Rally mode! The Foote School's Fall sports teams turn up the pressure on opponents

By Rick Menning

NEW HAVEN, CT -- "You gotta have heart!" was a saying the 1969 New York Mets baseball team made famous by going from last place in 1968 to an improbable World Series championship one season later.

The Foote School's Fall of 2025 sports teams and fitness club can certainly relate to that expression with seasons to remember.

From heart-pounding performances on the soccer pitch, to a heartfelt season finale in field hockey, to a heartwarming trophy-winning conclusion on the cross-country circuit and even to maintaining one's heart through fitness, the Falcons were at their best through all situations.

Time and time again, the athletes in the maroon and gray uniforms demonstrated strong conviction and willpower centered around a continual theme of not giving up and rising to any challenge that presented itself.

All the action during September and October featured lots of inspiring moments from impressive wins to amazing comebacks to hard-fought battles against traditionally always-tough rivals.

When that collective final whistle blew -- in both victory and defeat -- the Falcons could take pride in the fact that they had given it their all throughout each contest.

At the Fall season's closing ceremony inside The Foote School gymnasium, Athletic Director Carrie Boyce was emphatic in her feelings about their all-around efforts.

"You should be incredibly proud of all you’ve achieved," she told the large gathering of sixth through ninth graders. "Every time you stepped onto the field/court or hit the trails, you brought skill, passion, and a genuine commitment to getting better. Your enthusiasm and dedication have been inspiring, and you’ve represented Foote with pride and excellence."

Boyce stressed to them that they are a "huge part" of the progress that has led to The Foote School sports programs -- Fall, Winter and Spring -- continuing to grow stronger each year.

Here is a rundown (as reported by the coaches) of each team's season in the Fall of 2025:

CROSS COUNTRY

There was plenty of heart to go around as both the boys and girls excelled in their ability to rise to the occasion on and off the running circuit.

Whenever the ninth graders were sidelined for various reasons, the eighth graders stepped up and showed tremendous leadership.

"The foursome of Tristan, Yoobin, Georgie and Dylan really exemplified what this team is all about," noted Head Coach Jimmy McCaffrey "The way the older runners took the sixth and seventh graders under their wings and showed them how to be on a team was really awesome."

That awesomeness shone through as the Falcons' boys not only went undefeated during the regular season but also finished as state runners-up in the Small School Division -- totaling 140 middle school competitors -- during the season-ending invitational.

The girls, meanwhile, were also highly successful this season as they won three meets outright and finished in second place in their three other meets, capping things off with a fourth-place finish in the invitational's Small School Division.

"The only team to beat our girls this year in the regular season were the eventual state champs The Country School, besting us those three times (twice at their home course and once at Hamden Hall). It was a truly magical season," McCaffrey said.

He also gave a shoutout to sixth graders Anina and Scout for the girls, and Theo and David for the boys, for all they meant to the team.

Big Toe Award (Most Valuable Runner): Tristan Shahid.

Steady Eddie Award: Yoobin Perry.

Smooth Operator Award: Atticus Roche.

Caw Caw Award: Maddy Normandin.

Coaches Award: Dylan Hawkins.

Team Roster: Talia Abeles, Theodore Amrith, Anna Boyd, Cyrus Charles, David Crump, Alara Deniz, Georgie Esselstyn, Noah Fisher, Elena Garces-Marques, Anina Gregg, Dylan Hawkins, Emily Jelaca, Greta Kelly, Isla Kelly, Blake King, Scout Lee, Daniel Liu, Nora Miller, Ben Normandin, Maddy Normandin, Izzy Pakutka, Rudra Patel, Edward Perry, Atticus Roche, Cleo Roche, Tristan Shahid, Cadel Tiernan, Eliza Wareck, Linnea Wittner. The coaches are Jimmy McCaffrey, Dana Sasso, Maddie Milazzo and Marc Normandin.

BOYS SOCCER

The boys' varsity soccer team likewise had a strong heartbeat and rhythm going with six wins in seven matches. The squad displayed tremendous team spirit and commitment.

"They consistently supported one another in training and matches, creating a positive and hard-working environment," Head Coach John Hay said. "Their unity was a major factor in the season’s overall success."

Two matches stood out as highlights: a 2–0 win over Hopkins; and a 4–1 victory against The Bement School from Deerfield, Massachusetts.

Against Hopkins, the team defended with discipline for long stretches and capitalized on two moments of attacking quality to secure the win. The Bement match showcased their most complete performance, with confident possession and control from start to finish.

A true “wow” moment came from Kayo’s solo goal against Hopkins, which stood out as the highlight of the season.

"He burst through on goal, and when bearing down on the goalkeeper, he took the ball around him and calmly slotted it between two defenders from a tight angle," Hay explained.

In terms of standout individual performances, James had 15 goals -- many from distance -- and Ibrahim showed constant dedication on defense.

Assistant Coach Ebou Bobb gave kudos to the junior varsity boys' soccer team, which won every game.

"They showed resistance and strength in every game, even against players who were sometimes twice their size," said Bobb, who helped out with both the boys' junior varsity and varsity teams.

"(Every player) showed up to training and worked hard to prepare for each game. They showed absolute sportsmanship both on and off the field," Bobb said. "Even though they have different skill sets, the more experienced players assisted the newbies. They built each other up and encouraged each other to perform better."

Dirty Cleat Award: Ibrahim Abudayya.

Coaches Award: James Elliott.

Team Roster: Ibrahim Abudayya, Zayn Ahmad-Dhillon, Mateo Caliendo, Graham Dickson, Hatim Elarabi, James Elliott, Aran Esmailpour, Kieran Hagen, Emerson Lasater, Carter Liston, Sion Lopez, Xavi Lopez, Christoper McCray, Daniel Perez, Simon Rodriguez, Kayo Smith-Souza, Alonso Talavera, Keshav Vora, Raghav Vora, Kymani Williams. The coaches are John Hay (varsity), Rob Hames (junior varsity) and Ebou Bobb (junior varsity and varsity assistant).

FIELD HOCKEY

The very definition of heart applies to the Falcons' field hockey team.

Despite a roster filled with newcomers to the sport, the girls put in hard work and dedication each week. It became a gradual learning experience that would end with an explanation point: a 5-0 victory that left the team celebrating their growth and confidence in their abilities.

"Being a young team can have its challenges," Head Coach Lauren Luparia said. "This did not stop our girls from competing in each game. Spirits were high and when we faced difficult teams (those with up to ninth graders), the girls stepped up and fought competitively."

That competitive spirit was best exemplified against The Bement School, which traveled to New Haven from Massachusetts for an annual event known as Bement Day. The schools alternate visits each year.

"We were down two players ... we were prepared to play with fewer players on the field and compete in a 7 vs. 7 format so we could have some substitutes," Luparia said. "To all the coaches' surprise, our team was adamant about playing a full 10 vs.10 with no subs. To have the entire team rally and play knowing all of them would be on the field with no breaks, to me was such a wow moment."

GLUE Award (co-winners): Clara Lu, Leah Wilderman.

Coaches Award (co-winners): Lark Bromage, Rae Shaw.

Team Roster: Lea Antonello, Sukhi Bindra, Arden Boms, Lark Bromage, Noor Burgess, Annabel Burwell, Clio Ditner-Tiven, Chloe Gomez, Daisy Hames, Clara Lu, Caroline Matouk, Rae Shaw, Leah Wilderman. The coaches are Lauren Luparia, Pablo Devos Deak and Sheila Lavey

GIRLS SOCCER

The girls' soccer season was about growth, camaraderie and goals -- all leading to an overall 5-4-1 record that included fantastic back-to-back varsity wins at tough rivals Hopkins and Renbrook.

Adding even more sparkle to the Falcons' accomplishments was an undefeated junior varsity team that posted victories at Renbrook and at home against Adam J. Lewis Academy.

"It was so exciting to see how much all of our players improved throughout the season," Head Coach Kossouth Bradford said. "We saw progress in all aspects of the game; from their technical skills to their ball movement to winning 50-50 balls."

Most importantly, however, was that they pushed each other to be their best selves in both the games and practices.

"The girls were competitive and wanted to win, challenging each other throughout the season," Bradford continued. They recognized their best chance to achieve a victory was as a team, collectively working together."

The benefits of this cohesiveness revealed itself in the outcome of many of the team's games, regardless of whether that outcome was a win or a loss.

All the goals -- and the passes and execution leading to those goals, left Bradford in awe of the offensive skill set.

"I have never coached a team in which we scored so many goals, eight goals in one game, and four and five multiple times," he said. "It was fun to witness, knowing every goal scored is a collective achievement with many players involved beyond the player who scored the goal."

Perhaps the most telling of the poise and character of the girls' soccer teams -- both varsity and junior varsity -- shown itself in the closing week.

In the varsity game at Renbrook -- a school that historically has strong teams -- the Falcons trailed 4-1 at halftime but during that intermission they huddled and talked about rising to the challenge. The common conversation among the girls was that "we can still win this game."

And they did in dramatic fashion.

The Foote School warriors went out and scored four unanswered goals to prevail 5-4.

Just a few days later -- on their home turf -- the junior varsity soccer girls played Adam J. Lewis Academy, a team they had beaten handily last year.

That was not the case this year as the Falcons had to scratch and claw their way to a very hard-fought 2-1 win after being ahead 2-0 at halftime.

Coaches Award: Megan Bradford.

Orange Slice Award (Varsity): Sofia Caliendo.

Orange Slice Award (Junior Varsity): Sophia Villacis.

Team Roster: Dar Asaf, Megan Bradford, Violet Bradford, Sofia Caliendo, Erica Choi, Anika Deshpande, Eliose Dickson, Darcy Driver, Clara Ederer-Kerr, Ellen Ferguson, Safiya Gonazalez, Maddie Hay, Audrey Lasater, Violet Lloyd, Ruthie Myers, Cornelia Piasecki, Ellie Sudmyer, Petra Teng, Sophia Villacis, Avery Weiss. The coaches are Kossouth Bradford and Rick Menning.

FITNESS CLUB

The Foote School's Fitness Club completed another season of undertaking fitness circuits and playing games designed to promote physical education (PE).

In one game, Philip scored nine goals, including a full-court shot.

All in all, a fun and productive season for the Fitness Club members.

Commitment to Excellence Award: Vivian Vytlacil.

Team Roster: Tomas Castro, Phillip Corso, Alexandra Ipek, Eve Laskin-Tievsky, Jessica Park, Eleazar Parra, Noa Saltzman, Hoji Smith-Souza, Mara Solas-Gandhi, Alexander Teng, Sebastian Tripp, Vivian Vytlacil. The coaches are Evan Pasquale and Skye Lee.

(Note: A special soccer thank you from The Foote School Athletic Department to Juan Rengifo-Miller for his encouragement, spirit, and enthusiasm, and for passing on his technical knowledge and love of the game to our coaches and athletes throughout the season. We learned so much from you!)