This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
12/22/2016 11:00 PMThe fall of 2016 saw second-year Head Coach Melvin Wells and the East Haven football team put together another solid season in which the Yellowjackets won their last three games, including a 14-0 victory over Branford on Thanksgiving. Elsewhere, the East Haven-Wilbur Cross co-op girls’ swim squad made its debut, led by All-State freshman Laura Rosado.
Football
The Yellowjackets’ football squad finished up at 5-5 this fall, marking the second straight season that East Haven had at least a .500 record.
It was the first time East Haven had accomplished that in 15 years. Three of East Haven’s losses came by less than seven points and the Yellowjackets played great down the stretch. Late-season wins over Guilford, McMahon, and Branford were the highlights of the season as the Easties played exactly how Head Coach Melvin Wells knew they were capable of.
McClay Marshall made the All-SCC Division II/III Team at running back as he ran for 1,301 yards and nine touchdowns. Nate Lastomirsky took on the quarterback role in early August and put together a quality season as he constantly kept East Haven in a position to win. Defensively, Niam Coward was the Easties’ leader and earned All-SCC honors at linebacker with a team-high 143 tackles.
Girls’ Swimming and Diving
The Yellowjackets welcomed Wilbur Cross into the fold, creating the East Haven-Cross co-op girls’ swimming squad this fall.
Laura Rosado, a freshman from Wilbur Cross, made a remarkable debut in the 100 backstroke and the 100 butterfly. At the SCC Championship, where East Haven finished 14th overall, Rosado went All-SCC in both evens with a second-place finish in the backstroke and a third-place performance in the butterfly. Then the Class LL State Championship, the Yellowjackets finished in 15th place with Rosado placing third in the fly and fifth in the backstroke to earn a spot in the State Open Championship. At the Open, Rosado placed third in the butterfly with a personal-best time of 57.34 seconds to earn All-State honors, along with an eighth-place finish in the backstroke at 58.75.
Volleyball
The Easties wrapped up the fall season with an 8-14 overall record, which included losses in the opening rounds of both the SCC and Class M state tournaments.
East Haven was led at the net by Kylie Schlottman, who had a team-high 265 kills and 51 aces for the season. Amber Ciscone was East Haven’s defensive specialist with 467 serve receives and 326 digs, which were both team bests. Freshman Isabella Ragaini contributed 418 assists as East Haven finished the year with 1,151 digs as a team for the season. Also making a solid contribution offensively was Summer Onorato, who had 153 kills
Boys’ Soccer
East Haven finished the season with a 1-14-1 overall record as the club’s lone win came on the road by a 4-3 score against Bassick on Sept. 16. The Easties also tied North Branford during the year.
Girls’ Soccer
Coming off of its most successful year in program history, the Yellowjackets were unable to pick up a victory in 2016. The Yellowjackets did record ties against Hand, Sheehan, and Branford, with latter coming on Senior Night.
Boys’ Cross Country
East Haven featured a veteran core of runners whom Head Coach Anthony Russell said pushed one another to perform their best throughout the year.
Austin Rivera and Jake Ferrara generally finished at the front of the pack for the Yellowjackets. At the SCC Championship, the boys’ placed 18th overall, after which they finished 21st at the Class MM State Championship.
Girls’ Cross Country
The Yellowjackets had a small team, but saw a few athletes compete at the SCC and Class M state championships this year.
The Easties took 17th place at the SCC Championship and were 21st overall at the state meet. Captain Katie Maffeo was consistently the team’s top runner throughout the season.