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08/12/2016 12:00 AMFrank Longley has gone to Catholic schools throughout his life and he continued that trend by attending Notre Dame-West Haven when it came time for high school. The decision has paid off well for the East Haven resident as Frank’s sophomore football season culminated with a trip to a state final, while his recent campaign with the Green Knights’ baseball team saw them win the Class L state championship.
“I went to a Catholic school in East Haven and I’ve stayed in a private school my whole life. I love it there, I have my friends there, made new friends, and the coaches and teachers are nice. I love the school,” says Frank. “They’re two of my favorite sports that I love to play and I wish I could never stop playing them.”
Longley and the Green Knights defeated East Lyme 5-2 to claim the Class L crown on June 12. The victory resulted in Notre Dame’s second state title since Frank entered the program as the team had previously beat Masuk for the championship in his freshman season. On this year’s team, Frank made a big impact by starting at first base and batting cleanup for the Green Knights.
“It was basically the best experience of my life. There is no better feeling,” says Frank. “My team did great and I was just there to help them. It was a team effort and we pulled it out.”
Frank’s experience on the football field helped him bulk up to transform himself into a power bat in the middle of Notre Dame’s lineup. This summer, Frank opted to move on from playing AAU baseball with the Connecticut Owls and join East Haven’s Senior Legion team. Frank batted in the No. 5 hole for the 89ers.
“I was usually just a one or two hitter and ended up bulking up a little bit and started hitting fourth for ND,” says Frank. “I’m not the type of kid that will hit a home run, but I’ll drive gaps and hit the ball hard.”
89ers’ Head Coach John Longley, who is also Frank’s uncle, says that Frank’s performance at the plate proved huge for East Haven, which won 14 games and qualified for the State Tournament. Longley also praises Frank for the demeanor that he brought to the diamond on a daily basis.
“He was one of our power bats. When you play Senior Legion and say power bats, they’re going to hit doubles and triples for you. You don’t see many kids hitting them over the fence with the wood bats,” says Coach Longley. “He also always had a great attitude. He always played hard and always gave it his all. He never got down and always kept the kids up to compete. Frank never quit and, you know what, if you get players like that, you’re going to have a successful season.”
Frank says that he’s always enjoyed bringing a hefty dose of energy to every team he’s played for throughout his career.
“I’m always into the game and always doing my job—whatever I can do to help the team win,” he says. “I won an award for baseball for a kid that goes out there and plays with intensity and plays his heart out. I always like to start yelling and doing anything to help out. I’m always talking to everyone and trying to make it easy for my team.”
This spring marked Frank’s first go-round as a first baseman. Having previously played everywhere else on the infield, Frank quickly grew comfortable with his new position.
“I started playing first because we had an open spot. It was a little weird at first, but I’m getting used to it,” Frank says. “It’s just a lot of running over to the bag and catching, as opposed to seeing a lot of ground balls. I caught on quick, though, and it came easy after a while.”
Frank used to be a fullback on the gridiron, but has since transferred his energy to the defensive side of the ball, where he suits up as a linebacker. As a junior last fall, Frank recorded the third-most tackles on the Green Knights with 79, plus he also forced one fumble and recovered another.
“I actually started as a defensive end and, when I got to high school, they moved me to linebacker,” says Frank. “It’s all about the form and I just love hitting people. That’s what it comes down to.”