By Ben Rossi – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law football team is back on the field this fall.

After months of confusion as to what was happening with the high school football season, the SCC has allowed its teams to compete in a five-week 7×7 fall season. The CIAC is planning an 11×11 football season in the spring.

“It gives our program a chance to get out and get some live reps, which is a good thing,” first-year Head Coach Haley said. “But most importantly, it gives us a chance to get some teaching film to use in preparation for the spring season.” 

2020 is already a very unusual year, especially to take over as a new head coach.

“While the pandemic has certainly affected all faces of the program it hasn’t been as negative as an outsider might think,” Coach Haley said.  “One of the biggest points of emphasis was that I wanted to bring to Law football to shift the dominant focus from performing at a high level in games and instead place it on performing at a high level in practice.”

Junior captain Lucas Pincus-Coyle agreed with his head coach.

“I’m happy that we’re able to play and get better every week,” Pincus-Coyle said.

The 7×7 games for the SCC started on October 10. A 7×7 game is a one-hand-touch football game with just the quarterback, running backs, and wide receivers.

Lineman do not participate during the actual game.

“I’m happy but sad at the same time,” said Varsity Quarterback Solomon Mercado. “I look forward to us going against a good team and seeing how well we can perform but I prefer to have my big guys upfront being there with me.”

On October 10, the Lawmen won 48-45 on a game winning touchdown by sophomore wide receiver John Neider.

“It felt like nothing,” said Neider. “I have been waiting on this season forever and just to get back on the field was great and scoring the game winning touchdown just added to that.”

After a 2-8 record last season, the Lawmen want to make sure that this year turns out different, and with a Week 1 win, their confidence is already on the rise.

“The main way we’ve improved from last year is not just the fact that we are in better physical shape is our mentality,” said Senior Captain Anthony Difederico.  “Last year going up against a tier 1 class L school a lot of the kids would have complained, but this year we worked our tails off in the off-season and on October 10 we got the outcome we deserved.”

On October 17, Law goes up against cross town rival Foran and looks to get revenge for the loss in last year’s Thanksgiving game. Future games include Wilbur Cross on October 24, Hamden on Halloween, and Shelton on November 7.

By Lucas Greifzu – Sports Editor

The debate over whether or not to play high school football in Connecticut this fall has been a back-and-forth debate for months.

Unfortunately, on Wednesday, September 16, the CIAC announced that they were officially cancelling the 2020 fall 11-on-11 football season. However, they left the possibility open for the season to be played later in the school year.

“High school football, like all of our sports, is very important to our student-athletes and to the overall culture of our high school,” Jonathan Law Athletic Director Mr. Sarullo said. “The most important thing for all of our sports this year is that they are done safely, and that all of the precautions and strategies that we have in place are communicated to all of the groups that need to approve the playing of our sports this school year.”

This announcement came after some comments from state officials on Monday, September 14. On that day, Governor Ned Lamont said that he thought it would be safer if football was played in February, and on the same day, the official response to the CIAC’s proposed plan from the DPH came out and reaffirmed their stance on the issue.

The ultimate decision to not play in the fall was devastating for members of the Law football team, especially the seniors. 

“The reason that I feel that we should be playing right now is based on the fact that high schools in 36 other states are playing games right now and most of the games are being held with fans,” said senior Jonathan Law football captain Anthony Difederico. “Most of, if not all of these states have done a worse job containing the virus than Connecticut has.”

While he was disappointed with the decision, Law football coach Chris Haley said the timing of the season made it difficult to return to play.

“The next five months give the committees and boards involved in that decision an acid test to see how things will work out in the return to school,” Haley said. “I think a lot of pressure was placed on making sure the return to education went off without a hitch, and football which traditionally starts prior to school, complicated that process.”

This debate led to a large group of student athletes, parents, and coaches protesting on Sunday, September 6, and Wednesday, September 9. Both protests were in Hartford, and over 1,000 people attended the protest on September 9 outside the Capitol Building.

This entire string of events started on Friday, September 4, when the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference announced that “high risk full contact football” could not be played in the fall. They announced this because the Connecticut Department of Public Health was unwilling to change their stance on the sport.

At Law, the football team is still practicing despite not having any scheduled games. Some leagues are still discussing having 7-on-7 games in the fall with separate in-game challenges for lineman who wouldn’t be on the field for a typical 7-on-7 game.

“The kids have worked hard since last year with weightlifting and conditioning,” said Jonathan Law Assistant Coach Teddy Boynton. “I feel that it’s a disappointing thing that there isn’t going to be football at this time, but we’re going to continue to work hard, and we’re going to continue to work together to make ourselves bigger, stronger, and faster, so that when we hopefully have a football season this spring we’re going to be successful and one of the tougher teams out there.”

As players wait for an opportunity to play in the spring, they said they will miss getting to play on Friday nights this fall.

“This sport means a lot to not only the players but the coaches and schools,” Jonathan Law football captain Lucas Pincus-Coyle said. “Football teaches life lessons and family which not only can help in our four years of high school but all throughout our lives.”

By Alexis Broderick – News Editor 

The Jonathan Law gymnastics capped a historic winter season by winning the SCC Championship.

Law defeated Mercy 126.60 to 126.40 to win its first SCC title since 2007. 

The thrilling end of the season also marked the end of the gymnastics careers of the team’s seniors: Kylee Troy, Lilly Balderi, Natalie Gordon, Isabella Piccirillo, and manager Brooke Nabors. 

“Gymnastics has changed my life and it’s so sad to say it had to come to an end,” Troy said.

Gordon, a senior captain, has done gymnastics for 12 years and is also very sad to see her career end.

“Gymnastics has changed my life in so many ways that it’s hard to type out,” Gordon said. “My current gymnastics team and all the girls that have graduated in the past few years are like my second family. I love the atmosphere of the Law gym and how everyone is always helping each other even though we’re technically all going against each other to be one of six girls on each event. This sport teaches you how to lift each other up, sometimes literally. I’ve made lifelong friends through this sport and I’m really going to miss it.” 

Sophomore Emma Nelly said she was extremely proud of the way the team finished its season at SCC.

“I felt extremely proud of everyone because we all worked really hard to get to where we were at the end of the season,” Nelly said. “Plus we didn’t have Makenna Sharpe, who usually puts in good scores for us, so new people had to step up that don’t usually compete, and that was definitely a lot of pressure for them. But regardless even if people were nervous, nobody showed it and everyone hit their routines which was so good to see because it really showed all of the work that was put in all season by the whole team, and not just the people who usually completed.”

The girls were all very impressed with this season and those returning are excited for what the next gymnastics season brings for them.

Both Nelly and junior captain Catherine Burns were named All-State at the end of this season.

“I am excited to defend our SCC title and to get back on the gym floor with all of my teammates,” Burns said.

By Michael Loschiavo – Sports Editor 

The Jonathan Laws boys basketball team is ready for the start of the state playoffs.

The Lawmen finished the regular season with a 13-7 record, which included wins over Fairfield Prep, West Haven, Wilbur Cross, Weston, Pomperaug, and Foran. Law is currently the #10 seed in the Division III State Tournament which begins on March 5.

Senior Dinotae Eady believes that the team had a great season this year.

“The reason the team has had a great season is because everybody came into the season with a great mindset,” Eady said. “From the beginning of the season we had one goal, to bring a state championship back to Law.”

Seniors Jon Vitale and Ru Akhtar are Law’s two captains.

Vitale has played basketball for the past four years at Law and plans to finish off his final year with the team as a player and a leader.

“As a captain, motivation and keeping the team in check seems like my job,” Vitale said. “In reality, I believe that the whole team pushing each other and challenging each other to play at their best ability will be put at full display during these playoffs. Everyone on the teams hold each other accountable for their actions and everyone has been fired up for this stage. We know that prior wins and losses do not mean anything anymore and it’s all up to who plays the next best game. We are ready for battle.”

The Lawmen are determined this season and hope to win a state championship this year.

Senior Antonio Brown plans to be a key player in the playoffs.

“I feel like you just have to go into the game with the right mindset and go out like it’s my last,” Brown said.” If we keep doing what we are doing now we have a bright future.”

Senior Justice Smith plans to finish off his high school career strong.

“As a senior I would like to go to Mohegan Sun with my guys since this is my last year of playing for Law,” Smith said. “We worked hard for three years with the new team to make it there so hopefully we get to the championship and bring it home.”

Akhtar plans to play well and set a great example, as he is one of the captains for the team.

Assistant coach Mr. McPartland feels like his team is ready to work hard in games and at practices.

“We’re most definitely battle tested as our schedule hasn’t exactly been the easiest,” McPartland said. “A lot of our guys have been in the postseason in the previous few seasons, so they’re experienced and know what to expect and how to handle different situations.  Furthermore, we’ve worked tremendously hard as a team this year particularly during practice, constantly pushing each other to be our best. Having played the schedule and teams we’ve played this year has definitely helped prepare us for this postseason. Our guys have been focused at practice on nothing but the next team on our schedule one game at a time.”

By Lucas Greifzu – Editorial Editor

The Jonathan Law boys indoor track team finished its season off on February 15 after placing third overall in the Class M State championships.

Not only did the Lawmen place third overall, but they also won three events (55M, 300M, and 4x200M), placed second in the high jump, and placed third in the 55M hurdles. 

“We’re probably the most complete team that we’ve had at Jonathan Law because we’ve had jumpers, we’ve had sprinters, hurdlers, the whole thing,” head coach Mr. Beler said. “We’re probably the most complete team that we’ve had in my nine years here.”

Senior Rayshon Jacobs, who won three events at the Class M State Championships, enjoys competing at a high level in his sport. He also has enjoyed being someone that his teammates can look up to as a senior.

“Knowing that this will be my last year doing track I feel like the big brother on the team and I just can’t let my brothers down while I have the chance to be great,” Jacobs said.

Junior Jon Contaxis, who placed second in the high jump at Class M State Championships, said that the team’s camaraderie was key to its success this season.

“The environment is amazing as all of the other athletes are unified by the same goal which is to improve,” Contaxis said. “I love competing at a high level as it gives me something to work for and is overall exciting”.

Sports are more than a competition to a lot of people. Members of Law’s track team embody this point of view.

“Since I was little, sports was my therapy,” Jacobs said. “If I was to have a bad day playing football in the park or playing basketball felt like my vacation a trip to relax my mind and see mentally how to bounce back and be better.”

Since the indoor track season has come to an end, the track team must start to look forward to the outdoor season. Beler has some things on his mind that might need improvement as the team moves outside.

“For the outdoor season we need to probably improve a little bit on our field events as a whole,” Beler said. “We had a good start, we had a good nucleus of young jumpers and throwers. Last year we lost our pole vaulters. We got new pole vaulters coming in this year.”

By Sydney Simpson – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls indoor track team had a record-breaking season this year, with many athletes qualifying for both the SCC meet and the Class M States meet in their 2019-2020 season. 

Many school records were broken this season for the girls, including the 4×800 meter relay’s previous record of 10:58.32 and the short medley relay’s previous record of 4:44.88. 

“Overall, I thought it was a great season,” said head coach Mr. Beler. “We broke four school records, and we had numerous people who contributed to that from freshmen all the way to seniors.”

Freshman Eira Rodriguez, junior Alexis Voytek, sophomore Emma Savoie, and junior Hannah Rascoll make up the state-qualifying, record breaking 4×800 meter relay team with a time of 10:29.10, which beats the previous record by over 25 seconds. 

“We already broke the school record, but next year my goal is for the 4 by 800 team to be at a higher place in the state,“ said Rascoll, the anchor on the relay team. 

The girls SMR, which is made up of four runners who run 200 meters, another 200 meters, 400 meters, and then 800 meters, also qualified for the Class M States meet and ran a time of four minutes and 39.77 seconds. This time shattered both the team’s personal record and the school record. 

Freshman Demi Carrapico, senior Captain Nia Mayo, freshman Elly Van Waveren, and freshman Eira Rodriguez are the runners in the SMR, which shows the talent that the Slass of 2023 brings to the track team. 

“We’ve been running this event since the beginning of the season and our main goal was to make states,” said Mayo. “We would dedicate a lot of time during practice so we could make this happen, I’m really proud that we were able to accomplish our goals.”

Mayo, along with junior Brooke Dillman, was also able to run the 55 meter dash in the SCC Championship meet, after receiving a qualifying time in the SCC meet. Mayo ran a time of 7.89 seconds, and Dillman ran a 7.91 second race. 

School records were also broken this year in two individual events, the 55 meter hurdles and the 600 meter run. 

Junior Andriana Bruno broke the hurdles record with a time of 9.39 seconds, and Rodriguez also broke a school record during her first indoor track season, running a 600 meter race with a time of 1:48.41. 

Many people this season also came close to school records set by previous Law athletes. Rascoll ended her season with a time of 3:23.15 in the 1000 meter, the second fastest time in Law’s history for that event. 

Her goal is to be able to bring her time down for her senior season, and to possibly beat the school record. 

Rascoll is also ranked third in the school for the one mile, with a time of five minutes and 49.31 seconds. 

Also, the girls 4×200 relay team ended their season with a time of 1:52.85, only one second away from the school record. 

“I really want to break the school record next year for the 4×200,” said Van Waveren, the third runner in the relay. “I think with a little more work, we can definitely do it.”

Kayden Prevost, a freshman thrower, also made top five in Law’s record book. With a throw of 30 feet, 2.5 inches during this year’s states meet, Prevost landed in fourth place on Law’s leaderboard. 

“Our team was really successful this year,” said sophomore Hailey Boyle. “Lots of people qualified for states and for SCCs, and there were girls on our team that were able to lap people from other schools during long distance races.”

By Lucas Greifzu – Editorial Editor

Jonathan Law High School officially hired Chris Haley to be the new head coach of its football program on January 17.

Haley was one of five candidates that was selected for a first-round interview, and he was one of three selected for a second round of interviews.

Haley, who served as interim head coach for the second half of last season, has many ideas about how he wants to improve the program.

“Many of my plans have already started to be put in motion,” Haley said. “First, the addition of Coach Ryan Pearson as our new offensive coordinator is an exciting announcement. He comes to us from New Canaan,and will be a great asset for our athletes.”

Haley also has some big plans for the offseason at Jonathan Law. 

“A major addition to our offseason programming is our partnership with VOLT Athletics,” Haley said. “This is a game-changer and provides our players with some of, if not the best, in strength and conditioning programming, along with endless resources for nutrition and overall wellness.”

Athletic director Mr. Sarullo said Haley stood out in his interview because of his long list of ideas to improve the program as well his desire to be involved in the school community as well.

“I think that we had a lot of qualified people for the position,” Sarullo said. “But his passion for working with our kids, his knowledge of the sport, and the culture that he wants to build, in being good members of the community and good representatives of the school really made him stand out.”

Haley’s leadership style stands out to his student-athletes. 

“Coach Haley is different because he doesn’t put winning in front of things that actually matter such as grades and being an overall good person,” said Jonathan Law junior and three-year member of the football team Angel Santiago. “He’s willing to do anything to make us better people which is hard to come by today.”

Coaching runs in Haley’s family and he is eager to carry on that coaching tradition at Law. As a long-time resident of Milford himself, Haley is very happy to be able to give back to his community in more ways than one.

“Aside from football, I’m honored to be carrying on a legacy,” Haley said. “My father has been in coaching 50 years, and I love Milford. It is a phenomenal place to live and raise a family and if coaching its high school football team helps make it an even better place, and can help produce even better people, then sign me up.”

Haley has managed to get his assistant coaches to rally beside him as well. With an experienced coaching staff on board, Haley is prepared to lead the Law football program to a success filled year.

“Coach Haley is a guy who follows through,” said Jonathan Law attendance officer and assistant football coach Mr. Boynton. “If there were 28 hours in a day, Coach Haley would work 28 hours a day to make sure that his program is successful, because his name is on it, and our name is on it, and we’re going to work hard for him.”

Law’s returning football players are also very pleased to have Haley be the new head coach. 

“I’ve trusted Coach Haley and I’ve definitely enjoyed him coaching for these past two years,” junior Vaughn Weston said. “I really like the way that the program changed when he became in charge.”

By Michael Loschiavo – Sports Editor

The Jonathan Law boys lacrosse team recently welcomed a familiar face to a new position.

Garrett Clark, who works in the Information Systems and Technology Department for the Milford Public Schools, has been the JV lacrosse coach at Trumbull High School the past five years. He was also the JV head coach and varsity assistant coach at Shelton High School for two years and has been heavily involved in the Trumbull Youth Lacrosse program.

He said he is excited to start the spring season.

“I was extremely excited to be named the new head coach for Lacrosse at Law,” Clark said. ”Becoming a varsity head coach is something that I’ve had in the back of my mind for a long time, so when the opportunity presented itself I couldn’t wait to throw my hat in the ring.”

Senior Jack Chizmazia plays attack and believes that the team is prepared to have a great season with a new head coach.

“I’m looking forward to our new coach pushing the whole team to master the basics of lacrosse,” Chizmazia said. “He is setting new standards for off-season work with essential wall ball routines, an indoor league team, and lifting/conditioning all designed to help build well-rounded lacrosse players. I’m definitely looking forward to playing for Coach Clark, as he has much defensive knowledge to share with the team from his experience as a college long-stick defenseman.”

Senior Noah Kharbouch has played lacrosse for Law the past two years and is excited for the upcoming season.

“I think the new head coach is pretty cool and I feel like he will help us learn a lot,” Kharbouch said.” We are looking forward to learning new plays on the field and building better team chemistry.”

Senior Zack Passaro thinks Clark was a good choice for the team.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know our new coach and how he’s going to change the program,” Passaro said. “We hope that our record gets better than last year and that we all become closer on the field.”

Senior Chris Lill plans to be a key asset to the team this season.

“I’m looking forward to a better record and better connections between players,” Lill said. ”Coach Clark seems very knowledgeable about lacrosse.”

Clark said he is looking forward to helping his players on and off the lacrosse field.

“I am definitely looking forward to the Foran game; there’s nothing better than a little cross-town rivalry,” Clark said. “I also want the players to have a great experience and finish the season better lacrosse players and want them to take away concepts that they can use long after lacrosse is done.”

By Nora Sotomonte – Staff Reporter 

Spencer Hannon is a sophomore member of the Jonathan Law JV basketball team.

This year his goal is to improve his game from last season. 

“I’m going to go in to every game knowing we can win, knowing we know what we can do, and practice hard,” Hannon said. 

Hannon is not only confident and hard-working, he always finds something he can improve on. He pushes his team as well as himself. 

Teammates talked very highly about Hannon’s work ethic and leadership.

“I feel Spencer is a great teammate,” teammate Dan Maxwell said. “He will push every single person on the team. He will put in the most effort to get the most of his teammates and because of that it makes people want to be around him more and more.” 

This year, Hannon is going to do the best he can to help his team make the playoffs and states. Hannon said he will take it one day at a time. He is very patient and works hard to achieve his goal.

His coach also believes he is a model player. 

“Spencer is a kid that would pretty much do anything you ask as a coach,” assistant coach Mr. McPartland said. “If I ask Spencer to run through a brick wall he would without asking questions.”

McPartland said that Hannon has the key characteristics that make him a model player. He inspires the upperclassmen as well as the incoming players.  

Teammates have noticed his growth from last year.

“Spencer has become an even better player than he was last year. He will give you everything he has no matter the score or the record of the team,” Maxwell said. “Coming off of last season of him not playing that many games, I look to see him come back this season with even more dedication than he did last year.”

By Tyanna Xavier – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law senior Diontae Eady went All-State in 2018 and is trying to repeat that feat this winter.

Eady has been playing basketball his entire life and is very excited to say that he has reached one of his goals.

“Basketball is the first sport I was playing since age four,” Eady said. “My mom got me into it and ever since she put that ball into my hand and it’s the one sport I really connect with.”

Eady has a passion for the sport of basketball and having his mother and his teammates as supporters pushed him to overcome obstacles.

“My team definitely helped me a lot in accomplishing All-State because without them I would not be able to play,” Eady said. “There’s no ‘I’ in team and it’s a five on five game, not a one on five.”

Eady’s teammates enjoy being on the court with him and have integrated his skills into their own games.

“Playing with one of the best guards in the SCC means a lot because I pick up from his game and put it into mine,” senior Antonio Brown said. “Overall, Diontae has a bright future.”

Eady said the Law basketball team is more of a family than a team. They always have each other’s backs on and off the court. The players pick up skills from each other, work together, and have open communication which is always important during a game.

Assistant coach Mr. McPartland said that Eady contributes to the team in many areas.

“Diontae is a great athlete with a lot of God-given talent,” McPartland said. “He’s a great asset to the team because he brings energy, leadership, and does a lot of controlling the basketball.”

McPartland said Eady is a very humble player that works with his teammates to take down them competition.

Eady is excited for his final year to get started.

“My main goal for this year would be would be to go All-State and win the state title for my last year,” Eady said. “I have been scouted by one coach at Curry College and it’s great to see that my hard work is paying off.”

By Hanna Broderick – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law High School gymnastics team is getting ready to have a great season.

The team has had successful seasons in the past and returns many talented gymnasts. Aside from that, all of the girls are really close, and have a lot of fun.

Head coach Mr. Simon has been coaching gymnastics at Law for years. After coaching as new girls come and go every year, he’s been able to make a strong team. 

After last year’s extremely successful season, the team is ready to work hard to get even better. Last season, the team didn’t score lower than a 120 in any meets. 

Even though gymnastics events are scored individually, it is still a team sport and everyone needs to work together. Junior Amanda Dew is excited to grow as a team.

“We support each other,” Dew said. “I think that’s what makes us a strong team, we all help each other out.” 

The team lost great seniors who contributed a lot to the team, but they also have great underclassmen who are only getting better. 

Junior Greta Valvo is going her third year on the team. She has seen the team grow from season to season.

“We’ve all gotten a lot closer,” Valvo said. “We’re all friends and it helps us to get better because of that.”

The team really likes having students there to support them. They like to have as many people cheering them on as possible. 

“I’d like to have students at our meets against Foran,” sophomore Emma Nelly said. “That’s a big meet for us.”

Team members believe they have the ingredients to be a great again this year. Now, they said, it’s all about putting in the work individually and as a team.

By Gillian Rees – Staff Reporter

The winter season is up and running for the boys indoor track team. 

The boys indoor track team has been a very successful team the past few years and looks to continue that this season. 

“I feel excited for a new season because of how much bigger a team and some really good runners we have,” freshman Jake Ackley said. “I’m hoping for a great season and hopefully get a banner.”

The track team is the biggest team at this high school with over 100 participants.

“It can be difficult to manage the large amount of athletes and all the different events they do; thankfully, we have the captains step up and take charge and help out a lot, we also have different coaches for the events, ” assistant coach Ms. Corriveau said. “We really divide and conquer.” 

For some of the boys on the team it is their last season, one of which is senior Rayshon Jacobs. Jacobs is one of the team’s sprinters and last year attended nationals for the 800 meter medley. 

“I would like to improve on how we come together as a team earlier in the season and not just when the season is over,” Jacobs said. “If we work hard from the beginning to end, our record should come out better.” 

Team members said that indoor track meets are a very enjoyable experience.

“I’m pretty hyped for the season this year; we have a great team trying to improve,” junior Ethan Harrigan said. “I’m looking forward to the indoor meets because there’s always a great atmosphere and everyone has fun.” 

The boys and the coaches are really looking forward to this season and with the hard work they have already been putting their there will be great results expected. 

“I’m excited to see how different indoor track is from outdoor and cross country, I’m expecting people to get new PRs since every practice I feel improvement and so does everyone else I talk to,” senior Jacob Ciolkosz said. “My favorite part of the season is meets where we can all show how hard we have worked in practice.”

By Michael Loschiavo – Sports Editor

Jonathan Law’s girls track team is looking to make an impact this winter season.

Senior captain Emily Morey believes that the team is prepared to have a great season. 

“We are prepared for a great season in track because we are determined and willing to put in the hard work so that we get great times and results,” Morey said.

Freshman Elly Van Waveren can’t wait to start the season as one of the team’s hurdlers and short distance runners.

“I am excited for the track meets and to improve everyday ,” Van Waveren said. ”As this is only freshman year I am ready to compete at a higher level.” 

Junior Hannah Rascoll set some goals for herself for the beginning of the season.

“I want to improve my mile time and prepare myself as much as possible for the outdoor season,” Rascoll said.  

The team in the offseason trained in the fitness room and in the weight room to prepare themselves for the indoor season. The team’s first meet is next Thursday at Hillhouse High School. 

Junior Jordyn Konlian plans to be a key asset to the team.

”I am really looking forward to making some goals for the upcoming season and look to make states this year.” Konlian said.

The team is ready to start the season on a good note.

Senior Olivia Kowalski believes that she can make a difference on the team.

“This track season I am prepared to help my teammates prepare for meets since I am a second year captain of the track team, especially the throwers.” Kowalski said. “ I’m prepared to challenge them and myself during practice in order to meet our goals for the season.” 

Freshman Demi Carrapico believes she can dominate this season as a freshman.

“After a successful soccer season I am determined to do my absolute best.” Carrapico said. ”Running has always been a hobby of mine and I’m excited to continue running sprints during the high school track season as I previously did in my three years of middle school track.”

By Bridget Kinross – Sports Editor 

The Jonathan Laws boys basketball team is looking to have a very successful upcoming season.

The team has already started practicing and working towards its upcoming games. The team’s first game will be December 19 at Jonathan Law. 

“You have to win every practice and constantly be focused on improvement,” assistant coach Mr. McPartland said. “We get after it every single day, for as they say, ‘iron sharpens iron’.” 

The whole team has a collective goal of making it to the state championship together and to have a better record then they did last season.

“As a team we will take one game at a time but I know the whole squad is looking for a state championship,” senior captain Jon Vitale said.

The boys on the team are looking forward to home games because their peers are very supportive, especially the Law vs. Foran game which will have a big turnout. 

“As a team we are most looking forward to all the home games we play this year because we feel as if the whole school is really behind us this year and we know people will come out to watch us,” senior captain Ru Ahktar said. 

The team is very well0connected on and off the court, which helps the boys play better together and be able to work together to achieve their group goals. 

“We have the best group of guys we are all guards and have our own playing style. We already have a connection and it’s just going to keep getting stronger,” senior Toni Brown said. 

The boys and the coaching staff have high expectations for this season because of how well last season went.

“I expect my teammates to have my back at all times like I would always have theirs on and off the court,” senior Diontae Eady said. 

The coaching staff is looking forward to spending time with the players and building even better relationships together. The team shares lots of fun and laughter together which makes the long season much better. 

“Winning basketball games is awesome, but at the end of the day the relationships I have formed with the players and coaches is what I value the most,” McPartland said. “I look forward to the grind with everyone in the program.” 

By Morgan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief

The co-op boys swim team between Jonathan Law and Foran is diving into another amazing season. 

With new head coach Mr. Lui and new assistant coach Ms. Burns the team hopes to have a record-breaking year. 

“I’m both honored and excited to be the new head coach,” Lui said. “As a team, we made great progress last year and were competitive with many schools in our division.”

Burns is ready to take the position of assistant coach and help the team succeed as much as possible.

“I am really excited,” said Burns. “I have been at Law for 11 years and have never had the chance to coach so I am super grateful for this opportunity.”

Last season, the team’s record was 2-9.

“We ended the regular season on a positive note with many best times across the board,” said Lui.  The boys’ swim season is long and sometimes it can be difficult to stay motivated; however, swimmers from both Law and Foran helped create an environment that promoted success and drive.”

Junior Justin Goglia is looking forward to making this season even better than last year.

“This year I want to improve my swimming in general , like my 500 free and the 100 backstroke,” said Goglia. “My favorite part from last year would be going to Opens at Yale for the first time to swim the 500 free.”

Although some events are individual, boys swim is truly a team sport.

“Each swimmer brings something unique to the team, both in and out of the pool,” said Lui. “I’m looking forward to continuing building on our team culture this year and to provide a positive learning environment where student-athletes can thrive and reach their goals.”

With a larger “pool” of swimmers and new leadership, the team is looking forward to an exciting season. 

“Last year our relay was only off by three seconds for state championships so I am really looking forward to working towards making that,” said senior captain Bruno Sequera. “Personally, I was only off by two seconds on my 100 freestyle to make state championships so I would want to accomplish that as well.”

By Jack Arsenault – Staff Reporter

The Law boys cross country season has just come to an end.

Three of the captains are leaving the team this year, including senior Mike Loschiavo. Loschiavo was the varsity team’s captain and best runner for the past four years.

“I feel like high school just flew by and I will miss everyone so much,” Loschiavo said. “From freshman year to senior year I’ve built so many different relationships with different people and I have had so many close friends and it’s going to be sad to leave them.”

Law finished its fall season on a high note. The team competed October 17 at East Shore Park in the Class M Championships. The top five boys for Law were: Loschiavo – 18:02, Liam Fedigan – 18:53, Amir Elhelw– 19:33, Mayur Somalinga – 20:35, and Jack Aliberti – 20:52.

The team also had a successful showing at SCCs.

“I feel proud that I made states this year,” junior Charles Wang said. “I had some injuries this season and thought I was gonna be out but I pushed through and in the end it worked out.”

The team ended up going 9-6 during the regular season. 

Law competed October 26 at Wickham Park for the Class M State Championship. The top five boys for Law were: Mike Loschiavo – 17:47, Liam Fedigan – 18:27, Amir Elhelw– 19:12, Mayur Somalinga – 20:01, and Jack Aliberti – 20:03.

The team has some big shoes to fill next year with several seniors departing. 

“There are many junior runners that look like they could be the top captain this next upcoming year,” junior Max Wischow said. “We have a lot of talent and it’s going to be hard to choose captains next year because not everyone could be a captain.”

By Taylor Firla – Staff Reporter 

As the year comes to a close, this season for the Law girls soccer team was one to remember.

The girls soccer team finished the regular season with an 8-8 record, and defeated E. O. Smith on November 12 in the first round of the Class L State Tournament. It was the first State Tournament win in school history.

“Starting off the season with a new coach (Mrs. Francisco) was definitely a challenge but she with the team managed to learn how to adapt to each other and we got to accomplish the things we wanted,” junior Ashley Shaw said. 

The varsity squad really seemed to pull it together along with Francisco as their new coach. The team bonded well outside of practice, and even at the beginning of the season, players said, the entire team had an immediate connection with each other. 

One of the team’s biggest accomplishments that were said was being able to beat Cheshire and Guilford, which were the #1 and #2 teams in the SCC. Another goal that was met this year was winning and qualifying for states on Senior Night. 

¨This year we really worked on team bonding and that really helped us work together to achieve our goals. This season we were able to beat the 1 and number 1 seeded teams and nothing felt better than doing that with the team that is always by my side,” sophomore Shelby Green said. 

Francisco was very happy with the outcome of her first season. She was pleasantly surprised by the passion and skills the team brought to the table and was so supportive to her players throughout the season  

̈ ̈Watching and helping the team develop as players and as a team has been awesome,” Francisco said. “Checking goals off our list has been very fun.”

By Jane Iwanicki – Staff Reporter

UPDATE: Law defeated E. O. Smith on November 12 in the first round of the Class L State Tournament. It was the first State Tournament win in school history.

The Law girls soccer team just finished their regular season.

So did head coach Mrs. Francisco. 

The 2019 season was Francisco’s first year coaching the team, which finished the season with a 8-8 record. 

“The beginning of the season was an adjustment, but as the season went on, I think we’ve definitely bonded and built the team chemistry up,” Francisco said. “Hopefully it just keeps getting stronger and stronger.”

The team had numerous goals set for the season, that Francisco helped them to achieve. They were also able to beat two of the top teams in the state.

“We wanted to have less ties and a winning record, and compared to last season, we had more wins and less ties but ended with a 8-8 record,” Francisco said. “Another goal was to have a 3.0 team GPA and we are hoping to check off ‘make history’ during the postseason.”

The team was also faced with a lot of challenges this season, having a brand new coaching staff and getting to know one another. They also faced some very difficult teams that helped bring the team closer together. 

“Again, just getting used to each other and understanding each other’s expectations of the season was a challenge,” Francisco said. “Luckily injuries and weather were kept to a minimum challenge this season and hope to do the same next year.”

Francisco had help this season from assistant coach Mr. Rodriguez and senior captains Jillian Hall and Cici Lopes.

“I told the seniors in the beginning of the season that this was more their team than mine,” Francisco said. “But as the years go on I’d like to change a few things here and there.”

Francisco has had a positive influence on the team. The players were able to show a good connection with their new head coach fairly quickly. 

“Mrs. Francisco is an awesome coach and she has always been able to bring the team up with a positive attitude and good spirits,” senior Morgan Taylor said.

As the season is coming to an end, Francisco has now decided to join the coaching staff of the Jonathan Law Powder Puff team. The coaches and team are pumped up to beat Foran in the annual game.

“Getting to know more of the Law girls on a player/coach level is exciting,” Francisco said. “Let’s tame the Lions.”

By Gillian Rees – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law girls swim and dive team recently finished off its best season ever with a record of 11-1.

The girls ended their record season with a 99-87 win against Mercy which was their hardest match all season.

“The coaches are very proud of what the girls have accomplished so far this season,” head coach Mrs. Anderson said. “We are looking forward to states.”

As this season is over, sadly, it was also the last high school season for five seniors: Lily Baldieri, Ali Gordon, Bridget Kinross, Tess Rosato and Brooke Nabors.

“I’m really glad we ended our regular season with the best record law swim has ever had, but it is also a bittersweet experience since swim is my favorite part of high school,” Nabors said. “The thing I’ll miss the most is being so close with all the girls.” 

The swimmers who have already automatically qualified for states are Brooke Nabors, Tess Rosato, Lily Baldieri, Hannah Rascoll, Athena Homorodean, Hennessey Shane, Olivia Franzman, Alexa Darak, Emma Savoie, Makenna Sharpe and Macie Rascoll. There are other girls who haven’t qualified yet that will be competing at the CIAC Class S qualifying meet on 11/16 at Cheshire. 

“I’m really nervous about states; it’s only my second big meet,” Sharpe said. “I feel like I am well-prepared.” 

There were many school records broken by girls on the team this season, one of them being junior Hennessey Shane who holds the record for the 100m breaststroke at a time of 1:14.19. Sophomore Emma Savoie also established new school records this season with times of 2:01.35 in the 200 medley relay, 1:01.08 in the 100 butterfly and 2:15.86 in the 200 I.M.

“I would like to break my own school record again at the state meets and try to get the lowest time possible for me,”  Shane said. “I’m a little nervous but excited to see how I place in my events.” 

Even though swim and dive is a mainly individual sport, to be successful as a team there needs to be team chemistry and athletes need to be able to motivate each other. The team is generally very close with each other and did things like “secret psycher” before away meets to hype each other up.

“The swim team is like a family, we are all very close and we all support each other so much,” Sharpe said. “I think our team worked really well together this season.”

The girls’ Senior Night was on October 28 at the Foran pool, where they went head to head against Foran and pushed hard for a win. The final score of the meet was Law 93, Foran 85.

“It felt very rewarding seeing how our hard work and determination paid off on our senior night. Our meet against Foran is always a great competition,” Baldieri said. “Although we are more focused on pushing ourselves and demonstrating sportsmanship, it was a very rewarding end to the season.”

By Madison Lusignan – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s Powder Puff team is already preparing for its upcoming game.

The game will be played on Tuesday, November 26. Powder Puff is a girls flag football team that practices for 10 days and then plays crosstown rival Foran.

The team of junior and senior girls is being coached by Ms. Mannion, Mr. Rodriguez, Ms. Francisco, and Mr. McPartland.

Mannion is thrilled to be coaching this years Powder Puff team and is filled with excitement for the game.

“I love all sports but there is something special about football,” Mannion said. “It’s a bit hard to describe. It is so cool to watch the players learn the game and the rules and come together as one unit.”

Senior Nicole Manley is looking forward to the upcoming rivalry game.

“The game is so fun because we don’t have a girls football team but especially because it’s against Foran and if you play sports you know how exciting the Law vs. Foran games are,” Manley said.

Senior Amelia Mower has some thoughts on the mental aspects of the game.

“I think avoiding negativity will be a big part of it because a lot of football is mental, especially when losing,” Amelia Mower said. “So as long as we stay positive I think we will be good.”

Senior Mia Powers already has her head in the game about the team and taking home the trophy.

“I feel like we’re going to be a stronger team this year because we have people with exceptional speed and agility ready to play,” said Powers. “I am looking forward to the hype and the excitement that everyone has before the game to get us going crazy.”

Senior Eryn Mower is looking back from last year to improve on skills with this year’s game.

“Last year we learned a lot of good things and this year hopefully we can use those again to make us more successful this year and with practice we will play even better than we did last year,” Eryn Mower said.

Mannion already has plans for the type of game she wants to play and how she will help lead the players to victory.

“Our goal is to play a fast and physical game and defeat Foran,” Mannion said. “This has nothing to do with righting a wrong…we have a different slate of girls this year. I am sure our seniors will provide a lot of leadership and set the example for the juniors.”

Powers said she is ready to go.

“I can speak for everyone here and say that we will all do whatever it takes to win this game,” Powers said.

By Nora Sotomonte – Staff Reporter 

Jonathan Law’s Unified Sports team is excited for its upcoming events. 

The Unified Sports team is coached by special education teacher Mrs. Daniels. The team is now starting its wiffle ball season as its soccer season just ended. 

The last soccer tournament was on November 7 in Shelton where 13 teams competed. Jonathan Law played in two games. 

“Soccer was fun,” team member Katy Brewer said. “We had to make sure they knew how to work together and not keep the ball the whole time.”

The purpose of this team is to give students with special education an opportunity to compete in sports that they may not have the chance to. They make long term friendships and learn new skills.  

The Unified Sports team creates a friendly, inclusive environment and makes everyone feel welcome. Everyones a winner on this team because they have a good time and they participate  

The team is feeling exhilarated about the wiffle ball season. Their first game is January 7 at Jonathan Law. 

When asked how he felt about wiffle ball coming up, Unified athlete Richie McGrath responded he was “excited” about the season. 

For wiffle ball, the students set up the bases and they stand next to every base. The other students who are not standing on a base stand behind home base waiting for their turn to hit. There’s a tee available for students that can not hit the ball being pitched to them. 

̈ ̈Wiffle ball is really fun,” peer helper Mackenna Sharpe said. “Tt’s our only home tournament besides volleyball, but like its special because we only have on wiffle ball tournament.” 

This year the team hopes for a cheering squad. Law has tournaments for basketball, volleyball and track ahead of them this year. 

When asked if she liked tournaments, Unified athlete Hediyeh Ghazagh responded “yes.” Ghazagh described feeling “proud and happy” when she plays in tournaments. 

Besides the tournaments, students really enjoy the dances planned for them as well. There is a Unified prom at Foran and Amity holds a dance. 

“I like the dances a lot,” Sharpe said. “They are a lot of fun.”

The dances give the kids something to look forward too, it’s a great reward for their hard work. The coaches describe the team as fun and encourage other students to join. 

By Michael Loschiavo – Sports Editor 

Jonathan Law’s girls cross country team crossed the finish line on their fall season.

Junior captain Jordyn Konlian feels her team made great improvement from the beginning of the season to the end.

“I feel like our team really came together towards the end,” Konlian said. “From beginning to end we did our best every meet and practice. It was a great year overall with our 16-2 record, I honestly can’t wait to see what the team does next year.”

Konlian had a great end to her junior year and hopes to be prepared for next season.

 “As a captain, I have to make sure the girls are prepared for every race,” Konlian said.” This year our team was really close and we had such a strong bond.”

Junior Katie Konareski feels like her season went pretty well.

“As a team we went 14-2 which is one of the best, if not the best in school history,” said Konareski

The team competed October 20 at East Shore Park for the Class M State Championship. The top five girls for Law were: Katie Konareski – 21:18, Jenna Wasserman – 23:19, Kaylee Brotherton – 23:27, Courtney Hanson – 23:35, Lauren Davis- 23:37, Allison Gachi- 24:43.

Sophomore Jenna Wasserman plans to be one of Law’s top runners next year. As she ended her season finishing in second in the state meet on her team.

“I think the season went well because we really worked well communicating as a team,” Wasserman said. “Our Top 7 finishers finished close together which helped us to be better and win meets.”

On October 6, the team competed at The Platt Tech Invitational. The top five girls results for Law were: Katie Konareski –  21:00, Jenna Wasserman – 23:23, Courtney Hanson – 23:50, and Lauren Davis at 24:01.

The results from the race ended with Law winning first place as a team.

Senior captain Maddie Papcun is sad that the season came to an end, as this is her last year on the team.

“I’m sad to leave because I’ve been friends with the girls for three years at this point,” Papcun said “I’ve watched them grow up and for me goodbyes are always hard I suppose.”                               

Papcun is sad to see the season end.

“Cross country teaches me hard work, teamwork, and dedication,” Konlian said. “As a captain it also teaches me to be a role model for the underclassmen as well as taking on responsibilities.”

By Sadie Willett – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law volleyball team is headed to the state tournament with a championship in mind.

The volleyball team finished off their regular season with an record of 17-3 tying Amity for the title of 2019 SCC Oronoque Division Champion.

“I’m really excited for the postseason,” head coach Ms. Loch said. “Our team overall was disappointed in losing in the semifinals in SCCs, but now we are excited to begin our state tournament to accomplish our goal of winning the state championship.”

Last year the volleyball team was knocked out of the SCC tournament in the first round.

This year’s SCC tournament ended on a better note for the team. Law defeated North Haven in the first round of the SCC tournament on their home court, then defeated Hand before losing to Guilford in the semifinals.

With the state tournament  coming up, the team hopes to reach the finals and secure the championship.

“Looking back on last postseason, something that we will do better this postseason is just trying to keep our intensity up, trying our best no matter what happens and trusting each other,” senior captain Emily Morey said. 

This year, the volleyball team is prioritizing team cooperation. The team along with the captains believe that this is best in order to achieve a state title. 

“I love our team bond, they’re truly my second family, especially due to the amount of time we spend together,” senior captain Eden Van Waveren said.

Law lost to Seymour in the state semifinals last postseason, and they believe that has prepared them for the intensity of this year’s upcoming state tournament. 

“What I’m looking forward to most is getting as far as possible in the state tournament,” senior captain Katie McNellis said. “It’s been our goal since the beginning of the season to get to the state finals and I’m excited to work hard to get there.”

The team practices three hours each day and not only builds up their endurance, but their communication as well. 

Loch spends a lot of time working on team bonding techniques as well.

“The way in which we will work together as a team to go far in this postseason is by communicating, being confident, having a great amount of energy, and just really playing with our absolute hearts: giving it everything we’ve got,” Morey said.

As the postseason comes to an end, the team is also feeling emotions of empathy towards the departing seniors.

The seniors are an extremely substantial component to the team’s dynamic throughout the season. 

The conclusion to the postseason will leave many members of the team saddened, as it will never be left the same, according to the team.

“I’ve made friendships that will last a lifetime,” Van Waveren said. “I enjoy all of our countless memories and laughs throughout all of my four seasons of being on this team.”

By Michael Loschiavo – Sports Editor

Senior quarterback Mikey Becker and Jonathan Law’s football team are getting prepared for their upcoming games.

The team’s record this season is 2-2 as its gets ready for Friday’s game at home against Weston at 7 p.m.

“As a captain I have to lead the team and make sure they are doing the right things,” Becker said. ” I also want to make sure they are working hard and playing to their fullest potential every game.”  

The team’s biggest achievement came at the start of the season. On September 13, the Lawmen played Lyman Hall at home and beat them 50-40. On October 4, the Lawmen played Bassick and won 52-6.

In addition to winning these two games, the Lawmen have also lost two games to Plantsville and Joel Barlow. 

“We haven’t played to our full potential yet, but we are looking to in our next game,” Becker said. 

This year, the team’s greatest challenges are going to be beating Weston and Foran. Weston’s record this season is 4-0 and Foran is the Law’s biggest rival.

Becker said that he will miss the team next year due to him graduating.

“I will miss how close we are as a team, and how much fun it is to play with such a good group of guys,” Becker said.

The team works together very efficiently and display a tremendous amount of teamwork. 

Overall, they individually play to the best of their ability at practice, while the captains supervise the players in case anyone on the team is struggling. 

They all support each other and ensure that the team is playing the best they can in order to train for their games. 

“My role is important because I have to make sure everyone knows the plays and is lined up when it is ready to snap the ball,” Becker said.

By Hailey Boyle – Staff Reporter 

Students from Jonathan Law High School believe they have the best student section on Friday Nights. 

The majority of people at the school attend every home football game to support their Lawmen. Seniors hype up the stands with posters, cheers, and more. 

“Jonathan Law has the best student section because we are the loudest at every game,” senior Jon Vitale said. “We come up with different chants, and we also go to away games, we take our student section wherever our team goes.”

With the help of the seniors, every person is on their feet screaming, and hyping up the team. 

There are few places that are louder than Law’s student section on Friday nights. 

“Everyone needs to be hype, there’s no way around it,” senior Eryn Mower said. “The whole game everyone needs to be loud. When they aren’t being loud me and other seniors use the megaphones to make them louder.” 

One of the main features of the Jonathan Law student section is the lettermen.

In the very front row of the student section, six shirtless boys stand with the word L-A-W-M-E-N painted on their stomachs. These boys hype the crowd up and scream louder than anyone. 

“The lettermen hype up the whole student section, and get everyone screaming and on their feet throughout the whole game,” senior letterman Brett Pisani said. 

A weekly goal for the student section is to never have a dull home game. 

Something that makes every game so different, is the themes. Every Friday the whole student section is dressed from head to toe in a different color.

“My favorite themed game is the blackout because every single person is wearing all black, it represents our main school color,” sophomore Kari Boyle said. “It intimidates the other school seeing a bunch of kids all in black screaming the whole game.”

When Law’s football team is winning, there is nothing stopping the student section from going crazy.

The multiple cheers that the students have for the games can change the mood of the whole team instantly.

“My favorite cheer is ‘Rowdy’ because it pumps up the crowd, motivates the players, and makes the game more exciting,” sophomore Sadie Willett said. “Especially because all the cheerleaders, all the students, and all the parents know the cheer, so every person on the Law side is cheering this cheer, which makes us 10x louder.”

By Mayur Somalinga – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s girls cross country team has raced into the season at a steadfast pace.

The team has already competed at six meets thus far, putting them half-way through the season. The mid-way point is a perfect time to set goals and that is exactly what senior captain Madeline Papcun has done.

“Personally, I just want to see every girl on my team running their best and achieving PRs,” Papcun said. “As a group, I know we want to stay competitive in our league, especially at SCC’s and states.”

The upperclassmen aren’t the only ones who have come up with goals for themselves, but so has the only freshman, Elizabeth Roos.

“I want to run at least a 25:00 this season and I’m going to keep trying hard at practices and keep pushing myself up hills – that’s one of the toughest obstacles,” Roos said.

The top 5 runners on average have been junior Kaylee Brotherton, junior Katelyn Konareski, sophomore Jenna Wasserman, sophomore Lauren Davis, and junior Jordyn Konlian. Brotherton’s best time thus far is 21:14 (at Winding Trails in Farmington, CT), Konareski’s best time thus far is 21:39 (at Winding Trails in Farmington, CT), Wasserman’s best time thus far is 22:45 (at Winding Trails in Farmington, CT), Davis’ best time thus far is 23:19 (at Winding Trails in Farmington, CT), and Konlian’s best time thus far is 24:40 (at Eisenhower Park in Milford, CT). 

As much as the Law’s girls cross country team is obviously known for running, they also orchestrate a lot of school spirit at Law by wearing their yellow cross country shirts to promote suicide awareness and being supportive of each other at their races.

“I think our team as a whole is very positive and upbeat, so we positively affect everyone around us,” captain Konlian said.

It is no surprise that in order to run the races and practices that the girls do, one definitely has to be very fit, active, and healthy. However, Brotherton believes that having mental strength is equally imperative to running cross country.

“Without a good head space you can’t concentrate on much during a cross country race,” Brotherton said.

According to Jonathan Law’s girls cross country coach, Mr. Schulte, the team has been doing very well thus far. Schulte aims to have the girls 5th in the league and be part of the top 5 at the class meet.

“They’re good kids, they’re enthusiastic, they don’t complain,” Schulte said. “They just do whatever we ask them to do.”

The way Schulte approaches coaching the team is very similar to how he did the year prior, however, this year he is having the team do more speed work and stay around the school more for their practices. 

“I think our team has bonded a lot this season and we continue to grow,” Konlian said. “I expect a lot from our team this year and everyone has been doing their best.”

Papcun preaches the importance of staying consistent and dedicated, especially for new runners.

“It was tough at first,” Roos said. “The practices were really hard, but as the season’s been going on it’s been getting easier.”

Schulte believes that the captains this year, Papcun and Konlian, have been leading the team very well. Konlian will assume her position as captain once again next season as she is a junior, however, for Papcun this is her last season.

“Being a captain has been an amazing experience, of course, it’s a lot of planning and organization, but my co-captain and I find a balance,” Papcun said. “It helps that we have dedicated, hardworking team members, helping us out.”

By Gillian Rees – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law High School’s athletic teams are helping freshmen adjust to their new high school life, helping them make friends and being a part of the Law community. 

Freshmen that have joined sports teams this year and in past years have made lots of friends and have adjusted to high school very smoothly because of it. 

“Joining soccer and track my freshman year really gave me a built in friend group,” junior indoor track captain Andriana Bruno said. “Sports are a great addition to school that makes it a lot more enjoyable.” 

 A lot of students join sports at the start of the year to make friends and connections to have throughout high school and for a lot of student athletes, doing sports is the most enjoyable thing about their high school life.

Law is seen as a community, being a part of the community can make freshmen feel like they fit in and aren’t just thrown into everything. 

“Joining sports gives me something to do everyday after school – it makes me feel more a part of the JLHS community,” freshmen girls soccer player Elly Van Waveren said.  

Sports teams are also viewed as a family in some ways. Being a part of a family like that can really make the freshmen feel more comfortable and as if they have people they can rely on. 

“Being on a team is definitely like a family because you spend a lot of time together during the season and you support each other on and off the field,” assistant Jonathan Law girls soccer coach and spanish teacher Mr. Rodriguez said.  

Coaches welcome new freshmen every year. Coaching freshmen can also be difficult sometimes because they are still figuring out high school and having to really learn to manage their time. 

“Due to the fact that middle school doesn’t have sports, high school sports gives freshmen a chance to practice everyday and learn to maintain a busy schedule,” Jonathan Law girls basketball coach and history teacher Mr. Young said. 

Making bonds with upperclassmen can really help freshmen feel more comfortable in high school and it gives them an outlet in case they need help with anything. 

“Joining sports has definitely helped me adjust to high school – you get to meet people and make upperclassmen friends,” freshman boys cross country runner Jake Ackley said. “You get to fit in more and you’re not just thrown into high school.” 

There is a lot of athletic talent seen in this year’s freshmen, so the outlook is good for Law’s sports teams this year.

“I think we are off to a good start all the teams are looking good in their standings right now,” Jonathan Law athletic director Mr. Sarullo said. “I think when the fall season is all said and done, it will have been a great season for all of our sports teams.”

By Jane Iwanicki – Staff Reporter

UPDATE: As of October 2, the girls swim team is now 4-0.

The Jonathan Law High School girls swim team is off to a great start this season.

As of September 27, the team is 2-0, which includes wins over Shelton High School and Bunnell High School. The team is very confident this season, and they are only expecting to continue this winning streak. 

“I have very high hopes that we will go undefeated this season,” senior Bridget Kinross said. “We’re looking pretty good so far even though we’ve only had two meets.”

The 2019 captains of the team are seniors Lily Balderi, Ali Gordon, Brooke Nabors, and Tess Rosato. These girls have been working extremely hard with head coach Mrs. Anderson, before and during this season. 

“I think being a captain of the team is very rewarding since Tess, Lily, Ali and I work very well together,” Nabors said. “We’re getting a lot done and keeping the team on a very positive track to a great season.”

The swim girls are very excited for this season, they are all working extremely hard. Anderson has very high hopes for this swim season and is making sure the girls are very focused on their goals. 

“Some of my goals for the team include individual swimmers dropping their times and divers improving their scores, finishing the regular season undefeated, finishing 5th or higher in the state tournament, breaking existing school records, and for more individuals to qualify for the State Open,” Anderson said.

Before every away meet, the girls give each other gifts for their “secret psycher” tradition which was made to pump up the girls for their meets. This also helps the team get closer and adds more excitement to the season.

“One of my goals as a captain is to ultimately bring the team together and build a supportive environment where everyone is good friends,” captain Ali Gordon said. “I really like being a captain because I feel like I’m closer with some of the girls because of it and I think it makes the younger girls more likely to come up to me.”

The next swim meet will be held on September 27 against Branford High School. This will be a challenge for the team because this is one of the hardest teams they’re facing this season.

“The meet this Friday is going to be really close, but I have full confidence in the girls that we will do our best and get our best times,” Balderi said.

By Hanna Broderick – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys soccer team is excited to kick off the new season.

Senior Captain Dan Majkut believes that the team is prepared to work hard and have a great season. 

“The key to a successful team is definitely working together,” Majkut said, “It’s all about building that team chemistry.”

It is only the beginning of the year so as the season progresses and this chemistry builds, the boys will get stronger not only as a team but a family.

One thing that would really help the team would be support from the students. Students are encouraged to go and support the team and have a big student section.

Junior Fillipe Mourao wants the students to go to the game next time they play Foran on Wednesday, October 30.

“We’d like to have a big student section at the home game against Foran,” Mourao said. “It would be nice to have students there supporting us.”

The team lost a lot of strong seniors from last year, which affected the team’s formation. The change in formation will take getting used to but will hopefully make the team stronger.

Despite losing some great seniors, the team gained a lot of new varsity players. These new players will hopefully add to the success of the team.

They have done well in the past and want to prove themselves as a strong team. Everyone on the team feels the same about their expectations for this season. 

“We hope to make states this year,” sophomore Jackson Warters said.

The team has made states in the past and are hoping to continue that and make it even farther this year. In addition to that, all the players want to beat Foran this season.

Junior Jon Contaxis also wants to build up the team and become stronger.

“Definitely we want to beat Foran at the end of the season,” Contaxis said. “Overall we just want to become a stronger team.”

Warters and Contaxis have both been varsity players since freshman year and have a pretty good idea of what it takes to win.

By Morgan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief

Watch Advocate Editor-In-Chief Morgan Taylor’s interview with the Law girls soccer coaches:

By Michael Loschiavo – Sports Editor

Advocate Sports Editor Michael Loschiavo interviewed track coach Mr. Beler about life at Law and his goal for the season.

By Michael Loschiavo – Sport Editor

Watch Advocate Sports Editor Michael Loschiavo’s video recap of the Law boys cross country freshman race in Windham:

 

By Addison Schwing – News & Editorial Editor

The Jonathan Law football team is gearing up for another successful season. 

The Lawmen are returning to the field after last year’s 7-3 record. A new round of captains spearheads the team this year, comprised of the very best players in the Class of 2020. Senior Zach Merchant is excited about his role as captain, yet also a little anxious. 

“It’s different, pretty different,” he said. “I feel responsible for a lot of people, and I have to put them ahead of me.”

Joining the team is a new round of freshmen players, eager to earn their keep. Senior Quarterback Mike Becker is pleased with their progress. 

“The freshmen have definitely improved since the first practice,” he said. “It’s easier for those who have played football but harder for those who haven’t.”

Merchant is also excited about the freshman class’ performance on the team. 

“I think that the freshmen are starting to fit in more, just as they are starting school and making friends,” he said.

The Lawmen will play against Lyman Hall on Friday, September 13. They held a scrimmage against Hamden on Friday, September 6, to prepare for the new season.

Merchant has high hopes for the Lawmen in their first game. 

“Our #1 goal is to win our first game against Lyman Hall, and I am confident that we will win,” he said. 

Hopes are high among the Lawmen for a good season. Junior Angel Santiago is confident in himself and his team. 

“I think that this year, there isn’t just one or two good players carrying the team; I think the team as a whole is great,” he said. 

Sentiments are, of course, high as well, especially among the seniors who are playing for the last time. Senior TJ Genova certainly is sad to see his time as a Lawman end. 

“It’ll be tough not playing with them anymore, seeing as how we’ve spent four years together,” he said. “I feel as if I have always known them. We push each other to be the best we can be and to be prepared for the next team we face.” 

By Bridget Kinross – Sports Editor 

The Jonathan Law girls soccer team is planning on having a very successful season under new head coach Mrs. Francisco. 

The team has had two scrimmages so far with a record of 1-1. Their first official game will be Friday, September 13.

“My biggest goal is to improve the team chemistry,” Francisco said. “The better the bond the better we play.”

The girls on the team have a collective goal of making it to the second round of states as a whole team. 

“Our goal is to have a winning record and to make history for the JLHS girls soccer program – making the second round of states has been a goal for years,” senior captain Cici Lopes said. 

As important as winning is to any team, the girls soccer team is most looking forward to becoming close as a team and having fun on the field. 

“I’m looking forward to winning and playing together as a team, and achieving all of our team goals, but most importantly having fun with all of my teammates,” senior Katie Linn said. 

The team has been playing very well together in practices and in the two scrimmages they have been apart of so far. 

There are two new captains this season, Jill Hall and Lopes, who are prepared to give the team a fresh new start and help lead the girls to the second round of states. 

Hall is excited to be one of the team’s leaders.

“Some advice I would give as a captain would be to never stop working,” Hall said. “If you want to be successful this season never let the fear of not making states or SCCs keep you from becoming successful.”

This season, the team will face tough competition in the SCC, including games against Amity and Cheshire.

The girls work well together and are a cohesive group so they hope to be able to win the games against their biggest rivals. 

“I am really excited to see the team work together to make this the best season yet,” senior Morgan Taylor said. 

The new coaching staff of coach Francisco and assistant coach Mr. Rodriguez have a goal to connect with the players. They are both teachers at Law which helps them get to know the players even better. 

“Being able to teach and coach at the same school is incredible,” Francisco said. “Hopefully it will allow me to make a deeper connection to more students.”

By Michael Loschiavo – Sports Editor 

Jonathan Law’s girls volleyball team looks to make an impact this fall season.

Senior captain Eryn Mower believes that the team is prepared to have a great season. 

“We plan to work very hard in all our practices and scrimmages to become very successful,” Mower said. “Along with working hard in practice it is import to be really close with our team.

Senior captain Eden Van Waveren has played volleyball since freshman year and can’t wait to start the season with being one of the captains and role models.

“My role is to look after the team and be the best role model I could possibly be,” Van Waveren said. “Volleyball is all about communication, so having a strong relationship as a team JV and varsity together is super beneficial on and off the court.” 

Junior Ella Jambor set some goals for herself for the beginning of the season.

“My goals for the season are to make it really far in states and just improve overall,” Jambor said.  

The team in the offseason competed in tournaments and in a summer league, and so far this fall they have played in one scrimmage and will play in a total of four.

Senior Emily Morey plans to be a key asset to the team.

”There is always room for improvement,” Morey said. “This year we just want to continue, being a very communicative team, bonded, giving 110% effort, and just holding on to our passion that every single one of us has for volleyball.”

The team is ready to start the season on a positive note.

Senior Olivia Kowalski believes that she can make a difference on the team.

“I am one of the quarterbacks on the team, the position is important because it makes up our offense, with a good setter our hitters can be more successful with kills,” said Kowalski. 

Volleyball coach Mrs. Loch believes her team is prepared to dominate this season.

“The goals I have for the team this year is to make the state finals,” Loch said. “ We have a really solid defense this year and hope to use it as our advantage.”

By Michael Loschiavo – Sports Editor

Check out the following video on the Law boys cross country team produced by Advocate Sports Editor Michael Loschiavo:

By Michael Loschiavo – Sports Editor

Check out the following video on the Law boys cross country team produced by Advocate Sports Editor Michael Loschiavo:

 

By Thea Ryan – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law softball team recently finished an extremely successful spring season.

The team’s final record was 17-8 and they made it into the Class M state quarterfinals. Seniors Cali Jolley and Gina Boccamazzo were selected to the All-State team.

“Our biggest accomplishment this season was sweeping Foran this season for the first time in many years and knocking the #1 seed, Valley Regional High School, out of the tournament,” head coach Mrs. Blude said. “This was a huge win for us as a team since they beat us 11-2 during the regular season.”

When playing Valley Regional High School to get to quarterfinals, freshman Courtney Hanson got into a rundown between first and second to distract the infielders and allow freshman Grace Cantor to score the winning run.

“Our biggest accomplishment was making it to state quarterfinals for the second year in a row,” sophomore Alexis Neider said.

Junior Emily Morey’s favorite memory was the team’s upset of Valley Regional.

“I would say that our teams biggest accomplishment would definitely beating Valley Regional High School in our second round of states,” Morey said. “It was one of our best games and the intensity and energy was amazing.”

Morey’s biggest personal accomplishment was being able to work her way back up to where she was last season after her batting slump. Also, she hit a home run in the team’s scrimmage against Fairfield Ludlowe.

“The goal for next season is of course to win but we will have many new faces having to replace five starting seniors,” Blude said. “Girls will have to move around and play different positions so we will have two weeks preseason to make decisions and put together the best possible combos.”

Blude hopes the girls work hard in the off-season and hoping the girls fight all year to come back way ahead of where they left off individually.

“My goal for next season is that we all work as hard as we did this season to make it as far next year,” Neider said.

By Ethan Harrigan – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys tennis team wrapped up their 2019 season at the State Tournament on May 24 after qualifying with a record of 10-8.

Coach Dye and senior captain Andrew Ancheta led the 17-person team through this year’s season. The players enthusiastically tackled the challenges of this year with no injuries to inhibit them.

“This year we went 10-8 and ended with a winning record,” sophomore Sanskar Shah said. “Last year we went 7-10, and we continued to grow. With the leadership of Captain Ancheta, we all stayed tough in our hardest matches. Basically, to recap this season, I’ve learned in our hardest games we learn the most, and the easiest matches we practice the most. In any match, win or loss or even practice, we developed as players and people every day.”

The team had eight new players this year including five freshman to fill in spots that had been left vacant by seniors.

“The newer players really shined this year,” sophomore Adarsh Senthilnathan said. “Two players in particular – Daniel Folloni, who played the 3 singles position, and Julien Roy, who played 1 doubles this year. Both of them are really dedicated to the sport.”

The team had a majority of sophomores, no juniors, and only one senior, and had a lot to get adjusted to, so the younger players had to step up.

“Last season was different because we had a lot more seniors,” sophomore Brian Zirkel said. “This year with only one, there was a lot of communication and organization done by the sophomores. Basically, the sophomores were given much more responsibility than last year.”

Sophomore Angel Santiago said that despite the team having its best overall season since 2008, they have a lot more work to do.

“We accomplished all of our team goals and I hope a lot of our players got their personal goals,” Santiago said. “That’s not to say we’re satisfied though because we aren’t. Getting to states was the first step now making it deep into states is the next goal.”

The team now looks forward to their next season, hoping to improve enough on the offseason to be even more of a contender next year.

“I think next year’s season will go better than this and last year’s,” sophomore Anish Sikhinam said. “This is because we have a lot of good interest in the team, and we have decided to do regular conditioning practices over the summer as well as off season during the school year. I believe with the right steps we could be much better off than previous and go further in states.”

By Stephanie Caron – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s girls tennis team recently wrapped up  a historic season.

The girls tennis team finished off the regular season with a 12-8 record which tied the school record for wins in a season. The team qualified for the SCC Tournament and advanced to the second round of the Class M State Tournament for the first time since 2005.

“It was a dream season for us,” head coach Mr. Kulenych said. “This was a special group of girls that worked so hard and continued to get better as the season went on. We had some incredible individual performances but what made the season so enjoyable was that to accomplish all we did we needed a total team effort and the girls stepped up and did that.”

During the regular season, the team recorded wins over Division I teams Guilford, Sacred Heart, and Foran as well as state tournament qualifiers Branford and Sheehan.

Individually, freshman Lucia Pino and senior Monica Pydipati qualified for the State Open Tennis Tournament and were named to the All-SCC team and Pino was named SCC Division II Player of the Year.

Pino also advanced to the Round of 16 at State Opens to become the first All-State girls tennis player in school history.

“Being the first girls in Law history to All-State for tennis is a super cool experience and I am extremely excited to be a part of it all,” Pino said.

Kulenych said he could not be prouder of Pino for the success she had during her first season.

“What Lucia was able to accomplish on and off the court this year was incredible,” Kulenych said. “She dominated on the court and was a leader of the team off of it. The best thing about Lucia, though, is even though she’s one of the best players in the state, she is an even better kid. She works as hard as any girl I’ve ever seen and we are all so excited to see her name go up on a banner.”

Other key players on the team throughout the season were sophomore Jenna Bagdasarian and freshman Diya Daruka at singles and junior Amelia Mower, senior Jenna Stash, senior Bridget Sanchez, freshman Sophie Maselli, junior Brynn Costello, and junior Meghan Loftus at doubles.

“I personally accomplished  becoming a better player overall,” Loftus said. “My main goal was to just relax and have more fun with it rather than getting mad easily.”

Costello said one of the highlights for her was beating Foran on Senior Night.

“I hope next year we can beat Foran both times,” Costello said. “And improve our record and make states and stay in states longer.”

Loftus said that Kulenych encourages the players to keep a positive mind-set, helping them believe in themselves.

“Mr. K. encouraged me and my teammates to do better by constantly cheering us on if we win points,” said Loftus, who won 16 matches this season with her doubles partner, Costello.. “He always keeps a positive attitude and assures us that we are very capable of winning. His little pep talks in between games always help me to remain positive and play better.”

Bagdasarian said that her favorite match was the team’s upset of Guilford.

“I beat the player from Guilford which I think was my best accomplishment since she was a Division I player and was known to be really good,” Bagdasarian said. “Our team ended up winning that match and the match against Foran allowing us to be only the second Division II team to qualify for SCCs and also knocked Guilford out of states.”

She said the team’s goal next year is to set more records.

“Next year my goals for the team is I hope we beat the record of 12 wins and make states again as a team, and this team make it past the first and second rounds,” Bagdasarian said.

The girls are excited for what the new season has in store for them individually and as a team.

“I’m mostly looking forward to meeting new players,” Loftus said. “I’m excited to create new friendships that hopefully last on and off the court.”

They are also excited to set new goals for themselves next season to improve even more.

“Goals that I’m setting for myself next season is to do my best and just have fun with it,” Loftus said. “I hope to have a good winning record but have fun while getting there. For my team, I hope we can make states again and go even further than we did this year. I also hope we can beat Foran both times next year.”

By Rachna Vipparla – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s boys outdoor track team ended its spring season on a record-breaking note.

The team achieved a lot this season and were very content with their achievements this year. The track team ended the season with a 12-3 record.

“The season as a whole this year was pretty good,” sophomore Trevor Goodwin said. ”Everyone worked hard and were able to improve a lot by the end of the season.”

The team’s biggest achievement came at the end of the season. The 800-meter relay team of Naheim Washington, Mike Plaskon, Rayshon Jacobs, and Chris Wootton took first place at the Danbury Dream Invitational, which qualified them for the New Balance Outdoor National Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, from June 13-16.

Freshman Jackson Warters also qualified for the National Championships in the 110 high hurdles.

These accomplishments were the latest in a long line of strong performances for the boys team this season.

“We ended up 19 boys going to state championships this year,” head coach Mr. Beler said.

In addition to sending people to Nationals, records were also broken.

“One of the records that was broken this year was by Ethan Deer for pole vault,” Goodwin said. 

This year, the team’s greatest challenges were beating Daniel Hand and Amity.

The team also set goals for themselves in order to improve for next year’s season.

“For next year, I really want to improve my hand offs for the relay,” junior TJ Genova said.

Goodwin said, ”Some of my goals for next year as a thrower are to throw at least 125 feet for javelin and to try to reach 90 feet for discus.”

The team works together very efficiently and display a tremendous amount of teamwork.

Overall, they individually run to the best of their ability at practice, while the captains supervise the runners in case anyone on the team needs anything.

They all support each other and ensure that the team is running the best they can in order to train for their meets.

“We work very well as a team,” Goodwin said. ”We are always helping each other to get better by helping with the form or technique.”

By Michael Loschiavo – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s girls track team wrapped up its spring season on a good note.

Senior captain Samantha Franzman believes that the team had a great year.

“My goals for the end of outdoor are to win the rest of our meets and to have as many girls qualify for states,” Franzman said. “I’m going to miss all the girls a lot, especially my distance girls. We’ve gotten so close as a team and I’m going to miss the team camaraderie.”

Senior captain Abby Bernstein is excited to finish off the season as this was her last year doing track.

“The goals for the end of the season is for all the girls to do well at states,” Bernstein said.

Junior Lily Baldieri set some goals for the end of the season and for next year.

“My goals for the end of outdoor is to make states with my 4×400 team, because we are really close,” Baldieri said. “I also I hope to  get a 8’6” in pole vault by the end of the season.” 

The team competed May 14 at East Sectionals in New Haven. The top five girls results for Law were Katelyn Konareski in the 800M with a time of 2:25 , Samantha Franzman in the 1600M with a time of 6:12, Sydney Simpson in the 100M with a time of 13.73, Lily Balderi in the 300M Hurdles with a time of 54:53 and Brooke Dillman in the 200M with a time of 28:78.

Sophomore Katelyn Konareski plans to end her season at State Opens and to be even better than next year.

”By the end of the season our goal for the 4×8 is for our 4×8 team to make it to opens,” Konareski said. ”Last year we were a couple seconds short but I’m sure we could get it this year based off of our hard work and dedication towards the team.”

On May 14, the team competed at East Sectionals in New Haven. The girls 4×800 finished 5th. The girls team consisted of two freshman, Shelby Green and Allison Gachi, and two sophomores, Katie Konareski and Hannah Rascoll, and they finished with a time of 10:27.85.

Rascoll said she has multiple goals for states.

“I want to break the 4×8 record again as a team and drop my time in the mile for the states qualifying meet,” Rascoll said.

By Gia Edwards – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls tennis team has taken the court for its spring season.

After an 8-12 season last year, the team’s goal is to return to the state tournament and to have players qualify individually for the State Open Tournament. After five matches, the team has a 3-2 record, with wins coming against Branford, Hamden, and Platt Tech.

“We rebuilt our roster last year and now our goal is to take that next step this year,” head coach Mr. Kulenych said. “We have a solid core group of girls returning and we have some additions to the team that are exciting as well. Now it’s just a matter of putting it all together and working hard as a team.”

The captains this year are seniors Monica Pydipati and Bridget Sanchez and junior Amelia Mower.

Pydipati qualified for states last year and enters this year with the goal of breaking Law’s career wins record.

“The new team this year has an immense amount of talent and we hope to be able to use that talent to accomplish new and great things,” Pydipati said.

Pydipati will be joined in the singles lineup by sophomore Jenna Bagdasarian, who qualified for states as a freshman last year, Sanchez, and freshman Lucia Pino, who will play #1 singles this season.

“Lucia is one of the best players in our league,” Kulenych said. “Her skill set and knowledge of the game as a freshman is unlike any other freshman we’ve ever had. She works so hard and is a great kid and we’re very excited to have her.”

Doubles teams to start the season will consist of freshmen Diya Daruka and Sophie Maselli, Mower and senior Jenna Stash, and juniors Brynn Costello and Meghan Loftus.

“I think that with all of the new freshmen and pairings, we have a strong team with the ability to make states and to go far, which is our ultimate goal,” Mower said.

Stash is excited for the season to get underway.

“Our team is really close,” Stash said. “We have pasta parties coming up so it’s a chance for new players to get to know us more. Also, my goal this year is to make states.”

Kulenych said he will continue to mix and match doubles teams early in the season to find the right combinations. Junior Thea Ryan, freshman Nihitha Kothapalli, and sophomore Sreya Gudlavaletti will be in the varsity doubles mix as well early on.

“I want to be constantly improving and working hard to have good results in my matches,” Ryan said. “I think it would be really cool if I can make states individually as well as my other teammates. We have worked really hard on improving our performances, single, and doubles players, so it would be nice if we can somehow get some recognition.”

Not only does the team have to perform well during matches, but the chemistry between teammates has to be there if the team wants to achieve success.

“I love playing tennis with everyone on the team because being with one another makes playing the matches more enjoyable,” Sanchez said.

By Mia Powers – Staff Reporter

Varsity lacrosse player and junior Eryn Mower is pumped up for the upcoming season.

She has played lacrosse for three years and has been one of the team’s key players.

“She is a stellar player and teammate,” junior Kendal Stryker said.

The current captains of the lacrosse team are Mary Lonergan and Laura Dennigan. Mower hopes to be a captain next year and will work towards that goal this year.

“I am definitely going to apply for captain next year and hopefully it works out,” Mower.

Mower has very specific goals for the season and hopes to achieve them through hard work.

“My personal goals for the season are to develop a left-handed shot and have better endurance,” Mower said.

Stryker said that Mower is a important member of the team on and off the field.

“I feel like I am an approachable teammate that people can come to if they’re having an issue,” Stryker said. “She’s easy to talk to I feel comfortable asking her questions and she is always hyping us up. Also, she’s funny.”

Teammate Meghan Gorman has played with Mower all three years.

“Eryn is a huge help and support on our offensive ends and plays a large role in our transitioning from the midfield and down,” Gorman said. “She is always there to get a loose ground ball or to help a trapped teammate. She always maintains a positive attitude and good spirit which continuously encourages the rest of us to play our best.”

Mower is very proud to be on the varsity team. She works hard along with her teammates and they push each other to do well.

“Being on varsity means a lot to me,” Mower said. “It pushes me to do better, try my hardest on and off the field, and making sure I am academically and athletically successful.”

By Bridget Kinross – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law golf team is excited to have a great season.

Senior Nick Hanna, who starts for the team, has many goals for the Law’s upcoming matches.

“A main goal that I have for this season is to make the state tournament,” Hanna said.

The Jonathan Law golf team has practices that are held at Orange Hills Country Club everyday and are hosting its first home match on Thursday, April 4.

“A goal we have is to win back the mayor’s cup from Foran High School in the state tournament this year,” head coach Mr. Koorejian said.

The team is a very close knit group which helps the teammates work together and have fun while training.

“We’re all really close and a day of practice feels more like a day on the course with the guys than just practice,” Hanna said.

As of now, there are nine players on the team and Koorejian is hoping to be able to add more players in the future.

So far the team is progressing well and are working through are some difficulties that come with the sport of golf.

”Putting is the hardest part of golfing for me,” Hanna said.

The players all help each other with each weakness to prepare for upcoming matches.

The golf team’s biggest rival this season will be Foran. 

“Our main rival has always been Foran and we can beat them this year,” Koorejian said.

The golf team just missed states last season, so the players and coaches have a collective goal of getting back into the state tournament this season.

“We’re getting much better this season and trying a lot harder to get back into the state tournament this year because we missed it last year,” Hanna said.

By Ethan Harrigan – Staff Reporter

The 2019 Jonathan Law boys tennis team has been assembled and is ready to take on this year’s challenges.

Led by head coach Mr. Dye, assistant coach Mr. Kelly, and senior captain Andrew Ancheta, the team has 16 players.

The first game of the season is on April 1, and the team has lofty aspirations for this year.

“Each season, the goal for our boys is to improve on our team record along with individual match records,” Kelly said. “This year we’d like to make states as a team.”

Last season, two players made states as a doubles team. Sophomore Sanskar Shah was out for four matches with an injury.

“This season looks fresh,” Shah said. “I kind of let the team down last year because I was out due to injuries but this year we are definitely much stronger as individual players and as a team.”

This year, the team has to get used to having only one senior and needs to work more with the younger players. Dye said he has a plan to get young players ready.

“I must: 1. Help the younger players to establish an athletic/performance base (build upon fundamentals) and, 2. Acclimate them to my system and expectations,” Dye said.

The team has eight new players this year, a mix of freshmen and sophomores. Second year Law tennis player and sophomore Angel Santiago is confident in the team’s new additions.

“The new players have made their place on this team, they have really filled the roles that we needed and are committed to getting better,” Santiago said.

A change the team committed to that they didn’t do last year is a focus on training and fitness even on the offseason to improve how they perform.

“Many of the members on the team have participated in extracurricular clinics such as Milford Indoor Tennis,” sophomore Anish Sikhinam said. “In addition, I, along with other members of the team have set up a schedule for preseason lifting and court playing time. This was new to this year, and now both returning and new players are ready to start of the season with a bang.”

Sikhinam also felt the team has a lot ahead of them but can make it through.

“I think the team’s greatest challenge will be to make SCC’s and states as a team this year,” Sikhinam said. “It will definitely be a stretch but I think with enough hard work, dedication, perseverance, and team spirit, we can finally accomplish this goal.”

By Thea Ryan – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s softball team is thrilled to start this year’s spring season.

The team is also excited to welcome many new faces to the team. The captains for the team this year are seniors Cali Jolley and Gina Boccamazzo.

“I try to be as positive as I possibly can all throughout the game no matter how I’m personally doing in the game so it sets an example for the younger players to know that what happens happens and you have to move on and learn from it rather than hanging your head,” Boccamazzo said. “It’s important to know that everyone strikes out or makes errors and u just have to bounce back and make the next big play because there’s always another opportunity.”

Junior Emily Morey is pleased with how the team has progressed in practice to far.

“So far I think we are doing well,” Morey said. “Everyone is working really hard to get better every day and prepare for this season.”

The team plans to make it to the postseason while building close bonds.

To encourage the team at each practice, a Most Valuable Player of the Day trophy is awarded.

“If you see a beautiful looking trophy hanging around someones neck in school, most likely they had an incredible practice the day before,” head coach Mrs. Bludé said.

This year as head coach, one of Bludé’s goals is to fill new open positions. She is also looking forward to seeing the returning players who are one year older, one year stronger.

“We are hoping to develop  a team that never keeps their mouths shut (outside at least),” Bludé said. “We have many quiet reserved personalities on the team and we are hoping to bring them all out of their shells.”

The team hopes to qualify for states and SCC’s as a team. Last year, the team advanced to the state semi-finals.

“We all just want to work as hard as we can to obtain that position again and go farther than last season,” Morey said.

Morey is excited to fulfill her individual goals for this season, as well as her goals for the team as a whole.

“My individual goals for this season are to continue working as hard as I can everyday to play well and improve more throughout the season,” Morey said. “ Also, one of my personal goals is to continue encouraging my teammates in every way that I can.”

By Michael Loschiavo – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s girls outdoor track team is looking to shine in the upcoming season.

Senior captain Samantha Franzman believes that the team is prepared to have a great season thanks to its positive mindset.

“Our goals for the season are to get as many girls to qualify for states as possible. We have a very strong team so I am very hopeful we will have a good showing at states.,” Franzman said. “ To help us succeed as a team we are going to work extra hard in practice and help push each other to do our best. We all have a competitive mindset so that helps us push each other to improve.”

Senior captain Abby Bernstein has run track for the past three years and plans to motivate her teammates and set them up for success.

“To succeed as a team I think that we all need to work together and push each other at practice so we can be the best that we can be,” Bernstein said.

Junior captain Lily Baldieri set some goals for the team .

“ Our goals for the season are to overall get new PRs and for the new girls to find an event that they love,” Baldieri said. “Also, to have a bunch of girls make the state meet and invitationals.”  

The team will compete April 2 at the Hillhouse Invitational. The team will be looking for its first win of the season.

Law’s toughest meets this season will be against Daniel Hand and North Haven, both of which have won Hammonnasset Division Championships.The team says they will train hard everyday in practice and in their time trials to be the best they can be.

Sophomore Katelyn Konareski plans to be a key asset to the team success in the outdoor season

”My goals for this season are to start off where I left off last year, “ Konareski said. “ I want to have a strong start into the season, especially in the 800m event, and end at opens again, hopefully with our 4×800 team.”

Sophomore Hannah Rascoll believes that she can make a difference on the team.

“My goal is to break six minutes in the mile and to break our 4×800 record again,” said Rascoll.

Rascoll also hopes to make states this year and to compete on a higher level.

By Alexis Broderick – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s boys lacrosse team is excited about the upcoming season.  

They have set some goals and high expectations for this upcoming season and are hoping to achieve those goals.

The boys lacrosse captains this year are Austin Danville, Matthew Evanko, and Sean Theisen who is injured for the season.

“It’s sad that it’s my senior year, but this hopefully isn’t the end of my lacrosse season; hopefully, I will be  playing next year in college,“ Evanko said.

Head coach Mr. Forget is as excited as the boys for this upcoming season as well.  Although there are still some things they need to work on as a team, he believes this will be a successful season all around.

“We need to expand our roster, we are also in need of a goalie and some defense,” Forget said.

This year, the team’s goals are to beat Foran and to also make it to the playoffs like they did last year.  

“We made the playoffs last season for the first time in team history, so there isn’t much I would want to change,” Forget said.

Some of the boys have personal goals for themselves.

“My personal goal this year is is to either go All-State or All -SCC,” Danville said.

Junior Zachary Passaro has also set some personal goals for the season that he plans on achieving.

“My personal goals are to help my teammates get better and to get better at shooting,” Passaro said.

Some freshman have been shining bright so far this season, including Sebastian Davis and Luke Henrichson.

“It feels great to be a freshman on the varsity team,” Davis said. “All the hype from the upperclassmen and coaches feels great.”

The lacrosse players and coaches love the fast-paced game. Not only is it fast-paced game, but it enjoyable to watch.

The next boys lacrosse game takes place on Tuesday, April 2, at Jonathan Law against Norwich Tech-Windham Tech at 6:00.

By Stephanie Caron – Staff Reporter

*UPDATE: The girls lacrosse team is off to a 1-1 start after its win on April 1 against West Haven.

The girls lacrosse team is shooting its way into a new season.

As the new season gets underway, the girls lacrosse team is ready to see what this season has in store.

“I’m looking forward to all of the laughs and memories that we’re going to have this season,” junior Meghan Gorman said. “I can’t wait to see how we grow as a team and develop as players individually.”

The team’s captions this season are senior Laura Dennigan and senior Mary Lonergan.

“I am looking forward to being a senior captain and guiding new freshman,” Dennigan said. “I also am looking forward to our new coaches and seeing what they have to offer.”

This season the girls lacrosse team got a new head coach, Diana DiGangi. DiGangi works at Amity High School as a Physical Education teacher

“Since joining Jonathan Law’s community this year, it has been a very pleasant and friendly experience.  I have developed a good rapport with a lot of friendly employees,” DiGangi said. “Law has shown that it is a great place to work.”

DiGangi was a lacrosse player growing up at Cheshire High and played at Southern Connecticut State University as a goalie.

“Coach DiGangi, although has only been here for a short amount of time, has grown a bond onto each one of us,” Gorman said. “She pushes us to do better and play at 110% even when we don’t think we can.”

On March 21, the team had their first scrimmage of the year against Norwalk. They tied 11-11 at the end of the second half.

“Our scrimmage against Norwalk went really well,” Lonergan said. “It was our first real time playing in a game situation as a new team.”

On March 23, the team also participated in the Glastonbury jamboree.

“We took four big losses, which really opened our eyes and showed us what work we have to do before our first game on Saturday,” Gorman said. “It made us all hungry to improve and not have anymore games like we did on Saturday.”  

The girls have many goals for the team, and for themselves as the season progresses.

“My goals this year is to beat Foran twice and to qualify for the state tournament,” Lonergan said. “I also hope I am a successful captain on and off the field and want the underclassmen know they can always ask me questions.”

DiGangi has many goals for the team, and the girls individually as well.

“The goals that I have for the team this season include developing a strong sense of teamwork and unity amongst the girls,” DiGangi said. “The playing time will be earned by what the girls demonstrate at practice and at games.”