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08/16/2018 12:01 AMThe game of football is such a controversial topic these days with parents having to make decisions about letting their sons play and professionals choosing to kneel in protest. Many of us in Branford dreamt of being the next big football star, starting out at Hammer Field in the early ’70s learning the game and playing without coaches. When high school rolled around, it became apparent to many of us, that we were either undersized, not tough enough, or just not interested in having our bodies banged up.
I have many memories of my freshman football team at Branford High. Head coach Bob Hart was also my math teacher and former all-state linemen Phil Travisano was an assistant. We had so many kids on that team who went on to be great athletes either in football or in other sports, both in high school and in college. Dave Pacileo, his brother Jim, an all-stater, was badly injured in a game during that year and never again returned to the football field. No one will ever know what kind of player he would have become. Jack Gambardella, small in stature, was huge on the football field and on the basketball court. Jeff Doyle, Steve Prota, Wayne Lipkvich, Joe Casanova, Alex Paluzzi, Paul Criscoulo, Mark Healy, and Steve Evon were just some of the outstanding players I remember. (I apologize for inevitably leaving others out.)
One classmate I remember well, was one whom I ate lunch with in the cafeteria on most days. At the time, he wore dorky glasses and chose not to play freshman football in spite of friends urging him to come out for the team. Chic Santacroce went on to have a great career for the Hornets and kicked the winning point on Thanksgiving against arch-rival East Haven in our senior year.
One of my most vivid memories is of a drill we ran in practice. Two players would lie on the ground about 20 feet apart with their helmets facing each other. One would have a football in their arms and when the coach would blow the whistle, the two would pop up and brace for a collision. Meeting head on with Lee Wezenski, who would later go on to a solid career as a fullback, was not a pleasant experience. We collided helmet to helmet and I fell straight back still clutching the ball and looking straight up at a “starry” sky. Enough said.
My entire season was made up of a total of about 10 game plays and when the next summer rolled around, with the promise of triple sessions in scorching heat, I decided that I would try my luck on the soccer field rather than on the gridiron.
I was never faced with the decision of whether or not I would let my son play football, as his high school sport of choice was cross country. I still try to attend the annual Thanksgiving game each year and still scan the sidelines to see if anyone is wearing the jersey I wore for one year.
Mike Russo is a lifelong Branford resident and proud parent of two.