By Jenna DeFrancesco
As the spring sun melts away the last remnants of winter, Branford High School boys sports teams – baseball, lacrosse, outdoor track and field, tennis, and golf – take to the fields and courts of competition for the 2024 spring sports season.
Each team anticipates an exciting season, and below is a preview for each of them. To read the preview of the girl’s spring sports season click here.
Baseball
2023 record: 7-11
Captains: Jack Smith, Giuseppe Piscitelli
The baseball team graduated six seniors from last year’s squad, and newly elected captains Jack Smith and Giuseppe Piscitelli take the lead moving into their 2024 season. Taking a look at the team, their 2023 season ended with a 7-11 record, and Smith responds to this mention with “winning more than six games (this season) would be spectacular.” The boys first game will take place at Wilton High School March 30, and their home opener is April 5th against West Haven High School.
To see the full baseball schedule, click here.
Lacrosse
2023 record: 3-12
Captains: Jeter DeCusati, Parsa Malahiazar, Gavin Groves, Isaiah Forney
Lacrosse season starts with their first game March 26 on the road against North Haven. The team is led this year by 4 senior captains, and after graduating 13 seniors from their 2023 season, there are some big shoes to fill. A rough path in the previous season makes for determination on all fronts by this year’s roster. In speaking with Parsa Malahizer, he states “…i’m looking forward to getting back out on the field, competing and having fun with the rest of the guys.” Jeter Decusati adds some words of motivation to his teammates and fellow athletes: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” The boys home opener is April 2 against Guilford.
To see the full lacrosse schedule, click here.
Outdoor Track & Field
Captains: Enaji Muhamed, Sam Coppola, Max Parsell, Carter Moore
Four senior captains lead the outdoor track and field roster to what they hope is individual and team success. With the graduation of 12 seniors from last year’s squad, co-captain Carter Moore said he is “…most looking forward to working on my events and helping the underclassmen find an event they love.” Two seniors from last year achieved new heights last year and left an impression on the underclassmen, with their success and hard work. Drew Schwartz placed 5th in New England in the javelin, and Ryder Kropiwnicki was the 2023 SCC champion in pole vault. The boys first meet will take place April 3 against Hillhouse and Jonathon Law, and Enaji Muhammad of BHS will be squaring off against Khalil Antoine of Hillhouse in the high jump. Enaji was second in New England in the high jump indoors with a BHS school record leap of 6′ 7″ and Khalil was first in New England with a New England record high jump of 7 feet. The competition will be fierce.
To see the full outdoor track schedule, click here.
Tennis
2023 record: 10-9
Captains: Mason Porras, Matt Law, Luke Baylis
The tennis team leaves behind their record of 10-9 to start the season fresh in the new year. Three senior captains work to replace the three previous seniors, and are looking forward to the new responsibility. Tri-captain Mason Porras said “I’m looking forward to our schedule because it allows us a good chance of making it to SCC’s and states, and making it far both of those competitions…as well as the team bonding we’ll have, especially with the incoming freshmen and the underclassmen.” Law said that “as a senior captain, I am looking forward to getting out there, hopefully building off of our success of last year, and I want to be a role model.” The boys first competition day starts the season on April 1 at Foran. Their home opener is April 5 against Hamden.
To see the full tennis schedule, click here.
Golf:
2023 record: 10-6
Captains: Joe Robinson, Patrick Lalonde
Golf’s co-ed team starts their season on April 4th, home at Pine Orchard Yacht Club. Their coach, Jennifer Kohut, shares her insights on the upcoming season: “Each year brings new challenges and I look forward to seeing this year’s captains, Joe Robinson and Patrick Lalonde, mentor the younger players. We have some bright young golfers coming into the program.” 5 seniors graduated from the BHS golf team last year, including Keegan Lalonde, a 2 time All-state winner and 3 time State Open player, leaving high school as “the most accomplished golfer in BHS history,” says Kohut.
To see the full golf schedule, click here.
Sailing (Co-ed)
Captains: Katie Harmon, Gus Fichtenholz, Charlotte Green
The BHS sailing team hits the waves this spring as their biggest season yet after being restricted from competitions last year due to late beginnings. The co-ed group anticipates good things this year, and is “excited to finally get to race other teams. Last season was our first season…and we didn’t have any races,” said Katie Harmon, a junior captain. Her fellow captains, Charlotte Green and Gus Fichtenholz, are also juniors, and their young team brings determination to the competition as the newest sports team at BHS. Their first competition date is April 3 against Xavier at Pettipaug Yacht Club and Sailing Academy in Essex.
