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11/10/2021 11:00 PMAdam Metz remembers attending Valley Regional football games and watching the Warriors compete on Friday nights while growing up. Now, Adam has gone from the sidelines to the trenches as he’s become a starting two-way lineman for the Valley-Old Lyme football squad as a junior this fall.
Adam started playing football in the Tri-Town youth league when he was in 3rd grade. Adam was encouraged to play by his father Jim and his brother Kyle. With his dad serving as his coach, Adam was always competing with his brother and doing his best to improve every step of the way.
“It was great. It was always a lot of fun. There was always competition between me and my brother,” says Adam. “My dad was always there to help us out. He has been my coach since 3rd grade. It was a big part of my life.”
In 4th grade, Adam moved over to the Old Saybrook-Westbrook youth program, where he was competing against 5th and 6th graders. He then joined the Clinton Huskies in 6th grade and played there until his freshman year. No matter what team he was playing for, Adam was able to learn the fundamentals of the game and get prepared for when the time came to play at the high school.
“I was able to learn the basics,” Adam says. “It’s a lot harder to learn the basics starting in high school rather than just growing up with it.”
As soon as he stepped on the gridiron, Adam was manning both the offensive and defensive lines. For the Warriors, Adam switches between center and guard on offense, while playing tackle, end, and nose guard on defense.
Although linemen might not always get the same glory of skill-position players, Adam is willing to do the dirty work in order to help his teammates make big plays.
“I’ve always been a dog. It’s always a lot of fun,” says Adam of being a lineman. “Linemen are always the nicest people on the field. We slam into each other. You have to be the hardest worker. You can never quit. If you mess up, then the person behind you gets hurt. It’s a glory-less job.”
Adam joined the Warriors’ football program during his freshman year. He mostly played for the JV squad, but saw some varsity time on the extra points team. While he had numerous years of experience playing youth football, Adam found that competing at the high school level was an entirely different beast.
“It’s definitely a big difference. I’ve always played with people older than me,” Adam says. “It’s just way different going up against grown men as a little freshman.”
After his sophomore season was canceled due to COVID-19, Adam returned to the Warriors as a junior and is now starting on both lines in the 2021 campaign. As a freshman, Adam saw what it takes to reach the varsity field. Now, he says he sees the level of dedication that is necessary to succeed there.
“It’s definitely more competitive. It’s more physical,” says Adam. “If you make it that far, you want to be there. There’s nobody there who doesn’t want to be there. Everybody is working hard.”
Adam is constantly hitting the weight room, running through different ladders, and training with his fellow “dogs” as he strives to keep being a force in the trenches. Adam has not only matured in terms of his physical game, but also as a leader, and is always making sure that his teammates keep their heads up no matter the outcome.
“I’ve grown a lot as a player over the offseasons,” Adam says. “I have good footwork. I try to stay level-headed and not feed into anybody talking trash. I try to keep my teammates up and just remind them we’re all a part of one team. We’re all brothers.”
In addition to playing football, Adam is also a member of the Valley Regional boys’ lacrosse team. Serving as a goalkeeper, Adam often stands in a two-point stance, and he feels that benefits his technique whenever he’s on the gridiron.
After watching the team play as a kid, Adam has now become a Warrior himself. Adam wants to do everything he can to help his team win games and continue fostering the family atmosphere that the program provides.
“I’ve been going to Valley games since I was a baby. I’ve grown up watching them, and now I’m playing for them. It’s a big responsibility and a big deal,” says Adam. “It’s nice to just have the Warriors name. You’re a part of a family. Everybody is there for you. It’s nice to have a second family.”