Choate played The Loomis Chaffee School on October 28, 2023.
By Grace LaPlaca ’25
Choate Football went undefeated in the 2023 season with a 9-0 record, winning the Founders League Champion and New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Champion titles. The team’s hard work, focus, and camaraderie contributed to their immense success.
One of the team’s main goals was to win the Leon Modeste Bowl game and go undefeated. “We got that done by focusing on ourselves and our team and what we can control — putting in the work, and executing it in the game,” Co-Captain Pearson Hill ’24 said.
The group also strove to bond as a team, and Blaize Cameron ’24 believes they succeeded. “After our third or fourth game, we really started clicking,” he said. “Once we hit that point, the mindset was, ‘Okay, we’re taking this all the way.’”
Team building began early before preseason with training at Camp Awosting in Morris, Connecticut. The sleepaway camp included workouts throughout the day, as well as traditional camp bonding activities.
“Some of my best friends are sophomores who happened to be in the same bunk as me,” said Liam Donagher ’24, a postgraduate student. “I feel like that speaks to what the program is about and how much of a family it is.”
Carter Vaughn ’25 felt similarly about the training camp as a new junior this year. “It truly brought us all together,” he said. “I really felt welcomed when we came back to campus.”
After a devastating loss to Brunswick School last year in the championship game, one of the team’s mantras was, “Remember this feeling. Don’t let it happen again.” Working as a team was critical in achieving this. “My favorite mantra for this year was, ‘Forget about me, I love you,’” Mac Dumont ’24 said. “It’s not about doing everything for yourself, but for your teammates and brothers on that team.”
The team’s training regimen was demanding and required hard work, and above all, team work. Cameron said, “If you want to get through practice, lifts, film study, and everything that makes you a part of the team, you have to have that sense of camaraderie.”
During practice, Varsity and Junior Varsity (JV) players trained together in various drills, which contributed to the sense of team unity while also providing more experience for JV players.
The Choate community witnessed this hard work come to life in the team’s game against Avon Old Farms School on November 4, a blackout themed Saturday-night game at home. “Our win against Avon was one of the most fun games I’ve ever played in,” Wyatt Morgan ’24 said. “The student section was showing out, everyone was making plays, and it was overall a great experience.”
When Dumont was injured and unable to play in the Avon game, Marc Cappuccitti-Gutierrez ’25 took his place, scoring the game-winning field goal and delivering a close 17-14 victory. “He’s been the little brother I never had,” said Dumont. “Every game, he had the opportunity to succeed, and he did. That just meant the world to me — it made me so happy.”
The 44-14 victory on Deerfield Day stood out to Hill, who enjoyed performing in front of a big crowd against their rivals and winning. The stands were positioned close to the team’s sideline, bringing together players and fans. After the team won, at both Deerfield Day and the game against Avon Old Farms, students rushed the field. “It was really cool to see,” Co-Captain Matt Diaz ’24 said. “I didn’t realize how many people were there until that happened.”
Diaz also noted the shift in the team’s attitude this season compared to last. “We were very serious this year and were able to be successful,” Diaz said. “But I saw a lot more people having fun playing football together and interacting with one another off the field compared to last season.”
“Coach Spinnato has done a great job building a culture of family and inclusivity on this team,” Morgan said. “I appreciate that — coming here as a new sophomore and being in a completely different environment.”
An undefeated season is an impressive feat. Regardless of their record, however, the team’s focus and camaraderie were constant. “We’re going to be who we are, whether we win or lose,” Hill said. “Being undefeated doesn’t have an impact.”
Football Coach Mr. LJ Spinnato was recently awarded Coach of the Year by the New Haven Football Officials Association. He credits the award to the culture of the program and the players. “Thank you to the team,” Mr. Spinnato said. “It’s the best job I’ve ever had.”
