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01/15/2023 10:21 AMSometimes when you want to reach a goal or objective in life, you may have to dip out of your comfort zone a little bit. For Joshua Kuczynski, he did just that and it yielded him the distinction of being a leader for a state championship club.
The Notre Dame-West Haven (ND-WH) football team senior captain and North Branford resident started with the pigskin via flag football in 1st grade before moving onto the real deal a few years down the road. Joshua was part of a disappointing 2021 campaign for himself and the Green Knights, as they posted a sub-.500 record of 3-7.
Yet this season, after he additionally moved from linebacker to the defensive line, Joshua and ND-WH emerged much better by reversing their fortunes with a
7-3 regular-season mark en route to the school winning its first state crown since 2009, after defeating Berlin 35-8 for the title on Dec. 10. Joshua, who also plays guard on the offensive line, was named to the CHSCA Class MM/M All-State squad for 2022.
“I just always loved the fast-paced energy of football, and the team has always been like a second family to me,” says Joshua, who finished with 46 tackles and 1.5 sacks this fall. “There are so many words that come to mind when winning states, but it feels surreal. I dreamt about winning a state title since I was little. All of the seniors on this team wanted it, and it came to fruition, which is also surreal to see.”
Understandably, switching from a position you played since grade school can create some trepidation, though Joshua was true to the task, backed by his unwavering motivation to do whatever it took for the betterment of his squad’s championship aspirations.
“Moving to lineman was tough at first; I have played linebacker since 3rd grade,” Joshua says after being an All-SCC and All-State Team linebacker as a junior. “I was nervous to make the switch, but my coaches said it was best for the team, which is all I wanted to do. Physically, I had to put more weight on my body to play line, so I was getting stronger and preparing in the weight room. It took a while to get used to.”
During his time in the linebacking corps, Joshua picked up that the opposing line in the trenches can pretty much dictate the pace of play.
“As a linebacker, I learned to read through the offensive line,” Joshua says. “Their movement will tell you what the play will be. Playing linebacker really helped me with understanding that and reading the offensive line.”
Much like any championship club, it was not smooth sailing wire-to-wire for ND-WH and Joshua. He notes an Opening Night loss to their in-town rivals, along with another SCC loss, tested the mettle of the Green Knights.
“I think key moments for us were the Week 1 loss to West Haven and then the loss to Cheshire,” says Joshua. “We were 3-7 last year, and so to lose the first game, people thought it would be the same this year. But we watched game film, lifted, which showed how much we bought into this year. Cheshire was probably our worst game of the year, but it showed we bent but never broke.”
Green Knights’ football Head Coach Joe DeCaprio sings Joshua’s praises for selfless commitment to excellence for not only his team but additionally himself when striving for personal greatness.
“Joshua is one of the hardest workers that I have had the pleasure of coaching,” says Coach DeCaprio. “This year on defense, we moved Josh from linebacker to defensive tackle. Although a tough transition to start, Joshua was unselfish and determined to learn the position. He is one of our vocal leaders on the field. He has a way of being tough on his teammates but always positive, and the kids took to his leadership. He was a true warrior in both seasons, hardly ever coming out of the game and never playing with his body at 100 percent. Joshua truly embraced his leadership role and would constantly ask me how he could do a better job of leading. The best attribute about Joshua is he is never satisfied; he always wanted to get better at whatever task he was trying to accomplish.”
Joshua was honored and humbled to serve as a senior captain. Yet he notes it was made a little easier by an entire class of final-year guys determined to bring home the championship gold for the green and gold.
“It was an honor to be a captain, especially after having your teammates vote on you as captain and have their trust,” Joshua says. “It was a great senior class, too, and everybody on this team really helped me. Being captain is something I would not trade for the world.”
While truly sensing the camaraderie amongst his peers and coaches, Joshua is eagerly anticipating the next phases and targets for his life–including trying to be an athlete in one of collegiate football’s oldest and tradition-rich leagues.
“Notre Dame has great facilities and great coaches. Many of the coaches are alumni, so they understand the brotherhood and are always there for you,” says Joshua, a National Honor Society member. “I pride myself on being a good student over an athlete. I also want to play in the Ivy League for college; it is a goal that keeps me working every single day.”