Inside the Huddle: Looking Forward to Saturday

First off I would like to thank everyone that came out to Commack last week. That was crazy. It was their homecoming and I felt that towards the end of the game, as we started to run away with the lead, we had more fans and more noise coming from our side then theirs. We all appreciate the support from everybody that has been rooting for us this season.

Last week’s game was a lot tougher than it appeared. The weather conditions made everything so much more difficult. The humidity levels were through the roof. Every time I took the field for offense I felt like I was smothered by the humidity, gasping for air every chance possible.

Coach Woj made sure every player drank three bottles of Gatorade before boarding the bus, so thankfully we were all well-hydrated. If we weren’t there could have been bigger issues, because it got really hot, really quickly. At half time I was talking to one of my best friends and fellow linemen, Tom Ryan, about it, saying that I felt like I was going to get sick from it.

He agreed and said the feeling was mutual as we were all battling those conditions, as well as a pretty big, tough defensive line that Commack provided. In the second half I kept drinking every time I came out of the game for defense, and I was alright, but for my buddy Tom, who plays both sides of the ball not so much, as he lost control of his stomach in the fourth quarter.

Overall, I think Commack was a really good team, but we just came ready to play, and we were very well prepared from them, and that comes from coaching. The only reason we have gotten this far is from our coaching staff. They prepare us great all week from watching film and running scout defenses, and offenses. We knew exactly what Commack was doing against us on nearly every play, that’s a huge reason as to why we only gave up 7 points, and again that’s all credited to our coaching staff.  

Looking at the film from Saturday, we looked good, and that was a huge win for us, but there is still a lot of work to be done. We're still making little mistakes, which can and will be adjusted, so yeah were playing good but we will continue to get better every day.

I personally feel from an offensive line stand point that we are not even close to maxing out our potential. I am very excited about the way we are playing, it’s been three games and we have not allowed a single sack yet, and our running back, Steven Casali, ranks amongst the top five in League I for rushing yards. We take a lot of pride in that, and we are very happy with ourselves, but after watching film there is a lot of work to be done and we trust that at some point during the season Coach Mignone, and Coach Mauro will get us to that point where we need to be to take our team to the next level.

Up next we have Ward Melville, which is a very good team, much better than what their record shows. We have a lot of respect for them, and it is a must win game for them, so we know they are going to bring it. As for us, it is our first game at home since opening day, and we are very happy to be back. Also, it is the start of breast cancer awareness month, and some of the guys including myself will be rocking all sorts of pink gear to honor those who have survived, or lost a family member to breast cancer. Myself, along with the other starting offensive tackle Nick Fierro, even shaved our heads completely bald to show our support for the survivors and those currently fighting Breast Cancer.

I finally feel that we have created a buzz around school, people are talking, and people are getting excited about our recent success, it’s just coming together. We have been together as a senior class for four years now and I have heard nothing but negative feedback, about how our team is a joke, and how will never win, and from out-of-town schools how Sachem East has no school spirit.

Well, enough is enough, school spirit in my opinion has a lot to do with the success of the school’s football team, and we are on a mission to change the way everyone thinks about us as a football team, and as a school. This is the first time ever Sachem East has a 3-0 football team, and I can already feel the energy building up all around the community. So let’s get everyone down to Sachem East at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Wear black as we black out the bleachers, and show everyone what Sachem East football is all about. We are all really excited and we won’t let you guys down! (And, don't forget to check Sachem Patch after the game for complete coverage!)