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01/11/2017 11:00 PMFootball has been a big part of Ian Neviaser’s life for as long as he can remember as his dad and his uncles all played the sport, plus his family often played together. Ian’s influence extends even beyond his family, though, as he lives next door to Warriors’ football alum Mitch King in Essex.
“I remember seeing Mitch come home from his games, and now being that kid on the team that the younger kids come to watch is a dream come true. It just brings tears to my eyes,” says Ian. “Knowing next year is my last year is crazy. It’s cool and sad at the same time.”
Ian recently completed his junior season for the Valley Regional-Old Lyme football team, which went 10-2 and reached the semifinals of the Class M State Playoffs. Ian is already looking forward to his senior year and feels thrilled that another one of his childhood dreams will be realized.
“It’s a dream come true knowing I’m one of four captains of the Valley Regional football team and it’s a great feeling to know my teammates are behind me and always have my back, just like I always have theirs,” Ian says. “We want to work hard to get back to the state championship like we did in 2014.”
As one who’s played football since his elementary school days, Ian knew he wanted to continue his career in high school. Ian admits that he didn’t put in his maximum effort during his freshman year, but at the end of the season, one of Ian’s older teammates inspired him to try harder. Ian’s extra effort ultimately led him to earning the spot as the Warriors’ starting center.
“Jack Giaconia, the biggest kid to come through Valley, said I could do great things, and that really kickstarted my engine and that was my drive to work hard on and off the field,” Ian says. “I stepped up and got into snapping the ball every day and that’s where I am today.”
Ian did a lot of strength and speed training during the 2016 preseason and says that “I grew into my body,” which worked to his advantage on the offensive line this past fall. After seeing how his hard work paid off, Ian is now pushing his teammates to work their hardest during the offseason. He’s spending lots of time in the weight room and plans to the lead captains’ practices this summer.
“If you’re not playing another sport, we want to see you in the weight room,” says Ian, who’s 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds. “Everybody needs to be working hard. If we get everyone committed, we could do great things next year.”
Coach Tim King has seen Ian’s commitment and been impressed with Ian’s play at the center position, as well as his leadership both on and off the field.
“He brought some experience to center having played there last year and he made a lot of the line calls. He has to be the field general on the offensive line,” says King. “He is one of the most consistent players we have. He doesn’t miss practice and is in the weight room every day. He and the other captains are pushing the players to get in there. We’ve got some pretty good captains for this year.”
Ian, in turn, feels grateful to King and the Warriors’ coaching staff for their support and guidance through the years. Ian also thanks his youth football coaches, one of which was his dad, in addition to all his teammates, teachers, and other family members.
“My whole family is behind me no matter what. My dad and I have a great relationship, my mom has always been my rock, and my sisters are always there and we help each other out,” says Ian, a Washington Redskins fan. “My teachers, teammates, coaches, and family all push me to be the best I can be.”
During the spring, Ian competes for the Valley Regional boys’ lacrosse team. Ian has been playing lacrosse since 4th grade and says the sport helps sharpen his skills on the football field.
“Lacrosse is good for keeping me in shape and good for footwork and still a very physical sport, which I enjoy,” Ian says. “The sport is very fun and there’s always something good in lacrosse I can bring back to football.”
Although Ian’s primary focus is on helping both his Valley teams succeed, he’s also starting to think about playing football beyond high school. Ian plans on doing a postgraduate year and says that some schools have already reached out to him.
“My ultimate dream is to play Division I college football, which would be awesome, and every little football player’s dream is to play in the NFL,” he says. “I’ll do prep school to get bigger, faster, stronger, and good grades to get into a college, and then see where it takes me.”