Q&A with Mamaroneck HS football captains
MAMARONECK, N.Y. — The Mamaroneck High School (MHS) football program is truly special and represents what we love so much about our community. Watching them play on Memorial Field under the Friday night lights with kids and adults of all ages in the stands is truly magical. This year’s team is looking strong and has their eyes on being league champions. We caught up with the five senior captains – Jason Cox, Teddy Auker, Henry Bennet, Nico Obregon, and Jack Ramsay. – to hear more.
What makes MHS football so special to you?
Jason Cox: We are a family, both players and coaches. I have played with so many of my teammates for as long as I can remember. The chemistry and team bond that we have built is unbreakable.
Teddy Auker: The great community we have built together over the past few years. A majority of the seniors have been playing together for 5-6 years by this point so there is a true brotherhood within the team.
Henry Bennet: I think the connections. The bonds created when waking up at 5:30 for weeks on end in the summer to make each other better bring people really close. Also since football is the ultimate team sport, you really have to have trust in your teammates to be successful.
Nico Obregon: Seeing the hard work pay off. We as a unit have put so much effort and energy into perfecting our craft this off-season. It’s nice to see the 5am strength and conditioning sessions pay off as we start the season 3-0.
Jack Ramsay: The connections we have formed with each other. It feels like one big family. Having kids who graduated come back to watch you play feels amazing. Its nice to be able to turn to anyone on the team and be able to depend on them.
Tell me a personal story about a moment in your football years here at MHS.
Cox: My favorite story is when we beat Scarsdale. We were down 21-17 with 6 minutes left. Right before the offense was about to go on the field, Coach Smitty pulled me aside. He talked to me and calmed me down while also giving me confidence. We went on to drive the length of the field and score the game winning touchdown.
Auker: When we defeated Scarsdale last year. I will never forget storming the field with my friends and teammates as we celebrated the important victory over our rivals. This game didn’t just mean a lot for the football team but also for our school in general. Following the previous year’s defeat in the lacrosse sectional championship, my brother and I had our eyes set on this game ever since the schedule came out.
Bennet: My freshman year I was practicing with varsity in the pre-season and everyone was older and I was overwhelmed. That was until a bunch of the seniors made me feel like a real part of the team. Taking me to lunch and treating me like a teammate rather than someone who was younger and an outsider. That is something that will always stick with me.
Obregon: I’ll never forget how emotional the loss was when we played Scarsdale my sophomore year. Back then, I didn’t even know about the rivalry. They knew our play calls, they were hitting us out of bounds and after the whistle, and unfortunately, they were shutting us out. Beating them on their homecoming the following year was probably our proudest moment as a team.
Ramsay: The time I pulled up to varsity during my freshman year. Coach Vitti was demonstrating a drill and I accidentally ran into him, and he stopped my helmet with his arm. It turned out that I hit his elbow and the next day it doubled in size. Today, he still jokes about it with me.
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