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12/13/2017 11:00 PMThe Valley Regional-Old Lyme football team made a triumphant return to the playoffs in 2017, and senior Mike Cullina proved instrumental to the Warriors’ success while playing the quarterback position. Mike stepped into the starting QB role this fall after previously serving as the backup and made quite an impression in his first year under center. Mike threw for 2,279 yards and 25 touchdowns to go with five rushing TDs on his way to making the All-Pequot League First Team and being named the Warriors’ co-Offensive Player of the Year with Nick Braga.
Even though it took him a little while to become the starting quarterback, earning the job was a dream come true for Mike, who wanted that spot ever since he started watching his brother play when he was younger.
“My brother played football for Valley back in [2008]. He was set to be starting quarterback for them, but the summer before he got injured, and he never got the chance to play,” says Mike, a Deep River resident. “After that, it was always my goal to play quarterback for Valley. It was main goal ever since I went to those games in 4th grade.”
Mike was determined to take the reins as the Warriors’ quarterback in his senior year, and he worked relentlessly to make sure that goal came to pass. After studying predecessor Matt Sapere for a few seasons, Mike knew what kind of work was required to be the field general. Mike went to throwing programs, worked out during the hot summer months, lifted in the weight room, and made sure he took good care of himself. Mike took those first snaps during the preseason scrimmages, and Head Coach Tim King stuck with him for the duration of the campaign.
“I got to watch Matt play, and I was his backup. I knew I would only have my senior year to play quarterback,” Mike says. “I watched a lot of film, did summer work. Saturday mornings I would go down to the field and work out in the hot sun. I put a lot of work and a lot of hours in, and my teammates supported me too...I started the first scrimmage. I started off well and just kept going.”
Coach King wasn’t sure who he was going to go with at quarterback after Sapere graduated, but he had a feeling that Mike would force his hand by competing hard for the job.
“We had a couple of other avenues that we were looking at going into the season, but we knew that Mike would work hard, and that he really wanted the job. He was determined to be that quarterback,” says King. “The year before, he was our middle linebacker. He wanted to take over [the starting quarterback] role. He had a very good passing league. One of the big things was when he went to UMass, he had a lot of quality time with the staff and coaches there...Mike is a competitor; that’s for sure. You have to be a competitor at the quarterback position. He showed that all last year, wanting that spot. He fought hard for it, and my hat’s off to that.”
The Warriors’ path to the playoffs featured a big bump in the form of a midseason defeat against Old Saybrook-Westbrook. As much as that loss hurt, Mike believes it was a huge motivator for his team to get over the hump and into the postseason dance. Two games later, Valley-Old Lyme recorded its signature win of the season with a 34-28 overtime victory against a then-undefeated Cromwell-Portland squad. The Warriors went on to win their next three games and make the Class S State Playoffs at 9-1.
“Right after [the Old Saybrook-Westbrook] game, no one on the field was happy. We said, ‘From here on out, every game from now on is a playoff game.’ We banded together,” says Mike. “I don’t like losing, but that loss helped us win every single game after that. When we played Cromwell, that was one of the best games we’ve ever played...We were up, and they were up. The momentum swings in the game were crazy. It was the craziest game of my life.”
Even though the season didn’t ultimately end with a state title, the fact that the Warriors qualified for the playoffs helped Mike decide about the future of his football career. Mike has decided that he wants to play football in college, and he has a few schools looking at him on the heels of his stellar senior season. Mike says he was unsure if he wanted to continue playing football after this year, but the decision came to him when Valley-Old Lyme faced Rocky Hill in the playoffs.
“I’ve been looking. Coach King said a couple of schools were interested in talking to me. I was having doubts about playing next level, but as soon as I stepped on the field against Rocky Hill, I knew I wanted to keep playing at the next level,” says Mike. “My main concern is the best opportunity. I don’t know if I want to stay in Connecticut. I’ve lived here my whole life, and I want to go out and explore. It’s really the best fit. I want to start playing right away, and I know that’s hard. As long as I get to play football, I’ll be happy.”