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05/17/2018 12:00 AMFreshman Tyler Dinapoli has stormed onto the scene for the boys’ lacrosse and football squads at North Branford High School this year. Tyler has been a bright spot for both teams and is now in the home stretch of an exceptional first year as a varsity athlete. Tyler says he feels right as home and appreciates how warmly he was welcomed by the upperclassmen.
“It’s good. All the guys are nice and they help us,” says Tyler. “They motivate us during practice to get better.”
Tyler’s top sport is lacrosse, and he’s spent several years playing the sport. Tyler and his dad constructed an area for him to practice lacrosse in the yard, where Tyler performs drills on a daily basis.
“Me and my dad built netting and a wall, so we have a lacrosse net, and I’m able to pass the ball off the ball and shoot into the netting behind,” Tyler says. “I do passes 200 times with my right hand and then 200 times with my left hand. I also take 100 shots with both hands mostly every day.”
All of Tyler’s hard work is paying off during his freshman season with the T-Birds’ boys’ lacrosse squad. Through North Branford’s first 12 games, Tyler is leading the team in scoring with 41 goals and 15 assists.
“Three years ago, I got moved down to attack. Usually on attack, those kids have good stick stills. My coach thought I had the best, so I should be on attack,” says Tyler. “My team really helps me. We have plays that we run where I usually get the ball in a shooting position. My offseason workouts really helped me to be as good as I have been this year.”
North Branford Head Coach Dave Carpenter knew that Tyler would make an impact when he stepped on the field this spring, although he didn’t realize just how good the freshman would be.
“He’s bigger, faster, and stronger than most freshmen. He’s always been that way, where he’s always been one of the best athletes in his grade or his school in general,” Carpenter says. “One of the best things is that this wasn’t a surprise for me. I coach the North Branford 7th- and 8th-grade youth teams, so I got to coach all these freshmen last year. Tyler also plays on my club team over the summer, too. Before we came to spring, I knew he’d be a big part of the team, but I didn’t know he’d be this dominant this early like he has been.”
Tyler also takes face-offs for North Branford. He’s won 56 percent of his draws this season, in addition to scooping up 120 ground balls.
“I’ve always taken face-offs. When I moved to attack, we didn’t have another face-off guy, so we’d put a midfielder on attack, I’d take the draw, and then switch after,” says Tyler. “I understand how other guys are positioning, and I work around that with my face-off moves to win.”
Coach Carpenter says that he’s been impressed with Tyler’s tenacity on the field, particularly his ability to corral a ground ball.
“He’s so competitive that, even when it’s a 50-50 ground ball, I know he’s going to win it, because he will not let the other kids pick it up,” says Carpenter. “Even if he can’t pick it up, somebody on his team will get it, because he won’t let the other kid get it. He’s just that competitive.”
On the football field, Tyler lined up as a running back and at outside linebacker for North Branford last fall. He scored five touchdowns on offense, while recording 55 tackles, five sacks, two interceptions, and a forced fumble on defense.
“I did very well for my freshman year,” says Tyler. “I like defense better, because I really like hitting.”
As he looks forward to three more seasons of lacrosse, Tyler is hoping to put his name in the North Branford history books, while helping the Thunderbirds claim state championship glory, before his time at the high school is finished.
“My goals are to one day be the best scorer in North Branford history. I’d also like to get the most assists,” says Tyler. “I also want to win a state championship.”