Wantagh Football Captains “Sports Rushing” TV

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Sean Colbert, Reporter

The three other senior football captains and I were lucky enough to be invited to the News 12 studio, October 2. We were chosen to take part in the “Sports Rush,” which is a recap of the week in high school sports. The other players selected included Nolan Foley, Jimmy Joyce, and Joe Valenti, along with Head Coach Keith Sachs. We were honored to represent Wantagh.

We were chosen because of our success as a football team. We are 4-0 at the midpoint of the season, have the least scored upon defense on Long Island, and are within the top 5 in points on Long Island. We have allowed only 14 points and have scored 138 points through 4 games. As the No. 1-seeded team in Nassau Conference III in the preseason, we have remained as the team to beat at the top of the standings. We now sit as the No. 2 “Small School” football team on Long Island in Newsday’s rankings.

Before the actual broadcast, my teammates and I were preinterviewed. We spoke about our on-field play, and our tradition and camaraderie. We discussed our singing and dancing as a team, along with eating Chinese buffet and playing mini golf every Tuesday throughout the season. After the show’s host Kevin Dexter had gathered enough information about us, we were ready for the cameras.

Jimmy Joyce, Coach Sachs, and I were the ones who were actually interviewed. We spoke about the keys to our success on defense. Unexpectedly, Kevin Dexter brought up the baseball team, also coached by Sachs, and its road to last spring’s Class A New York State championship. When asked if the state title had anything to do with our football success, Sachs answered, “Yeah, I think it definitely carries over. Winning is contagious, and what it takes to win is contagious and that’s when you see what you have to do.” Jimmy Joyce, who hit the game winning home run in the state final, was asked the same question.

“People want to win when they see the state championship and it motivates us more as a team,” said Joyce. “Once you start winning you know how to win.”

Our football team looks to keep moving and make a run at a county, and perhaps a Long Island Championship. Hopefully Coach Sachs and Jimmy Joyce are correct that winning is contagious” and the momentum can continue to carry over.