By Andy Hutchison

WESTPORT–The long summer of hard work training, drilling, working on plays, conditioning, fine-tuning and weight-lifting will be put to the test for the first time this Friday, Sept. 12. 

Staples football ventures to Glastonbury for an out-of-conference battle with a fellow Class LL State champ hopefuls; kickoff for the season opener is at 7 p.m.

The Wreckers will also face West Haven this fall in a rematch of the 2023 state title game won by the Wreckers. 

FCIAC

Then there are the FCIAC battles. This year the conference has broken into tiers, leaving the top teams, including Staples, Greenwich, Darien, Wilton, New Canaan and St. Joseph of Trumbull in the top tier. The arrangement ensures comparable caliber teams will face each other, allowing not only good competitive football at the top as they battle for conference supremacy and, potentially state bragging rights.

There is crossover play, with Staples taking on some lower tier teams. But, the new setup ensures the Wreckers will have a vigorous schedule. St. Joseph, Greenwich, New Canaan and Darien all played in state title games last fall.

New coach

“It’s a challenge and I really believe challenges reveal character,” said Staples Coach Matty Jacowleff, who took over for program’s lead role in the offseason. 

“I’m excited to be back back into the groove,” said Jacowleff, whose Wreckers reached the Class LL State semifinals as the No. 2 seed and lost to eventual champ and No. 3 seed Greenwich.

Captains and key players

Captains are quarterback Nick Weil, offensive/ defensive lineman Ben Esser, offensive lineman/ linebacker Harry Fiala and receiver/ defensive back Justin Halky.

Another key player back in the fold includes Jake McGeehan, a three-year starter who plays safety and is among the best at what he does in the state. A two-way player, McGeehan will also be a threat from his receiver position.

Chaz Darby and Patricio Garcia share running back duties. This two-headed ball-carrying monster stands to create nightmares for opposing defenses given Darby is a powerful ball carrier and Garcia more of a slasher. Their differing styles are sure to keep defenses on their heels trying to be ready for multiple tackling styles to combat the dual-threat, Jacowleff anticipates. Logan Rotolo is a strong offensive and defensive lineman for the Wreckers who have skill and experience at all positions.

The level of athleticism is always there at Staples and, with seven players in skill positions who are set to play at the collegiate level next year, the Wreckers stand to be a tough team to stop.

“I think it will be very difficult for opposing teams to match up with our level of athleticism and how deep our athleticism is throughout our roster,” the coach said.

While the path to success is not linear, the Wreckers are contenders each year and this autumn is no different, as the team members work together in an effort to reach the pinnacle.

“Our players take a tremendous amount of pride in wearing the letter ‘S’ and representing the program, school and community,” Jacowleff said. “We’re capable of winning a state championship every single year.”

The coach noted that titles are not won until December but the Wreckers can focus on mastering their process, which includes pushing each other, receiving and giving feedback.

Jacowleff gets chills thinking about his players engaging in battle with tough foes under the lights throughout this fall. After the opener on the road Westport fans get their first look at the Wreckers on their home turf when Stamford visits on Friday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. 

Home schedule

Other home games: Sept. 26 vs West Haven, Oct. 10 vs Wilton, Nov. 1 vs St. Joseph and Nov. 7 vs New Canaan (all at 7 p.m.). The annual Thanksgiving Day game and playoff rematch with the Cardinals will take place in Greenwich Thursday, Nov. 27 at 10 a.m.