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12/08/2021 11:00 PMAfter missing out on his junior season, Jake Langner entered his senior year ready to make an impact for the North Haven football team. With a change in mindset, Jake hit the ground running and finished his time at North Haven as an All-SCC athlete.
Jake suited up as a running back and a linebacker for North Haven this year, earning All-Conference honors for his performance on the defensive side of the ball. The senior helped North Haven shake off a slow start to finish the season strong.
Jake was never a big fan of sports as a youngster. However, once he started playing football, Jake came to enjoy it, and his opinion on sports completely changed.
“It was a sport I really enjoyed,” says Jake. “Throughout playing flag, I really enjoyed it. Right when I started, it just hooked on.”
Jake began playing flag football in North Haven’s youth league at age five. He started playing tackle in the same league when he was nine and continued through 8th grade.
Following that 8th-grade season, Jake attended a meeting at which North Haven’s coaches explained the way high school football works. Jake realized how much time he would have to put in, and decided that he didn’t want to play.
Jake started to miss football and decided to make a comeback. When his sophomore year started, Jake put his shoulder pads and helmet back on and was once again playing football for North Haven.
“After taking a year off, I didn’t really play any sports. The only thing I would do is ride my bike around town. I realized I had a whole lot of time to do that,” Jake says. “I felt like I was missing something by not playing football that first year. I came back to it.”
Jake played for North Haven’s JV team during his sophomore season, but still practiced with the varsity squad and made a few appearances as he geared up to be a starter as a junior. After having taken a year off, it took some time for Jake to get back up to speed on the gridiron.
“It was really interesting. The seniors really helped me through,” says Jake. “At first, it was a lot of information received at once, especially after taking the year off. It was a little rough.”
Poised to take on a starting role, Jake saw his junior season get canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While North Haven couldn’t play, Jake and his teammates continued to practice in order to be prepared for the 2021 season.
North Haven entered the year with only one player who had any significant varsity experience. The team lost its first four games, but North Haven rebounded by winning five of its last six for an overall record of 5-5.
Jake made key contributions to North Haven’s late-season surge. Jake appreciates how his teammates and Assistant Coach Nicholas D’Angelo helped him develop his skills and succeed at the varsity level this fall.
“I learned a lot. At the start of sophomore year, I was so confused. I was lost. Towards the end, I sort of understood it,” Jake says. “Coming back my senior year, I was super focused. Coach D’Angelo really helped me through that transition period.”
Jake rushed for 349 yards and two touchdowns to go with 36 tackles on defense as a senior. When the campaign came to a close, Jake was named to the All-SCC Tier 1 team as a linebacker alongside senior captain Matt Dodge (defensive back) and fellow senior Steve DiCristina (offensive line).
“It means a lot,” says Jake. “Throughout the offseason and the missed year, I was really trying to work as hard as possible. I tried my best my senior year.”
Head Coach Anthony Sagnella was impressed with Jake’s play on both offense and defense this season. Sagnella says that Jake led North Haven by always playing with toughness and physicality.
“Jake was a quiet leader. He is extremely tough, hard-working, and very physical on both sides of the ball,” Sagnella says. “Jake is a solid, reliable fullback and a very hard-nosed, tough linebacker.”
Jake has been playing football with many of the same people since the youth league. Jake feels honored to have shared the field with them as they represented North Haven.
“Throughout my years here, I have really appreciated all my teammates. They’ve stuck with me from when I was 5 to now when I’m 17,” says Jake. “It’s great playing with the same people through all those years. Each and every one stuck through it the entire time. I couldn’t have done it without any of my coaches, teammates, and the fans.”