot of new players; however, as the season went on, we adapted and were able to play better,” junior Alex Rodriguez said. 

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief

The Law girls soccer team finished the regular season with a record 11-3-2.

The Lawmen ended the season with a win against crosstown rival Foran. After losing in the SCC Tournament to Sacred Heart Academy, the Lawmen take on Farmington today at Lawmen Stadium at 4 p.m. 

“Making it into the SCC tournament is harder than making it to the State Tournament, so I am beyond proud of the girls for this accomplishment,” head coach Mrs. Francisco said. “I also think that because we have such a young team, having played in the SCC game after not making it to the state tournament last year, is a great preview on how to play in the postseason excitement.”

The players have been working super hard in practice and even had a scrimmage since losing to SHA.

“I think losing in SCC has made us realize that once you lose you are out,” junior Taylor Coretti said. “It made us all have a better mindset for states and realize that we should give 100% and be more aggressive because this might be our last chance.”

The Lawmen scrimmaged Ansonia last week and after getting another chance to play in real situations they are ready to take on the River Hawks. 

“My favorite part about the law soccer team is the chemistry we have. We all bond really well and always have each other’s back,” sophomore Avery Moulton said. “If we are losing, we are pushing each other to keep fighting. We always win together and lose together.”

The team this year had a lot of young girls come in and have definitely made a name for themselves. Freshman Emily Vella made All-SCC Second Team and Moulton made All-SCC First Team.

“It looks like the girls are getting used to each other’s style of play more and more,” Francisco said. “Our confidence is growing and we are in a good groove just in time for the playoffs.”

The team has made many adjustments since the beginning of the season, to learn to play together and to create bonds between each other. 

“I feel like I have helped this team by bringing a fun and positive energy to team bonding and before games, but also bringing the focus during practices and games,” junior captain Maddy Baranowsky said. “My teammates also know that I am there for them on the field and off.”

The team is hoping to create new friendships that will carry over after their season has ended.

“At the beginning of the season, our chemistry was off,” sophomore Layla Alogna said. “Over time, we’ve learned to trust each other and we’ve learned each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Instead of playing as 11 individuals, we now play as a team.”

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief 

Senior boys soccer player Cooper Fitzgerald and junior girls swimmer Natalia Gagliardi were named September Athletes of the Month by Jonathan Law Athletics and sponsored by JLHS Sports Booster Club.

Each month two student-athletes are awarded this honor for their success in and outside of school. 

“To be recognized as the first Athlete of the Month this school year I felt so accomplished,” Gagliardi said. “It felt so great for all of my hard work in the pool to be recognized and it gives me even more motivation to keep working hard in practices and in meets.”

Gagliardi and the team have been competing against top teams in the SCC and state and are still dominating. 

“Natalia was extremely deserving of the honor of athlete of the month, she has had a great deal of success for our team throughout the season, and September was no exception,” Head Coach Rob Rosner said. “She placed first in 8 out of 10 individual events over the course of the month and anchored most of our relays.” 

Highlighting and honoring two student-athletes who are excelling for their teams will push other athletes to want this nominee.

“Athletics at Jonathan Law consists of a lot of hard working student athletes, it is important that we showcase our athletes for all of their contributions both in the classroom, during competition, and in the community, our athlete of the month program accomplishes this goal,” Athletic Director Tom Drew said.

Fitzgerald, who plays central defensive midfielder, said that he gives his 110% in every practice and every game.

“Cooper exemplifies what a Jonathan Law student athlete strives to be,” Head Coach Mike Gruber said. “Cooper is hard working on and off the field, leads by example and is a good mentor to our young players.”

Fitzgerald has been locking down top attackers in the SCC and has stepped up on offense when needed. He also credited his teammate and coach for constantly pushing him. 

“Being recognized as the first athlete of the month for this year was pretty exciting,” Fitzgerald said. “It was nice to get some recognition for the hard work myself and the team has been putting in.” 

For the rest of the year, a Google Form will be posted on Twitter from @JLHSAthletics for each month. In this Google Form, anyone can nominate a student-athlete for that month. 

By Michael Smith- Staff Reporter

Senior Declan Wywoda has been the Law boys soccer captain for the past two years and he is proud to lead the team again this season.

Wywoda loves being the person to set the pace in practices and enjoys coaching other players.

“I like being a leader,” Wywoda said. “I like helping people when they are down and showing a good example for other players.”

Wyowda has set many team and individual goals for the current season.

“I want to make the State Tournament,” Wywoda said. “Our team has grown a lot from last year. I believe this team is special and can compete with anyone in the state.”

Many players respect Wywoda and look up to his leadership abilities.

“Declan is a good leader because he helps our team in different ways,” junior Christian Mead said. “He supports us through our hard games and he always motivates us to do better on and off the field.”

Many freshmen look up to Wywoda and appreciate the tips and resources he provides to them.

“Declan is a good captain because he is honest with us and he is not afraid to use his voice when needed and is a great role model to us,” freshman Kevin Cepetelli said.

Other varsity players also feel that Wywoda is a great teammate towards them and has benefited the team in a very positive way.

“He is a great leader towards us, and he is a great leader in games and practices,” junior Alex Rodriguez said. “He is a very vocal captain and he does what he does very well.”

The boys soccer team has big goals for the season. They go through very competitive practices everyday and work hard to be the best that they can.

“Our aspirations for this season are to make states and to win it.” Wywoda said. “We have worked very hard in the off-season to eliminate mistakes and to better our skills, our practices have been very challenging to make game play easier.”

By Brian Goglia – Staff Reporter

Senior Eliot Melgar has been captain of the Law boys soccer team for two years and is excited to lead the Lawmen again this season.

Melgar loves to be a leader to the underclassmen on the team and show them how to act.

“I set the tone in practice that the tempo has to be high, I lead by example on the field, I am a positive talker, so I get player’s backs when they make a mistake,” Melgar said. “I’m not scared of other teams which will make our other players not scared as well.” 

Melgar has many expectations goals for this season he wishes to accomplish.

“I expect a good year with a positive record, and for us to make a deep state run,” Melgar said. “I would also love to get into the SCC Tournament.”

Many of Law’s freshmen soccer players said that Melgar is a good role model.

“He is more bold and shows his ability to be a captain and is easy to talk to if needed,” freshman Kevin Cepetelli said.

Other individuals on the varsity team also look up to Melgar for his leadership.

“He has a lot of class and sportsmanship on the field and I feel like it rubs off on people on the team,” junior Alex Rodriguez said.

The boys soccer team still has big goals for remainder of the season. They also feel this season is different from others because of their chemistry together and how much they’ve played together in the offseason.

“This year our team has more experienced players who have been battle tested from playing one of the hardest schedules in the state last year,” Melgar said. “We have also all grown and become better individually, so this will all make us stronger as a team.”

By Analiyah Velez – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law cheerleading team has started off strong this season with senior Abby Liscinsky as co-captain.

The cheer team voted Lisinsky as one of team’s captains this season because she has proven herself during practices and games to be a leader to the underclassmen.

“Abby is a great captain because she is patient, kind, and never gives up,” head coach Morgan Colombo said. “Abby is the first one to cheer on her teammates during their success and cheer even louder if they fail.”

Liscinsky has been cheering since freshman year and has been captain her junior and senior years. Each year, she had to try to prove herself again and again. 

“My goals for the season are to build a strong relationship between the team,” Liscinsky said. “I also want to have a strong halftime routine and have the team’s hard work be noticed.” 

Liscinsky and her co-captains work together to make the team stronger. 

“We work together by deciding things such as attire, team bonding activities, and motivating the team to work hard when it comes to things such as halftime, practices, and cheering for the football team,” senior co-captain Nicole Garcia said.

On and off the field, Liscinsky tries to inspire her team with her work ethic.

“I manage as a student-athlete by making sure to have a good balance and have good time management,” Liscinsky said. 

Liscinsky is loved by her teachers, teammates, peers, and family. 

“Abby helps me because she always has a smile on her face, tries hard for each and every moment on the mat and shows leadership,” freshman Kristia Gonza said. “Abby inspires me because she shows how to have respect for her teammates on and off the mat.” 

The team’s freshmen are very excited and glad to be a part of the team and work with Liscinsky due to her positive demeanor.

“Any time anyone forgets something or needs something for a game, Abby is always the first one to bring it or host anything,” freshman Courtney Russo said. 

Colombo truly sees the passion given by Liscinsky every day at practice. 

“She truly wants the best for her team and has stuck around through the good and bad,” Colombo said. “She never gives up on her teammates and will always be their biggest fan.” 

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.”