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04/30/2020 12:00 AMJustin White has turned in four strong years as a member of the football and boys’ basketball programs at North Haven High School. Justin played quarterback for the Indians on the gridiron and was a power forward on the basketball court. Justin also served as one of the basketball team’s senior captains and went on to win the squad’s Most Improved Player Award.
Justin feels proud of the contributions that he made on the hardwood this year. It was a great thrill for Justin when he learned that he had been named the Indians’ Most Improved Player.
“I didn’t expect that. It was an honor. I really appreciated my teammates for voting for me for that,” says Justin. “I always just tried to show up for practice and games, play the best I could, and set the best example for everyone. I always watched the older guys do things and tried to imitate them. I was just trying to play the best I could, and my teammates voted for me.”
Justin patrolled the paint and had a knack for hauling in rebounds at a steady clip. Justin didn’t always hunker down on the block, but he eventually became a mainstay down low for North Haven.
“I was a guard and then, throughout high school, I gradually transitioned to power forward. I grew a little bit, and we were a guard-heavy team,” Justin says. “I like to rebound the ball and play defense. I worked on my feet and a couple of moves. Then I was a power forward.”
While Justin considers himself a defensive and rebounding specialist, he also found ways to contribute on the offensive end of the floor from time to time.
“I was more of a dump-off, layup guy. I was never really a scorer. I was out there to defend,” says Justin, who’s 6-foot-1 and weighs 180 pounds. “If you needed me to do it, I’d do it, but I tried to get it to the guys who could score. I was that piece that was in there to do things that help us win.”
Justin made a big impact as a leader for the Indians. The senior captain relished the opportunity set an example for the club’s younger players just like the upperclassmen had demonstrated to him in prior years.
“I tried to do the right thing for other guys to look at. I wanted to be the role model for the younger guys,” Justin says. “It’s like a chain reaction. If you do what an older guy does and you do it better, then a younger guy can look at you and do it better than you did. That’s how you build a legacy.”
Head Coach Justin Falcon admires the work that his senior captain put in during each practice and every game. Falcon believes that any successful basketball program needs someone like Justin around.
“I’m gonna miss that kid. Justin led by example every single day. Sometimes you get kids who would try to intimidate people into doing what they should. Justin was always just himself,” says Falcon. “The kids all believed everything that he said, and they knew if Justin was saying it, it was the right thing to do. He’s also one of the best rebounders we have ever had. His ability to go get those rebounds is something that I’m going to talk about for years to come.”
Justin also played four years of football for North Haven, spending a bulk of that time at quarterback. Even though the Indians were a run-heavy team, Justin was part of a crafty offense that could catch opposing defenses flat-footed.
“Our team usually doesn’t throw the ball. I would be in there as a surprise attack. I would do a lot of quick dump passes over the middle,” Justin says. “I was never really an every-down guy. I would throw short routes, not a lot of deep balls. But sometimes, short little passes would turn into touchdown plays.”
Just like in basketball, Justin started off his football career playing a different position. Justin transitioned to quarterback pretty early after initially playing tight end and on defense.
“Growing up, I was always a tight end. Freshman year, I played QB one game and threw two touchdowns. From that point on, I was considered a quarterback,” says Justin. “Over the next three years, I trained with coaches to really get the mechanics. I just tried to learn the coverages and the playbook really well. I liked being the guy who knew all the plays and where everyone needed to be. I would even run the ball sometimes, but if there was someone who was throwing the ball, it was usually me.”
Even though there aren’t many similarities between football and basketball, Justin says that some skills apply to playing both the quarterback and power forward positions.
“I would say that my footwork in the pocket as a quarterback and the footwork you need at defensive back correlated to basketball in a way,” Justin says. “Working out and lifting for football definitely helped me get stronger for basketball. Being able to jump high made me an overall better player in both, too.”
With high school coming to a close, Justin doesn’t anticipate pursuing either of his sports at the collegiate level. Still, Justin knows that his athletic career at North Haven will always hold a special place in his heart and soul.
“Playing high school sports was one of the best experiences of my life and will probably always be up there,” says Justin. “I would recommend that everyone should try it. Never take it for granted. If you have the opportunity, play as many things as you can.”