CIAC Glory Days
The CIAC Glory Days podcast immerses listeners into the world of high school athletics. Explore the purpose and impact of interscholastic athletics on student-athletes as administrators, coaches, players, officials, parents, and State Athletic Association staff take listeners on a journey from tryouts to championships.
CIAC Glory Days
Joel Barlow Football, Back-to-Back CIAC State Champions 🏈🏆
In our latest episode, host Jada Mirabelle sits down with the CIAC back-to-back Class SS Football State Champions, Joel Barlow High School! 🎙️🏆
Hear all about their unforgettable season and the journey to becoming back-to-back state champions. Hear exclusive stories, what drove them to success, hear their insights on hard work and leadership, the games they’re eagerly anticipating this season, and their thoughts on off-season training. Plus, enjoy a fun and fast-paced Q&A with Joel Barlow’s champions. 🔥🎙️
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Welcome to CIAC's Glory Days podcast. I'm your host, jada Maribel, and today I'm joined by the 2023 CIAC Class SS Football State Champions, joel Barlow High School. I'm joined by Senior Running Back, scott Romano, head Coach TJ Cavalier and Senior Offensive Lineman, pierce Counter. Not only is Joel Barlow the reigning 2023 champions, but also the 2022 champions, and not many teams are fortunate enough to be able to say they are back-to-back state champions. In your 2022 state championship game against Valley Regional High School, you won 61-6. Now, this was not as close of a winning margin as this past year's championship game, where you won 21-20 against Watertown High School. It took a stop on their two-point conversion, a successful on-sides kick recovery and a late interception for you to repeat as state champions. Your team scored a pair of touchdowns less than just four minutes apart in the third quarter to turn a seven-point deficit into a 21-14 lead. Coach, tell us a little bit about your coaching strategy. What is it that you focus on the most to produce these back-to-back championship seasons?
Speaker 2:The biggest thing is we really try and focus on the things that we can affect. Like we don't want to draw any attention to things that we have no control over. So we talk at practice a lot of times can't worry about the weather, we can't worry about the other team, we can't worry about the crowd. We can affect our attitude and our effort and let's dial all of our energy on that, because that's what helps make us successful.
Speaker 1:Just to be in the moment.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So what are some of the key lessons that you've guys?
Speaker 3:taken from these back-to-back championship seasons that you know hard work pays off. You know what you put in. You gotta back out.
Speaker 4:You know what I mean yeah, I think we've seen a lot of like it's about the little things that really count, because we had a lot of games come down to like um, like a one point margin or like one score. So it's really like like one individual play can like decide a game. So it's really focusing on, like every play to make sure you do, like you give all of your effort, each play to make sure, like even with the two point conversion, like if we didn't get stopped there we may have not won.
Speaker 2:So it's really about yeah focusing every time giving 100 kind of to build off of what scott said. We have a period in practice where you know we really emphasize special teams, field goals, extra points or something like that, and we talk all the time about how a single play can, you know, affect the game. And you know, obviously last year that played out several times for us. So, uh, it's good when it comes to fruition and the kids actually see that that lesson pays off.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we saw that live in that championship. We didn't know which way that was going to go, but your team had a 3-0 start to the 2023 season and then you dropped four straight games. So how did you guys deal with those setbacks and those losses and how were you able to turn the season around?
Speaker 2:So I think sometimes people look too much at like oh, people look too much at like oh, you start at 3-0 and then you go 4. You know you lost 4. We obviously got into the harder part of our schedule. You know we ended up playing Notre Dame at Fairfield and we played Massac and we played New Milford and you know all of them were playoff teams. We ran into a real tough Brookfield team. So I think sometimes you just play the schedule as it comes. And you know, sometimes you just play the schedule as it comes and sometimes you have these patterns where you win a few or you lose a few, but you take each game, one game at a time, and focus on the one for that week.
Speaker 1:There's ups and downs to every season. So in this past year's championship game you were down heading into the half. So tell us a little bit about what happened during halftime behind the scenes to help shift the momentum.
Speaker 2:Our big thing is we again try and focus on what we can do. So our goal at halftime was to focus on just making some adjustments. Blocking schemes If there's one or two players that have been giving us trouble, how can we handle them, or do we go away from them, or whatever the case is with that. We really don't kind of usually scrap our entire playbook or our plan at halftime. It's just kind of little tweaks here and there. But it came down to in the third quarter we had a good drive and then we had the turnover. They turned the wall over and we know that that's usually a big momentum shift for us you just had to adjust, make small tweaks in the moment.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so, players, how do you maintain focus in those crucial moments? I think it's really just like um, kind of what I said before, like taking it one play at a time, uh, keeping like a clear mind because we know like we can't affect what the rest are going to do, or like what anyone else can do. It's kind of just what we're doing and even for, like at halftime of that game, like looking forward, we couldn't be like, oh, we're down. We knew that we'd like been there the week before against sheehan and that we had been able to pull off a win. So we kind of knew we'd been in the situation before and that we were a good enough team to be able to pull it through and pull it like and win the tight games. So I think you have to have the confidence in yourself and also like your teammates, that it's a good group of people that are able to like work together and pull out the tight wins yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 3:You have to have that belief in yourself and your teammates out there yeah, I think also because you practice things so many times, it's just like second nature, to the point where you get on the field and you just execute, you don't even need to think about it you just revert back to those drills and practice exactly so as the current reigning class double s champions.
Speaker 1:If you had to share a piece of advice to fellow athletes and fellow coaches, what would it be?
Speaker 4:I would say, just in the offseason, work as hard as possible, because there's never. You never want to have a moment after a game or after like loss or something, to say what if I did that extra rep during the season? Or like during the offseason, what if I did this always like try to give a hundred? Because you never want to look back and say like what if that's like the? Worst feeling you can have. So that's probably my word of advice yeah, I agree with that.
Speaker 3:I think same thing. You know you don't want to have any regrets, so make sure you put in as much work as you possibly can when you have the chance so that when you don't, you know you don't have any regrets.
Speaker 2:I would say for coaching, coaching. I would tell coaches believe in your system. I mean, I feel like every year we go into the playoffs and some newspaper writes that we have some antiquated offensive system that nobody runs anymore. And we believe in it, you know, and we buy into it, the kids buy into it and because of that, when push comes to shove or when games get tight, we believe that it's gonna work.
Speaker 1:So how do you think this new CIC rule allowing for teams to now practice for two days a week for two hours per session will help benefit your team and other teams for the upcoming season?
Speaker 2:Do you want me to start with that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, anyone, whoever.
Speaker 2:So I'm curious to see how it's going to work, because I think that it was great in the sense that now teams can practice. You should be further along when you get to August. However, teams in the past have been going to camps and things like that, so I don't know if they stop going to camps because they can practice. I'm curious to see, especially in week one, which is the week where you really don't know who your team is yet. Maybe you're a little bit further along and teams are a little bit better prepared. But the issue that we run into is that we have kids that play other sports, they have jobs, so I don't know that we've still seen our full team at any of those practices, whether it's vacation, whether it's a job, whether it's, you know, some, something else that they've got going on. So I think it benefits us and it'll be helpful, but I'm curious to see what how it plays out.
Speaker 4:I just hope that teams don't take advantage and try and go beyond the two, two hours of practice or they don't try and scrimmage each other, like you know, because they gave us a gift by doing it and I hope they don't ruin it by trying to go too far with it yeah, I think it definitely gives like a head start to like the players and like the coaches to be able to like kind of start to see like what the team's gonna look like this year and start to like maybe like run through a few plays and like start to get like where we would be starting, like week one in august, of like kind of starting to like get to see that we've been able to do that for like last few weeks to try to start getting an idea, so we don't have to start from like square one when, like um, fall camp starts.
Speaker 4:But I think it'll definitely like be interesting to see, once we get into the season, like the differences in like where teams are starting off and like if they did take advantage of like the new rules and stuff.
Speaker 3:You know, for my position at least, I don't think it will have too much of an effect because you know we don't use the ball anyways. So we kind of already had the ability to execute these plays and do everything the same way, and it's not very different for us.
Speaker 2:I would say the biggest group I think is going to help is the incoming freshmen, because you can start to show them the plays way ahead of time and when they roll in late August it's not a complete shock to them what you're doing and how fast things are going, and things of that nature. I would say that that's probably the group that I would think is going to help the most it'll benefit the most especially.
Speaker 1:I know your team lost a few seniors, so this will be a good time to see how the freshmen will mesh in and how new players can help maybe fill those roles yeah, absolutely, I think it's a good tool for that. So what headings upcoming season? Who do you think will be your toughest matchup?
Speaker 4:I think from our schedule it's probably gonna be Newtown because they they've always had like great team. They always come ready to play. They're also like a conference, some like rival, so they're usually a pretty good team. Last time we had a pretty close game with them but lost. So hopefully this year we can pull out a win against them. Conference rival do a lot of people show up to that game in the crowd? Yeah, usually a pretty good attendance there, them, but lost. So hopefully this year we can um pull out a win against them.
Speaker 1:Conference rivaled. A lot of people shopped that game in the crowd uh, yeah, usually we have pretty good attendance there do you know how long it's been since we beat them? I know it's been a while, but there's like a big number.
Speaker 3:I can't remember it, but it would be great if we could turn that around I think to be, though each game is a little bit unique.
Speaker 2:So, like this year, we opened up with East Lime. We haven't seen them in seven years. We play East Catholic. We don't know very much about them, so they could be really good, and you don't know, because we don't see them year in and year out. I think in league I would agree Newtown is a perennial powerhouse, new Mil a perennial powerhouse. New Milford, because in the SCBC it's very interesting because we have schools that are all different sizes in the same league. So we play Ls and we play double Ms and we play Ss. So because of that, you tend to have different. I think Brookfield's going to be very good this year and actually now, with Killingly dropping back down to the double Ss, I think that's a big game for us. So I think there's quite a few games on the schedule that are big games for us, there'll be a lot of good matchups.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what game are you most looking forward to this year?
Speaker 4:Probably Weston. It's their Thanksgiving rivalry game, so it's always fun to go in there. Last few years we've been able to win, so hopefully we can keep that alive. It's always fun to go out. Usually get a good crowd for Thanksgiving last game of the season before playoffs start, so it's always a fun time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that sounds fun.
Speaker 3:I think I'm looking forward to Brookfield the most. I work out with some of the players on the team and I'm really mad that we lost them last year because it was very close. So I'm going to give my all that game, you know, and make sure that we win.
Speaker 1:You're coming back for the win for them, yeah.
Speaker 2:I would probably say just East Lime, because it's the first game, you know. Just get that season rolling.
Speaker 1:Get it started, get a good start. So, scott and Pierce, what will your strategy be this season as seniors, to lead the team?
Speaker 4:I think really just like leading by example and kind of showing like the other guys like what it takes, Because we've been able to like win the last two years obviously. So I think it's really showing the guys and like some of the younger people, what it takes to like win these championships. So really just like every drill giving it, like you're all trying to help out like the younger guys, make sure that they get it, because also, we want to leave the program better than like we got here. So obviously we want to make sure that, like when we're leaving, whether it's after championship or just after a season, we want to make sure that it's in good hands so that they can hopefully carry on the legacy that like we've created. So I think that's like the biggest thing is kind of just lead by example and help like build the program up I was about to say, the biggest thing is kind of just lead by example and help build the program up.
Speaker 3:I was about to say the same thing. Took the words right out of your mouth.
Speaker 1:You agree on that one. So I know you mentioned leading by example. But if you had to choose one motto heading into this upcoming season, what would it be?
Speaker 4:One of the mottos we usually use is a talent's down, because we like to be on the attack and stuff. But I don't know if pierce has another one. I kind of like the, the machine keeps rolling one.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's just every play. You just keep going, yep that's a good one.
Speaker 1:I like that one.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I guess you could alternate, maybe switch it up as the season goes on, we also, every once in a while, we'll have like a new one pop up yes, depending on where you are in the season and what's going on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so now we're gonna head into some rapid questions. So these are a surprise. They're gonna be quick. Okay, you just answer. Okay, scott nfl goat tom brady oh, classic.
Speaker 3:Okay, pierce, favorite football memory man, you're getting really hard, probably, uh, winning the first state championship. That was, that was amazing. I was gonna say you, man, you're getting really hard on me. Probably winning the first state championship.
Speaker 1:That was amazing, I was going to say you had two good options to choose from with that one Okay.
Speaker 2:Coach. Favorite thing about being a coach Helping young men, like you know, leading them into their futures and hopefully, 10 years down the road, seeing them come back and be good husbands and good fathers.
Speaker 1:Scott favorite pregame hype song.
Speaker 4:Might be Superstar by Lupe Fiasco, I think.
Speaker 1:Gets you amped up.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's a pretty good one.
Speaker 1:Pierce, if you could be on the O-line of any NFL team, which team would it be?
Speaker 3:Probably the Patriots.
Speaker 1:Brady Patriots. I see a theme here. Coach, what is the best advice you've received?
Speaker 2:Live in the moment. Don't get too high or too low after a win. Just keep moving forward and live in the moment.
Speaker 1:Sounds like the coaching strategy you just talked about. It's like the same thing. Okay, Scott, best football movie.
Speaker 2:We all know it's the Program.
Speaker 1:I don't know, Remember the.
Speaker 4:Titans. It's pretty good. That was probably my first real football movie I watched and I was like this is pretty good.
Speaker 1:Pierce favorite jersey number 77.
Speaker 3:Come on.
Speaker 1:No bias there.
Speaker 3:Do you wear that because your brother wore it, or is it like I mean, I also just like it? Okay, my two brothers both wore that number too, so there you go I like the tradition, yeah, exactly coach favorite sport to watch other than football hockey.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, that's me too. Okay. We're gonna wrap up these rapid questions with a question for all of you who is your pick to win the super bowl this year?
Speaker 4:I think we might have to go with the niners, because I love christian mccaffrey so I got no idea.
Speaker 2:No idea uh, I think the chiefs chiefs, oh okay, chiefs and niners again uh, not saying I'm a chiefs fan, but yeah, I think they've been kind of a powerhouse for a while.
Speaker 1:So yeah, they have a. They have a good run going. So, lastly, in the glorious podcast, we always like to wrap up by asking our guests what do you think the purpose of high school sports is?
Speaker 2:We're going to let Peter start with this one so you can't steal his answer.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think the purpose is just learning how to discipline yourself and just learning that what you put in, you get out. I know I already said that before, but that's kind of what matters. Mm-hmm, like if you work hard for something, you'll get a lot out of it, but if you don't put a lot in, you're not going to get anything out of it. It's not going to be worth it.
Speaker 4:So yeah, you can learn some really strong life skills from sports uh, yeah, for me, I think it's really about like, um, really just like coming together, learning how to like work together as a team, because obviously those are skills you're always going use and I think, like overcoming adversity is like a big one, because, I mean, those are skills you're always gonna be using and you also get to do it with, like you're gonna meet people and like create these bonds that you're probably gonna have forever. So I mean having like a team and almost like a family away from like your family, it's a great thing to have and I think it just gives like people outlets. Like after school you get to go and like enjoy, like do something that you actually like enjoy and love. So I think it's really just giving people like outlets to do what they enjoy.
Speaker 2:I would say opportunity, you know. Opportunity to meet and hang out with new people. Opportunity to try things maybe that you haven't tried before. Opportunity to partake in something that probably after high school, 99% of the kids are not going to be able to do anymore. So it's just the opportunity to get all of those different choices or options that are there for them in high school that a lot of times they don't have.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a four years where you can make special memories. I mean, you guys got two state championships with your friends out there, so that's a lifelong memory you've got.
Speaker 2:I'll be honest, though. I hope that their better memories, beyond winning and losing, is just, you know, hanging out and being with their boys at dinner or in the locker room, or just, you know, 10 years down the road, come back and talk about it.
Speaker 1:I can talk about it, Just the everyday moments. Yeah, that's what it's all about. So thank you so much to Coach Cavalier, Scott Romano and Pierce Counter for joining me on the CIAC Glory Days podcast. I wish you the best of luck in this upcoming season and I hope you're able to come out with another state championship title.
Speaker 2:Very much appreciate. It Towns down, thank you.
Speaker 1:Towns down there you.