Editor’s Note: The following is a story about the 2018 Sachem North football season by Sachem North senior Tino Pattigno III, who played for the Flaming Arrows.
A 2-6 record seems dismal from the outside, but the 2018 campaign for Sachem North football may pay dividends for years to come.
The Flaming Arrows had one returning starter on offensive line, and only 22 total players on the roster by season’s end.
Players like Nick Gambino, who is now Sachem’s single-season passing leader, and Ryan Kinsley, the program’s Black Helmet Award winner as one of the hardest workers on the roster, will graduate having left their mark during a transformative season in Lake Ronkonkoma. These players were able to lead by example and take authority in multiple situations, or when they were down late in the game and needed to bring the energy and enthusiasm in order to get the team fired up.
Now the program will look to up-and-coming names like Justin Wank, Nick Davide and Mike Fasano to carry the torch. They’ve begun their off-season training at Revolution Athletics and have bought in to the new #ArrowUp and #FightForSachem slogans debuted during a Sachem Football Alumni event in January.
The culture of the program has been jumpstarted under first-year head coach David Caputo, who previously served as associate head coach and defensive coordinator. Caputo also played for Sachem and won a Suffolk County championship with the Flaming Arrows in 1995.
“I think under the new Caputo regime, Sachem football is in good hands and the future is bright,” said senior Michael Coursen. “Sachem football’s tradition is alive and well. I am kind of jealous already to see the things the program is doing.”
The ultimate goal is to play winning football again, as Caputo and his coaching staff will tell you. If it means going 2-6 in 2018, they’re okay with that.
“This year was different because while we were disappointed in our record, everyone associated with the program believes that significant progress was made,” said Caputo. “This senior class laid the building blocks for future success. They demonstrated and upheld the five virtues of Sachem football: dedication, determination, discipline, service, and trust.
“Their leadership has left a lasting legacy on this program that has already been evident in our off season training for the 2019 season. The culture is different around here as we kick off the ‘Fight for Sachem’ campaign. The brotherhood that is Sachem Football is alive and well.”
Words by Tino Pattigno III