John Jay Softball and Flag Football Previews

Girls Lacrosse is Ready to Run

Last year the girls lacrosse team made it all the way to the state finals before going home with second place. But proceeding with an agenda of finishing the job is not the mindset of the coach or her team.

“We’re really good about staying in the moment, and trying to get better every day,” said Coach Jess McDonough.

But they aren’t completely wiping the memory clean. “We’re hoping to play up to where we ended last year,” she said.

With Mary Murphy, Jordan Kauftheil, and Jane Brennan are coming back, the defensive gears are primed to grind “We’re ready to step up, stop the ball and work on different sets,” said McDonough.

In anchor, Molly Gallagher is on familiar ground between the pipes. “She’s a junior now. She has a year of varsity under her belt. So I think she’s excited for the challenge and get better each game,” said McDonough.

Of course, the goalie will still have to acclimate some new blood into the system, and she looks forward to helping to piece the puzzle together. On the other hand, achieving synergy is less about lacrosse, according to Gallagher. “Our goal is to get really close this year as a team,” she said.

On the attack, JoJo Degl is back in the middle of the field. “I love it. I’ve been playing midfield since I’ve been playing lacrosse,” said the junior.

Not a one woman show, Degl likes her coattails. “Logan Bueti is an awesome attacker, she is really kicking butt, and Kaitlin Condon is also awesome, I’m loving her confidence,’ Degl asserted.

Kayla Shapiro, Finja Degl, Amelia Inglis, Olivia Cervantes and Molly Willingham also on the offensive move, there’s no offense without the defense, and Degl revels in running with the new Wolves on that side of the field too. “Audrey Oestreicher is super fast, Sela Halaifonua has come back to lacrosse, playing great defense and Caitlin Brennan is playing great down there too, taking after her sister,” said Degl.

In the mix, Nicole DiNapoli is also stepping up on the attack, while not forgetting the Wolves who have stepped aside. Shannon Nolan, Mia Puccio, Meghan Condon and Annabel Brennan, said the senior, “We miss them all the time, and we’re constantly talking about the legacy they left behind.”

Still, she welcomes the chance to fill the void. “It’s an exciting responsibility,” said DiNapoli.

No doubt contagious, McDonough reaps plenty of reward. “These girls bring smiles, hard work, a positive attitude and that’s all I can ask,” concluded the coach.

John Jay Flag Football is Now on the Map

John Jay football no longer belongs solely to the boys. This year the Wolves are ready to embark on their first season of flag football, but the girls aren’t necessarily new to the sport of football, according to Coach Joe Candarelli.

From their Saturday and Sunday viewing, there’s a frequent question that verifies their familiarity. “Is this (flag football) rule the same as regular football,” the coach has continually heard since practice started.

A nice baseline for sure, there’s another equally important bottom line. “We’re having a ton of fun,” said the coach.

22 girls in total, Candarelli must site one key player first. “One of our football managers, Natalie Ellrodt, she helped start the team,” he said.

From there, Jaime Bartley-Cohen is on track to be the first quarterback. “She’s a very competitive kid,” said Candarelli.

As for the rest of the slots, it’s a work in progress. “It’s a whole lot of by committee, where we are trying to figure it out,” he said.

And the players are sponging up the curriculum. “They are a really smart group of kids,” Candarelli said. “They learn really, really quick.”

Of course, his underlying coaching agenda remains unchanged. “In the fall, we talk about high character kids who compete everyday,” said Candarelli. “That’s our goal with these girls too. We talked about it in our first meeting, and they’ve done a really good job embracing it.”

All in place, he’s staying current and looking forward. Having fun is the main purpose so we can grow the sport,” he concluded.