The Loomis Chaffee School 2010 Fall Athletic Awards Ceremony ...

BOYS VARSITY FOOTBALL 2010
The varsity football team had a solid season this fall as it continues to build itself
into a New England power. The young men reported to preseason practice with a great
attitude and were prepared to get to work with a rigorous preseason regimen.
The team responded well, bonded quickly, and showed promise by playing well in
several scrimmages. The season started on a high note, with our first ever win against
Andover, breaking a fifteen game winless streak against the Big Blue. The Pelicans
continued to have success on the field with victories against Hotchkiss, Trinity Pawling
and a huge Parents’ Weekend win over Avon Old Farms. This season’s 4-4 record also
represents the first non-losing season since 1996.
The team relied heavily upon senior captains Aaron Barret, Caleb Harris and
Anthony Knowlton to bring several new players together with those returning in the
program. Seniors Brandon Brito, James Kavanagh, Varun Konanki, Michael Moore,
James Yun and Nick Szczerbickyj gave their all to the team during their senior seasons,
and post-graduates Sam Artenstein, Drew Ghio, Jared Roberts, Chai Reece, Danny
Farley, Ladarius Drew and Sherman Peoples added depth, skill and experience to the
team. The Pelicans also relied on several juniors and sophomores who played pivotal
roles this year. The future of the program looks bright! The coaches would like to thank
the seniors for their dedication to their teammates. Thanks too, to the parents, the tailgate
committee, the administration and support staff at Loomis Chaffee School, our wives,
significant others, friends and families for all of their support this fall.
Awards
MVP – Chai Reece - Chai embodied everything that one could ask for in a football
player. He is very intelligent, has an outstanding work ethic, is extremely tough, and is a
tremendous competitor. Chai injured his hamstring in preseason camp and played
through a great deal of pain all season. However, it did not keep him from intercepting
eight balls this fall and scoring four touchdowns in the Hotchkiss game alone. It is tough
to determine which was his most impressive performance of the season, a kick off return
against Deerfield, in which he reinjured his hamstring, and then proceeded to outrun the
Deerfield team while holding on to his injured thigh, or after not being able to practice
for the next week, to come back to play against Avon Old Farms the next Saturday. In
that game he had multiple tackles, defended several passes, an interception, and the game
winning touchdown catch with little time left on the clock.
Coaches Award – Caleb Harris – Caleb decided to dedicate himself to football after he
finished his freshman year. This was not an easy decision, considering he was a member
of a team that had one victory that year and had only three in the previous four years.
However, it was a decision that set him apart from others, because he wanted to
accomplish something great. The next season, as a sophomore, Caleb played all but
seven snaps as a 180-pound lineman on a team that did not win a game. Caleb continued
to dedicate himself to football. As a junior, Caleb was 195 pounds; he was faster and
stronger and was asked to change positions to linebacker for the good of the team. Caleb
did not complain, he worked hard every day, and helped lead his team to two victories.