By David Fierro
Competing in close games was one of the themes of the Brunswick School football team last season, which saw the Bruins experience both success and a couple of tough setbacks in the tight matchups they were part of.
Despite facing adversity in several of its games against its formidable Northeast Prep League foes, Brunswick registered a representative record of 5-4 in 2023, after finishing 9-1 in 2022, including a victory in the NEPSAC Mike Silipo Bowl. Practice began this week for the Bruins, who are eager and intent on reestablishing itself as a premier team in the Northeast Prep League and the NEPSAC.
“Two years ago, we went 9-1, we won the top bowl game and I said to the team – every bounce went our way,” said Brunswick head coach Wayne McGillicuddy, who is entering his third season at the helm. “Last year, we went 5-4 and easily could have gone 8-1, the bounces didn’t go our way. Now we are preparing so we are not going to let the bounce of the ball decide a close game. We want to make sure that we are mentally and physically focused and prepared. Let’s not have the ball have to bounce our way to win.”
The Bruins open their 2024 season at home in the friendly confines of Cosby Field on September 13 against Cheshire Academy, a Northeast Prep League rival they lost to one season ago in the final minutes of play, 20-14. Brunswick also has home games against Northeast Prep League opponents Avon Old Farms School (Oct. 5), Phillips Academy (Oct. 19) and Phillips Exeter Academy (Oct. 26).
Road games for the Bruins include Salisbury School (Sept. 20), Deerfield Academy (Sept. 28), Suffield Academy (Oct. 12), Trinity-Pawling School (Nov. 2) and Williston Northampton School (Nov. 9).
“There’s a lot of excitement about the season,” McGillicuddy said. “We have 26 or 27 seniors. A lot of them have been contributors for a long time. A good chunk of that group are two to three-year starters.”
The Brunswick football program has been represented by numerous athletes who have proceeded to play football at the collegiate level, a tradition that should continue.
“We have 16 kids who are trying to play college football,” McGillicuddy said. “Twelve of them are committed and nine of them are playing Division I ball. They are a tight-knit group and they spend a lot of time together outside of here.”
Here’s a look at this season’s Bruins.
QUARTERBACKS: Blake Hebert, a senior, joins Brunswick as a transfer student from Central Catholic in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Hebert has committed to play Division I football at Clemson University and the strong-armed, mobile quarterback will serve as one of the Bruins’ captains. As a sophomore at Central Catholic in 2022, Hebert completed 111 of 185 passes for 1,748 yards, with 24 touchdown passes and only one interception in 12 games.
Hebert (6-foot-3, 225 pounds) suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Central Catholic’s first game of the season in 2023.
“Blake has been phenomenal,” McGillicuddy said. “He is one of the best leaders that I have ever been around. You would not know that he wasn’t on the team last year. He came in and he’s worked his tail off to the point that the team has already named him a captain. He’s won the team over, he is someone that everybody looks up to and he is someone that eats, sleeps and breathes football.”
A 2024 graduate, Elijah Cromartie was Brunswick’s quarterback the previous two seasons, effectively and impressively leading the offense. Cromartie is continuing his football career at the University of New Haven. Sophomores Harrison Hantman and Walker McClure are among Brunswick’s 2024 quarterbacks.
RUNNING BACKS: Brunswick will rely on Zay Smith and Patrick Hiebert, both seniors, to carry the load in the backfield. The duo should provided a spark in the running game for the Bruins, who previously, were powered by running back Bryce Davis. Davis is playing football at the University of Albany.
Colt Inman, a freshman with speed, could also aid the offense out of the backfield.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Matty Augustine, a 6-7 297-pound offensive tackle returns to the offensive line, a group that he’s solidified since his freshman season. A fifth-year varsity player, Augustine announced his commitment to play football at the University of Notre Dame this past February. He begins his second season as a captain.
“What he has meant to our program has been the world,” McGillicuddy said of Augustine. “He’s worked his tail off, he’s been a leader. He has done everything that we asked him to and he has put in the extra work, getting extra field work in doing the little things.”
“He’s pulled those guys together on the offensive line,” McGillicuddy continued. “They are a tight-knit group.”
Owen Swenson (6’2, 270 pounds), a junior, returns at the center position and senior Sam Barsante (6’3, 265) also brings experience to the offensive line. Barsante has committed to compete at Amherst College. Michael Marini, a junior and Rowan Ahrens (6’6, 280) also a junior, return to the offensive line, while Sean Berntsen, a junior, joins the Bruins from Trumbull High School.
EJ Perez, a standout on the defensive line, will also see some time on the offensive line. Perez, a captain, will continue his football career at Brown University in 2025.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Senior Jaylen Noisette, who is headed to the United States Military Academy West Point, where he is planning to play cornerback, brings breakaway speed to the wide receiver corps. Tyler Lloyd, also a senior, is primed for a strong season, as are juniors Matthew Colella and Will Fels, both of whom had their moments last fall. The unit will be bolstered by the return of sure-handed receiver Will Graves, who was sidelined all of last season with an injury.
Noah Park, a sophomore, who transferred from Greenwich High School, should be a receiving threat in his first season with the squad. Junior Max Gabelli and sophomore Caden Tate are among some of the other wideouts.
“They are a versatile group,” McGillicuddy said of the receivers. “Blake (Hebert) has done a great job of getting them together, making sure they see what he sees and they are starting to jell.”
DEFENSIVE LINE: Perez (6’2, 270) is starting his second season as one of the squad’s captains.
“He has been a mainstay on the line,” McGillicuddy said of Perez.
Jaylen Pray (6’7, 265) a senior defensive end who has committed to play at Syracuse University, brings strength and experience to the line and senior Arnaz Dowe also returns to the defensive line.
Tyler Georgs, a senior captain, Henry Johnson, a senior and Jake Greene, a junior, comprise a formidable trio of linebackers accustomed to competing in significant league games.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: The Bruins graduated seven players from their secondary from a season ago. Safety Ethan Long, is a senior playmaker in the secondary. Long will soon bring his football skills to Notre Dame and should provide a challenge for opposing offenses to pass the ball.
Maxwell Tejpaul, a senior cornerback, is a Boston College commit who will also be relied upon to lead this deep group of defensive backs. Noisette is also a dynamic cornerback in this secondary, which includes Graves, junior cornerback Kieran Edwards, senior corner Charlie Tortorella and junior defensive back Charlie Hausmann.
Indeed, the Bruins know they must be focused and in top form to produce the type of successful season they are aiming to accomplish.
“Our schedule is really tough,” McGillicuddy noted. “I want to make sure these guys continue to improve. I want to make sure the guys who want to play college football have the opportunity to play college football. I want to make sure these guys are learning life lessons and continue to get better.”
Coaching football and working at Brunswick School has helped McGillicuddy deal with the tragedy and adversity he has faced. His father Don, a beloved basketball referee in Massachusetts for decades, died after suffering a heart attack while officiating a girls basketball game in Watertown, Massachusetts in early March. Don McGillicuddy was 56 years old.
Wayne’s mother died when he was a sophomore in college. He discussed his father’s death with the Brunswick football team.
“This year I want to open up to them and let them see who I really am,” the Bruins head coach said. “One of the things I’ve been working on is opening up.”
McGillicuddy has witnessed the commitment the athletes on the squad are making and knows how important being a Bruin is to them.
“A lot of them have grown up here, they’ve watched their siblings play,” he said. “They’ve dreamed of getting to play on this field, so it means something to them to wear the brown, white and yellow and getting to play on Cosby Field. It’s an exciting time to be a part of Brunswick.”
