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12/22/2021 11:00 PMBrendan Walsh wasn’t the least bit concerned when the Hand football team took losses in its first two games of the 2021 campaign. Brendan, a senior, helped the Tigers turn things around and post a seven-win regular season on their way to making the Class L State Playoffs this fall.
Brendan suited up as a left guard and middle linebacker for the Tigers as a senior. It means everything to Brendan that he helped Hand evolve into a playoff squad during his final campaign as a member of the program.
“My favorite moment from this year was definitely watching our team transform from an 0-2 team to making it to the playoffs,” says Brendan. “It was so great to see our team transform, because it showed how determined and hardworking every single kid on this team was, from the scout team to the starters on the field.”
Brendan’s efforts on both sides of the ball didn’t go unnoticed this year. The senior made the All-SCC Tier 1 Team as an offensive lineman for his performance at left guard with the Tigers. Brendan also had a great showing as a linebacker by finishing the season with 108 tackles, including 55 of the solo variety.
Brendan made 17 tackles and forced a fumble when Hand faced St. Joseph in the Class L state quarterfinals. Although Hand took a 21-20 overtime loss, Brendan’s defensive effort gave the 8th-seeded Tigers a chance to knock off the top seed in the tournament.
“The game against St. Joe’s was like a championship for us because of the outcome [a 17-13 defeat] of the championship game in 2019,” Brendan says. “I went into the St. Joe’s game saying to myself that we have nothing to lose. We are the underdog team, and we have to go out on that field and do what we do. It meant a lot to me having 17 tackles, especially because that was my last high school game ever.”
Brendan’s football journey started in the 4th grade. Brendan had previously played lacrosse, but a friend’s father, Sean Lynch, encouraged him to give football a shot.
“My friend’s father got me into football by telling me if I like the contact in lacrosse, then I would love football,” says Brendan. “I haven’t stopped playing ever since, and it’s become one of my favorite sports.”
Tigers’ Head Coach Erik Becker saw Brendan’s passion for football on display throughout this season. Coach Becker describes Brendan as both a tenacious player and a selfless leader.
“Brendan was a heart and soul player for us. He set the tone on our defense every game. Pound for pound, he’s one of the toughest linebackers to ever play for our program,” Becker says. “Brendan has incredible speed and a great nose for the ball. He also has great instincts. He had 21 tackles against North Haven, 17 against Notre Dame, and 17 against St. Joe’s. He also started as a lineman every game, because we needed him to. Brendan was the total iron man, total team player, and was totally fearless.”
Brendan has worked with a few different head coaches during his tenure with the Hand football program. Brendan developed a special relationship with Becker as a senior after he saw his junior season get canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Coach Becker came to the program after a long break from COVID and was able to bring all of his players together to create a special bond,” says Brendan. “I’m proud of how far we came with him and how much we improved as a team because of him.”
Although Hand is graduating several key seniors from this year’s team, Brendan expects the Tigers to have another solid season in 2022. Brendan watched plenty of young players make their mark this fall, and he’s eager to see how they continue progressing on the gridiron.
“We had a lot of younger kids playing for us that really stepped up, and I believe that they will be an issue for teams in the future,” Brendan says. “I feel like that this season overall went great, and I can’t wait to see what they do next year.”