Spring Sports Preview: 2022 Season Underway

On By Branford Buzz

By Mariella Esperti and Macey Girard

As April begins and spring sports start, we see a change of energy at Branford High School.  After two years of COVID restrictions, athletes can finally enjoy the new sports season restriction-free.  

There are no mask or contact restrictions for the spring season, and athletes couldn’t be more excited.

“I’m so happy to go into this season with no restrictions, we will be able to go back to dressing up in school before games and taking pictures without masks.” Bella Finta, Captain of Girls Lacrosse said.“I can’t wait for a normal season after all this time.”

Athletic Director Thomas Ermini said there are also plans for a spring sports pep rally on May 6. Below are capsules previewing each spring sport. To keep up with the latest sports scores throughout the season, be sure to check out The Branford Buzz on Twitter @BranfordBuzz

GIRLS LACROSSE

With a young and developing team, girls lacrosse has a hard season ahead of them.  For many of the girls, it’s their first time competing in a lacrosse season, but Finta, a captain and four-year player, remains optimistic.  “Our team is looking pretty good. We’re coming together.”  Finta says “It’s important to have an open mindset with the new girls and be supportive of one another.” 

The team is working hard playing 2-3 games per week and filing the remaining days with practices.  With only 1 day off each week we hear from Co-Captain Nina Shamas about the demanding schedule.  “It’s very time consuming with the girls we have and it’s very physically demanding because we are a very young and developing team with a new coaching staff. This year we only have 5 returners.” Shamas says “The girls come to practice ready to get things done. We all have a common goal of having fun and getting some wins under our belt.” 

Returning from 2 restricted covid years, the girls lacrosse team sees a new start.  Adding to the change, a new coach, Caitlin O’Brien starts her first season as a coach.  O’Brien brings a new energy to the field.  Shamas says “Our coach Caitlin is very optimistic with the group of girls we have and we will be able to get the job done.”

Click here to view the full Girls Lacrosse Schedule

BOYS LACROSSE

Overall, both boys and girls lacrosse have developing teams.  This year with 33 new players and 14 returners, boys lacrosse has a new dynamic. Captain Aidan Strebel says “It’s exciting because we have a lot of raw athletes, we have never had this many boys before. We have returning players that help teach the new players. I think many of them have adapted and learned quickly and I think we can be successful this year.”

With a roster of almost 50 boys, the boys lacrosse team isn’t having any issues with numbers. Co-captain Cameron Pakeski says  “It’s a wonderful thing to see all these first time players out here. They’re getting along great and they’re all great athletes. I think we’ll be pretty gosh darn good!”

Click here to view the full Boys Lacrosse Schedule

GIRLS TENNIS

Along with Girls Lacrosse, Girls Tennis also has a new coach.  Dave Gruendel steps up to the court to take the helm this season. Senior Captain Juliana Torello says “It’s a change but he’s doing really well. He has so much potential, he’s a good coach with good intentions for the team.”

Adding to this, Co-captain Zaide Schlesinger is also enjoying the new dynamic implemented by Coach Gruendel.  “We’ve definitely been doing more conditioning and getting more in shape than we were in the past season but as much as we don’t like it, we will appreciate it because it will help our game.”

There are also more girls this year on the roster than in previous years – a total of 19 players.

“It’s been really good so far,” Schlesinger said. “And it’s nice to meet new people because usually the team has been pretty small in the past so it’s great to see the interest in the sport.” 

Click here to view the full Girls Tennis Schedule

BOYS TENNIS

Boys tennis starts their season in good standing to make an appearance in the SCC tournament.  With 10 returning players and 16 on the team, an older dynamic takes the court.  Only 10 players compete at each match which creates strong competition within the team.  Captain Josh Berdon says “Before the season we were trying to recruit some new players. Thankfully we got a decent amount, some good prospects came out and were looking pretty strong.”

The team is working hard to place in the postseason tournaments and are excited to compete. Berdon is confident that they will have a good run this year. “We are in division II which means we have to rank top two in our division to make it to the SCC tournament. We won our first match against Jonathan Law, which is one of our top competitors. If we continue to win, we are guaranteed a place in the SCC tournament.”

Click here to view the full Boys Tennis Schedule

CO-ED GOLF

As the weather warms up, the BHS golf team takes the green.  With a number of good players, the golf team is in a strong position to be successful this year. Jennifer Kohut will continue to coach the golf team this spring.  

Excited for his final year, senior captain Justin Acquarulo speaks about the beginning of the season. “The season is going well because we have a solid team all around, we’re going to be good,” Acquarulo said.

There are 12 players on the team, 11 boys and one girl. The team plays its home matches at the Pine Orchard Country Club.

Acquarulo says “We have a good mix of new and experienced players and returning players,” Acquaruo said. “I’m excited for the season and to play with my friends.”

Click here to view the full Golf Schedule

BASEBALL

BHS baseball has also taken the field with a huge win against Guilford in their first game.  Baseball has a huge momentum boost after the win and they are ready for their next challenge. Senior captain Sam Smith says “It was a perfect way to kick off the season.”

Sam Smith is enjoying the energy and anticipates the success of the team that he will see in his final season as a hornet. “We got a great group of guys this year. We’re ready to have a great season.”

Click here to view the full Baseball Schedule 

BOYS AND GIRLS TRACK

On the track, both the boys and girls track and field teams have their largest turnout in years. On the boys side, the team hopes to cover more of the 18 runs, jumps and throws that make up the sport and feature several returning athletes from the indoor track season, including captains Peyton Moriarty and Cheng Wu.

On the girls side, the team features more than 30 athletes and the team is hoping to cover more of the events, and hopes to qualify for states in many events. One strength on the girl side is the sprints, which feature the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. Senior Captain Samantha Burzinski speaks about the strong dynamic on the team while competing “We have a lot of girls on the team this year, both new and returners, and despite all of our different events, we always find a way to encourage each other while also having fun.”

Click here to view the full Boys Track and Field Schedule. Click here to view the full Girls Track and Field Schedule

SOFTBALL

The softball team has started the season off with a few weeks of practice. With a late start this season, Senior Captain Marzia Johnson says “We finally had our first game on April 8 after three weeks of practice. Our practices have been productive and everyone has been working hard.”

The BHS girls softball team is coming together and is prepared to compete for the rest of the season.  When the hornets take the mound this season they will fight for a place in the postseason tournaments. Johnson adds “I believe we can do really well this year if we continue to focus on getting better.”

Click here to view the full Softball Schedule