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01/03/2020 11:00 PMDespite suffering a major setback during the first week of the season, the East Haven football team still battled its way to a record of 7-3 in 2019. The Yellowjackets’ record marked the first time that the team achieved back-to-back winning seasons since the start of the millennium. Second-year Head Coach Scott Benoit was proud of the overall effort from his squad, as well as the way that his athletes approached the game.
“We’ve come a long way,” said Benoit. “The way our guys practiced, we didn’t have a bad practice all season. The way they condition, their academic performance—it’s all good. These guys did a great job in everything we asked for.”
Senior captain Tanner DiVito was once again slated to be East Haven’s starting quarterback, but was unable to play the position the rest of the season after enduring a thumb injury versus Foran in the first game of the year. Junior Trey Garea filled in admirably as the Yellowjackets’ quarterback as every member of the team picked up the slack in DiVito’s absence.
“There was never any panic. We had that next-man-up mentality. Trey got a lot of work in the preseason at quarterback and was playing wide receiver while Tanner was the quarterback, so he was already on the field and playing meaningful minutes. That helped with the transition,” Coach Benoit said. “All our guys, all the captains, did a great job keeping it together. I felt bad for Tanner. I mean, everyone did. But we knew we needed to move on.”
The Easties earned their seven victories versus teams that Benoit thought they could beat. The Yellowjackets’ three defeats came against New Fairfield, Cheshire, and Branford, who were the most difficult opponents on their schedule.
“As a program, that’s where we are. We win against the teams we’re supposed to beat, and we struggled versus teams that are better than us,” said Benoit. “As a program, we have to find a way to get over that hump.”
The Yellowjackets won with offense early and then succeeded with defense down the stretch. The fact that East Haven was able to win in different ways throughout the year showed Coach Benoit that there was excellent leadership and plenty of selflessness on his roster. Benoit said the Yellowjackets started displaying good habits from the second they stepped on the field.
“No team, and I’ve been coaching a long time, no team has put in the work in the offseason that this team did. These guys were there at 6 a.m. four days a week. It was not an easy summer, but they showed up and kept grinding it out,” Benoit said. “The biggest thing that stood out to me was how unselfish they all are.”
Coach Benoit said that each one of his senior captains brought specific characteristics to their leadership role. Lineman Calvin Nelson was the most vocal of the group. Nelson earned a spot on the All-SCC Tier 3 Team as a defensive lineman and was also named East Haven’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Mike Caruso, an All-SCC Tier 3 pick at defensive back, had a phenomenal season by snagging six interceptions, including a pick-six, to go with four fumble recoveries, along with a touchdown on special teams. Fellow senior captain Jake Marquardt earned All-SCC Tier 3 honors as a linebacker.
East Haven was bolstered by huge contributions throughout its senior class. Senior receiver Alec DiVito did a great job in the blocking game and was presented with the Yellowjackets’ Sportsmanship Award. Kaymond Quattlebaum, also a senior receiver, was the biggest threat in the team’s aerial attack.
Senior Jacob Araujo, who received East Haven’s Coaches’ Award, saw success at running back, wide receiver, and cornerback for East Haven. Senior Jack Izzo made the All-SCC Tier 3 Team as a linebacker and also had an impact in his first season as the starting varsity center.
Senior Mike Castellano garnered All-SCC Tier 3 accolades as a defensive back and rushed for more than 500 yards on offense. He was also the football team’s Scholar Athlete. Nate Santos had a stellar season at safety and was selected to the Levi Jackson All-Star Team as a result.
Ethan Kowalczik gutted out the season despite dealing with some injuries. Fellow seniors Shawn Nugent and Vince Maida were first-year players who worked hard in the weight room to earn minutes on the varsity field.
“The funny thing about these guys is they’re all the same,” said Benoit of his seniors. “They’re all very unselfish and team oriented.”
Coach Benoit also received an accolade for guiding East Haven to its second-straight winning season. Benoit was named the SCC Tier 3 Coach of the Year.
“It’s an honor for sure, and what we’re doing now is amazing. I look at these as team awards, and I know all these guys feel the same way,” he said. “My approach to this whole thing is a team approach. The kids, the assistant coaches—those are the guys who make this whole thing work.”
Junior running back Eric Araujo was named East Haven’s Offensive Player of the Year. Araujo is one of 15 seniors who is expected to be back with the Yellowjackets as they try to keep the wins coming in 2020.
“We return 15 seniors for next year. We have to replace some very good players, but I think we have a good nucleus returning,” said Benoit. “We should be competitive against next year.”