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06/08/2022 12:00 AMJeffrey Karavas embraces everything that comes with being a two-sport student-athlete at North Haven High School. A quarterback in football and midfielder in lacrosse, Jeffrey’s athleticism shines through in each of the sports that he plays for the Nighthawks.
Jeffrey recently completed his junior season as a member of the North Haven boys’ lacrosse team. Jeffrey developed a love of the game at a young age, and that passion is apparent each time he steps on the field.
Jeffrey started playing football and lacrosse in elementary school. His experiences in both sports at the youth level drove him to play harder and harder year after year. In youth lacrosse, Jeffrey competed alongside athletes who were a grade above him, giving him the unique experience of playing with an older crowd.
“Those kids are always a couple years older than me, so they’re a bit more developed I would say,” says Jeffrey. “It would always have to make me work hard or get my stick skills up. I would always have to work twice as hard.”
The bonds that Jeffrey formed with his childhood teammates, many of whom are seniors on this year’s team, proved a huge benefit to his development as a lacrosse player. The constant routines that Jeffrey got himself into with his colleagues raised all aspects of his game.
“Most of the starters were seniors, and I would play with those seniors. As a junior, being with those seniors and playing with them in youth helped a lot,” Jeffrey says. “Our ball movement was great and our communication as well on defense. We would know if we had to switch or something, because we’ve been doing it for so long.”
Jeffrey’s enthusiasm about playing with this year’s seniors was bolstered by the new system that North Haven implemented. The Nighthawks introduced first-year Head Coach Justin Blood to the program for the 2022 campaign. Jeffrey enjoyed the experience of competing for Coach Blood and is eager for another chance to grow under his guidance as a senior.
“I think we made a big improvement from last year. Our stick skills got a lot better and our shooting,” says Jeffrey. “We had a new coach this year, so he brought a whole new staff. We got a bunch of new drills. We got a bunch of new plays that worked really well. The chemistry is just going to keep building for next year.”
Coach Blood feels fortunate to have Jeffrey on the team. Blood says that players like Jeffrey are making his transition into a new program go smoothly.
“Jeff is a tremendous player on the lacrosse field. Jeff is a leader on and off the field,” Blood says. “He is respectful, coachable, and hardworking. He always shows up with a fantastic attitude and commits everything to the sport of lacrosse.”
Jeffrey thrives the most when he’s playing in the big moments. Scoring goals and collecting assists is always a satisfying feeling for Jeffrey as long as he’s able to help his team. This year, Jeffrey scored 43 goals and collected 20 assists for the Nighthawks. North Haven wasn’t able to make the playoffs with its 4-12 record, but Jeffrey is pumped up about what’s to come in 2023 following a season of growth and adjustments this year.
“Next season, I’m looking forward towards our schedule and, hopefully, the playoffs. The new coaches were great last year. I’m grateful they’re returning,” says Jeffrey. “A lot of kids last year got varsity experience, so that’s pretty exciting. They’ll all be returning and playing with our team again.”
Jeffrey is also looking forward to hitting the gridiron for his senior year with the North Haven football team in the fall. The skills that Jeffrey learns in football are a huge help to him during the lacrosse season. In turn, playing lacrosse elevates Jeffrey’s competitiveness so that he’s ready to go for offseason workouts in advance of the next football campaign.
“In lacrosse, football helps me a lot with getting contact with people. If I’m going for a ground ball, I’m lowering my shoulder,” Jeffrey says. “With lacrosse, I think speed helps me a lot in football. I’m running around constantly in a lacrosse game. Playing lacrosse has gotten my speed up a lot and helped me during football.”
Jeffrey feels excited about the opportunities on the horizon for his senior season with the lacrosse team. Jeffrey can hardly wait to reunite with a group of teammates who he feels proud to call his family.
“I think we’re all just really close with each other. We have great chemistry, and we all get along,” Jeffrey says. “A lot of those lacrosse guys play football, so we’re all always together. Always being together, we call ourselves family for a reason.”