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.”

By Bridget Kinross – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s girls basketball team is off to a great start this season with a current record of 6-2.

The girls all have a similar goal of staying positive and making it into the SCC and state tournaments.

“We hope to be a close-knit team that enjoys playing and getting better throughout the season,” head coach Mr. Young said.

The team has four senior captains who hope to advance far in the postseason in their last year on the court.

“My goal this season is to win a championship in my last year,” senior captain Fallon Andriolas said. “Our goal as team is to stay positive in hopes of making it very far in the postseason.”

The coaches have pulled up many girls from the junior varsity team to now play on varsity. This will give the team a better advantage with having more players.

“My goal is to have a banner in the gym for the first one in girls basketball,” junior Eryn Mower said

These new and old varsity players have high hopes for the team this season. With big rivalries such as Foran and Branford still left on the schedule, the girls say they will work their hardest this season.

The seniors on the team show a great example for the girls who will take their places next year.

“We have a lot of experience and senior leadership that will hopefully allow us to compete for our division title,” Young said.

The girls on the team are said to work very cohesively and they know each other’s skills which helps lead them to many wins.

“It’s a lot easier knowing how each of us work because we are fluent on the court and we all know how we play,” senior captain Pam Ellison said.

The girls and the coaches are expecting lots of improvement this year because of how hard the girls worked in the off season. The goals this season have become much larger than previous seasons.

“ My personal goal is to play better in defense than i did last year by working harder and being more aggressive,” senior captain Cali Jolley said.

The girls all have a similar goal of being a more aggressive team this season and it shows with how well they’ve been doing.

“Our main goal is to enjoy the experience and make it back to the SCC and state tournaments with an opportunity to make a run,” Young said.

By Alexis Broderick – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law gymnastics team is off to an auspicious start.  

The team’s record is 4-1 as of January 4 and they’re excited and confident about what the future holds. Their most recent win was over Hand on January 3.

Even though the year has just begun, this is also a wrap-up season for the senior girls on the team: Julie Meyers, Lizzy Lombardi, Cassidy Davis, Bella Carroll, Emily Redneck, and Grace Wootton.

“Even though the season has just started, I’m honestly so sad knowing this is my final season as gymnast at Law,” Lombardi said.

This season, freshman Emma Nelly has already scored an 8.4 on vault.

“Being a freshman on varsity was a little intimidating at first, but everyone was really nice and welcoming and made me feel like I really was part of the team,” Nelly said.  

Sophomore Catherine Burns has scored an 8.1 on bars.

“The 8.1 on bars gives me feeling of accomplishment knowing all my hard work paid off,” Burns said.

Burns has also scored an 8.55 on floor.

The captains are extremely excited for this upcoming season.

“I’m overwhelmed but mostly excited for this season,” said Carroll.

Not only are the gymnastics girls excited, so is head coach Mr. Simon.

“The Law gymnastics team has a lot of talent this year and we hope to improve in each meet,” Simon said.

The goal for the season is to make it to the CIAC Divisional Championships and for some team members to make it to the Open Championships.

By Mia Powers – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s varsity point guard, Diontae Eady, is pumped up for the 2018-19 season.

The Lawmen are already off to a great start – they have a 3-0 record as of December 21. Members of the team said that their practices everyday are making them harder and harder to beat. 

Eady has been the varsity point guard since freshman year.

“He has improved a ton since freshman year,” junior varsity coach Mr. McPartland said. “His feel for the game has gotten a lot better. It seems like the game has slowed down a lot for him which is awesome.”

McPartland said he knew Eady was extra motivated heading into the team’s game against Foran on December 20, a game Law won 72-34.

“They just released players to watch on the Gametime CT website and he was not on there so he’s got a little extra motivation,” McPartland said. “As one of the better guards in the state, he was overlooked.”

Eady has been playing basketball for his whole life and tries to learn everything he can about the game. He thinks the team is better than last year because everyone is involved by doing more things as a team such as fundraising or supporting the girls basketball team.

“Learning from different coaches and playing against others who know more about the game made me better,” Eady said. “And my determination comes from my work ethic and being gifted enough to hopefully play in college one day.”

Eady has improved his confidence by being the varsity point guard and having tons of people come to watch his games.

“The game slowed down a lot for him which is especially good under pressure, and that’s usually when people clam up a little bit and shrivel up, but not him,” McPartland said. “He had a tough time against West Haven last year under pressure but he bounced right back from it and we trust him 100% with the ball towards the end of the game.”

By Ethan Harrigan – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls track team is back on track for their 2018-2019 indoor season with a strong showing at their first two meets.

Senior Captains Jocelyn Wirth, Sammi Franzman Amira Samih, and Abby Bernstein lead the team with the help of Coaches Mr. Beler, Mr. Rhode, Ms. Corriveau, and Mrs. Blude.

The season started on December 3rd, and since then there has been an invitational meet on December 14-15, and a developmental meet on December 18.

“The goals for the team are to have as many girls qualify for SCC championships, states and opens as possible,” Franzman said. “Beler and the other coaches have pushed us to be a New England team that everyone talks about, so our goal is to get as many girls on that level.”

With a team of 69 runners, more than three-fourths posted a personal record at one of the meets this season. Six Law track and field athletes have already qualified for states in at least one event: the 4×200 meter relay team of Jocelyn Wirth, Abby Bernstein, Brooke Dillman, Ashley Shaw and shot putters Emily Morey and Gina Boccamazzo.

“I think the whole team is doing really well this year,” Dillman said. “There were a bunch of PRs and state qualifying times at the first meet which is an improvement from last year.”

As well as qualifying in the 4×200 relay, Wirth also state qualified in the 55 meter dash and is highly ranked in the conference.

“As of right now I am ranked 5th in the SCC for the 55 meter dash and I would love to improve my PR and become ranked 3rd or higher,” Wirth said.

A change the team has from last season are new coaches in the form of Corriveau and Blude who weren’t with the program last year. Blude is now the new throwing coach and Corriveau coaches distance running along with Rhode.

“We have a lot of coaches this year which is really helpful for more direct coaching and will help us improve our times, jumps and throws,” Franzman.

Beler is optimistic about the season and what it will hold for Law and its athletes.

“We’ve got good, strong leadership and we’ve got a lot of young ‘uns so by the time state comes around we should expect about 15-20 girls will make states,” said Beler.

 

By Jordyn Wirth – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law wrestling team enters the winter season motivated to succeed.

The Lawmen lost their first match against Branford on December 12, although they picked up six individual wins.

Their second match was a tournament at Ludlowe where they placed sixth out of 15 teams.

“We wrestled really tough and we had some young guys wrestle better than expected so we hope to continue that throughout the season,” assistant coach Mr. Ruzbarsky said.

Senior captain Aisaiah Rodriguez placed first in the tournament at Ludlowe and is eager to continue his season in that direction.

“I have a lot of things to work on but it’s gonna be a really good season with the team,” Rodriguez said.

Senior captain Shane McCourt also placed first at the tournament and has optimistic views for the team this season.

“The first match was good but I still need to work on some moves,” McCourt said. “Aisaiah and I just need to keep pushing each other in the gym to get better.”

Sophomore Cody Malin placed fourth in the tournament for his weight class and hopes to only focus on going up from there.

“I hope to eat better and to condition more to place better at states than last year,” Malin said.

Freshman Dylan Benedetti is excited to continue his first season of high school wrestling.

“It’s interesting; I have learned a lot of new things that will help me get better,” Benedetti said.

The Lawmen next compete in the Sacham Duals at RHAM High School on December 22. They will then compete in the Joe Beler Duals at Law on December 29 and face rival Foran on January 2.

By Stephanie Caron – Staff Reporter

The Milford boys swim co-op team is diving into the winter season.

With meets at the end of December and early January, the team is hoping to achieve many goals and to break new records.

“For our team, my goal would be for us to just win as many meets as we can,” sophomore Edward Platonov said.

Last season, Platonov broke a total of seven school records in the 200 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 free, 500 free, and 100 breast.

“The coaches motivate the team do better by giving good practices,” sophomore Justin Goglia said. “They also give us motivational speeches at the end of almost every practice.”

Goglia broke the 100 backstroke record last season with a time of 58.66 and was in several record-breaking relay teams.

“The goal I have for myself are to drop my times,” Goglia said. “I also want to try to break some more records.”

After winning 5 meets last year, the team has high hopes for this season.

“My goals this season is to try and help my team win,” Platonov said. “Also to try and go All-State or win States, then compete at States Opens.”

In their first meet against Shelton, the team already broke three records. Platonov broke two of his own records in the 200 IM (2:01.29) and in the 500 free (4:52.72). The 400 free relay team broke their record from last year by eight seconds with a 3:41.30.  

“Our motivation for the relay team was the race itself,” Platonov said. “We were trying to beat the other team, so we raced as fast as we could.”

Last season, the team broke three relay records: the 200 medley which included Goglia, recent graduate Bob Fisk, Platonov, and recent graduate Jake Gwirtz; the 200 free team which included Gwirtz, Goglia, A. Siliva, and Platonov, and the 400 free which included Goglia, J. Pincus Coyle, J. Iaffaldano, and Platonov.

“The motivation the relay team had to beat our own record was just wanting it, and beating the other team so we all worked together to achieve that,” Goglia said.

The swim team is very excited for what this season has in store and for what goals they can achieve.

By Thea Ryan – Staff Reporter  

The Milford Indians hockey team is ecstatic to skate into this year’s season.

Students from Jonathan Law, Foran, and Platt Tech High School join forces on the Milford Indians hockey team. As of December 20, the team’s record is 0-2 and they are looking to improve throughout the season.

“I am looking forward to seeing our team grow into one that is better and getting out of Division III,” senior Patrick Caron said. “I am excited to have a new coach, he is a very nice guy who I believe will lead our team to success after years of failure.”

The team is very excited to have a new coach, Ken Mitchell, for this season.

“I look forward to learning from our new coach,” junior Jack Chizmazia said.

All three captains of the team – Rich Carino, Matt Gilebi, and Evan White – go to Foran High School.

“I encourage my team by leading by example and by picking them up and having everyone’s back,” Carino said.

Everyone on the team is very excited to improve individually and as a team, while building strong bonds with each other this season.

“I am looking forward to playing everyday trying to improve myself,” junior Brett Pisani said.

The team has prepared for this season by working hard in the spring and fall in order to reach a common goal of finishing with a better record than last year, which was 6-14.

“My goal is to successfully lead the team to have a better record than last year and make it to state championships as a team,” Carino said.

For others, they are just trying to recover from injuries and adjust to new changes this season .

“My goal is to learn my new position since I am transferring from defense to forward,” Caron said. “My other goal is to get back on the ice as soon as possible and recover from my injury.”

Players said what makes the Milford Indians special is how the team is a co-op sport among three high schools and how strong their bonds are.

“Being on the team brings a sense of unity like no other on and off the ice,” Chizmazia said. “My favorite things about the team is getting to see friends everyday and work towards a common goal.”

By Justin Judge – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s winter sports teams have begun their seasons – including indoor track.

Indoor track includes many different events such as the 55M dash, the 4×200 relay, and many more. Many of the runners have different methods to get themselves race ready.

“I will usually listen to music to pump myself up and also think about how I’m not going to get better if I don’t push myself to my hardest,” sophomore Chris Wootton said. “Also, one thing that helps are the chants we do as a team. Beler will ask ‘How do we get better?’ and the team responds with ‘Win every day.'”

The runners for Law’s indoor track team each race have a specific mindset and they will push their bodies to the max just to “win every day.”

Some ways these runners do this is by training, practicing, preparing, but one of the most important things for these runners are their shoes.

“My cleats are one of the most important thing for me when I’m running,” sophomore sprinter Naheim Washington said. “If I don’t feel comfortable, then I can’t perform my best.”

Even during winter break, these athletes will still be training. During the cold, bitter winter weather, these runners will still wake up early in the morning just to make themselves a better athlete.

“I will prepare by racing against faster kids at practice and make sure my form is perfect,” junior Walker Stebbins said.

Being an indoor track athlete comes with the risk of being injured but many runners take extra precautions to avoid this situation by stretching and eating healthy.

“I haven’t gotten an injury yet something that helps are the team stretches in the beginning  of every practice to prevent the runners jumpers and throwers from getting injuries,” Wootton said.

Indoor track isn’t only running; one unique event is the shot put.

“I think that shot is more about technique in order to perfect it,” junior Erik Borgerson said. “However, lifting is very necessary if you want to throw the shot farther.”

As holiday break approaches, many runners are planning their training routine while out of school.

“I will train with some of the other runners and I will set certain marks I want to accomplish,” Washington said. “Also, I will push my body as hard as I possibly can to come back stronger and faster than ever.”

By Michael Loschiavo – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s boys basketball team is ready to take the court this season.

Senior Zane Birks believes that the team is prepared to have a great year.

“We are very hyped for the first game and while not underestimating the other team, we expect nothing but a win,” Birks said.

The Lawmen opened their season with a 65-27 win over Whitney Tech on December 13. Senior Tyler McKenna-Hansen led the team with 21 points, including a dunk.

Seniors Will Contaxis and McKenna-Hansen are Law’s two captains.

McKenna-Hansen has played basketball for the past four years at Law and plans to improve for his final year with the team as a player and a leader.

“As a captain, I have to make sure everyone is on task, paying attention, making sure they are giving max effort,” McKenna-Hansen said. “Also. I make sure everyone is on the same page and to be there for anyone when they need it.”

The Lawmen are determined this season and hope to qualify for states and move on to the second round.

Junior Jonathan Vitale set some goals for his team for the beginning of the season.

“As a team we are always looking to accomplish to get better than we were a year before,” Vitale said. “This year especially we have high expectations.”

The team’s record last season was 9-11 which qualified the Lawmen for the SCC and state tournaments.

Senior James Coleman plans to finish off his high school career strong.

“We are going to work twice as hard in practice and work harder than the other teams so we will be quicker on the court while being smart,” Coleman said.

Junior Ru Akhtar believes that he can add to the team’s success this season.

“ We’re really excited and looking forward to our first game and at the same time we are focused on following our game plan and executing it well,” Akhtar said.

Akhtar plans to get time on varsity this season and compete on a higher level.

Assistant coach Mr. McPartland feels like his team is ready to work hard on and off the court.

“Every day is a business day and we understand that in order to be successful we have to push each other to get where we want to be – as they say, iron sharpens iron,” McPartland said. “We’re always looking to get better both individually and as a team everyday, but I’d say one of our main goals this year is to lock up a home playoff game and go from there.”

By Justin Judge – Staff Reporter

As Jonathan Law’s fall sports seasons come to an end, some members of the boys cross country team are already getting ready for next season.

The boys cross country is coached by Mr. Phillips.

“Cross country was welcoming, friendly , and the coach is very nice,” sophomore Justin Lazar said.

These athletes run everyday after school to prepare themselves for their race meets.

“We run everyday in practice which gets us in shape for winter sports,” sophomore Ethan Florio said.

Juniors Tyler MaKenna-Hansen and Michael Loschiavo were the two top runners for Law. They had a strong end to their seasons, running personal bests.

Loschiavo and other runners on the team worked hard to sustain a goal for the season  

“At Winding Trails I ran a 16:58 and that was a personal record for me and i was so excited,” said Loschiavo

These times and personal records come from practicing at 100 percent everyday.

“I need to go on runs in the summers to get in shape for the  season,” Florio said. “I will also go to the gym to gain more muscle mass and lose as much body fat as I can.”

The preparation is very important because a student’s most important year is the year that follows when they run cross country.

Lazar has his eyes set on some goals this season that he wants to accomplish for  next season.

“I will practice smarter, lift more, train harder and eat properly to sustain myself for my future seasons at Law,” said Lazar.

On October 19, the team competed at East Shore Park. The top five boys results for Law were Michael Loschiavo-  17:49, Tyler MaKenna Hansen- 18:06, Nick Shugrue-19:36, – Amir Elhelw – 19:49, and Charles Wang at 19:52.

“As the top runner for Law, I feel like the top five runners every practice work harder to try to stay with each other so that in the race we can score well,” said Loschiavo.

As new freshmen come to Law every year, many want to try out for cross country.

“Cross country is a very fun sport and it’s also a great way to spend time with your friends,” said Lazar.  “Any freshmen should not feel nervous running cross country because it just feels like one big family.”

Many runners for the boys cross country team that were not starters didn’t seem to disappoint head Coach Phillips.

“The biggest surprise came when four underclassmen besides Michael Loschiavo became state qualifiers,” Phillips said. “They were junior Nick Shugrue, and sophomores Charles Wang, Amir Elhelw, and Luke Pleimann.”

Many underclassmen stepped up and proved themselves as strong and passionate runners for their states competition.

“Another sophomore, James Marino, was our top alternate for states,” said Phillips.

Being a student-athlete requires a student to maintain a 2.0 GPA and have passing grades.

“The majority of our runners are honor students,” Phillips said. “And after finishing my 51st year of coaching at Law it is still thrilling, exciting, and enjoyable to see the progress that has been made by a majority of our runners.”

By Addison Schwing – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Powderpuff team is preparing for its annual game against Foran High School on Tuesday, November 20.

Powderpuff is an all-female football team that plays once a year during Thanksgiving Week.

Mr. Kulenych, one of the coaches for the team, has coached Powderpuff for 11 years.

“I got involved because I really loved going to the game before I started coaching,” he said. “I saw how fun it was for the girls to play. When the opportunity to coach came up, I took it, and it’s been so much fun ever since.”

Mr. Ruzbarsky, another coach for Powderpuff, has been coaching the team for eight years.

“Mr. Kulenych was the first one to wrap me in,” Ruzbarsky said. “I used to coach football before that, and he was really the one who piqued my interest in that.”

Powderpuff debuted in the 90’s and has been a hit ever since, always occurring right around the Lawmen’s final game on Thanksgiving. The event offers juniors and seniors at Law to learn how to play football, and Kulenych relishes in the experience while maintaining high standards.

“We have pretty high expectations,” he said. “We hold the girls to a high standard, and we want to keep our win streak alive.”

Ruzbarsky also has high expectations for the team.

“Every day [our expectation] is to grow and make sure that we aren’t making the same mistakes as previous days,” he said. “More or less, the expectation is to do our job so that our overall team will win the game.”

Traditionally, teams practice for up to a month to practice for the game, but this year, they only have eight days. The coaches put a lot of effort into preparing the players for the game.

“We teach the girls plays on offense and defense, getting them ready, teaching them the game of football,” Kulenych said. “The girls are athletic and play other sports but don’t play football, so it is just a matter of teaching them the ins and outs of the game, the rules, and everything, and just getting them ready to play.”

With only a few days remaining until the game, the coach and the team are feeling the pressure mounting. Despite all this, senior quarterback Gina Boccamazzo is in high spirits .

“I’m really excited for this upcoming game,” she said. “Last year, we kinda scraped Foran, and it’s always fun, beating Foran. We’re really ready, honestly. We’ve been practicing for a few days, and we already have all of our plays. We scrimmaged against our defense and did really well. We’re all evenly matched.”

Senior running back Jocelyn Wirthis also in high spirits.

“I’m really really excited to play Foran and tear them apart again, and keep the trophy here,” Wirth said. “Mr. K. said that we already seem super-prepared, even though we have a few things to fix. I know that the offense learned every single play. I think that we’re going to do really well.”

Senior Mary Lonergan is also excited to play next week.

“I’m really excited to play against Foran and keep the trophy at home again,” Lonergan said. “I know that for defense, I’m extremely confident to play the defensive line. We’re extremely strong and very fast, and we know all of the defensive set-ups. I’m really excited to take Foran’s flags off.”

Ruzbarsky said his most significant challenges with coaching is all of the new players.  

“This year, our defense is pretty much brand new,” he said. “There are challenges every day, with teaching them exactly what they should be doing in every possible position. We have two returning kids on defense, and everyone else is brand new, and they no nothing about it, so I have to teach them about football, I have to teach them general turns, I have to teach them exactly what to do. It’s a battle every day.”

Kulenych also expressed his challenges with coaching.

“I think the biggest challenge is trying to cram a lot of information in a small amount of time,” he said. I think it’s hard to teach kids an entire sport within eight days, but I think that we do a good job of giving it to them in doses and small pieces here and there so that they can absorb it easier. At the end of the day, it works out pretty well.”

Junior Michaela Mai, who is playing on the Powderpuff team for the first time, is feeling ready and excited about the game.

“I’m super excited for the upcoming Powderpuff game,” Mai said. “I think it’s going to be a good match. I think that we have a lot of preparing to do, but I really think that we can get there, and we’re going to do great and hopefully get the win.”

By Ethan Harrigan – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys soccer team ended its season with a record of 6-8-2.

The team was led through the season by head coach Mr. Gruber, assistant coach Mr. Oliveira and four captains: seniors Will Contaxis, Troy Anderson, Kyle Goglia, and junior Jon Vitale.  

This year, the team made it to the first round of the states, finally ending the season in a loss against Joel Barlow High School.

“I thought the team fought hard in nearly every game,” Gruber said. “We had some really good results and got into states which the team was very happy about.”

However, the coaches and many players felt the team could have gone further.

“It’s always a goal to make states, so we accomplished that but our main goal was to progress in the tournament and win at least one game in states which we did not accomplish,” Anderson said.

There were a number of juniors this year who transitioned over to Law from other schools including Cole Zamora, formerly a student at Foran High School.

“ I felt like I was a part of the team right away,” Zamora said. “Also the coaches gave me a lot more advice and confidence in terms of my play rather than at Foran.”

A large number of freshman made the team this season and a many of them saw varsity playing time.

“I believe going forward we are going to have a very athletic team with the skill exponentially increasing with the new class coming in and our training,” sophomore Jonathan Contaxis said.

Freshman Jackson Warters talked about being a member of Law’s varsity roster.

“It was amazing to be a part of the team this season,” Warters said. “I am proud and excited to say that I made the team as a freshman.”

The team dealt with a number of injuries this year and lost senior players from last year like striker Kevin Lin and goalkeeper Jack Pincus-Coyle.

“We tried to address to the whole team that we needed to stick together as one in order to make states and other goals,” Anderson said.

Former Notre Dame student junior Connor DiMuro is already looking forward to the future of the team.

“We lost a lot of good seniors from this year, but I know that we will make it to states and be a solid team next year if we listen to our coaches and bring the same intensity and heart we did this year,” DiMuro said.

By Thea Ryan – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s girls soccer team has recently finished another successful fall season which ended in a trip to states.

The team’s regular season record was 6-5-5. The team made it to the first round of the state tournament and lost to North Branford.

“Our greatest accomplishment this season was ending the regular season with a winning record,” head coach Mr. Rhode said. “Our schedule was about ten times more difficult than last season. Adding in the amount of injuries we had throughout this season, we had some great results and battled to a winning record.”

During their game against Amity, they were down 3-1 with about 12 minutes left in the game they were able to tie up the game with 5 minutes remaining.

“Amazing comeback,” Rhode said.

Junior Skylar Sosa agreed with Rhode.

“I believe a highlight from this season was when we tied against Amity, showing how as a team we never gave up,” Sosa said. “As a team we worked very hard and fought till the last second of each game this season.”

Senior Captain Samara Thacker guided her team to a successful season and accomplished her personal goals on the team.

“Personally, my greatest accomplishment was being a good captain and leader on the field and working to get everyone involved and being really vocal,” Thacker said.

The team finished this season with a winning record through hard work and dedication.

“We prepared for this season by doing a lot of summer and preseason training, especially with the guys soccer coach,” Thacker said.

The team had two victories against Foran this season.

“My favorite memory from this season was winning both games against Foran,” Sosa said. “This was my favorite memory from this season because Foran is our rival school and it is a huge accomplishment to get winning results both times we played them.”

Sophomore Ashley Shaw’s goal is to perfect the formation on the field with positive communication for next season.

“My goal for next season is to make the second round of states and get into SCC’s,” junior Jamie Jaser said.

The team plans to continue having a winning record next season and to make it to the second round of states.

“This is something that has never been achieved by the girls soccer team here at Law and it would be truly amazing if we were able to make history during my last season of playing soccer,” Sosa said.

By Alexis Broderick – Staff Reporter

The girls swim team at Jonathan Law recently ended an incredible season.  

The team finished with a meet record of 11-2 – and they’re expecting an even better season next year.

As this is the end of the season for the entire team, this is the end of a high school career for six girls: Julie Myers, Cali Jolley, Mary Lonergan, Bella Carroll, Christina Gleason, and Molly Sullivan.

“I am extremely sad that the season is over,” Jolley said. “This team has become a family,  we have so many memories together, grew as swimmers , and we all became more successful together.”

Junior Brooke Nabors qualified for states in the 100 fly and in the 200.

“I felt very accomplished making it to states since its an important goal I set for myself,” Nabors said.

Sophomore Hannah Rascoll qualified for states in the 200 and 500 freestyle. Rascoll placed 23rd in the 500 and 25th in the 200.

“Making states was exciting but I was a little nervous,” Rascoll said.

New personal records and better times were set by majority of the team.

At states, Athena Homorodean posted 200 freestyle time of 2:02.88, Brooke Nabors a 200 IM time of 2:22.94, and the 200 Medley Relay of Brooke Nabors, Hennessey Shane, Alexa Darak, Hannah Rascoll posted a time of 2:02.26.

Emma Savoie was 4th in the 50 freestyle with a time of 25.01, which was a new school record. Lily Baldieri had a 50 freestyle time of 25.31, Athena Homorodean a 50 freestyle time of 25.92, Hennessey Shane a 50 free time of 27.11, Brooke Nabors a 100 fly time of 1:03.68, and Alexa Darak a 100 fly time of 1:07.20.

Emma Savoie posted a 500 free a time of 5:38.45, Hannah Rascoll a 500 freestyle time of 5:52.58, and Hennessey Shane a 100 breaststroke time of 1:14.45.

Lily Baldieri, Hennessey Shane, Athena Homorodean, and Emma Savoie finished 5th in the 200 free relay with a new school record of 1:43.82. Tess Rosato had a 100 breaststroke time of 1:17.63 and Lily Baldieri, Brooke Nabors, Athena Homorodean and Emma Savoie finished 3rd in the 400 freestyle relay with a new school record of 3:46.51.

Christina Gleason finished fourth in the diving competition.

Carroll, Lonergan, Myers, and Jolley put on great events during the season and lead the team to an amazing finish.

“One thing I’ll miss from all the seniors is how nice, fun, motivating, and welcoming everyone is,” sophomore Stefanie Feher said.

The girls swim team Senior Night was on October 22 at the Foran Pool. On this night, the girls defeated Foran for the first time in years.

“My senior night went extremely well,” Carroll said.” It felt amazing defeating Foran for my first time.”

Swim brought laughter and fun times for all the girls.

”Knowing that next fall I won’t be swimming for Law anymore makes me really upset,” Lonergan said. “I feel like i’m leaving my family behind.”