By Ella Franzman – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law softball team is currently 12-1 and has already qualified for states. 

After losing to Amity in the semifinals of the SCC Tournament last season, the Lawmen are hoping to make it back to the SCC tournament and go even farther. 

“Our postseason goals are to make it far in states and the SCCs,” senior captain Grace Kantor said. “We are feeling really good about the postseason, and I think if we keep playing the way we are now, it’ll help us when the time comes.”

Last year, the team lost to North Branford in the quarterfinals of the Class M State Tournament and they are looking for redemption. 

“The team does more bonding with each other and we are made up of a great group of girls that play well together on and off the field,” freshman Mady Bull said. 

The Lawmen are already half way through the season but continue to take it one game at a time.

“Everyone is always locked in on game day, we are all loose and having fun,” sophomore Talia Salanto said. “It might not always seem like we’re all focused but that’s just the way law softball does things.” 

Law had a total of 36 runs from their games this past week against Amity, Foran, and Sheehan. 

“As a team we are all so excited about how the week went and our bats were on fire,” Kantor said. 

The Lawmen beat Foran 10-0 with home runs hit by Courtney Hanson and Bull. Hailey Oliver also had the winning RBI. 

“We are not getting the recognition we were hoping for but we know where we stand and being the ‘underdogs’ is making each game we win more special,” Salanto said. 

After losing some key players last year, the underclassmen have been able to step up and fill in those gaps.

“Our girls determine the lineup, this is done and practices and games based on performance,” head coach Mrs. Blude said. “At the varsity level, we put together our strongest “team” and fortunately that starting group has been so successful they are creating opportunities for subs to get more playing time than in years past.”

With two pitchers that are both very versatile and are interchangeable on the mound and at shortstop, the duo makes it challenging for any opponent. 

The duo also pitched two no-hitters in a row, one against Mercy and one against Branford. 

“My mindset on game day is to win, getting in the zone and preparing to win allows me to push to my fullest, and leave everything on the field,” Kantor said. 

Kantor also hit a three-run homerun against Mercy, making the score 11-0.

By Maya Rosado – Staff Reporter 

The Law girls tennis team is returning and excited for their upcoming season.

After a record-breaking season last year, the tennis team is ready to take on their next challenge. Last season, Law earned its first SCC Division II regular season title and its first SCC Division II Tournament title with a 6-1 victory over Branford. 

“Last year was a dream season for us and now the goal is to build off that and continue to get better,” head coach Mr. Kulenych said. “We are happy about last season but we aren’t satisfied. The goal is put in the work every day to make this season just as special.”

The win was the first Law girls tennis conference title since 1980 (in the CCIAC). Law’s captain Lucia Pino was named the SCC Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

The girls are excited to have a non-COVID year of tennis after missing their 2019-2020 season and having a shortened season for 2020-2021. 

“I am most excited to get back to a regular match schedule and play schools that we didn’t have the opportunity to last season,” junior Caroline Doyle said. “I’m excited to see how far we can go with some new competition.” 

The team is most excited to get back to normal and have a regular match schedule.

“I am most excited for experiencing wins with my team,” junior Samantha Burns said.

The girls have high hopes for the season and are determined to be even better than last year. 

“I am most excited to see how we do as a team this year,” senior captain Lucia Pino said. “I have high hopes as we move into the start of the season.” 

Through two matches, the team is 2-0 with wins over Abbott Tech and Mercy.

The girls not only hope for success as a team but also individually.

“Individually, I want to do my best every match in order to help our team succeed as much as possible,” said Pino. 

Senior captain Sophie Maselli is excited to begin her final tennis season.

“This season, I am excited to continue our title as ‘Champs’ and to advance far in the state and SCC tournaments,” Maselli said. “As this year is my last, I’m really hoping for an amazing season. I can’t wait to watch our entire team thrive on the courts this season.”

By Harrison Fisher – Staff Reporter 

Spring is in the air and it is shaping up to be a great outdoor track season. The “Nation of Domination” is coming off a successful indoor track season and is ready to bring its talent outside. Sprinters, hurdlers, and jumpers are all ready to compete at a high level and everyone is ready to try to bring another State Championship back to Lansdale Ave. Advocate Staff Reporter Harrison Fisher interviewed the track coaches and some standout athletes as they get ready for the spring season.

Head Boys Track Coach Mr. Beler

“We have the same goals as indoor. The goal is for a Division championship, an SCC championship, and a state championship. The goal is to win every day: if every athlete gets better every day, we did our job. The goal is always improving and winning a team title, a full season COVID-free, and watching our athletes improve into champions.”

Head Girls Track Coach Ms. Corriveau

“We plan on doing a lot of practice with pacing, speed, and endurance. We simply want to build on the skills we’ve gained and continue making progress. I’m looking forward to seeing how much the students will rise to the challenges in each of our meets. I want students to focus on progress, reaching their goals (both as individuals and as a team) and have fun.”

Junior Liam Fedigan

“Yes, the goal is to always run faster. However, it is most important to stay healthy. I am also trying to build more of a community within the distance program specifically. But yes the goals are almost identical to what they have always been. This season I want to be a good leader and public figure for Jonathan Law track. This year I want to teach others and get them motivated to do well on the track and in the classroom. I really want to promote the student athlete life. I am really looking forward to running outdoor track this year. I can’t wait to run with some new and longtime teammates. We are definitely capable of accomplishing a lot this year. Everyone needs to stay calm and determined. We need to stay committed and be ready to come to perform every day.  It is not easy, but it can be very very rewarding.”

Senior Aidan King, SCC Pole Vault Champion

“I’m going to prepare for the season by making sure to work hard at practice every day. I want to build team chemistry in the preseason, so by the time meets begin, we will be ready to go. My goals and expectations are not the same. I honestly did not know what to expect from this team and from myself.  However, now I understand that we are very capable of prospering as a team. I want to win a State Championship, break a lot of school records, and go All-State in the pole vault. I am really looking forward to embracing the community feel that track season brings. It’s always a really enjoyable experience no matter what type of day it is.  I am very confident in the team’s capabilities. We are a deep team this year with many stand-out athletes. If there is a team that can do it, it’s this one.”

As you can see the “Nation of Domination”  is ready to compete once again. We know that this team will put in the work, and their goal is to capture both the SCC Championship and State Championship. Personal goals will be achieved and records will be broken.  Fans can look forward to a successful outdoor track season.  Good Luck, Lawmen!

By Truman Martin – Entertainment Editor

For the Jonathan Law baseball team’s 2022 season, the coaches are focused on building a winning team.

This year’s varsity team captains are Kian McEnerney, Jaden Wywoda, and Michael Cosmas. Some important and key players include Wywoda, junior John Neider, Cosmas, and McEnerney.

“We always want to be able to compete for a chance to win a state championship,”  head coach Mr. Simler said. “In order to do that, we set goals each day to get better so that we are playing our best baseball by the end of May when the State Tournament begins.”

The players are setting goals for themselves this season as well.

“My goals are to have a successful season and have the team go over .500,” sophomore catcher Bobby Black said. 

After two years of canceled and shortened baseball seasons, everyone is excited to get back to a normal season this spring.

“For the season really I am most excited to be around the players and other coaches” assistant coach Mr. McPartland said. “A huge part of why I do what I do is because of the relationships I form with the players and coaches.”

The players are also just as excited as the coaches.

“What I’m looking forward to this baseball season is winning,” junior pitcher Jeanero King said. “We have a lot of potential on this team and I believe we can have a good run.”

As of April, the baseball team is 1-2 with a win over Bunnell and losses to Lyman Hall and Hand.

By Christian Andriolas – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law boys lacrosse is ramping up to start the spring season. 

With many new faces, the captains of the team have to take an even larger leadership role. 

“The main issue coming into this year for the boys lacrosse team was the lack of players,” junior captain Jack Sellman said. “We were able to overcome this by recruiting any athlete around the school, creating a larger team with many natural lacrosse players.” 

Many of the new faces include younger players who are ready to work.

“Since I’m new, after figuring out the game, I am ready to go to work,” freshman Jack Dastasio said. “The more hard work and focus I put in, the more opportunity I will get to play.” 

Along with new younger players, but the team has experienced ones as well that are ready to step up. 

“All the returning players are willing to put in the work to improve both themselves and newer players, and excited for another season,” sophomore Kiernan Wilson said.

In preparation for the regular season, the team played a scrimmage against Stratford/Bunnel on Saturday, April 2, and won by a score of 8-2. 

“I feel the biggest takeaway from the scrimmage was that good teamwork leads to success,” junior Connor Chirico said. “It was nice to get a win against a team like Stratford as it was important to us.”  

With the confidence gained from the scrimmage, the team now has higher expectations for the season.

“The goals for the season are to focus more on the skill level of younger players, and rebuild our program yo have high standards, that requires players to act responsibility on and off the field,” junior Matt Hagerty said. 

With development of young players and everybody holding themselves accountable, the Law lacrosse team is ready to have a strong season. 

By Isabella Gecaj – Staff Reporter

Lucia Pino is a senior at Jonathan Law and the captain of the varsity girls tennis team.

Pino is the team’s #1 singles player and has gone All-State twice. As it is her last year on the team, Pino is ready to go out on a high note.  

“I am excited to move on to college but hoping to make this last season special,” Pino said.

Last year, the girls tennis team won the SCC Division II regular season and SCC Tournament titles and made it to the semifinals of the Class M State Tournament.

But winning is not the only thing on Pino’s mind. 

“I think our team is looking strong this year as we have a slightly different line up,” Pino said. “I think we are going to be very successful.”

Pino has set several team and individual goals for herself.

“This season I am looking forward to winning as much as possible,” said Pino. “But also creating a strong bond with the team.”

The girls team work together in achieving their ambitious goals. Overall, it is Pino’s leadership skills that will take them forward. 

“Not only is Lucia our best player, but from the moment she got on the team, she has been our leader on and off the court,” girls tennis coach Mr. Kulenych said. “She works hard in the classroom and on the court and she is a perfect example to follow for the younger players on the team.”

Her skills have helped the team grow at an exponential rate.

“Whenever I’m having any trouble with my forehand or my backhand or my volleys she will kindly help me,” sophomore Olivia Hudak said. “She’s great at teaching you  something when you’re struggling with it and will make it very easy to learn.”

Pino’s work ethic and passion is what takes her far. 

“Lucia gets a lot of attention for her awards and records, and deservedly so, but what people don’t see is what makes her great,” Kulenych said. “She is always working – before practice, during practice, after practice – to get better.”

Kulenych said having Pino atop the lineup is a luxury that most teams do not have.

“Having Lucia at the top of our lineup gives us an advantage over every team we play and allows the rest of the pieces of our lineup to fit into place,” Kulenych said.

Pino, meanwhile, is excited for this year and beyond.

“I am looking forward to playing tennis at the next level and believe I’m ready to move forward with my tennis skills,” said Pino.

By Olivia Augustine – News Editor

The Law girls lacrosse team is getting ready for the start of the spring season.

The team has hopes of having a successful season. The team also has hopes of qualifying for the state tournament.

“My goals for the girls lacrosse team this season include successfully having a winning season,” head coach Ms. DiDangi said. “With a younger team, there is much room for improvement as well as growth.”

The lacrosse captains are excited to work with and lead the team.

“As a captain I plan on giving my team an enjoyable, winning season,” senior captain Hailey Boyle said. “I also plan on helping everyone as much as I can skills-wise, wherever I see they may need help, I’ll use my experience to help them grow their skill set as much as I can.”

The captains are also excited to work towards achieving team goals.

“What I enjoy most about playing lacrosse is being a part of a team that works toward a common goal,” senior captain Lindsay Konlian said. “As a captain this year, I also enjoy being a leader on and off the field.”

Playing with people who are passionate about the same sport creates a special bond between the team.

“What I enjoy most about playing lacrosse is bonding with the team at games and practices and getting to play the sport I love surrounded by other teammates that share the same passion,” junior captain Maya Rosado said.

The team is ready to be together this year on and off the field after the last season.

“This season I’m looking forward to being able to spend time with the team on and off the field since we weren’t really able to last year,” junior Elizabeth Ryan said.

By Kaitlyn Goldberg – News Editor 

The Law boys tennis team is back in action this spring and is hopeful for an exciting and successful season. 

Last season, the team was undefeated during the regular season and won the SCC Championship. This season, the team wants to repeat that success and qualify for the postseason.

“As coach my goal this year is to play tough every match and work hard each practice,” head coach Mr. Maxwell said. “As a team our goal is to make the SCC Tournament and the CIAC Tournament.”

The team is having to face more challenges this year, with only two returning players and a more difficult schedule.

“My goal for this season is to create a good foundation for the future team,” senior captain Julien Roy said. “Last year, we lost seven of our starting players so we have a lot of roles to fill and with the seniors leaving after this season. That’s even more space for new talent and if we get the new players to adjust to the team and improve their skills, I’d consider this a successful season.”

With playing some more advanced teams this year, the team is going to have to have some new strategies to make sure they can play the best that  they can. 

“The team is going to prepare intensely for every match,” senior captain Dan Folloni said. “Every day we will train to fix any weaknesses. We will change our lineup depending on which schools we are facing.”

The team’s practices are also going to be very important this year, especially for the new team members. 

“We have many new players this year, so our practices will be vital to our success,” Maxwell said. 

The new players have been up to challenge so far and are becoming great additions to the team. 

“Because our team was moved up a division this year (thus facing more difficult teams), we are discussing using some advanced strategy, opposed to mostly only conditioned fundamentals than we have previously,” Roy said. “Towards the end of our last season, we faced a lot of insanely good teams with niche techniques and I feel that has naturally caused us to be more targeted/specific in our practicing, and so far our new teammates have shown a lot of passion for the sport and team (shout out to them) so I have a feeling that there will be a lot of practicing outside of what we’ve scheduled and that will help our teams preparedness.”

By Sydney Simpson  – Editor-in-Chief 

The Jonathan Law softball team is starting off their season on April 2 with a home game against New Canaan at 12 p.m.  

Following their impressive 14-5 season last year, which got the Lady Lawmen to the quarterfinals in both the SCC tournament and the State tournament, the team is excited for what is to come in the near future. 

“We had a great run last year and this is going to be a continuation of that with many returning starters along with some talented freshmen,” said coach Ms. Blude. “The girls are hungry.”

The girls have been working hard throughout the offseason in order to get better in hopes of reaching their goals this year. 

“During practice I work my hardest in areas where I need improvement, whether that be pushing myself to make better plays, or staying after practice and hitting some more,” senior captain Grace Kantor said. “As a team we are putting in a lot of effort to be the best we can which includes going through situations, and utilizing our pitchers for live hitting.” 

The first step for the team is to make the State and SCC tournaments, and from there they hope to make it past the point they did last year. 

“My goals for the season for this team are very high due to the talent we have on the team,” junior captain Nicolina Salanto said. “I think with the talent we have and the different strengths we have in different areas, we should expect to win every game we play in and my goal this season is to come back with a championship win.”

The Law softball team is unique in the way that they are such a close-knit group of girls. Any player that you ask would agree that the bond the team has transfers onto the field and helps them to play better. 

“I am very excited to see the team everyday and for team bonding,” senior captain Michaela Sullivan said. “Last year the relationships between the teammates were so close that we were with each other during and after softball practice everyday and I am looking forward to building that same relationship again.”

The closeness of the girls contributes to their competitiveness, and to anyone who watches a Law softball game, it is impossible to deny the ambition that the team possesses. 

“What I love about softball is the competitive fire my girls come with on a daily basis,” Blude said. “I look forward to seeing them develop and also look forward to the challenge as a coach to draw out the best in each in two short months.”

As they are looking forward to crushing their upcoming season, the seniors on the team share their thoughts about this being their last season of Law softball. 

“It’s really sad that this is my last season because I love the game and I’m going to miss this team so much,” Kantor said. “This really motivates me to do well and help the team go far because I want to make the most of this season. I feel like we have such a great chance and I am really excited to see us do well.”

By Helen Chizmazia – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys swim team is wrapping up its 2021-2022 winter season.

The team has been continuously striving to keep winning all of the meets and further  improving their swimming skills for the competitive races. Team members are working to achieve personal best times at every meet. 

“I’m pleased with how the season is going,” head coach Mr. Lui said. “The veterans on the team are providing great leadership for the new swimmers this year. It’s been a pleasure watching everyone improve each meet.” 

Like all winter sports teams this season, the boys swim team had to follow COVID-19 protocols.

“We wear masks as long as we’re on the pool deck or inside the locker room,” captain Elliana Markowitz said. “Anywhere that’s not the pool. We stay pretty far apart as well.” 

Markowitz continued to swim with the boys team even after her fall season, freeing up her senior year because of her bond with the winter swim team. 

“I did it this year because I have done it in years past due to playing volleyball, and now that I am a senior I did not want to switch teams in my final year,” said Markowitz. 

Markowitz is going to college next year and is waiting to hear back from quite a few schools. Markowitz is joined on the team this year by co-captains Mason Turner and Jayden Cruz.

“Seniors Eliana Markowitz, Mason Turner, and Jayden Cruz all are having great seasons and winning big races for us,” Lui said.

This is Lui’s third year as the head coach of the boys swim team.

“I’ve always been passionate about swimming and helping kids achieve their goals,” Luis said. “I’ve been swimming since the age of five and it’s taught me important life lessons. I hope to instill those life lessons into the team.”

Lui is a strong advocate for a healthy and positive team environment for his swimmers. 

“I believe our biggest accomplishment this season has been creating a positive team culture that includes swimmers from both schools,” Lui said. 

Markowitz has achieved 20 personal best times this season. 

“As captain, I try to keep everyone on track for practice by leading stretches and getting everyone on the bus, out of the locker room, and in the pool on time,” Markowitz said. “I try to bring the team together as much as possible and encourage sportsmanship.”

By Zack Sulkis – Staff Reporter 

Jonathan Law’s wrestling team finished their regular season February 3, and looking back, this season was huge for senior Gary Schulte.

In only his second season wrestling, Schulte managed to have a record of 5-1 in the SCC and earned the #2 seed at SCCs for the 170 pound weight class. 

At SCCs, Schulte unfortunately didn’t place; however he get a decision win over another 170 from #1 Xavier.

“Coming out of the regular season, I felt great, and while I didn’t get the results I hoped for in the SCC meet, I learned a lot”, Schulte said. “And I’m going to use that knowledge to my advantage in the state tournament.”

Schulte is a member of the football team, wrestling team, and is a thrower for the outdoor track team at Law. Schulte is a true varsity athlete in his conditioning, leadership, and work ethic. 

“He’s a good role model for everyone on the team, when we are all tired and want to give up we just look at Gary giving 100% and we feel empowered to push ourselves,” sophomore Benjamin Girandola said. 

Schulte joined the wrestling team his sophomore year. With the 2020-2021 season (his junior year) being canceled due to COVID-19, Schulte thought it might set his skills back compared to other seniors in the state. 

“COVID-19 definitely set me back in my skill compared to other seniors, but I didn’t let that discourage me,” Schulte said. “I kept my head up and worked hard at practice to make up for the lost time, and it has definitely paid off.”

The re-roll is definitely one of Schulte’s most dominant moves on the mat. It seems no matter what is being thrown at him while he’s on bottom he can just re-roll himself out of any scenario. In his match vs Xavier, Gary re-rolled his opponent six times during the six minute match.

“Gary’s re-roll is great; it gets everyone on the bench hyped because it is such a difficult move to hit sometimes and Gary just makes it look so simple,” sophomore Alexander Ciarleglio. “I need him to teach me how to hit it better before he graduates.” 

By Isabella Gecaj – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls basketball team recently completed its regular season and is now preparing for states.

The girls team has an overall record of 12-8 and qualified for SCCs and states. Law is the 14 seed in the Class MM State Tournament and will host the 19 seed, East Haven, on February 28.

“The girls have worked tremendously hard and have improved as a team,” head coach Mr. Young said. “We are hoping to finish strong going into the tournaments.”

The girls make the most of their time in preparation for States.

“I think we will do well if we continue to work well together and push ourselves,” senior captain Jenna Wasserman said. 

Team members know what they want and what they must do to achieve their goals. 

“At the beginning of the year our main goal was to win our division and we were able to do that, finishing 8-0,” senior captain Mariyah Reid said. “We were excited to get the first ever banner in girls basketball history.”

Despite their success, players have not stopped striving for team and individual goals.

“Personally, I have accomplished feeling more confident on offense and taking more shots,” sophomore Chloe Haasch said.

The girls have supported each other and worked together to improve collectively. 

“We are a strong defensive team, so I think something that could have gone better is our offense,” Wasserman said.

The girls know what they must do as a team to make their dreams a reality.

“Personally I have felt that something that could have gone better this season was our offense,” junior captain Sabrina Lawless said. “We had a lot of missed opportunities from missed shots, whether it was free throws or a three.”

They know what they need to work on, but they do not let that drag them down. 

“Our defense is very strong but being able to score a little more each game would make our wins more comfortable,” Lawless said.

The team has dealt with the ups and downs of having a COVID-19 time season.

“The team has done an excellent job with our crazy schedule,” Young said.  “I missed not being able to practice more but the girls have been resilient.”

They have pushed through and are more than ready for states to begin.

“I feel like we have accomplished so much as a team already, and that if we continue to work hard like before we can make it really far,” Reid said.

Wasserman had some advice for her teammates as they all prepare for states.

“Advice I would like to give to my teammates is that it’s ok to make mistakes, so don’t let mistakes ruin the rest of your game,” Wasserman said. “Mistakes are just a reason to work harder and get better.”

Lawless said the key is to play loose and have fun.

“My advice is to not be so serious while playing,” Lawless said. “To make sure you are having fun and to not leave mistakes with you while playing because it can make you more worried about the mistakes instead of just playing basketball.”

Young said he is proud of what the team has accomplished and is excited for the state tournament to begin.

“This is a great collection of girls and I am grateful to be their coach,” Young said.

By Christian Andriolas – Staff Reporter

The indoor track season has almost concluded, with the exception of State Opens for those who qualified. 

On Saturday, February 6, the SCC Championships brought many accomplishments from Law athletes including first and second team All-SCC selections. 

“The selections mean a lot to us,” senior captain Thomas Bretthauer said. “It all culminated into a great meet and represents the work we do as a team.” 

As well as the All-SCC selections, Aidan King was the pole vault champion, coming in first place at the meet.

“I could not believe I won,” King said. “Going into the meet, I was not expecting to win, but it gave me a lot of confidence that I was able to get up as high as those guys.” 

This past Thursday, Law competed in the Class M state championships, coming in second place, only a few points becoming state champions. 

“I feel we had higher goals,” sophomore JT Nelly said.  “But I’m proud of our season, and that next year we can reach our goals.” 

Even though the track team didn’t get the trophy they wanted, they are proud of how they performed throughout the season. 

“It was a very successful season,” Coach Beler said. “We broke six school records, had a great showing at states, and all of our athletes showed considerable improvement throughout the season.” 

With many seniors graduating this year, the team will pass the torch to new athletes to lead them next year. 

“We have many people on the team now that will prove themselves in the upcoming seasons,” sophomore Jack Bretthauer said. “We have many sophomores and juniors that qualified for states and we expect more from them in the future.” 

Here’s a list of those athletes and what the events they participated in. 

Boys: 

Shot Put: Solomon Mercado with a throw of 43-9.25

Pole Vault: Aidan King with a jump of 11-6

1600m (1 mile): Liam Fedigan with a time of 4:35.53

3200m (2 mile): Liam Fedigan with a time of 10:15.70

Girls:

55m hurdles: Caden simpson with a time of 8.75

4x400m: Lauren Davis, Sydney Simpson, Caden Simpson, and Elly Van Waveren with a time of 4:47.83

By Maya Rosado – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law gymnastics team recently finished another successful season.

Law competed in the SCC Championship meet on Thursday, February 10, placing second behind champion Daniel Hand.  

The final score of the meet was Daniel Hand 141.3, Jonathan Law 133.7, Mercy 122.45, Foran 117.35, and Hamden 109. 

Law sophomore Natalie Morell repeated as champion on the uneven bars with a score of 8.9. She was also third in the all-around (34.7).

“Our team did very well,” junior Olivia Coddington said. “We got second place in the SCC championship and have performed very well throughout the whole season.”

The team came out of the meet with three All-Conference gymnasts: Morell, senior Mackenzie Powers, and senior Emma Nelly. 

Not only did the girls perform well at SCCs but they won big against rival Foran, defeating them 133.05-116.65. 

Law’s Emma Nelly (34.15) won the all-around followed by teammate Natalie Morrell (33.9) and Foran’s Ginger Schmidt (32.4.) Nelly was first in vault (8.55), beam (8.7) and floor exercise (8.7). Morrell was first on bars (8.9) and Nelly was second (8.2). 

The Law girls most enjoyed spending time together at meets and practices.

“My favorite part of the season would probably be the meets,” Coddington said. “They are full of energy and show how close our team is.”

Coddington is going to be captain her senior season from 2022-2023 and has big plans for the team. 

“My goals for next season is to work on my weaker events and improve,” Coddington said. “As well as getting personal best scores.” 

The lady lawmen wrapped up their regular season with their Senior Night on Wednesday, February 15.

By Olivia Augustine – News Editor 

The Jonathan Law cheerleading team has transitioned from cheering at football games and basketball games to participating in competitions across the state.

The cheerleading team has been to two competitions and placed in the top half of the teams. This year the team had more students than in the previous year. 

Heading into the season, coaches had a few goals for the team. 

“Our goal is always growth, not just as a team but as individuals,” Coach Toohey said. “As a program our goal was to go out there our first two competitions and ‘hit it’ –  and they did just that.”

The coaches worked with each teammate individually to make sure the team as a whole was ready for the season. 

“Once we got into football season some of my initial worries eased given we were all able to come together; I think that partly had to do with our coach helping us on an individual level in areas we all needed to better; and also due to the seniors this year,” senior captain Aurora Rutkowski said. “Overall, I think this season we have a great team, full of girls who love to have fun and connect with their teammates but also know how to put in the work and try new skills, like our new flyer Sakshi and even our new girls we have basing.”

The second half of the season is their toughest because it is competition season., but with hard work, they made sure they were ready. 

“During competition season, these athletes that stuck it through, have put in countless hours of practice to get where they are now,” Toohey said. “Just like many other cheer programs this year we have started with basics and worked extremely hard to get to the advanced skills we have put forth onto the mat.”

The captains have worked hard with the team to make sure they were ready for the start of the season. 

“My favorite part of the season this year generally has been that we have so far been blessed with a whole season,” senior captain Kailey Smith said. “Being a captain means teaching and leading by example, this year I have pushed myself through mental blocks in tumbling that I have had in previous years and I have encouraged others to push themselves in learning new skills.” 

This year captains were excited to be leaders of the team.

“This season I have enjoyed getting the opportunity to be a captain and lead my team,” senior captain Gina Thompson said. “I’ve also made a lot of memories this year that will be special to me for the rest of my life such as senior night and performing amazing routines at competitions.”

By Ella Franzman – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys basketball team qualified for the SCC and CIAC State tournaments with their recent win over Weston. 

The Lawmen are currently 9-9 and still have two more games of the regular season to play. Law started off the season with a few losses and was able to get on their feet and pick up a few wins on the road and at home. 

“With practice and the team chemistry, we are able to work together more fluently and turn around our season,” senior Leonidas Andriolas said.

The team plays Brookfield on February 16 and West Haven on February 18. 

“We just had a huge win against East Haven and everyone is gonna play hard for these next two games,” sophomore Liam Valvo said.

The team beat Foran both times which was a huge motivation for their next games. 

The team’s expectation was to make the postseason tournaments. This has built a good foundation for them to work off. 

“Our plan doesn’t change based on standings or where we are in the season,” head coach Jamie Anderson said. “It’s always, play hard and get better each day.”

Law’s goal is always to win and play as hard as they can but these next two games are the most important because it will decide their standings in the tournaments. 

“My mindset is still the same but now we’re gonna work harder to win all these games because we don’t get them back,” freshman Cameron Upchurch said. 

The team is determined to do whatever it takes to win the SCC and CIAC tournaments. 

“I plan to do whatever the coaches need me to do,” junior Lenny Ialeggio said. “If they need me to do something on the court I can do that, if they need that energy from someone on the bench that’s me.”

Anderson said the team’s most obvious improvement is the everyone has been coming together as one unit. 

By Lucia Pino – Staff Reporter 

Jonathan Law girls basketball is off to a strong start this season led by the team’s four captains. 

The girls basketball team is off to a 4-1 start. The four captains for this year’s team are senior Shelby Green, senior Jenna Wasserman, senior Mariyah Reid, and junior Sabrina Lawless. 

“My goal as captain is to be a source of encouragement for the other players on the team,” Wasserman said. “I want to keep the environment as one where they feel like they are being pushed to be the best version of themselves, but also come to me with anything that they need” 

The girls play a leadership role on the team as they are looking to have the best season possible. The captains have high expectations this year as they are looking to go far. 

“As a team we want to win the division,” Green said. “That is our first major goal because there are no banners in the school gym that have girls basketball written on it. We also want to finish each quarter of the season by having a winning record.” 

So far the team is on track to succeeding in these goals as they have been consistently winning. One of these wins was against their hometown rival, Foran High School. 

“One of our main accomplishments so far this season was beating Foran,” Reid said. “Many people doubted us this year and believed that Foran would beat us, but we proved them wrong.” 

After winter break, the girls had to pause their season due to COVID-19. They returned to practice on January 7.

“My worry is the season will get cut short or we will have to go on pause again due to COVID,” Green said. That’s the worst that could happen because we will have to stop playing the sport that we all love.” 

The team is playing it safe as they follow the COVID rules and continue to wear masks when required. 

“Knowing our season could stop very quickly, even for two weeks like it did, is dreadful,” Lawless said. “Everyone knows health is a top priority so we are making smart decisions in order to keep our season running smoothly.” 

The girls plan to keep a positive attitude as they move deeper into the season. The captains do their best to motivate the rest of the players to play with a purpose while enjoying the sport at the same time. 

“Being able to love the sport and be happy coming to practice everyday is going to push you to get better and play harder,” Lawless said. “Every morning on game day I like to send a short message to our team group chat to motivate everyone for the upcoming game. This is the kind of impact I want to make on the team.” 

The basketball team is forming relationships with one another and creating an unbreakable bond. The captains create a productive atmosphere in order to have fun, play hard, and win. 

“I want to make sure everyone feels included and a part of the family,” Green said. “We are looking to have the best season possible.”

By Caden Simpson – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s girls indoor track team recently had their first SCC Developmental Meet, officially starting their winter season. 

The girls have had two Developmental Meets in total throughout the season so far, along with Invitational Meets on January 5 and January 10. Several members of the team have already qualified for States.

“We expect to compete in championships at league and state level,” head coach Mr. Beler said. 

The girls indoor track captains seem to think the same.

“My expectations for the season this year are to succeed and place well in all of our meets,” senior captain Lauren Davis said. “We have a strong team this year, both in sprinting and in distance, so I expect our teams to do well.”

Though there are high hopes for the season, the team misses last year’s graduating seniors.

“The seniors last year made up a big part of our team, and with that we had lots of empty spots to fill,” senior captain Sydney Simpson said. “We lost a very talented grade of kids last year which just means we have to work that much harder to be the best now.”

Even without the team’s strongest assets, the season is looking very promising for the girls. Davis, along with the other captains, speculate that the team will do very well even with the seniors gone. 

“I would say the season is looking very strong long-term,” Davis said. “There is a lot of talent throughout all grades, spread across various events, allowing our team to be successful in many ways.”

The indoor season has six meets between Developmental Meets and Invitationals, meaning the season is shorter than other sports seasons. 

“Because we have such a short season it is important we work hard in practice and give our best effort,” junior captain Elly Van Waveren said. “We also help to motivate the team and get everyone excited to compete, and as meets can get a little chaotic we are always there to help any underclassmen who may not know where to go or how the meets run.”

Even with such a short season, the girls indoor track team believes they will make an impression and do well at their upcoming meets.

“I am very confident that our team will succeed in the upcoming meets,” junior sprinter Demi Carrapico said. “Everyone is so supportive of each other and works hard so we can succeed not only individually, but as a team.”

With championships less than a month away and a hard working team, the Law girls indoor track is prepared to go far this season. 

By Katie Servas – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law gymnastics team is rotating into its 2022 season.

The team defeated Hamden and Nonnewaug in their first meet of the year and have been working hard to have the positive attitude progress throughout the year.

“Our first meet went great,” senior captain Emma Nelly. “Everyone was a little nervous but overall we pulled it off and brought ourselves to our first win of the season. The meet energy is always immaculate which is why we have so much fun and do so well.”

With the impact of the COVID-19 virus and the following variants, many members of the team competed in person for the first time. 

“One thing I am most excited about this season is getting to compete in person,” junior Olivia Coddington said. “Last year due to COVID-19 we had to have virtual meets which brought the teams energy down, however, this year I am excited to have another team/s in the gym to bring up the excitement and energy we lacked during last season.”

The team mainly consists of sophomores and freshmen who have been experiencing in person meets while adjusting to the dynamic of the high school team.

“This season I really want the underclassmen to come into their own and develop their own style of gymnastics,” senior captain Makenzie Powers said. “High school gymnastics is so different from club gymnastics because you have options and can express yourself. I want us to continue and build off of the amazing season we had last year.”

The team has won two straight SCC Championships and is hoping to add another trophy to their shelf by the end of the season.  

“I would like to go undefeated like we did last year,” Powers said. “For the postseason I would like us to win the SCC meet because it would be our third in a row, and hopefully place well at states.”

Once the team heard about the in-person SCC meet they started buckling down to prepare for the meet, while breaking personal records throughout their dual meet season.

“I’m excited to win, I think we have a really strong team and we are hopeful of doing very well this year,” said senior capitan Makenna Sharpe. “I’m also looking forward to it being my last season with the team.”

Even though the team is looking forward to the upcoming meets, many seniors are dreading the thought of senior night.

“I am looking forward to senior night, but I am also dreading it,” said Nelly. “I can’t believe it is already my senior year and my last Law gym season. I will miss the team more than anything.”

The team is determined to add another win and to set the bar a little higher for their competition.

By Harrison Fisher – Staff Reporter

Last year’s Milford Mariners hockey team had to navigate a few changes.

Their new name and uniforms were topics of conversation around town. The process is now complete and the newly named Milford Mariners have taken the ice again this winter adorned with their spectacular new sweaters. 

The Mariners are now over a month into their 2021-2022 schedule and have a record of 1-3-1. The team is bringing fans and energy to the ice and they are practicing hard and coming together as a team. 

Head coach Ken Mitchell has been working these players through rigorous drills to help sharpen their skills.

“So far it has been an up and down season,” Mitchell said. “With a little more scoring, our record would look different. My hope is that we continue to show up and work hard everyday. That is the only way to succeed. We have taken a few hits with players out due to COVID.  It is what it is, and it’s the next man up, we say. Constant reinforcement and tailoring practices to develop our skills will help us improve. The scoring will come.  Then when it does, we can hopefully get on a roll.”

Kevin Wokanovicz and Luca Ubaldi are veteran skaters and ready to lead the team to victory. These captains have set their sights on a successful season. 

As the page turns to 2022, the Mariners are looking to climb the standing in Division III.  The team is looking to take advantage of every opportunity on the ice after being impacted by COVID last season. 

Mitchell’s assistant coaches this year are Bob Fortier and Tim Zakrzewski.

“I feel pretty good about the season,” Fortier said. “It was nice to have it start on time unlike last year when we started six weeks late due to the pandemic. We have not won as many games as we would have liked to this point, but the season is still young. As a team, we agree that we are putting in the hard work that is required for success and feel things will turn in our favor soon.”

Fortier said that despite being a young team, the Mariners have high aspirations for the season.

“Each year we take to the ice with the goal of qualifying for the SCC and CIAC post-season tournaments, in addition to this we look to improve each and every day,” Fortier said. “We have 12 new players this season with only having lost two seniors last year, As a team, the goal would be to help these players grow as people and hockey players as well as get new players up to speed and in a position where they can help contribute to the team. We are hopeful that with these players growing and improving along with the upperclassmen doing the same that we will hit our stride in the second half of the season.”

The Mariners players and coaching staff is hoping to steer the team in the right direction this season. New and veteran players will continue to take advantage of all opportunities that they believe will lead to success.

By Maya Rosado – Staff Reporter 

The Milford Mariners boys ice hockey team, a co-op with Law, Foran, and Platt Tech, has big plans for the rest of their winter season.

The team was 6-4 last year and is currently 1-3-1 with many games left in the season where they plan to make their mark. 

“A goal of ours is to qualify for states,” Law junior Connor Chirico said. “A personal goal is to score 20 goals on the season.” 

Chirico, a center, often takes draws for the Mariners and has three of the team’s seven goals on the season. He is one of five boys on the team from Law. 

The Mariners have a challenge as the boys come from all different schools in Milford.

“Playing with kids from different schools is a little difficult because we don’t see each other in the halls and we can’t bond at school,” Foran junior Chris Adkins said. 

Some of the players don’t feel much of a difference not going to school together.

“It’s not much of a difference because you spend most of your time together at practice and games anyways,” Chircio said. 

The boys make up for this difference with fun team traditions that bring them together.

“My favorite team tradition is that after every game the coach chooses the best player that game to get a cowboy hat to keep until the next game where there is a new winner,” Chirico said.

Hockey also differs from other sports as twice a week they have morning practices beginning before school at 5:30 a.m. Many other athletes say they couldn’t imagine this, but believe it shows the boys’ dedication and spirit.

“The morning practices were hard at first but once you get in a routine they aren’t that bad at all,” said Chirico. 

The team is excited for their upcoming games against Newtown/New Fairfield on January 12 at 6 p.m. and January 15 against Newington Coop at 5:15 p.m.

By Isabella Gecaj – Staff Reporter

The Law girls basketball team has started its season and is off to a great start.

The team started its season in December, paused for two week due to COVID, and then returned to practice on January 7.

“The team has worked very hard and has improved each day,” head coach Mr. Young said.

Their COVID break did not stop them from progressing and working hard. The team has set high goals for themselves and will work to keep them within their reach.

“One of our main goals this season is to finish top in our division, which no Laws girls basketball team has ever done,” junior captain Sabrina Lawless said. “It won’t be easy to do, but I know Coach Young and all the girls know we are capable of doing it.”

As of January 12, Law is 3-1. They have beaten Lyman Hall 43-34, Bunnell 55-18, and Foran 42-36, and lost to Mercy 62-45. 

They are motivated and determined to achieve their goals and make the best of their season.

“If we put in the work, we know we have to put in, in practice and going 110% in every game,” Lawless said. 

All of the captains are confident in their team’s ability to win.

“I believe the season will go well and we will end with a winning record because of everyone trying their best and wanting to win,” senior captain Mariyah Reid said.

While winning is a main focus, it is not the only focus. 

“This season I’m looking forward to being able to play the game I love with my teammates and getting the chance to prove who the law girls are,” senior captain Shelby Green said.

But success does not come easily, and the team has spoken of their challenges throughout the season thus far.

“Last year there were many restrictions on our practices in terms of how long, how many people, and what we could do because of COVID,” Young said. “This year there are less restrictions”

Compared to last year, players said this season feels more “normal” and they are excited to be back in the gym together.

“I want the team to be happy that we get to be back in the gym this year and not take any of it for granted,” senior captain Jenna Wasserman said. “We are a good and tough team that can beat any team as long as we believe in ourselves, work hard, and have fun.”

For those new to the team, a COVID-19 basketball season is all they know.

“I mean all I know is basketball during COVID time,” sophomore Chloe Haasch said. “The only difference from this year, from last year is that we have locker rooms and we actually get to play a full schedule, which I am super excited about.”

Many others on the team lack the experience of a normal season.

“I am praying that we will be able to continue to play through COVID and not have to take any more breaks,” Lawless said. “I have yet to have a full basketball season in all my years playing for Law and I really just want to be able to play.”

With the help of their captains and coach, there are several new players who will look to make an impact this season. 

“New players are great, it’s great to have more people who share the love of the game,” Green said. “And as a senior I remember being a freshman, having that nervous feeling and the seniors helping you feel happy.” 

While the season has just started, the team is positive on how it will end.

“We always have high expectations but take one practice and game at a time,” Young said. “Our goal is to keep improving and be at our best come tournament time.”

This year, the girls have big plans in mind.

“This season, one of our biggest goals is to win our division this year, as well as doing well in SCCs and States,” Wasserman said.

One of the major reason for the team’s optimism is its belief in one another.

“I want the team to know that we are capable of doing anything we put our minds to and to not underestimate ourselves,” Reid said. “Every year teams believe that we are gonna have a losing streak and they will automatically win and we prove them wrong. I know we can do it as long as we believe and continue to work hard.”

Some disagree with the saying ‘Confidence is key,’ but the Jonathan Law Girls team are proof of its truth, along with ‘Hard work pays off.’

The Jonathan Law girls basketball team is beyond ready to make this season theirs.

“I am excited to be able to play the sport that I love with great teammates and coaches,” Wasserman said. “I’m eager to have a fun and successful rest of the season and show everyone the team that we are.”

Green agreed.

“This year we should all be grateful to be in the gym and I want the girls to know we are all here for a reason,” Green said. “To win, have fun and lastly, defense wins championships.”

By Christian Andriolas – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law wrestling team has started its winter season.

It is the first time since the 2019-2020 school year that there has been a wrestling season. The season was canceled last year because of COVID restrictions. 

The team has been affected by a pause in their season like many others due to the COVID surge but are looking forward to coming back on January 14. 

“When the season resumes, we look forward to getting back together, training hard, getting better and having the chance to compete,” senior captain Kian McEnerney said. “With the 600th win in sight, it would be great to get back and hopefully be a part of history.”

The team has already participated in a dual-meet against Hand, and an invitational at Fairfield Ludlowe. The Lawmen suffered a loss to Hand, but enjoyed their first meet in almost two years. 

“We love to be back as missing last year’s season was disappointing,” junior Louis Sabo said. “We feel we have improved despite only having six returners to the program.”

The Lawmen have many new faces on the team due to not having a season last year, and they are very excited for their opportunities. 

“The meet against hand was unfortunately a loss, we knew going in we would have to forfeit more weight classes putting us at a disadvantage from the start but we still went out there and had some of the older guys dominate, some new faces got opportunities to show off their skills,” sophomore Zachary Sulkis said.

In the invitational meet at Ludlowe, Brayden McCourt placed 3rd in the 145-pound weight class out of 18 wrestlers, and is gaining momentum. 

“Brayden is gifted, he has all the tools,” Law coach Mr. Schoonmaker said. “He’s got that natural wrestling ability. Brayden went to Super 32, went away for weekend tournaments which has opened many opportunities to do great things.” 

In the meet against New Haven, the Lawmen got a win 42-24,  getting them one win away from 600 in the program’s history. 

“Getting the 600th win in program history would be very special. Only 16 Schools in Connecticut currently have that many wins; achieving this goal would make Jonathan Law 1 of 17,” McEnerney said. “It is a great reflection on the success of the program and the dedication from the coaches and wrestlers.”

The upcoming scheduled meets for the Lawmen are all away including dual meets against Ells Tech, Cheshire, Norwich Academy, and East Haven. The next home meet is scheduled for January 26 against East Haven.

By Madelyn Baranowsky – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys basketball season started on December 16 against Wilbur Cross.  

Since that game, the team has played against cross-town rival Foran, and Daniel Hand, resulting in a 1-2 record with a win against Foran. The team’s season is currently on pause due to COVID-19, but it will be resuming on January 8.

“I’m looking forward to getting back on the court mainly, but also playing games against good competition,” junior Christian Andriolas said.

While Law faced a tough first two games, the team was able to end with a win against Foran right before the season was put on pause.  

“Losses are always tough but we are still learning a lot and getting better together,” head coach Jamie Anderson said.  “It was nice that we were able to stay focused in our game against Foran to get our first win.”

Once the season resumes, the team only has a couple of practices until their next game, a rematch against Wilbur Cross. The first time the team played Wilbur Cross they lost 66-42, but since they have played more games, they are looking forward to the rematch.

“We prepare as we always do,” Anderson said.  “Conditioning as much as we can and play repetition are jets to our success.”

This year’s captains are junior John Neider, junior Nolan Mckenna-Hansen, and senior Daniel Maxwell. The captains all bring experience and strong leadership to the team.

“Players will learn from the captains, most importantly, is the consistent work ethic they bring and confidence they have on the floor,” Anderson said.

In addition to the captains, the players on varsity are looking forward to the rest of the season.

“I’m looking forward to developing with the team and winning more games, hopefully using the Foran win as momentum moving forwards,” sophomore varsity player Liam Valvo said.

Due to COVID-19 last year, the team was only allowed 12 regular season games. Despite the challenges, they ended with a 9-4 record including the postseason.

Not much has changed this season with the COVID-19 regulations.  Players are still required to wear masks while playing, but spectators are now allowed at games.

By Lucia Pino – Staff Reporter 

Jonathan Law senior swim captain Emma Savoie was recently named All-State for the second time in her swimming career. 

Savoie wrapped up a successful senior season which saw her break many records along the way. She consistently led Law to victory, helping the team to a seven-win season. 

“This year I have reached my goal of achieving All-State and getting some of my best times,” Savoie said.

This is not Savoie’s first time achieving All-State, as she earned this honor her sophomore year as well. 

“I knew it was going to be a challenge since most athletes have not been able to practice or compete since the pandemic,” Savoie said. “I couldn’t be happier with achieving this honor both my sophomore and senior year as the most honorable part is to share my All-State banner with my own sister.”

Savoie has been constantly improving all season allowing her to break many records. This season she broke three records including: the 100 yard backstroke, previously set by Jamie Loma in 2014; the 200 yard freestyle, previously held by her own sister Hannah Savoie; and finally, her own record in the 100 yard butterfly. 

She has put in large amounts of effort into her senior season allowing for her to hold many more of the swim records at Jonathan Law. 

“This year I broke the 200 freestyle record on three different occasions,” says Savoie. “I am also currently the record holder in the 200 medley relay, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay, and the 400 freestyle relay.” 

Savoie has a strong work ethic as an individual swimmer, team swimmer, and overall leader. Her fellow teammates think highly of her as she motivates them through every practice and meet

“She is easily the most hardworking girl on our team and never fails to step up every single meet,” junior Macie Rascoll said. “Emma also steps up as a leader as she supports every single girl on the team and always knows how to put a smile on someone’s face.” 

Savoie’s outstanding swimming career will not stop her as she has future plans to continue swimming in college. 

“I have not yet committed to a school but I am 100% planning on pursuing my swim career,” Savoie said.

By Bobby Black – Sports Editor

Senior soccer player Aiden King and senior volleyball player Grace Kantor were named November Players of the Month by the Jonathan Law Sports Association. 

The Player of the Month award is given each month to two student-athletes who are successful on and off the field.

“It feels really good to win this award,” King said. “Law has so many talented and hardworking student-athletes so to be the recipient of this award is very special to me.”

Kantor said that the award was a great way to end a memorable volleyball season. 

“I think the volleyball season went really well considering we lost a lot of our starting lineup,” Kantor said. “ We adjusted very quickly to the new lineup, and a lot of people stepped up this season.” 

Setting goals is a large part of improving as a player and being a successful player throughout the season. King said that the boys soccer team met almost all of its goals this season.

“Most goals were reached,” King said. “We won our division in the SCC and made the SCC Tournament for the first time in 30+ years. We made a very strong run in the state tournament. I’m just happy I was able to help my teammates out to the best of my ability. Making my teammates better is always my top goal.”

King credited his teammates for helping him throughout the season.

“I just made sure to work hard every day,” King said. “As a player who isn’t as good as most players skill-wise, I have to find other ways to make an impact on the field. I made sure to play to my strengths which allowed me to compete with the kids who have been playing soccer for a longer time.”

By Caden Simpson – Staff Reporter 

After four years, Jonathan Law brought home the Powder Puff trophy in thrilling fashion.

Law defeated Foran 8-6 in double overtime to win the wildest – and coldest – Powder Puff game in history. The team of over 60 junior and senior girls practiced for two weeks to prepare for the annual game, which was cancelled last year due to COVID.

“Our win against Foran felt amazing, especially since we hadn’t won against them in four years,” senior outside linebacker Hailey Boyle said. “The team really worked hard and all that any of us wanted was to win.”

The game was a defensive battle for all of regulation with neither offense able to advance the ball past the opponent 25-yard-line. The first overtime was also scoreless thanks to key tackles by senior Shelby Green and junior Kalli Kinsman.

Foran scored on the first possession of the second overtime to but Law stopped the two-point conversion to keep the score 6-0.

After a penalty pushed the Law offense back to the 18-yard-line, senior quarterback Sabrina Lawless connected on third down with senior Lucia Pino for the dramatic game-tying touchdown.

Law appeared to be stopped on the ensuing two-point conversion but junior Elly van Waveren somehow escaped the entire Foran defense, zig-zagging her way from one side of the field to the other and diving into the corner of the end zone as her teammates and the Law student section stormed the field.

“Running the winning play was so exciting,” van Waveren said. “The team really pulled through and our dedication got us through.”

Head coach Mr. Kulenych said the end of the game left him speechless.

“It’s impossible to put into words how it felt to win this year’s game,” Kulenych said. “It was the most dramatic, competitive, and exhilarating Powder Puff game in history and I could not be prouder of the girls for their effort and their performance. The defense was lights out all game, the offense made huge plays when it mattered most, and watching Elly cross the goal line and the entire student section rushing the field is a moment that will give all of us goosebumps forever.”

The Powder Puff team was led to victory by four captains: Green, running back Sydney Simpson, wide receiver Lauren Davis, and linebacker Grace Kantor.

“The game was a great experience, especially being a captain,” said Simpson, who had over 100 yards rushing in the game. “Helping to lead the team was an honor, and the other captains would agree that it felt good to see our hard work pay off and win.”

Green was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. She led Law in flags on defense, and played guard, tackle, and tight end on offense.

“In practice, we worked really hard to learn all about football offense and defense,” Green said. “Our coaches did an amazing job teaching us all of that in just 10 days and our hard work really showed in the end”.

Due to COVID, senior and junior girls were unable to participate in PowderPuff in 2020, which meant practices required lots of effort and dedication.

“This year was definitely different preparation-wise because none of the girls had ever played in a Powder Puff game before,” Kulenych said. “The girls had a lot to learn in just 10 practices, but they soaked up a ton of information, worked hard, got better every day, and it all paid off in the end. It was a total team effort.”

Members of this year’s Powder Puff team recommended the underclassmen play next year.

“I would encourage all sophomores to play and take your opportunity,” junior Hailey Oliver said. “The adrenaline from the game and game itself is worth it and a great high school experience.”

Not only was the game exciting for the team, but for the students as well.

“PowderPuff was definitely an interesting game to watch,” sophomore Helen Chizmazia said. “Watching the entire student section rushing the field after the winning play was an unforgettable game and made me excited to play next year.”

By Helen Chizmazia – Staff Reporter

Law senior volleyball player Avery Fitzgerald recently was named second team All-State following the 2021 fall season. 

Fitzgerald, Law’s middle hitter, was also named first team All-SCC. Fitzgerald has 245 kills and 49 blocks for the 2021 season. She also has 22 digs and 33 aces. 

Fitzgerald plays CT Juniors club volleyball during the winter season and said the year-long practices helped her during the high school season. 

“I think a lot of practice time during school season and travel volleyball season has added up to me being the player I am today,” Fitzgerald said. “I have done CT Juniors Travel in the winter since last year, and did the state program on Sundays sophomore year, which has really helped me to get more practice time in. This upcoming season, I’m going to play for the U18 travel team which will hopefully help any other upcoming volleyball in my future.”

Fitzgerald has participated in club volleyball for the past two years to further her volleyball skills. 

“My motivators for volleyball are my drive to be the best at anything I do, and how badly I want to help my team win,” Fitzgerald said. “I would love to win as many games as possible, and help that with my blocks, kills, passes, and serves.”

The Law girls volleyball team finished the season with a record of 15-8 overall. They made it to the semifinals of the SCC Tournament and to the first round of states. 

Now that her high school volleyball career is over, Fitzgerald reflected on her time at Law.

“My biggest high school volleyball accomplishments have been the Most Improved Award at my sophomore banquet awards ceremony at Law, being able to practice with varsity for SCCs my sophomore year, playing varsity my junior and senior year, going All- SCC First team my senior year, and going All-State second team my senior year,” Fitzgerald said. 

This is Fitzgerald’s fifth year playing volleyball overall. She credited her coaches for helping her to a successful high school career.

“I give full credit to the coaching I’ve been blessed to receive from my coaches at Law, CT Juniors, and clinics which I am so thankful for,” Fitzgerald said. 

Head coach Ms. Loch and JV coach Ms. Reed worked hard this season to guarantee success for their teams.

“I think the team was a lot closer this year just because we all expected it to be bonding solely inside of the gym, so we bonded and made as many relationships as we could while at practice, games, or on the bus,” Fitzgerald said.

By Maya Rosado – Staff Reporter

Junior Liam Fedigan and sophomore Claire Moulton raced their way to All-State banners this fall.

CMoulton made history at the Girls Varsity States Cross Country Meet placing 11th and becoming the first girl in Jonathan Law history to become an All-State xc runner. The states meet took place about an hour away in Wickham Park and took the top seven runners from each team across the state.

Coming in at 11th place out of over a hundred runners, Moulton ran a 21:31 with a 6:57 pace, set a new record as only a sophomore, and qualified for the State Open meet where she ran a 21:07 dropping 24 seconds off her time.

Despite the fact Moulton is an outstanding runner, she is still new to the sport.

“Running is something I just started freshman year and I had never ran before so for it to only be my second year and to have come so far this season I am very excited for the next two years to see what I can do,” Moulton said. 

Moulton is originally a gymnast who never expected to come so far with so little experience due to a shortened season last year.

“I didn’t ever think that I would become an All-State runner this soon or an All-State runner at all, especially the first female All-State runner for Law, so this all came as a huge surprise and a great accomplishment,” Moulton said.

Moulton has big plans for the upcoming season and wants to continue to improve as much as possible.

“My goal for next season is to finally break 20 and to hopefully make Top 8 for states and top 50 for State Opens,” Moulton said.

Moulton is not the only Jonathan Law cross country runner hoping to keep making history, however.

Liam Fedigan, the junior captain of the boys cross country team, recently set a new school record with his 5k time of 16:34.20. 

Fedigan placed 11th in the Boys Varsity States Meet at Wickham Park running a 17:44. Fedigan qualified for State Opens and is now the eighth All-State boys cross country runner at Law, the first since 2007.

Fedigan ran a 17:23 at State Opens dropping 21 seconds from his states time.

“My goals for next season are to get everyone out earlier in the summer to run and get back into shape so we are in better condition for this next season,” Fedigan said. “Being in better condition should help us be more competitive in the league that we are in.”

Fedigan never expected to come so far with running.

“I wasn’t really thinking of being All-State,” Fedigan said. “My goal was really just to keep progressing and to see where this season would take me.”

Fedigan is also a member of the indoor and outdoor track team, although running was something he picked up in high school.

“Running was something I started freshman year and I give credit to (Law assistant cross country coach) Mike Loschiavo for getting me into running and taking me under his wing on how to lead the team and how to keep everyone engaged while having fun at the same time,” Fedigan said. “But I really enjoy running and love where it has taken me so far.”

By Christian Andriolas – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Football team capped off a strong season with a win against their cross-town rival Foran on Thanksgiving Day.

The victory earned the team a 6-4 record to end the season. 

The game had a rough start for the Lawmen as Foran led 7-0 for most of the first half. As time expired, junior John Neider hit senior Anthony Andriolas for a 5-yard touchdown pass. 

“It was  a great experience to get that touchdown in the biggest game of the year,” Andriolas said. “Getting that touchdown also gave us a lot of momentum going into the second half.”

Law then started the second half with an opening drive touchdown pass to Sam Costantini, giving them a 14-7 lead. Foran came back on their next drive and tied the game 14-14.

“We had to get the offense locked in for the drive,” said junior offensive lineman Devin Calvin. “We knew it was crucial for us to score on this drive to win the game and help our defense.”

Using that mentality, Law was able to score a rushing touchdown with sophomore Amadeus Betancourt to start the fourth quarter giving them a 21-14 lead, which they never gave up. 

“The moment I scored I knew we were going to win the game,” Betancourt said. “I knew our defense would hold up for the rest of the game. Our offense did what we had to do. That recipe won us the game.”

The player of the game was Neider, who threw for two touchdowns.

“It felt great to win the game and win against our biggest rival,” said Neider, who was also recently named SCC Tier 3 Player of the Year. “Winning SSC Tier 3 player of the year was awesome as well thanks to my teammates, coaches, and my QB coach Mr. Pearson.”

The defensive player of the game was junior linebacker Jack Sellman who had 13 tackles, and a pass deflected. 

“We had a great defensive team effort, we allowed only 2.3 yards per play which was our best all year showing how much we improved,” Sellman said. We’re excited for what is to come next year.”

To show appreciation of the Lawmen’s season,  here are some stats for the team’s top performers.

Offense: 

Passing: John Neider – 117 completions, 217 attempts for a 53.9% and 1,728 yards along with 20 touchdown passes.

Rushing: John Neider – 136 carries, 1,153 yards for 15 rushing touchdowns. 

Receiving: Sam Costantini – 39 recemptions, 514 tards, for 3 touchdowns 

Defense: 

Tackles: Jack Sellman – 71 tackles, 23 solo

Sack: Luke Iaffaldano, J.T Nelly and Gary Schulte- 2.0 sacks each

Interceptions: Cam Upchurch – 3 total 

By Helen Chizmazia – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls volleyball team wrapped up its regular season on October 27 and is getting together a strong plan of action for the upcoming postseason. 

The varsity team ended its season with a 14-6 record. The players are now continuing to practice and train for the Class L State Tournament. 

“I think that as a whole my team did very well this year,” senior captain Sydney Simpson said. “We really improved an impressive amount from the beginning of the season having basically never played together to now. Everyone gave 110% effort this season and because of that we made both the SCC tournament and states.”

The team learned from their losses and improved from game to game. 

“I am very hopeful for this postseason, and I think that our team has what it takes to go far,” Simpson said. “I think we have a good chance of going a lot farther than expected.”

Law’s first SCC Tournament game was held against Lyman Hall on October 30.The Lady Lawmen came out victorious after a three game shutout.

“As the season went on I think that practicing so hard and as much as we do really helped me to improve my speed, skill, and my vertical,” said Simpson. “I think my defense improved a lot this season.” 

Thanks to new assistant coach and Law English teacher Ms. Reed, who in her first year coaching, the JV team finished with an equally impressive record of 15-5. 

“I really enjoyed getting to know the girls on both JV and varsity,” said Reed.  “They are a special group of people.”

Reed served as the JV coach this season, helping to prepare girls for varsity and teach the fundamentals of high school volleyball. 

“Seeing the improvement the JV players had throughout the season was pretty incredible,” Reed said. “A lot of girls started to have little to no exposure to volleyball and watching those transformations happen was awesome.”

Before joining the Law community, Reed played Division I volleyball in college at Rice University. 

“Chemistry is everything for volleyball because it’s really not a sport where one person can dominate and carry like maybe in other sports,” said Reed. “There is a component in team work that is essential.”

Although team bonding activities like pasta parties were prohibited this year, the team was still able to bond through JV and varsity volleyball share players allowing them to get to know each other. 

“Our win against Foran in the beginning of the season was really awesome because the tension in the gym was really high and required a lot of composure from us,” Reed said. 

On the varsity side, the team had to overcome several key seniors graduating last year but the returning players stepped up to fill the void.

“We graduated quite a few seniors and had to fill those spots without having a lot of camps/clinics available to help our athletes improve,” head coach Ms. Loch said. “We also had girls that didn’t get playing time or very little playing time on varsity last year and stepped in to fill the roles well.” 

Loch said her favorite part of coaching is watching the team gel together. 

“When the team just clicks on the court and starts playing to the potential and makes great plays, “Loch said. “Girls progress throughout their four years or even during the season and getting to see that growth.”

Despite COVID-19 restrictions this year, Loch said the team bonded tremendously well.

“They are like sisters,” Loch said. “Both JV and varsity play on the court together during parts of practice and I feel that helps us be successful. We also do Big Sister/Little Sister and I feel that’s another way we bring our JV and Varsity closer.”

Big Sister/Little Sister is when one upperclassman is paired with one underclassman based on their position on the court. The goal of this is so that the players can form a tighter bond as well as watch and learn from one another while playing.

Loch said she loves “seeing the girls improve and get excited about things they couldn’t do before.”

Lindsay Thomas and Sandra Jaques are the other two assistant coaches who are important to the team.  

Senior Avery Fitzgerald said she will leave this season with many fond memories.

“One of my favorite memories was probably the bus rides home after a win by both JV and varsity,” senior Avery Fitzgerald said. “It’s such a good bonding moment where all the adrenaline is positive and we’re all happy with the results and how we played individually.”

Fitzgerald is a starter and middle hitter who hopes to continue her volleyball career into college.

“As the season went on I improved by attending every single practice all of my effort  into every drill in practice,” Fitzgerald said. “From just hitting lines to workout drills, I keep pushing myself because I know it’s all being done to make me a better volleyball player so giving all my effort no matter how tired I am has helped me improve a lot.”

The team practices together six days a week for two to three hours.

“As a whole I think we all really had to work hard to see what works for us and for the team to constantly be ready for change,” junior Nicolina Salanto said. 

The team will face new opponents in their state tournament on Monday, November 8, as they have moved from Class M up to Class L. Their first round game is against St. Joseph’s at Law.

By Christian Andriolas – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s football team has been continuing to build off the strong start they had to the 2021 season.

The team has a record of 5-2 as of November 1. 

The Lawmen have recorded three straight wins over East Haven, RHAM, and Bethel. All three of these wins were blowouts: 42-7 against East Haven, 40-14 against RHAM, and finally a 48-19 victory over Bethel.

“The team has been able to reach coaches and players expectations so far by studying film improving week by week, and younger players stepping up,” senior running back and captain Lucas Pincus-Coyle said.

A very bright spot for the team has been junior and first year quarterback John Neider. The question looms if teams can catch on to his style, and force Law to change their game plan. 

“The game plan on offense remains the same ‘we take what they give us,’” Coach Haley said. “John is simply one player out of eleven. Any quarterback that runs is generally a conflict for any defense, regardless of who it is.”

The team knows that they are not finished. With a tougher schedule coming up, as the Lawmen play Hamden, Branford, and cross-town rival Foran, they are keeping the same mindset. 

“Our mindset remains the same as at the beginning of the season,” Neider said. “We need to stay focused and take things week by week.” 

The team has had their fair share of adversity, dealing with injuries to key players. 

“Players stepping up in their increased roles has been key,” junior offensive lineman Devin Calvin said. “The replacements for them have performed just as well, if not better.” 

Law wants to extend their season into the playoffs, and are putting their focus into their main points of emphasis to get there.

“The biggest points of emphasis remain the same; continuing to build playable depth; and finding additional contributors inside the roster; and continuing to play sound fundamental football with the level of physicality that we are continuing to work on being known for once again,” Haley said. 

These points have so far been effective for the Lawmen this season, and the team will continue to work and guide them to more success. 

For more information about the football team, follow Jonathan Law Athletics on Twitter @JLHSAthletics,

By Caden Simpson – Staff Reporter

The Law girls soccer team played had its last game Thursday, October 28, and ended its fall season with three wins.

One of the team’s wins was against Hamden High School, which not only upped their confidence but allowed the team to end the season positively. Between hard work at practices and on the field, the win was well-deserved. 

“The girls were especially excited to beat Hamden on their senior night,” interim head coach Mr. Rodriguez said. “ They’ve worked hard this season to connect their passes and make runs.”

Law had its Senior Night on Wednesday, October 20, against Branford where team members decorated the field and said goodbye to their seniors.

“The seniors are a great asset to the team,” junior forward Elly Van Waveren said. “Though I will miss them, I am happy they were able to get a full regular season even with COVID-19, and I wish them luck next year.”

The seniors were not only an important part of the team skill-wise, but helped create a friendly environment for everyone and got along with everyone.

“This team is so fun and the seniors are a huge part of that,” freshman varsity center back Madelyn Baranowsky said. “All of the seniors bring such great energy to the team and I’m going to miss them a lot.”

Luckily, the seniors and everyone else on the team were able to get their full final season in even with COVID-19.

“COVID-19 did not affect our season like it did last year,” junior forward Demi Carrapico said. “We were lucky in being able to play all of our games with little to no restrictions.”

The team is very confident about next year’s season, even though they are losing some of their best and most experienced players. 

“Though we are losing our seniors, we have a good group of returning players that will now have more experience,” said Baranowsky. “Not to mention we played especially well towards the end of the season.” 

As eager as the girls are about next season, they are still upset about the current fall season ending. 

“I am very upset the season has ended,” Van Waveren said. “Though it wasn’t the ideal season stat-wise, we had a lot of fun making friendships and memories.”

The girls are prepared to work even harder next season in order to win as many games as possible to get to SCCs, and they could not be more excited. 

By Lucia Pino – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law boys soccer regular season has come to an outstanding conclusion. 

The team has finished their regular season 14-1-1 as they move into the postseason.  The boys have definitely made their mark on the field as this is one of the best regular season records in Jonathan Law history. 

“The team consistently plays as a whole and it clearly shows in our record,” senior goalkeeper and captain Jaden Wywoda said. 

The boys have had 10 shutouts, and have only let up nine goals in 16 games. They move into states confidently, being placed as the 4th seed in Class M which begins on Tuesday, November 9.

“We want to win it all,” senior captain Aidan King said. 

Due to their very successful season, the soccer team won their division for the first time since 1986 and was the first boys soccer team to ever qualify for the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament in Jonathan Law history.

Unfortunately, the team fell short 2-1 in the first round of SCC tournament to Cheshire on October 30, but they continue to keep their heads high as they have big goals for States. 

“We played really good team soccer this season,” said King. “Everyone did their part, especially the guys coming off the bench.” 

The soccer team does not only have amazing relationships with one another, but great talent on the field as well. Lead scorer Marcus Dostal has a total of 20 goals in 17 games, along with captain Lex Edwards not far behind with 16 goals. 

The boys continue to keep strong bonds with each other and work together through every game. This is one of the many advantages they have. 

Coach Gruber keeps a positive attitude into the state tournament as he is very confident in his team’s skills. They have had a remarkable season so far and are excited to continue it. 

“Everything is out in front of us and we have a chance to go far,” Gruber said. “We put ourselves in a good position because of our regular season record to host home games and we will do our best to win those games.” 

The team consistently puts in hard work to reach their post season goals as they get closer to beginning the state tournament. 

“On and off the field the team has worked as a whole through a tough season,”senior captain Jackson Warters said. “We can not wait for the state tournament to begin.”

By Ella Franzman – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Girls swim and dive team has taken their final lap on their regular season.

The team’s meet record is 7-8 after winning on October 27 against their crosstown rival Foran High School. 

“Throughout this season I have tried to maintain a positive mindset,” senior captain Emma Savoie said. “Sometimes I can get nervous before my races, but I do my best to stay focused and try not to let my nerves get the best of me.”

Savoie has broken numerous records throughout her seasons at Law, some of which are the 200 Individual Medley, 50 Freestyle, 100 Butterfly, 500 Freestyle and the relays.

“Our team is basically a family, and we have gotten so close over the course of the season and have been able to motivate each other,” junior Aislinn Burns said. “Every meet we have multiple people going best times, and you can tell that everyone is working hard in practice.”

The majority of the team is going to SCCs. The girls are hoping to make the times and the scores they need in their events to qualify for the Class M Championships. 

“We have all been super hype all season,” junior Liv Coddington said. “We go into meets not just competing against our opponent but against ourselves as well, which pushes us to do our best.”

Not only have the swimmers been doing well but the divers are doing great. Freshman Paige Kantor and Coddington have both made states for diving along with seniors Emma Nelly and Makenna Sharpe. 

“I tell them all the time: we have the best group of divers in the state,” head coach Rob Rosner said. “They score huge points for us, and they are so much fun to watch compete.”

Senior captain Makenna Sharpe has broken her 6-dive record a few times this year and now stands at a score of 275.70. 

“As a new and inexperienced diver I had to make sure I was working hard to perfect dives so they would be ready for meets,” freshman Charlotte Rascoll said. 

The divers had SCC Championships on Saturday, October 30. Sharpe won SCC Championships, Nelly came in 5th, Coddington in 13th, and Kantor in 15th. 

“Last year, we lost a handful of seniors, but this year, the team is at its strongest,” Savoie said.

The team added five freshmen to their roster this year, and all five freshmen have been assets to the team. 

“Everyone is swimming their best and are finally seeing the benefits of all the hard work they did all season,“ Rosner said.

By Olivia Hudak – Staff Reporter

The Law volleyball team’s middle hitter, senior Avery Fitzgerald, is thrilled about how the season has gone thus far.

Fitzgerald has helped lead the team to a 7-4 record to start the season. She credits the team’s offseason training for helping her prepare for the varsity schedule.

“It has been a great practice experience at Law and camps in the summer and the pre-season conditioning have helped us prepare,”  Fitzgerald said. “I think the transition from JV to varsity was tough at first because the intensity is so much different.” 

The volleyball team participates in three hour practices Monday through Friday and the varsity team practices on Saturdays as well. 

“Off season state teams, camps, and practicing all the team has helped me improve,” Fitzgerald said.  “Practice really does make perfect when it comes to volleyball because there’s so much technique and reading the plays that is required.”

Fitzgerald is a starting middle hitter who uses her skills to try to dominate the net. Fitzgerald has been the one to record many set-winning and game-winning points. 

“It’s one of the best feelings,” Fitzgerald said. “It is just such a cool feeling knowing the game is over.”

During those moments, she said the crowd has a huge contribution to the game-winning feeling.

“The hype from the crowd and the team afterwards makes it all feel really exciting,” Fitzgerald said.

Players coming into a new season means with new skills, thoughts, and expectations. This season, Fitzgerald has been very happy with her playing.

“I think my progress from freshman year to now is immense, and I hope to keep up the streak of great games and can’t wait to get more kills,” Fitzgerald said.

As much as Fitzgerald loves playing volleyball at Law, she also has a goal of playing in college. 

“It’d be a dream come true to be able to play in college, I have a lot of love and passion for this sport and I’d love to carry it on to the next fours in college,” Fitzgerald said.  “I have a YouTube channel of some game highlights that I’m planning on sending to colleges, and I can’t wait to see how things go from there. I plan on sending highlight reels to colleges that I’m interested in, or just reaching out to coaches and hoping for a positive response”. 

Fitzgerald plans to continue her high school season strong and prepare for her college volleyball season. 

By Helen Chizmazia – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law senior volleyball captain Grace Kantor is excited for the remainder of the 2021 season.

The varsity setter’s goal is to lead her team to victory every match. Kantor thinks the bond of the team and connection between players influences the success they have had this season. 

“I talk with my other captains and work on ways to keep the energy up,” Kantor said. “Giving the team ideas and keeping them in a good mindset is important during games.” 

Kantor and the team continue practice to have success at games. The captains come together to create a game plan that works for everybody. 

“As a team we really need to work hard in practice to find the chemistry on the court that helps us,” Kantor said. “We just really need to gain trust with each other.”

Kantor was All-SCC during the 2020 volleyball season along with two of her other teammates. 

“Over the years I’ve worked to become a better setter because I know there are people on the team who want to play college and I just want to do my best to help them and the team,” Kantor said. 

As of October 12, the team’s record is 7-4.

“I feel that our record is pretty solid considering we have moved up to Class L,” Kantor said. “It has been a great season so far with a lot of competition and close games, and I think our record is only going to push us more to want to win.”

Kantor said the most enjoyable part of the season so far has been the bond the team has.

“My favorite part of high school volleyball is the team and chemistry when playing,” Kantor said. “It makes it so much more fun to have a friend next to you on the court, and it’s just more enjoyable. When you score or lose a point, there are always people there to support you.”

After four years of playing high school volleyball, she is still working to learn more about how to better herself and the team. 

“(In volleyball, you need to) shake off anything bad that happened,” Kantor said. “We just need to work together.”

By Katie Servas – Staff Reporter

Natalia Gagliardi and Christina Ayala are Instant Athletes: Just Add Water.

Jonathan Law sophomore Christina Ayala and freshman Natalia Gagliardi are new additions to the girls swim team who have been amazing assets. They both have been on swim teams prior to their participation in the girls swim team and say it has benefited their transitions to high school. 

“Being on the swim team really helped starting school because being on the team helps you make a lot of new friends,” Gagliardi said. “Everyone is so nice and pleasant.” 

Gagliardi has enjoyed the camaraderie of the team and is thankful for the advice she’s received about high school classes and stressors.

“Swimming helped me this school year because it keeps me on top of my work,” Ayala said.  “I don’t want to get kicked off the team and it helps me maintain a schedule.”

Ayala has been motivated to complete her school work and perform well in classes to continue to swim, which has pushed her to put maximum effort into her work. 

The pair agrees that one of the most beneficial parts about being on the swim team is the team building friendships and the coaches’ discipline to encourage faster times and more wins.

“I think the coaches push us very hard, not just in meets, but in practice as well,”  Gagliardi said. “They also push us mentally by being very encouraging and positive.”

The swim team has proven to be a positive experience for Gagliardi and Ayala. They consistently put in all of their effort to drop time to get closer to personal best times.

“It is so inspiring to see how hard they work and how determined they are to help the team succeed,” junior Aislinn Burns said. “They both work extremely hard inside and outside of practice.”

Burns, one of their teammates, agrees that they are some of the most committed and motivated swimmers on the team. Their determination and dedication has been reflected to their teammates,  generating a stronger and more devoted team. 

“They are both extremely willing to swim anything they are in,” senior captain Alexa Darak said. “As a team there can be those days where you don’t want to swim or are not motivated. However they are always willing to hype up the team and have great attitudes no matter the circumstances.”

Senior captain Darak has noticed their willingness to swim any event without any thought. They chose to strive in any event they are subjected to no matter how difficult it may seem. Their attitudes have sent a wave of passion across the team leaving each member with a new sense of accomplishment and determination. 

These attributes have not only been noticed by their peers, but also by their coaches. 

“Christina has gotten a best time in every event she has done this year,” head coach Rob Rosner said.  “She looks stronger each meet and has proven that she can swim any event and deliver exactly what the team needs.” 

Ayala has beaten every personal best she’s set every meet so far this season. She is a force to be reckoned with due to her contagious desire for success and immense talent.

“Natalia came in as a freshman this year and immediately made an impact,” Rosner said. “She set the bar very high for herself after the first couple weeks of practice and the first meet.”

Gagliardi has pushed herself to break personal limits and times while maintaining steady grades and persistence to become the strongest swimmer she can.

“It’s not always words that have the biggest impact,” Rosner said. “ In this case, their actions do all the talking.”

By Zach Sulkis – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys and girls cross country teams have come out at light speed this season on a quest for states.

With both teams having multiple runners placing in the Top 10 so far, it’s safe to say that Law is on the right track for states.

“We have a solid group of runners that I believe will succeed and do very well this season and take us far at states,” Assistant Coach Mike Loschaivo said.

One of the biggest contributors to the boys’ success has been junior Liam Fedigan. Fedigan broke a personal record finishing the 5k distance in 16:44 and placing 2nd at the team’s first meet. 

Then, on October 2, Fedigan crushed the 3-mile school record with a time of 16:34, also beating out his personal record he set for himself a few weeks earlier. 

“Running kind of builds like a community, at least for me it did, so it would be great if everyone could feel that, which I think a bunch of kids are because everyone keeps showing up, so I feel the only way to go is up from here,” Fedigan said.

Although the team lacks the depth is has the past few years, team members are still working with high morale and helping each other improve. 

“I always try to push everyone to have a better time,” senior captain Daniel Folloni said. “When they improve I feel happy for them and our team.”

The girls cross country team is also off to a strong start this season. The team is full of young talent that seems to contribute tremendously with some of the underclassmen for the girls consistently finishing in the Top 10.

“We have gained a few freshman teammates that acclimated to the team well and I think we could have a successful rest of our season,” said senior captain Jenna Wasserman.

One of the bright spots for the team has been sophomore Claire Moulton. Moulton finished in 4th place in the varsity race at Winding Trails.

COVID-19 protocols have also changed this season drastically compared to last year. Runners are no longer required to wear a mask at any point when outside, and the only time masks are required is when indoors. 

One of the biggest changes is that Invitationals are back for the first time since the 2019-2020 season. The Invitationals were on hiatus last season due to the CIAC’s COVID-19 protocols and policies.

By Christian Andriolas – Staff Reporter 

Jonathan Law junior and starting quarterback John Neider has led the Lawmen to an impressive start to the 2021 football season. 

The team has a 2-2 record as of October 4.

In their first two wins combined, Neider threw six touchdowns. He had four in their 34-7 win against Guilford, and two in their 42-18 win against Bassick in just the first half alone.

This is especially impressive because Neider is a converted wide receiver, and is playing his first season at quarterback. 

“It wasn’t a very easy transition at first when I found out six months ago I was switching to quarterback,” Neider said. “With work on the field for months with my teammates, it seems like the hard work I put in is paying off.” 

Even though the team lost to Stratford on September 4, they played a great game and feel good about their chances moving forward.

“The team played hard, and never quit, and I felt we played a pretty good game, and we can use this loss as a lesson to help us get better in the future,” senior wide receiver Anthony Andriolas said. 

The Lawmen are hoping for another stellar performance from Neider in their upcoming games. Although the game against Stratford did not end the way they wanted it to, Neider still totaled four touchdowns.

“John’s ability to run adds a great dimension to our offense,” head coach Chris Haley said. “More importantly though is that he models a ‘shut up and work’ mentality.’” 

Neider’s work ethic and mentality has rubbed off on the whole team. They believe they can reach their full potential and their goals of making the state tournament this year.  

“It’s really good to have such a hard worker like John on our team, he inspires all of us to get better,” sophomore Jack Bretthauer said. “Because of that, we all work harder. This will help lead us to the state tournament.”

Neider is much more to the team than just their quarterback, and his athleticism is not is not what best defines him.

“People are quick to highlight how great an athlete John Neider is; John Neider isn’t a great athlete,” Haley said. “John Neider just simply outworks people, in training, in practice, and in games. He makes zero excuses, zero complaints about anything. It’s a great example for our young guys; that ‘Great Athletes’ are built; not born.”

His leadership and play doesn’t just affect the offense, it helps the defense as well. 

“John leading the offense lets the defense play more comfortably because of how well they play,” sophomore linebacker JT Nelly said. “The better the offense does, the better the defense does because of momentum and big plays.” 

By Ella Franzman – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law football team is off to a great start already this season. 

The team’s record is 2-2 as of October 1 with wins over Guilford and Bassick. 

“The season’s honestly going great so far, we have a lot of young guys helping out and stepping up to the plate, we’re all about the bigger picture and morals and being respectable young men rather than football,” senior captain Spencer Hannon said. “We have a lot of strong points but also a lot of work to do, and we can definitely get better.”

There are still some COVID-19 restrictions in place this season. Some rules include staying in the locker room for a maximum of 10 minutes and wearing a mask in the locker room. 

“It’s all been a challenge but we’ve faced adversity all throughout the season and our lives outside of football, and it’s just another thing we have to adjust to and we did,” Hannon said. 

The team has been working hard at every practice and every game.  

“Our team’s attitude has been positive in practice and in games,” freshman Michael Merchant said.

The team has two close losses this season – to Stratford 34-27 and to Brookfield 34-26. 

“Tough losses but we played hard,” Hannon said. “We are 2-2 but we know we aren’t ‘good enough,'” Hannon said. “We want to be great and make something special this year, and it starts with practice every week and keeping the 0-0 mindset.”

The team’s upcoming games are against East Haven, RHAM, and Bethel. 

“As far as the Stratford loss, if you need to lose a game, this was a good time to do it. Before our players could get sucked into all the buzz, talk, and hype of ‘3-0’ and the ‘under-pressure mindset’ that comes with it,” Head Coach Chris Haley said. “It serves as a good reminder that we’re only as good as our last performance, and that we need to get better, and find new ways to continue to prepare our players, and put them in better positions to win.”

The team is looking forward to the next game and working hard to get into the right mindset. 

“On game day, I listen to music with my Airpods and think about what I have to do to help us win,” sophomore Samm Costantini said.

For more football updates, follow Jonathan Law Athletics on Twitter @JLHSAthletics. 

By William Smith – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law girls soccer season kicked off on September 14.

On September 29, the team picked up its their first win of the season over Career. Law’s next game will be away against Foran High School on October 6 at 7 p.m.

“If the girls continue to work hard and implement what we are working on in practice, we can start winning more games and become more confident each day,” head coach Mr. Rodriguez said.

The team has seen changes in personnel this season – including Rodriguez taking over as the interim head coach for Mrs. Francisco – and they lost several starting players to graduation. 

“I feel like this season is a little different than others because of the amount of seniors who graduated and we have a new head coach,” senior captain Shelby Green said. “But just like the others every day the team is expected to go 110 percent in practices and games, so I feel this season if we can keep that mentality we will be able to achieve our goals as a team.”

The team still has a lot of growth ahead of it and the players are continuing to work together on the field.  

“I would say the team’s biggest challenges are working the ball up the field as a cohesive unit; we need to focus more on our offensive runs and organization up top as well as in the back as far as stopping through balls,” senior captain Avery Frank said “I think that if we can strengthen up our core and start possessing the ball more and showing movement on and off the ball which will create more opportunities, we can be more successful this season.”

Junior goalkeeper Sabrina Lawless said she believe the team will only get better as the season goes on.

“I would say some of the biggest challenges our team has faced this season is trying to keep a positive attitude due to our losses, but I know we are capable of doing better because of the talent we have, we just have to work together and work hard,” Lawless said. “We have started off a little rocky but once we start working together as a team, as I said before, I know we will finally start playing to the level we can play at and finish with some wins.” 

One of the big reasons the team had seen so much difficulty on the field was they were constantly changing formations and player positions. 

“We have already had a few games and they haven’t gone the way that we wanted or hoped for them to go, but with this new formation that we are starting I am optimistic that we will come out stronger and be able to hold down our defense better to not have goals scored on us,” junior Demi Carrapico said. “My hope is that we look at our mistakes that we did in previous games and notice what we did wrong so we can work on improving ourselves and have more wins under our name for our games coming up in the future.”

By Lucia Pino – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law boys soccer team is undefeated this season. 

The team has had great success so far, as they are 7-0 as of October 4. After defeating Wilbur Cross 1-0 on September 30, they have officially qualified for states. 

“My goal this year is to prepare the team to have Law’s best record in the last 20 years and to be in the position to have a home game for states,” head coach Mr. Gruber said. 

The team is right on track to achieve this goal. Senior captain Lex Edwards has definitely made his mark on the field so far this season. 

With 10 goals in seven games, Edwards is setting the bar high. 

“As an individual I want to keep stacking up the goals when we need them and provide as many assists as possible,” said Edwards. “I also do my best to back up my teammates when they are vulnerable, whether it is on defense, offense, or any altercation that happens with an opponent.” 

The boys success does not stop there as they are currently ranked #2 among Class M/S schools in the state. This does not just come from talent but the tight bond the team has developed throughout the season so far. 

“We have begun to mesh really well as a team,” senior captain Aidan King said. “We are working towards the same goals and every single player on the field is willing to make sacrifices to the guy next to them” 

The soccer team looks to be aggressive throughout the entirety of every game. King said the team works well when they continuously attack and score early on. 

The team is not complete without their goalkeeper and senior captain Jaden Wywoda. Wywoda has only let up four goals in seven games.

“I strive to let up as few goals as possible each game, to give our team the best chance of winning,” said Wywoda. “We have fun while playing too, which makes us even better.” 

Luckily, there are not any COVID-19 restrictions this year except for masks and social distancing on the bus to away games. The team separates themselves away from people of the same position, in order to minimize loss of players in case of contact. 

Every player is responsible for staying healthy and continuing to follow the precautions to stay safe throughout the season, on and off the field. 

 “We have been working hard with our coach, athletic trainer, and athletic director to keep our teammates as safe and healthy as possible,” senior captain Jackson Warters said. “We really want to put precautions first and stay safe in order to continue our outstanding season.” 

By Caden Simpson – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law volleyball team kicked off its season early September, and after eight games has a record of 4-4.

The team plays rival school Foran for the second time on Monday, October 4.

“I am confident about our next game, mostly because of our win against Foran last week,” senior hitter Avery Fitzgerald said. “I think it upped our confidence for future games. I think our win against Foran was really strong, and showed how we can pull ourselves out of a one game loss.”

Not only was there support on the court, but off of it as well. Law volleyball is now allowing spectators to come to the games, after a year of COVID-19 restrictions. 

“Spectators really do help in a game,” sophomore hitter Ashley Borecki said. “They bring up the energy when we get down on ourselves”.

Though players and spectators still need to follow mask mandates, varsity could not be happier they have their student section back.

“As opposed to last year, it’s definitely a big change to have spectators supporting us,” senior Sydney Simpson said. 

The team’s schedule is back to normal as well.

“This year we have a regular season 20 games and regular tournament play,” head coach Ms. Loch said. “The only COVID restriction is masks.”

Loch and the varsity team have high hopes for tournament play this season.

“As a team, I think they have the same goal – going to postseason and state tournament,” Loch said.

Simpson said the team is confident in its ability to make states.

“I think we will make it to states this year because of the chemistry our team has,” Simpson said.
“I think that both on and off the court we are really a family.”

Borecki agreed with Simpson.

“I feel like we have a good relationship amongst all of the team members, and that’s been really showing through our latest games,” Borecki said. “I think we will go far this season if we keep this up.”

JV coach Ms. Reed is also excited to see how the season plays out and how the team gels the rest of the way.

“I’m really excited for the rest of the season and to see how far we can go,” Reed said.

Law has 12 games left before the postseason with high hopes of reaching its goals. 

By Gabe Garnett – Sports Editor 

The Jonathan Law girls swim and dive team is off to a great start this fall.

After coming off a 4-4 season and moving up a class this year, the team is 1-1 through September 14.

“The season is off to a great start and I’m thankful that we’re back to swimming in person meets,” assistant coach Mr. Lui said. “The girls have been giving 100% in every practice and I’m excited to see their hard work pay off in the coming weeks.”

Since last year, a lot has changed when it comes to COVID-19 rules. Meets were held virtually last year, but now limited amounts of spectators are back for the first time since 2019.

Swimmers also have to wear masks on deck regardless of vaccination status.

Everybody on the girls swim team has been working their hardest and doing their best at every practice. Twenty-three swimmers posted personal bests or times within a half second of their personal best at their first meet against Woodland.

“I am feeling very optimistic,” senior captain Makenna Sharpe said. “This year, we were moved up a class so we are expecting to see some strong competition and I am really hopeful that our girls are going to perform well.”

On September 14, Law beat Sacred Heart Academy 95-76.

“I am feeling pretty good about the upcoming season,” senior captain Emma Savoie said. “It’s my senior year and I know that the team is in great hands with head coach Mr. Rosner and assistant coach Mr. Lui.”

Lui said he loves what he has seen over the first few weeks of the season.

“The team culture is fantastic,” Lui said. “The girls support each other in every way possible which makes for a fun and competitive environment. The upperclassmen have been doing a great job providing leadership for the newer swimmers. We’re definitely on track to have a successful season.”

By Kaitlyn Goldberg – News Editor

The Jonathan Law volleyball team has an exciting season ahead. 

The season starts on September 13 at home against Brookfield. The team is excited for the year to start and all have similar goals for what they want to accomplish for the season. 

“This year our goal is to play as a team, come in strong and fill in the vacancies our seniors left,” head coach Ms. Loch said. “Our goal is always to make it to the SCC and state tournament.” 

The team has work hard this offseason to accomplish the goals they want to achieve. 

“To prepare for this season, we had conditioning sessions throughout the summer to help us get in shape, and there is also a volleyball summer league based in Woodbridge to help us practice our skills before the season starts,” senior captain Sydney Simpson said. “There are also various clinics and club teams throughout the year that a lot of the girls on the team participated in.”

This year, the team is ready for a full schedule after playing a condensed season last year due to COVID-19. 

“I’m most excited to watch our team grow together and increasingly get better,” sophomore Caden Simpson said. “I think we can have a good season this year if we put enough effort in. I am also excited to play with everyone again.” 

One exciting addition this season is that spectators will be allowed at home games.

“Last year, we didn’t get to have spectators and this year we are also able to have a full season and play more teams in the SCC,” Loch said. “Last year we played a certain set of teams in our area and only had 12 games.” 

Team members also have individual goals they have set for themselves. 

“My personal goals are to improve my arm swing so I can get more power on my hits, and get my sets more accurate so the other hitters can get kills,” sophomore Ashley Borecki said.

Sophomore Kiley Sherman has similar goals and wants to improve on her serves. 

“I’m hoping I can get a kill and have a streak of five serves,” Sherman said. 

By Bobby Black – Sports Editor

The Jonathan Law football is off to a hot start after a long stretch away from the field.

The team beat Guilford 34-7 in its season opener on September 10 in its first 11-on-11 football game since 2019.

“On the field we are all working very hard, practicing like Law has never practiced before, a whole new coaching staff, and everyone being locked in for the season,” captain Spencer Hannon said. “Off the field, we go out to eat as a team, out in public, in school we’re all friends and happy to be around each other. I think this is the best family I’ve felt from a team in awhile.”

The hard work and teamwork paid off against Guilford. The win was the first of head coach Chris Haley’s Law career.

Ever since last year’s COVID-restricted 7-on-7 season ended, the players have been training hard to get used to the normal 11-on-11 football. 

“There are two training days per week but there is extra training,” sophomore JT Nelly said. “I am preparing by doing contact drills because last year you couldn’t enforce contact in games.”

There are still some COVID rules that are being enforced throughout the first part of the season. They include wearing masks in locker rooms. 

“Our team needs to follow all the rules to ensure that we get a full season of football,” sophomore Jack Bretthauer said.

The Lawmen will play a total of 10 games in the regular season.

“As a team, a program, my personal goal is to show everyone how football has never changed, yet it needs the right people to steer us in the right direction,” Hannon said.

The team’s next home game is Friday, September 17 against Bassick.

By Sydney Simpson – Editor-in-Chief 

The Jonathan Law boys and girls soccer teams have a promising season ahead, with the boys season starting on September 9 as they face Career/Hillhouse at Lawmen Stadium and the girls taking on East Haven at home on September 14. 

The teams each have similar goals – to make the SCC tournament and to do well in states. The boys team also has an additional goal of winning over nine games, which will give them the best record that Law has had in over 20 years. 

“I’m really excited to see this team develop from the start of the season to the end of the season,” said boy’s soccer coach Mr. Gruber. “I am also excited just being around the team and watching them mature both on and off the field.”

The girls soccer team has lost several starting players, and they have a new coach, but they are keeping as optimistic as ever and are confident in their abilities. 

“Some people may see us as the underdogs because we have a new coach (Mr. Rodriguez) and a lot of seniors who have graduated, but I’m ready to prove them wrong and get this season started,” said senior Shelby Green. 

The players are using this “underdog” status as motivation to work hard and be better both on and off the field. 

“We did lose a few starting players from last year, but I feel if we commit to working hard and pushing ourselves we can have a good season and make sure the seniors have the season that they deserve and focus on what is ahead of us,” said junior Demi Carrapico.  

Both teams are confident for their upcoming season and ready to dive in, but contrary to the girls team the boys have 12 returning seniors this year. 

“The team is projected to do very well this season due to our talent and ability to play fast, we have a vast majority of players that know the game well and are confident on the ball,” said senior captain Ryan DiMuro. “We have players that want to win and will do everything in their power to do so.”

Both teams have been working hard in the off season to prepare for this year’s competition, with summer conditioning sessions and club opportunities. 

“During my off season, I am with my club team in the winter and spring playing and training with them,” said Carrapico. “I have training three times a week and then two games on the weekend, so I am always out on the field and making myself better in any way I can.”

While the players may have different strategies for dealing with it, they all agree that being nervous comes with the game. 

“Nervousness will mess you up during the game,” said DiMuro. “You have to be in complete control of yourself and be calm and confident.”

By Kaitlyn Goldberg – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls tennis team recently completed a historic spring season.

Law finished the regular season with a 15-1 record, won the SCC Division II Regular Season and Tournament Championships for the first time, and advanced to the semifinals of the Class M State Tournament.

The team was led by head coach Mr. Kulenych, senior captain Jenna Bagdasarian, and junior captain Lucia Pino. 

“Overall the team has been very successful, not just individually but as a team,” Pino said. “Beating the school record and winning SCCs was pretty awesome and I’m super happy to be a part of such an amazing team.”

This year, the team’s singles lineup was made up of Pino, who went All-State for the second time in her career, sophomore Samantha Burns, Bagdasarian, and junior Diya Daruka.

Sophomores Sabrina Lawless and Caroline Doyle went All-SCC at first doubles, Sophie Maselli and Nihitha Kothapalli played second doubles, and freshmen Olivia Hudak and Isabella Gecaj went unbeaten at third doubles. Chloe Haasch, Kaitlyn Goldberg, and Faith Santiago made up the team’s JV squad.

Kulenych said he was unsure of how the team would perform at the beginning of the season because there were so many new faces from two years ago.

“There were so many unknowns and new faces when the year started but the girls worked so hard every day to get better,” Kulenych said. “They are a super-competitive, fun, enthusiastic group of girls that came together and accomplished things that none of us thought were possible at the start of the season.”

The team worked hard at practice every day, focusing on specific shots and strategies.

“We’ve worked on our technique, getting it down to the point where we always hit a ball that’s difficult to return,” freshman Isabella Gecaj said. “We also worked on having a good attitude toward each game and gaining confidence.”

Kulenych said he could not be prouder of the way the team continued to work hard all season.

“This was the most fun I have ever had coaching,” Kulenych said. “There were so many obstacles and protocols and challenges that we had to face on and off the court this year and that makes all of the success we had that much more rewarding.” 

The team had many new players join this season, so making them feel included was something that was very important to the team while also maintaining normal practices.  

“We worked on including all of the new players and becoming a strong team,” Bagdasarian said. “We did many drills in conditioning workouts throughout the season which prepared us for our matches.”

A huge highlight of the season was the team winning a conference championship, which hadn’t been done since 1980.  

“Beating a school record and winning SCCs has been unreal, amazing, extraordinary, and every other synonym,” junior Sophie Maselli said. “Compared to my freshman year this team is defying the odds.”  

Members of the team accomplished individual goals as well.

“Individually I reached a lot of goals this season,” Doyle said. “Coming in I was just hoping to make varsity so when I got the first double spot my goals changed. One of my main things was having a successful backhand volley which I finally got during the SCC finals. I also went All-SCC which I would consider a goal met.”

Kulenych called the year a “dream season.”

“Every year, our goal is to try to be one of the best teams in the SCC,” Kulenych said. “This year, we faced some really strong competition – especially in the SCC Tournament – but the girls rose to the occasion and played their best when it mattered most. Banners are forever and I’m so proud that this group will be remembered forever for what they were able to accomplish.”

By Bobby Black – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law baseball team recently finished off its spring season with a record of 7-11. 

The team had a solid season under head coach Mr. Simler and captains Luke Pleimann and Mark Lombardi. The Law team made it to the Class M State Tournament, where they lost in the first round to Northwestern Regional High School. 

“This season we improved a lot by focusing on our defense and hitting,” Simler said.

The varsity team lost earlier in the season to cross-town rival Foran High School, but beat them 7-4 in the rematch .

“I feel our hitting and defense improved drastically this season. Our pitching was strong throughout the season, but our bats started to wake up toward the end which resulted in us making states,” junior Jaden Wywoda said. 

Law won four out of its last five games played, scoring 36 runs throughout the stretch of games before entering the state tournament. In those five games, they only allowed 17 runs, with the most being six in one game. 

This year was a unique year because of the impact of COVID-19 and the safety regulations the team had to follow.

COVID-19 has been an issue for high school sports this year with mask restrictions, bus spacing for travel games, and restrictions on the use of the dugout, but toward the end of the season those restrictions had loosened up.

Players were no longer required to wear masks on the field and they only had to wear them in team meetings and in the dugout. 

“We followed all given protocols, and we were able to finish our season despite it,” Wywoda said.

One highlight of the 2021 Law baseball season was the new turf field. In the season opener at home against Hillhouse/Career, Law won 12-2.

The team has many years to look forward to playing on the turf field.

“Every player will hopefully work hard this off-season to improve on their play this year, coming into next year better than previous years,” Wywoda said. 

Simler is excited with the roster that will return next spring.

“Going into the 2022 season we will be returning many players with varsity experience and players from our junior varsity and 9th grade teams that will contribute at the varsity level,” Simler said.