2004 CrusaderNation.net Sports NewsNovember 25, 2004Trinity Closes Strong, Beats Bassick in Final GameFrom The Stamford Advocate BRIDGEPORT -- It was a 12-point win over a winless team on a dreary night in a nearly empty stadium. But for the Trinity Catholic High School football team, last night's season-ending 26-14 victory over Bassick at Kennedy Stadium was of greater significance. It was a conclusion. It was also a beginning. "I think we played an awful young team this year," said Bryan Fox, who finished his first year with a modest two-game winning streak after losing his first eight games. "We have a lot of seniors who didn't play freshman ball. They built a foundation with their work ethic." This fall was less about numbers and more about philosophy and attitude change for the Crusaders. Fox, a Trinity graduate, was instilled with the belief to set the bar high. When asked if the team was positioned where he had hoped back in August, Fox smiled. "I want to be playing next week," he said, referring to the CIAC state playoffs. "I'm happy with the way we've progressed. I think the future is looking bright. I wish we gave the seniors a nine- or 10-win season because they've worked hard enough." Instead, the Crusaders' graduating class will have to be content with a satisfying farewell performance. Chris Zapata finished off Trinity's first two possessions with a pair of 8-yard scoring runs. He also had a two-point conversion. Quarterback Tim Cullen threw for a touchdown and ran for another. Brian Gerard led the ground game with 65 yards on 12 carries. "It's a big win, not only for the seniors but for the program," Zapata said. "It gives them a nice two-game win streak for next year." Trinity dominated from the outset before growing complacent late in the game. It led 20-8 at the half and held Bassick (0-10) to 63 yards, 40 of which came on a run by Troy DeJesus that set up the Lions' score. "We played a real good first half," Fox said. "I think we shut down at halftime. We're not used to having the lead. That's something we have to work on. We have to get used to having the lead." Bassick, which lost five of seven fumbles and struggled on special teams, gave Trinity the ball for the first time on its 45 following a bad snap on a punt. The Crusaders drove down with 10 straight runs before Zapata followed his blockers and raced to the left side of the end zone for a 6-0 lead. Another errant snap on a punt attempt gave Trinity the ball on the Lions' 40 early in the second quarter. The Crusaders ran the ball seven times, with Zapata again breaking free for a 12-0 advantage. "They gave us the outside," Fox said. "They wanted to stop Gerard on the trap up the middle, which has been our bread and butter." Bassick fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, but the Lions' Emmanuel Franceschi sacked Cullen on fourth down at the Lions' 25. DeJesus burst free up the middle three plays later to set up Lionel Assie's 1-yard run that made the score 12-8 with 1:05 left in the half. But Cullen marched the Crusaders, who got the ball back at their own 49, quickly downfield. He completed a 19-yard screen pass to Gene DeVito, then dumped a ball over the middle to Anas Koummal, one of the team's promising sophomores. Koummal made a great one-handed catch and broke a tackle to finish off a 32-yard play and give Trinity a 12-point lead. Eric Stephens' fumble recovery midway through the third quarter led to Cullen's 2-yard sneak on fourth down and a 26-8 lead. Bassick made the game interesting three plays later, when DeJesus again broke arm tackles and rambled up the middle for a 50-yard score. Bassick finished with 215 yards on the ground, 136 by DeJesus. Assie, the Lions' leading ball carrier, had 84 yards on 23 carries, but 43 of them came on their final drive. "I thought we played OK," Fox said. "I thought our tackling was a little bit iffy. The biggest thing was to start a win streak. The seniors didn't want to leave a legacy of one win. They wanted a winning streak." With just eight seniors on the roster, the challenge for Fox and his young staff will be to build on the late-season success. One of the departing players is confident about the outcome. "There is a lot of talent with the underclassmen. I think there is a bright future," Zapata said. "This win meant a lot. I wouldn't have wanted to end my senior football season with a loss."
November 14, 2004Gerard's 2 TDs Help Trinity Get First WinFrom The Stamford Advocate STAMFORD -- On an unusually cold and windy day, Trinity Catholic coach Bryan Fox wasn't about to complain about an icy shower. That came yesterday courtesy of Fox's players, who dumped cold water on their first-year coach with 1:05 to go and a 20-0 win over Harding nearly complete. The final gun marked the first victory of the year for the Crusaders. "We finally got the monkey off our back," said a relieved Fox. "We talked all week about how we were tired of coming home with 'good effort.' We wanted to be able to say we won." Harding, which like Trinity is now 1-8, was the perfect opponent to send the homecoming crowd home happy. While the Presidents have a dangerous quarterback, they committed five turnovers -- losing three fumbles and two interceptions. Senior Brian Gerard stepped up for Trinity, scoring two touchdowns and rushing for 130 yards on 19 carries. It was a workhorse effort by a 5-8, 170-pound running back. "When game time comes around he's as tough as nails," praised Fox. Trinity scored on its first three possessions, building a 20-0 halftime lead before limiting the Presidents to just nine second-half rushing yards. The Crusaders set the pace early with a hurry-up offense that tried to catch Harding off guard. After recovering a fumble at their own 35, the Crusaders gambled on their first possession of the game. Trinity faced a fourth-and-one on its own 44 and elected to run Gerard off-tackle rather than punt. It was the type of gamble an 0-8 team desperate for a win might make. And this time the risk paid off. Gerard broke loose on a 51-yard run before being dragged down at the Harding 5. Three plays later, Gerard burst in from four yards out to give Trinity a 7-0 advantage with 7:23 left in the first period. Gerard's second touchdown, early in the second quarter, came on a three-yard run and capped an 11-play drive. Then quarterback Tim Cullen got the passing game going, hooking up with Gene Devito for completions of 45 and 30 yards, the latter for a touchdown. Cullen basically threw a jump ball, and the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Devito came down with it over the Harding defensive backs. The Presidents tried the same tactic late in the first half and Wayne Allen hauled in quarterback Glenroy King's 26-yard pass to advance the ball to the Trinity 19. But the Presidents' bid for a touchdown was vetoed when Santiago Steele recovered a fumble two plays later. King completed just six of 23 passes, with two interceptions, but he did roll up 128 yards in the air and displayed strong athleticism as a runner and thrower. Harding would have probably scored if not for several dropped passes. However, one costly interception came in the fourth quarter after King led his team to the Trinity 20. Sophomore Anas Koummal's pick at the goal line kept the shutout intact. Earlier in the half, Travis Owens picked off a Cullen pass in the Harding end zone, stopping a Trinity drive that reached the Harding 9. That 14-play march successfully ate up some clock, though, after Mike Passero ran for 24 yards on a fake punt at the Harding 40. Solid blocking up front helped Gerard and Trinity control the ball. "I said to him at the end of the third quarter, 'All we need is three and a half yards per carry now,' " Fox said. For the game, Trinity managed 205 rushing yards, while Cullen was four-for-12 for 69 yards in the air. Seconds after Vinny Cortese intercepted a King pass to seal the victory, Fox tried to dry out while his players staged a joyous celebration near midfield. Bassick -- which happens to be the only team Harding has beaten -- is up next, so Trinity has a good opportunity to finish the season with a modest winning streak. "To win the last two would be great," said Gerard. "It wouldn't matter about the record."
November 7 , 2004Trinity Falls Short vs. St. JosephFrom The Stamford Advocate TRUMBULL -- Trinity Catholic High School's football team churned out the yards on offense against St. Joseph. In the second half Trinity's defenders got to wrapping up the Cadets and preventing them from gaining additional yardage. But the turnovers and penalties . . . well, they were still too prevalent for the Crusaders. And so it goes. Another loss and they are still winless. Mike Pappagallo, similar to what he did at Westhill eight days ago, did a little bit of everything yesterday to lead the Cadets to a 14-6 victory at Dalling Field. Pappagallo intercepted a pass, rushed for114 yards on 19 carries, including a 1-yard touchdown run, and converted both extra-point kicks to help the Cadets improve to 3-5 overall and 3-4 in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference Eastern Division. The Crusaders (0-8, 0-7) put together a final late drive and had a chance to tie the game with a touchdown and a two-point conversion. But St. Joseph defensive back Matt Cellini played some tight defense on Trinity tight end Andrew Shannon to thwart Tim Cullen's pass to Shannon on a fourth-and-3 play from the St. Joseph 9 with a minute left in the game to seal the victory. The Crusaders had a 298-257 advantage in total offensive yardage, including a 185-52 advantage in the second half, as well as a 16-12 advantage in first downs, 10-4 in the second half. But they also had three turnovers compared to two for St. Joseph's, and they had 65 penalty yards on seven penalties while St. Joe's had six penalties for 52 yards. "Turnovers and penalties. When you do that you're not going win," Trinity first-year coach Bryan Fox said. "Some of our penalties are not just holding. They're after-the-whistle cheap shots. We had three or four personal fouls. If anything, that's a reflection on us as coaches. That's something we're going to have to address at our meetings." So although the Crusaders did move the ball and they stopped their opponent, particularly in the second half, Fox saw no silver lining in it because he's a bottom-line guy. "You suit up every Saturday to have a good ballgame and get a win, and we're not going home with a win," Fox said. "The point of every Saturday is going out there and getting a win, and so far we're 0-8. There's very little sugar in this coffee. We lost. I can find nothing good out of this game." One bright spot for Trinity was the running of Brian Gerard. The tough-as-nails, 5-foot-8 senior fullback churned out 114 yards rushing on 19 carries. After St. Joe's took a 7-0 halftime lead on Denis Foote's 17-yard touchdown reception from Dave Chervansky, the Cadets had four offensive plays to begin the second half before Chervansky's punt pinned the Crusaders back on their own 1. They held the ball for the remainder of the third quarter and two plays into the fourth quarter while embarking on a 99-yard touchdown drive. Gerard rushed for 38 yards on the 17-play drive that Anas Koummal capped with a 7-yard TD run. The Crusaders could not tie it because the snap from Chris Hawthorne, filling in for the injured Dave Macari, was too wide to the right for holder Joe D'Andrea. "That's a tough spot for that kid, having to step in and try to make a good snap on a very windy day," Fox said. "To me, that wasn't a big point of the game because, essentially, you still have to score again to get the win." The Cadets had their one long drive of the second half on the next drive. They got three first downs and Pappagallo ended the 13-play, 52-yard touchdown drive by bulling in from the 1. Then the Crusaders began a potential tying drive from their own 29 with 3:48 left in the game. Cullen, who completed 11-of-20 passes for 136 yards with two interceptions, completed a 11-yard pass to Gene DeVito to begin the drive. DeVito caught three passes for 48 yards and he also had an interception. Three plays later Cullen fired a 17-yard completion to Shannon on third-and-10. Gerard rushed for 31 yards on the next three plays, culminating in a 14-yard gain to give the Crusaders a first down at the St. Joe's 16 with 2:20 left to play. Three plays later, on fourth-and-3 from the 9, Shannon ran a short out pattern from his left tight end position but Cellini was all over him. Shannon could not make the sprawling catch of a throw that was low and wide. "They were in the same position we were in last week -- desperate for a win," St. Joseph coach Joe Della Vecchia said. "We knew they were not going to quit and they didn't quit. They fought and they gave us a good challenge. I knew it was coming. I'm not sure if some of our kids believed me. "I've watched them on tape and every game they've played, they've played well. They're like us, they just make a lot of mistakes and get hurt by them. But they're young and they're coming. They've got some wins coming up. Their new coach is doing a great job."
October 31, 2004Greenwich Earns Birth By Beating TrinityFrom The Stamford Advocate STAMFORD -- -- It's official, the Greenwich High School football team is back. Not only has the swagger that comes with being one of the most feared teams in the state returned, after a one-year hiatus, the Cardinals are headed back to the game it's had its sights set on all season -- the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Confeence final.
The Cardinals, who are 7-0 overall and in the league, will travel to Boyle Stadium on Nov. 19 where they will most likely meet either Trumbull or Bridgeport Central for the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference crown. A disappointing 28-0 loss to Staples kept Greenwich out of the FCIAC final last season for the first time in five years. But victories over Staples and Brien McMahon this season put the Cards in perfect position to qualify for the league title. "Going to the FCIACs is a great morale boost for our whole team," said Greenwich junior halfback Colin Jones, who spent the afternoon running around and away from the Crusaders' defense. "This has been one of our biggest goals all season long, to make it back to the FCIACs." The speedy Jones was the spark that ignited Greenwich's offense, totaling 163 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. Yet, yards weren't easy to come by for the Cardinals during the first quarter. The Crusaders (0-7) forced the Cardinals to punt on their first two possessions and held them scoreless the first 20-plus minutes of the game, which was a surprising sight to Greenwich fans. "We shot ourselves in the foot on our first couple of drives with penalties and mistakes," said Greenwich senior defensive end/fullback Tyler Cabrera, who once again made his presence felt on both sides of the ball. "But eventually we got it going and played our normal smash mouth football. That's when we're at our best." Though the Crusaders were fired up after keeping the Cardinals off the scoreboard in the first quarter, they were dealt a dose of reality in the second quarter. Bruising junior fullback Tom Brown bulled his way up the middle before making a nifty cut left, en route to a 15-yard touchdown run with 4:48 remaining in the first half. Brandon San Antonio's first of four successful point after attempts put the Cards ahead 7-0. Greenwich showed its superior depth in the backfield during the 8-play, 73-yard drive. Besides Brown's big run, Jones gained 15 yards on a sweep, and sophomore T.J. Cameron ran for 13 yards on another sweep play. "They (Trinity Catholic) came to play, so we knew that we really had to step it up," said Jones, who ran for 111 yards in the second half. "We came together well after the first quarter and everyone was pumped up. We had guys like one of our captains Anthony Morello talking it up." After forcing the Crusaders to go three-and-out on the ensuing possession, GHS padded its lead when Jones found the end zone on a 4-yard run with 2:07 left in the half. Jones set up the score with a 15-yard scamper, putting the ball on Trinity's 4-yard line. Though Crusaders senior quarterback Tim Cullen was able to complete several passes in the first half to junior receiver Gene DeVito, Trinity was unable to penetrate past midfield in the opening half. Cullen completed 13-of-23 passes for 111 yards, but Greenwich limited Trinity to only 17 rushing yards on 17 attempts. Three of the Crusaders' ball carriers were held to negative yardage. "It doesn't take much to get the juices flowing when these two teams play each other," said Greenwich coach Rich Albonizio, whose team has posted three straight shutouts and has not yielded a point in 14 quarters. "We like to come out and set the tone on defense and our defense played very well. Their quarterback threw the ball very well, and we gave up some plays. But we didn't get beat deep. I thought Nick Zivic (junior defensive back) did a great job of leading us in the secondary." It took Greenwich just six plays and 3:27 to march 74 yards for a touchdown to open the second half. Jones capped the drive, taking a handoff from quarterback Ian Barto and scoring on a 30-yard sweep down the left sideline. Jones victimized the Crusaders again on Greenwich's next possession, sprinting 59 yards for a touchdown, giving the Cards a commanding 28-0 advantage with still several minutes remaining in the third quarter. Trinity's best offense all day was the Cullen-to-DeVito combination. Devito finished the game with nine receptions for 82 yards and Rob Hawthorn caught two passes for 34 yards for the Crusaders, who were outgained 366-128 for the game. "Tim is a good passer, we've had a little trouble keeping the pressure off of him, which is what has hurt us this year," said first-year Trinity coach Bryan Fox. "I thought that we played as good as we can today, especially defensively. It was like the first Rocky movie, we were the underdog and we came out swinging against the champion. But Greenwich is such a strong team. They are big, strong, fast, and they run the Wing-T perfectly." The 28-year-old Fox, who played defensive back on Trinity's 1993 state championship team that was coached by Albonizio, said that coaching against his mentor was a special feeling. "It was a little bit weird to see coach Al on the sideline," Fox said. "I was on the same sideline with him for so many years, and now we're coaching against each other. I definitely had to adjust to that."
October 11, 2004Crusaders Lost . . . and Found?Trinity went to the half down by one to a very strong Wilton team this past Saturday night. After a first half war, Trinity coach Bryan Fox decided to try to go for a quick kill, opening up the second half with a bomb to wide receiver Gene DeVito. The ball was intercepted and the Warriors marched in to take a lead which they would never give up. Wilton won 24-6. When asked about the game there was only one thing on Coach Fox's mind: "We have found the feeling," he said. "If you were in the locker room at half time you would know what I am talking about. We had the winning feeling, the belief that we could win. The place was electric." "And finally, it hurts real bad to lose." "I think this is a huge step for us. I think it was a step to start hating losing. I think we found the heart beat on this team. Now that they have tasted success, now I think we crave that taste again and the taste of losing, which we had been so accustomed to, is now unacceptable. This is a gigantic corner to turn. Now we have to get over the next hump, and get a win. Once we get that first win, it is going to become a snowball effect and we won't be able to stop ourselves from winning." The Crusaders are battling through an 0-4 season and face the third-ranked team in the state Brien McMahon on Saturday. Go Crusaders!
October 3, 2004Resurgent Darien shows it might be a playoff contenderFrom The Stamford Advocate NORWALK -- All right, it's true, Darien High School didn't blow out winless Trinity Catholic yesterday, settling for a workman-like 26-6 homecoming victory. And a week earlier the Blue Wave failed to completely finish off an inferior St. Joseph team. Nevertheless, the way quarterback Kevin Peters and linebacker Jack Ryan led the way during yesterday's Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference game at Brien McMahon's Casagrande Stadium, it might be reasonable to include the Blue Wave in any discussion involving legitimate postseason contenders. "I think we can be a sleeper," said Peters after tossing four touchdowns to lead the Blue Wave (2-1, 2-1 FCIAC East). "Right now we're clicking on all cylinders. I think we have the talent and the capabilities to beat the big teams." Peters and the Blue Wave only want to look ahead. The 41-13 loss to powerful McMahon in Week 1 has been long forgotten. Now the focus is on Westhill next week, and then the Oct. 16 showdown against defending FCIAC champ Staples, which, presuming they get past the Vikings, will serve as a measuring stick as to whether the Blue Wave can make a serious charge toward the postseason. "I think if we keep improving every week, we should be ready for the top teams," said Ryan, who was all over the field on defense, and as a tight end caught a 12-yard touchdown from Peters. "We're not looking past Westhill but Staples is going to be a huge game for us. That game will give us the opportunity to show people where we are and where we're going." Now, while the Blue Wave did get the win yesterday against a young, outsized and overmatched Trinity team, there were areas that will need shoring up if the Blue Wave want to avoid a repeat of last season. Last year they were 4-1 going into the Staples game. They lost that one and finished the season 5-5-1. "I'm not sure where we stand," first-year head coach Mike Masiuk said. "We lost to McMahon but they're a great team. Then we beat St. Joseph (28-11) and Trinity who are a little down. We didn't put either of them away. So, we'll see." Peters finished 10-for-19 for 144 yards passing with the four touchdowns. He hit open receivers, got flushed out of the pocket and found secondary receivers, ran with the ball, displayed a nice touch, and showed he can throw the long ball. The complete package. "That kids throws it real well," Trinity rookie coach Bryan Fox said. "And if you allow them to run, well, it really opens it up for him so much more." Actually, the Crusaders' defense, led by Santiago Steele and Fitz Angrand, held the Darien running game to 3.1 yards per carry (98 yards on 32 carries). That made Peters' performance that much more impressive. "Peters was pressured a lot but was able to make the plays," Masiuk said. "He stayed in there and found open receivers. He hasn't played a perfect game yet but he's played pretty well." Peters threw scoring passes of 11 and 5 yards to sophomore Jonny Schoen, 12 to Ryan and capped his day with 4:13 remaining in the game with a 26-yard toss to Artie Van Sciver. No doubt Peters and his corps of wide receivers were helped by the all attention the tight end Ryan received. "He played as we expected him to play today," Masiuk said. "He's a terrific tight end. I know I wouldn't want to try tackling him. And on defense, well, ever since we moved him inside (linebacker) he's been a force." Led by Ryan, Luke Nichols and Diego Siragna, the Blue Wave held the Crusaders to just 54 yards rushing on 34 attempts. Trinity quarterback Tim Cullen had a respectable day, considering the lack of a running game, going 8-for-18 for 133 yards and one interception. Actually, there were certain aspects of yesterday's game that gave Fox and the Crusaders hope for the future. "There were points where we were in the game," Fox said. Cullen did lead the team on a nice two-minute drill late in the first half but came up empty, and later drove the team 75 yards on eight plays, highlighted by a 35-yard pass to Dave Macari. Brian Gerard, the game's leading rusher with 48 yards on 15 carries, capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run with 9:17 left to play. The Crusaders also had the ball at midfield, down two scores, with seven minutes remaining. But none of that amounted to much to Fox. "We're less talented than a lot of teams but we're going to win some games," Fox said. "One thing that has to change, though, is our attitude. We're not expecting to win. We're satisfied losing by just a few points. That's got to stop."
October 1, 2004Crusaders Prepare for DarienThe Crusaders, coming off a bad beating at the hands of the Wreckers, look to take their first major step in the right direction. "We are ready for this one" says head coach Bryan Fox. "We seem focused and excited to break out of this losing streak and hungry for our first win." After a tough start, the Crusaders have to keep their focus to avoid the snow-ball effect. There is still plenty of time to turn this ship around. A good win on Saturday could be the start to a good season.
September 25, 2004Trinity no match for StaplesFrom The Stamford Advocate WESTPORT -- The chances of Trinity Catholic and its first-year coach, Bryan Fox, staying competitive with the defending Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference champion yesterday was about as likely as Paris Hilton sitting home in her sweats and renting movies on a Friday night. That task became even more formidable against a Staples team coming off a crushing season-opening loss and its most difficult week of practice in recent memory. The Wreckers scored the first two times they touched the ball, moved the ball at will and used a big-play offense for a resounding 43-0 victory. Staples coach Marce Petroccio was in better humor than a week ago, when his team suffered a 20-13 loss to Greenwich. A game most people, including himself, felt it should have won. "We talked with the team after Friday night and told them we had to come out and be angry today," Petroccio said. "We had to try and flush it out our system and play Wrecker football, and we did that today." Ryan Bohling scored on a 57-yard run on Staples' first play. Bryan Wrapp then returned a punt 67 yards to make the score 13-0. "It's kind of hard when they score two times on one touch," Fox said. Wrapp later scored on a 36-yard run and added an interception. D.J. Stefkovich, the Wreckers' talented quarterback, was sharp, completing 7 of 8 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns. "The kids were pumped to play," Petroccio said. "We came out and didn't want to give them any momentum." Several of the Staples players remarked before the game that they paid a price for the loss to the Cardinals. Petroccio didn't dispute that. "We had a rough practice week," Petroccio said. "Trust me. It was Def-Con 5 around here because our margin for error is extremely thin." The Crusaders (0-2) had few highlights in the first half. They were held to 34 yards and one first down. Their brightest moment was a Staples touchdown pass nullified by a penalty. The Wreckers ended up kicking a field goal on the possession. Trinity played better in the second half but was unable to avert the shutout. After Santiago Steele recovered a fumble on the Wreckers' 18 late in the third period, Wrapp picked off a pass by Tim Cullen two plays later. Cullen drove the Crusaders 51 yards on their final possession, but had a pass dropped in the end zone. "We never were able to get any life in us," Fox said. "That's a big and strong and great football team that we lost to. Our kids didn't stop fighting. But whether we lose 43-0 or 1-0, it's the same thing. A loss is a loss." Cognizant of the unlikelihood of a seismic upset, Fox put forth a realistic set of goals for his players. "We wanted to hang in there and take the air out of the ball," Fox said. "We wanted a first down on each possession. We wanted to make them run at least eight plays before a touchdown. We wanted to still be in the game at halftime." But the Wreckers had other plans. Stefkovich started their second possession with a 29-yard completion to Bohling. After his scoring pass to Brian Weverbergh was nullified, Sam Steinman's 22-yard field goal made it 16-0 with 59 seconds left in the opening period. Stefkovich left nothing to chance the next time he touched the ball. He hooked up with Dylan O'Shea on a 45-yard bomb to increase the lead to 23-0. Stefkovich then needed just seven plays to move the Wreckers 68 yards before halftime, finding a sliding Weverbergh open in the end zone from 7 yards out. Stefkovich was 4 for 4 on the drive. "The offense looked very sharp today and I was happy with that," Petroccio said. Staples scored again on its first possession of the second half, with Wrapp getting free down the right sideline on a perfect block by John Romann. Reserve quarterback Ryan Fenton closed out the scoring with a 1-yard sneak with 5:45 left. "We have an awful lot of young kids," Fox said. "They are going to keep battling and in time I think that will translate into wins." NOTES -- Mike Passero, one of just eight seniors on the Trinity roster, came on in the fourth quarter and gained 27 yards on four carries. Brian Gerard, with few openings, led the team with 36 yards on 16 carries. ... The Crusaders' longest play was a 20-yard pass from Cullen to Gene DeVito. ... Petroccio was pleased with Steinman, a junior. "We worked hard on special teams," he said. "We found a kicker. We kept asking if anyone could kick and he never said anything. Then one day he finally spoke up. He hadn't kicked since the eighth grade."
September 23, 2004Onward to Week 2It must have hurt the Crusaders bad...real bad. After focusing all their efforts on Westhill for an entire off-season, the TCHS football team caught a few bad breaks and came up on the short end of the score last Sunday. A few mistakes and a few turnovers cost them the game. After falling behind 26 - 0, the team battled back and cut the lead to 12 points. Had a few plays gone the other way, the score could very easily have been 26-21 and who knows what would have happened then. This is certainly a Crusader team that will not give up and will not give in. They are young and inexperienced, as is the coaching staff...and both players and coaches may make mistakes...but they will fight their heart out for each other and will certainly win some games this year. In the game program this week, Coach Fox's analysis of the team was very accurate: "We may win every game this year, we may lose every game this year, but you will see a team that has worked hard, makes no excuses, and gives 100% on every play." This team deserves to be congratulated for doing just that. Next game is tomorrow at 3:00 at Staples. Good luck Crusaders!
September 20, 2004Crusaders Get Pounded in OpenerThe Crusaders scored with no time left in the first half to cut Westhill's lead to 26-7. That is about all the good news from Alumni Field yesterday. Right from the start the Crusaders looked bad. They jumped offsides on their first play from scrimmage, they didn't stop Westhill at all in the Vikings first three posessions, they returned a kickoff to their own 1-yard line, and they turned the ball over three times. Just to make things worse, the frustrated Crusaders decided to start a fight with 12 seconds left in the game. The final ended up 33-14. This week the Crusaders face Staples High School at Staples on Friday afternoon.
September 16, 2004Crusaders Finish Pre-Season Strong...Await WesthillThe Trinity Crusaders finished the pre-season with a bang, beating up on Horace Mann and St. Lukes. Now the team awaits the home-opener against cross-town rival Westhill. One could not have written a better script to begin a season. Both programs coming off of terrible seasons. Both programs hiring new head coaches. Both programs trying to turn their respective ships around. Tim Cullen will lead the Crusaders offensive attack as the senior captain sees his first action under center as a starter. His primary targets will include Gene DeVito and Dave Macari. Running the ball for Trinity will be a three-headed fullback (senior, Brian Gerard; junior Matt "Animal" Tacconne; and sophomore Kyle Foti) as well as tailbacks Anas Koummal and Chris Zapata. The defense looks young, and aggressive. The attack defensively should be spear-headed by Vinny Cortez, Eric Stephens, and Andrew Shannon. Kickoff is at 1:30 PM. Go Crusaders!
August 20, 2004Busy Summer for CrusadersThe Crusaders have spent the off-season training in the weight room and attending camps. The two most recent camps have been huge successes with over 20 players attending the most recent including a handful of incoming freshmen. The combination of youthful talent and veteran leadership provides a positive outlook for the Crusaders as they enter the season. With senior leaders Tim Cullen, Fitz Angrahm, and John D'Aquilla leading the charge in the weight room, Head Coach Bryan Fox seems to have a positive outlook on the season. "We have a good core of kids who are working hard every day over the summer and the harder they work, the better we are going to be" said Fox. "We have a lot of guys playing new positions and we have to get them up to speed with the new systems we have installed offensively and defensively. It is going to be a long, tough August starting on the 23rd." The attitude with which the players accepted role changes helped as well. According to Fox, "We are beginning to realize that this game is a team game. We want to fill the roster with 'we guys' ... not 'me guys' and the more people we have willing to work hard for the team good, and striving to do the best they can no matter where they fit into the organization, the more success we will have." Some major off-season moves were that of sophomore fullbacks Eric Stevens and Vinny Corteze, as well as junior QB Andrew Shannon, to the offensive line. Trinity also welcomes the arrival of sophomore Mario Peralozzi. Fox remarked "All of the people who have changed positions have taken it in stride and worked hard at their new position. It isn't an easy move from running back to lineman, but if anybody here believes that the running back, or receiver, or quarterback is responsible for scoring a touchdown, than they won't be here long. As far as Peralozzi goes, I have not had time to evaluate him yet, but it looks as though he may be able to play some varsity this year, I am not sure yet to what extent." Beginning August 23rd, practices will be held at Trinity and on September 18th they start keeping score ... against cross town rival Westhill. Well this reporter wishes Coach Fox and the rest of the Crusaders a successful summer (or what remains of it) and look forward to the pre-season.
 Big senior defensive tackle Vladimir Joseph swims by an offensive lineman in a 28-20 home victory over Fairfield Ludlowe on October 29, 2005. (CrusaderNation.net / Dana Maul)
 Junior defensive tackle Santiago "Teggy" Steele wraps up a Darien
rusher as his
 Junior center Cory Johnson prepares to snap the ball to fellow classmate
 The Crusader offensive line pushes Bassick around in the mud. The
Crusaders
 Senior wideout Rob Hawthorn races downfield to block as junior fullback
Eric Stephens
 2005 All-FCIAC East Offense Row 1, Left to Right: Eric Wells, Bassick; Willie Epps, McMahon;
Pete Raymond,
 2005 All-FCIAC East Defense Row 1, Left to Right: Joe Luchesi, Danbury; Greg Sabo, Danbury; James
Taylor, Danbury;
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Trinity
Catholic High School Football |
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For
Greenwich, yesterday was a case of one win, three goals met, as it
clinched the FCIAC Eastern Division championship, earned a spot in
the league final and extended its unscored upon streak to three by
recording a 28-0 road victory over a gritty Trinity Catholic team
at Alumni Field.
