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Johnson Appreciates the Leadership of His Seniors

In early September, just as school was about to begin, the four captains on the East Haven baseball team approached Head Coach Butch Johnson and said that they wanted to start preparing for the 2020 season. Even though the campaign was still several months away, the Yellowjackets’ captains wanted to make sure that they were ready, so they committed themselves to an early start.

When the practices first got underway, eight or nine athletes would typically show up. By January, there were 20 people there three times each week. From the freshmen to the seniors, everyone bonded quickly and was ready to prove themselves on the field this year.

Coach Johnson was proud of his seniors for their preseason efforts and how they came together to lead the team, calling this year’s edition of the Yellowjackets one of the hardest-working groups he’s ever known. Unfortunately, the Easties never got their opportunity to display the fruits of their labor after the season was canceled due to COVID-19.

“In the beginning, we thought maybe another 30 days, and we will play. But as the start of the season got closer and the numbers started rising, I think realistically we all knew, but nobody wanted to say it,” said Johnson, whose club went 11-11 and earned a share of the SCC Hammonasset Division title last year. “When [Governor Ned Lamont] finally made the call and the CIAC followed, it was sad and disappointing and everything in between.”

The four senior captains who were going to lead East Haven this year are Jake Marquardt, Mike O’Connor, Kaymond Quattlebaum, and Mike Streeto. Coach Johnson said that Marquardt, who was also a captain on the football team, would come to every single baseball practice, even if he had a football workout. Quattlebaum also played football for the Yellowjackets and, just like Marquardt, he attended all of the baseball squad’s practices.

Johnson credited O’Connor for changing his work schedule and requesting to leave work early just so he could make it to baseball practice. Johnson also gave credit to Streeto for organizing East Haven’s early practices and encouraging his teammates to participate.

“It was fun watching them work,” Johnson said. “They would go through a lot of different weight routines, agility and running drills, and stretching. They did everything we asked. They were all leaders.”

The Easties also featured seniors Noah Danz, Ryan Gold, and Ryan Howard on this year’s roster. Although Danz was coming off an elbow injury, Johnson said that he “wouldn’t just sit and watch,” and would instead work out with his teammates and try to help them in any way possible. Gold was also dealing with a shoulder injury, but like Danz, he would show up at practice and do what whatever he could to help his teammates get better. Coach Johnson also said that Howard was also a regular at every practice, no matter the circumstance.

Johnson felt pleased that his seven seniors and their teammates were willing to work hard to improve with a few months to go until the season was scheduled to start. For their efforts and dedication, Johnson needed just one word to describe East Haven’s senior class.

“They were special,” said Johnson. “We’ve had teams like this in the past, and last year’s team kind of started the trend. This year’s team saw what they could accomplish, and they wanted to win. For them to come up and say, ‘Let’s start in the second week of school,’ that was their uniqueness. To have that many kids that many days a week, you don’t see that very much. We saw it this year.”

Aside from his seniors, Coach Johnson was also expecting a jump from junior Trey Garea, a quarterback on the East Haven football team. Garea was slated to pitch and play third base for the Yellowjackets this spring. Johnson also pointed out junior Nick Furino, who posted a record of 6-1 on the mound last year and would have been the Easties’ ace in 2020. Another standout in the junior class is first baseman/designated hitter CJ Lombardi, who Johnson said “swings a really good bat.”

As his team moves into the future, Coach Johnson acknowledges that losing seven seniors leaves a big hole in East Haven’s roster. However, Johnson feels confident that the framework created by this year’s seniors will motivate the next wave of Yellowjackets to strive toward success.

“It will be a rebuilding year next year. We are losing a lot of seniors, so we have a lot of spots to fill. It’s wide open. Hopefully, we start early and they get together over the summer and play together,” said Johnson. “I think the desire is there. It’s going to be a tough core to replace, but we have a couple kids ready to step up. They have the leadership ability.”