I was finally able to get back to my hometown North Branford and meet the 2021 football team. The team is young, no seniors, so I met with the junior captains, Dominick Langello, Mason Provencher, Eric Izzo and David D’Onofrio. These young men are charged with keeping up the NB T-Birds Pride, Determination and Tradition. Just by looking in their eyes they are not going to let anyone down. I watched them practice and you could never tell their youth by the way the entire team handled themselves on the field, they were poised and intense. I wish them the best of luck going into this year! Here are the Captains...
Name - Dominick Langello
# - 56
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Position - Left Tackle/Defensive end
Height - 5’10
Find out what's happening in North Branfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Weight - 210
Graduation Year - 2023
Sports you play in High School - Football, Basketball, and Lacrosse
How many hours a week in the preseason are you working out? 2 hours a day
How hard was it to stay focused when last season was cancelled? Very hard to stay focused because of the uncertainty of knowing how the season would play out.
Were you into sports when you were little?
I’ve played all 3 of my sports since I was in kindergarten.
Future Plans - I plan to pursue sports journalism and possibly some sort of trade.
Who is the person or people that keep you going when the times get rough?
My family and teammates are always by my side no matter what.
Who is your favorite sports player?
Currently Quinnen Williams but my favorite player of all time is darelle Revis.
What is your favorite song to listen to prior to competing?
Dreams and Nightmares by Meek Mil.
What is your favorite movie about sports?
Blindside.
What is your favorite dinner?
Chicken parm.
Favorite Snack before or after games?
Watermelon sour patch kids.
Greatest moment on the field…
Returning from injury my freshmen year for our Morgan game and winning 72-32
Advice to younger players -
No matter what you go through in life, never give up and keep your foot on the gas.
Name - Mason Provencher
#- 2
Position- Quarterback
Height- 5’9”
Weight - 155
Graduation Year - 2023
Sports you play in High School - Lacrosse, Basketball
How many hours a week in the preseason are you working out? About 8 hours
How hard was it to stay focused when last season was cancelled? - It was tough to stay focused because we knew at any time our season could get shut down.
Were you into sports when you were little? Yes I played youth football since 2nd grade
Future Plans - UConn
Who is the person or people that keep you going when the times get rough? - All of my teammates around me.
Who is your favorite sports player? Russell Wilson
What is your favorite song to listen to prior to competing? Dreams and nightmares
What is your favorite movie about sports? Rudy
What is your favorite dinner? Colony pizza
Favorite Snack before or after games? Skittles before and ice cream after
Advice to younger players - Always support your teammates
Name - Eric Izzo
# - 11
Position - Wide Receiver/ Strong Safety
Height - 6’1
Weight - 170
Graduation Year - 2023
Sports you play in High School - Football/ Lacrosse
How many hours a week in the preseason are you working out? 2-3 hours a day
How hard was it to stay focused when last season was cancelled?
It was definitely a struggle to stay focused each week. We were able to get three games in but there were a lot of uncertainties going into each game.
Were you into sports when you were little? I’ve been playing sports in North Branford for as long as I can remember.
Future Plans - Get into a good college and then find a career that I will enjoy.
Who is the person or people that keep you going when the times get rough? My family and friends
Who is your favorite sports player? Jerry Jeudy
What is your favorite song to listen to prior to competing? Uproar by lil Wayne
What is your favorite movie about sports? Remember The Titans
What is your favorite dinner? Chicken Parm
Favorite Snack before or after games? Skittles
Greatest moment on the field… 4th quarter pick against Stonington to set up the game winning drive.
Advice to younger players - Work hard on and off the field even when nobody's watching.
Name - David D’Onofrio Jr.
# - 10
Position - OLB and TE
Height - 5 ‘8
Weight - 173
Graduation Year - 2023
Sports you play in High School - Football and Lacrosse
How many hours a week in the preseason are you working out? - A lot like 2 hours per day.
How hard was it to stay focused when last season was cancelled? - It was hard because we were getting more ready for this season than last season.
Were you into sports when you were little? - Yes, I played a sport in every season.
Future Plans (College or career) Example Yale or Medical Professional - Civil engineer
Who is the person or people that keep you going when the times get rough? - God
Who is your favorite sports player? - TJ Watt
What is your favorite song to listen to prior to competing? - Whoopty-CJ
What is your favorite movie about sports? - The Blind Side
What is your favorite dinner? - My grandmother’s pasta
Favorite Snack before or after games? - Chicken cutlet sandwich’s after the game on the bus.
Greatest moment on the field… - My first game starting last year because I was so nervous then once I hit someone all the nerves went away.
Advice to younger players -
Work hard when no one's watching and cherish your time because it goes by fast. Also just keep it simple at the end of the day it’s just football so stop thinking so hard about it and just play.
Again best of luck to the Thunderbirds! Stay Safe!
Mark Curcio
From the Bench
Curcio Sports Photos
