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08/13/2020 12:00 AMPat Lillis has been on the gridiron since he started playing flag football in North Haven’s youth league in 1st grade. Pat grew up watching his brother Aiden play football and says that the sport “kind of just clicked” in him as soon as he stepped on the field. Pat has continued to move up the ranks in town through the subsequent years, ultimately earning the honor of being a senior captain for the North Haven football team in 2020.
“I grew up watching a lot of the old football players. My dad got me into them. We used to talk about all these different players,” says Pat. “He taught me all about the game and told me about all the guys he used to play with in high school. I just watched videos more and looked at it, watched how they played and grew from it.”
After playing flag football through 3rd grade, Pat joined North Haven’s youth tackle league. Pat competed in the league for several years before signing up to play at the high school as a freshman. Pat was a regular for the JV team in his freshman year and then continued in that role in his sophomore season, while also getting some playing time with the varsity team.
“I saw a fair amount of playing time at the JV level as a freshman. It was strange to be playing against guys that were so much bigger than me,” Pat says. “Sophomore year, I saw a lot of varsity playing time considering I was a sophomore. I got a decent amount of playing time on varsity and got my time at JV as usual. But I got to see a lot more time as the season went on.”
As he entered his junior season, Pat took on a bigger role for North Haven’s varsity squad. Pat spent time at both outside linebacker and defensive end, in addition to playing some fullback on offense. Head Coach Anthony Sagnella saw how much Pat had improved and was impressed with his both his versatility and physicality.
“Pat is a throwback type kid. He’s a rugged, tough player. He enjoys competing. He enjoys practice. He enjoys working out. He is a fun kid to be around,” says Sagnella. “Pat played significantly last year. He played as much as a starter and, because of his versatility, he played numerous different positions. Pat had the ability to plug a lot of holes for us.”
Pat just wanted to be on the varsity field as a junior and was willing to play any position that allowed him to do so. Pat had suited up at multiple positions during his youth football days, so that was certainly nothing new to him.
It was exciting for Pat to go up against some of best players in Connecticut as a varsity athlete. Pat will always remember the excitement that came when North Haven scored its first touchdown of the season in its opening contest against Fairfield Prep.
“I watched my running back Max Augustine get into the end zone. Hearing that crowd go wild and the fire trucks—I think there were even fireworks—it was an amazing feeling,” Pat says. “It is an experience I don’t think I’ll ever forget.”
Pat says that former captain Joe Vitale III pushed him to train hard in the weight room last year. The more the seniors pushed him, the more that Pat improved. With so many people in his corner, Pat started to take his preseason training more seriously and saw the results of his effort translate to the field.
Now, Pat is one of the seniors who is leading the charge for North Haven. Pat was named one of the team’s senior captains for this year alongside two-way lineman Anthony Vigliotto. Pat says that being selected as a senior captain was “one of the biggest honors I could ask from this team.”
“I’m glad my teammates trust me to lead them into battle,” says Pat. “I’m glad the coaches trust me to be on top of everyone and lead them in the right direction.”
Coach Sagnella says that Pat is going to constantly be on the field this season. Pat will be seeing a lot of action on the defensive line, but may also play linebacker, fullback, tight end, or even on the offensive line if necessary. With more responsibility on his shoulders, Pat is looking to take North Haven as far as the team can go on the heels of a 6-4 season in 2019.
Pat is planning on playing football at the collegiate level after he graduates from high school. Pat has been talking to various coaches and is waiting to find the right fit, but no matter how everything pans out, he says that competing in college would “mean to the world” to him, because it means that he would have four more years of football.
Football has been a huge part of Pat’s life from a young age. While progressing from flag football to the varsity ranks, Pat has continued to grow as both a player and a leader. With his senior year approaching, Pat feels thankful for the memories that he’s experienced in North Haven and looks forward to more memorable moments with his friends on the field this fall.
“I enjoy being around my friends and I enjoy competing with them. I enjoy meeting new people,” Pat says. “I really enjoy getting challenged by people that may be better than me. But I think I’m better than them, heart-wise.”