"This Is The Day That Every Kid Dreams About"

Brendan Bilcheck, Peter Gerson, and Matt Walsh are first and foremost teammates. So it was appropriate that on Wednesday morning, they signed the documents that signified their impending transition from high school to college, together. 

Daniel Hand High School Football Coach Steve Filippone's announced that Bilcheck formally accepted an offer from Bowdoin to play at the Division III level. Gerson signed an acceptance note to play at Yale University. Walsh signed a letter of intent to play Division I football at the University of Connecticut, on a full scholarship. 

Filippone noted that this is the first time Hand High School has had a Division I full scholarship offered for football during his 25-year tenure at Hand.

But he said he was as proud of the young men's academic achievements as their accomplishments on the field, and noted that all three schools are academically rigorous. 

The three young men, their family members crowded into the College and Career Center along with camera crews and reporters from all over the state, and with their friends in the hallway flashing them the thumbs-up sign, said the signing ceremony was a day they would always remember. 

"This is a day every kid dreams about," said Gerson. "I'm just so grateful to be able to share it with my family and teammates and coaches."