Westford Academy Football players are excelling in sports during all seasons. More and more football players are choosing to be multi-sport athletes and it’s paying off.
“I love to compete” stated Matty Haggan who is off to play college football at Bentley University next fall. Matty is a three sport captain in football, hockey, and lacrosse. Matty shared that playing three sports also gives him the opportunity to continue to compete with his buddies.
Playing multiple sports has allowed Drew Wilson (All conference recipient in football, wrestling and lacrosse) to perform at his best in big time situations. “I believe playing multiple sports helps me compete better, due to there being no comparable of an intense pressure situation that you can replicate in your backyard. The only way to get comfortable in that spot, is to be in that pressure as much as possible and multiple sports allows that.”
Some more football players that are competing at a high level in other sports are Tyler Murray (award winning skier and lacrosse player), Luke Fremault (premier lacrosse player), Jake Cullen (starting pitcher and cleanup hitter on undefeated baseball team) and Shane Clark (All League wrestler and varsity baseball player).
Studies show there are many benefits to playing multiple sports; it reduces the risk of overuse injuries, there is less opportunity for emotional burnout, and it provides exposure to different roles/coaches. https://www.espn.com/espnw/voices/story/_/id/17831948/5-reasons-want-your-kid-multi-sport-athlete
Coach Rich hopes the success of these multi-sport athletes will persuade other athletes in the building and around town to come out for football. “Nothing prepares you more for the pressure situation in big games than playing in front of a thousand people on a Friday night. Guys like Jake Cullen are used to the big moment because he's been there before many times. You don’t get those moments playing in your 30th AAU game in the middle of the summer. Our goal is to have the shortstop of the baseball team and power-forward of the basketball team come out for football every year. When that happens, we will know football is something special in this town again.”
Football players competing at a high level in other sports is not something new to Westford. Over the last decade, the majority of male athletes that have gone on to play at the next level have been multi-sport athletes.
Mark Cornelious ‘11 Umass Lowell Basketball (football, basketball)
Zach Engalls ‘11 Merrimack College Football (football, lacrosse)
Pat Dugan ‘11 Bates College Football (football, baseball)
Mark Hennessy ‘11 Plymouth State Football (football, baseball)
Alex Eaton ‘12 Lehigh University Lacrosse (football, lacrosse)
Justin Mount ‘13 Merrimack College Football (football, basketball)
Troy Faretra ‘13 Anna Maria Football (football, basketball)
Nate Tashjy ‘13 Susquehanna University Football (football, wrestling)
Nick DiBendedetto ‘13 St. Anselm's Football (football, lacrosse)
Will Puduski ‘14 Umass Lowell Lacrosse (football, lacrosse)
Ryan Pocock ‘14 Brandeis University Baseball (football, baseball)
Luke Moran ‘14 RPI Football (football, basketball)
Ben Rodman ‘15 Lynchburg University Lacrosse (football, lacrosse)
James Antonelli ‘15 Fitchburg State Football (football, baseball)
Matt Bunyon ‘15 Worcester State Football (football, wrestling)
Nick Fiorella ‘16 St. Anselm College Football (football, basketball)
Nick Diamond "16 St. Anselm College Football (football, track)
Max Silverman ‘16 St. Anselm College Baseball (football, baseball)
Kevin Enos ‘16 Ithaca University Lacrosse (football, baseball)
Connor Degenhardt ‘17 Holy Cross/ New Haven Football (football, basketball)
Eric Jacobson ‘17 Bentley University Football (football, basketball, track)
Ajeya Balasubramarian ‘17 Bowdoin College Football (football, track)
Joey Cappadona ‘17 Framingham State Football (football, baseball)
Mark Dunne '17 Umass Lowell Track and Field (football, track)
Richard Haggerty ‘18 American College Football (football, baseball)
Andrew Piedrahita ‘18 New England College Wrestling (football, wrestling)
Can Barisano ‘19 Fairfield University Lacrosse (football, lacrosse)
Sean Brown ‘21 Springfield College Football (football, track)
Joey Bella ‘22 UNE Football (football, wrestling)
Damien Digiovine ‘22 Bates College Football (football, baseball)
Matty Haggan ‘23 Bentley University Football (football, hockey, lacrosse)
Luke Fremault ‘23 St. Michael's College Lacrosse (football, lacrosse)
Jake Cullen ‘24 University of Rhode Island Baseball (football, baseball)
Let my kid in through school choice and you will have another three sport athlete.