Quarterback Chris McKittrick: Doing the work, earning the wins

By Owen Lentner, Chief Reporter

Friday night football finally returned with a dramatic showdown between the usual underdog Hornets and the visiting E. O. Smith Panthers from Storrs.

The Panthers put up a commendable fight in the second half, the Hornets came out on top, winning 38-18, led by quarterback Chris McKittrick. McKittrick’s poise and preparation is a positive sign for a successful season for the team, which is now 1-0.

As part of a regular series, The Branford Buzz will be highlighting different athletes and teams this fall. This is the first in the series.

Game Recap

As the sun set behind the quiet summer foliage, and a sudden cold fell over the field, E. O. Smith won the opening coin toss, choosing to receive. Kicker Aiden Tracey kicked the ball deep into the end zone for a touchback.

In the first quarter, Branford got on the board with a touchdown run by junior Rhamell Fairclough, a 37-yard field goal by Tracy, and then a five-yard pass from McKittrick to junior Aiden Dupre. With the Panthers struggling to get the ball down the field, that’s how the score remained at the end of the quarter.

The Panthers started the second quarter with the ball and had some good plays, allowing them a touchdown halfway through the quarter. Ending the half dramatically came Fairclough, carrying the ball 38 yards home — touchdown with an extra point leaving the score 24-6 at the half. In all, Fairclough rushed for 207 yards and scored three touchdowns on the game.

The second half saw the Panthers fighting back with another touchdown but Branford maintained their dominance over the visitors. McKittrick kept everyone in check: throwing powerful passes and moving the ball down the field. Branford scored another touchdown and extra point, widening their lead over their opponent. McKittrick passing for 84 yards and rushing twice for seven yards.

By the final whistle, Branford had proven their superiority over the Panthers, winning 38-18.

Personal Life & Backround

McKittrick’s current position as quarterback on the varsity team has been years in the making. Starting as a soccer player in elementary school, he switched to football in fourth grade and has been improving his game since.

“What made me pick football over soccer was I went to a high soccer game with my dad and I was like there wasn’t really a lot of people watching, it really didn’t feel that cool,” McKittrick said. Then I went to a high school football game, there were hundreds of people there, the atmosphere was great and I was like I want to try football.” 

But his true love, he said, had to be baseball. The junior has played baseball since he was five and is currently the catcher on the varsity team. In his free time, he remarked on how he loves to hang out with his friends and relax, given the tight schedule he devotes himself to. He also loves country music and the #8 from Hornet’s Nest Deli: chicken cutlet with mozzarella cheese, bacon and chipotle mayo – a sandwich he says he eats around five times a week. 

Training & Conditioning

Coach John Limone, the varsity football and baseball coach at the high school, puts practice and conditioning first for his athletes. During the summer, players find themselves at the weight room at 6:30 a.m. From running to lifting and everything in between, these two hours are just the beginning of McKittrick’s day. The player then has his own personal quarterback coach in Shelton where he does drills like ‘throwing and working with receivers’ for the rest of the morning.

He also noted that his favorite drill is ‘seven on seven.’

“It’s me, the running back, and my receivers and we’re just practicing all the plays, the passing plays in our playbook,” he said. “Working on those together as a group without the linemen, so you can really focus on timing and reading the defence.”

Balancing Sports with School & Character

McKittrick’s daily routine is the embodiment of time-management, with the junior up every morning at six and in bed by ten.

“Go through my school day, I’m doing my work but I’m also watching film for football during the school day whenever I get free time,” he said.

McKittrick also opts to stay at school and wait until practice begins at 5 p.m. rather than going home, because he said it helps ‘keep him in a straight line.’

“When we get out to the field and I do my own warm up, throwing the ball before practice to get ready. [Then] just typical practice, we run drills, run team, [and] all the quarterbacks we get together and we talk,” he said. “I have my quarterback coach that’s with the high school team, we talk about what needs to happen.”

When asked for a brief comment on McKittrick’s character, coach John Limone said the following: “When you watch Chris play, it’s obvious that he loves to play… and to me that’s the ultimate [compliment]. … He loves to play, not just the games but he loves to practice. He really takes a lot of pride in improvement,” he said.

Senior captain Alex LeBlanc agreed.

“He’s a good leader, he likes to set the example. He doesn’t let people fool around,” he said. “He likes to set the standard.”

“Football’s definitely taught me the value of friendships and teammates, and just having people that support you,” McKittrick concluded.

The Hornets play away at Bridgeport’s Harding High School this Friday and their next home game is against Wilbur Cross October 3.