Cheshire High School senior Sean O’Halloran flew under the radar during his four years with the football team. As an offensive and defensive lineman, he didn’t get to handle the ball or score in the end zone.
A different sport has thrust his play into the limelight this spring. O’Halloran has scored five times to lead the Cheshire Rugby Club to a 2-0 start.
“I’m not used to scoring, so it feels good,” said O’Halloran, who converted four tries total in 2008. “We lost a lot of key players from last year, but we are working well together right now.”
In only his second season, O’Halloran is reflective of rugby’s rapid growth in town. It was only four years ago when the club started as an unknown commodity and had only 15 players come out for the team. Cheshire lacked the depth to match up with established teams and had to borrow players in some instances, but the experience laid the foundation for success.
“It has grown a lot,” said senior C.J. Sullivan, who has participated for all four seasons. “During the first year, we only had enough guys for an ‘A’ side. Now we have 58 kids and two sides.”
Chemistry has created a close bond among the players. O’Halloran, Sullivan, Nugent, and senior Elliott Laden all played together on the offensive line of the CHS football team.
“You can tell we are all friends,” said O’Halloran, who plays the eight-man spot. “We know what each other is going to do.”
High school and middle school students are eligible to play for the Cheshire Parks and Recreation program. A captain with Sullivan, senior Paul Steller recalls feeling uncomfortable during his first game in 2007.
“I’ve gained more experience now and can teach the younger guys,” Steller said.
Hard work has been rewarded with championships in each of the last two years. Cheshire captured the inaugural Connecticut River Valley League regular season and Division II titles last season.
“Now with kids having knowledge of the basic skills, we can learn more about fitness,” said Cheshire Head Coach Joe Masi. “We are stressing work rate this year.”
Masi feels this spring is a culmination of three to four years for his senior class. Eight of 15 starters are seniors and with that emphasis on being faster overall, they have gained separation in both of their victories. Cheshire opened with a 48-12 win at Staples, scoring 34 unanswered points during the second half on March 29. They returned one week later to compile a 27-0 surge during a 32-7 victory in Madison.
“Last year, we were taking the first punch and now we are the team setting the tempo,” said Masi. “We practice plays in practice and then the kids run it. They make the decisions and it’s good to see the experience come out on the field.”
Madison actually held a 7-5 lead before Cheshire took control at the Surf Club. O’Halloran tallied three tries, while Tucker Bartone and senior Travis Wild had one each. Junior Eric Rothbart booted two conversions and added the first drop kick in the program’s history.
Rothbart is following in the footsteps of his older brother. Matt Rothbart joined the program last spring and with his soccer background, he made an immediate impact on the way to leading the team in points (95). Masi believes soccer can transition well to rugby and was pleased to see Eric replace his brother’s strong foot.
“I went to one of the games last year. A lot of my friends were playing and Matt said he had a good time playing the sport,” recalls Eric Rothbart, who likes the combination of contact and kicking in rugby.
The coaching staff asked him to step in at fly half, recognized as the communicator on the field.
“We have pretty much kept to the basics at practice. We have a few set plays because they don’t want to overload me,” Eric Rothbart explained. “I get help from outside guys like (junior) Cody Nugent and Paul Steller. They have more experience than I do and we communicate to make sure we are on the same page.”
Seniors Rob Veiga and Max Melillo add further experience at the wing spots.
Experience has also helped players develop versatility. Nugent played forward last year, while Steller accepted a shift from fly half to outside back to replace Matt Rothbart.
“I like both positions,” Steller said. “It makes us interchangeable because I can move back there if needed.”
Up and coming talent has helped the program counter what they lost from the graduation of Sean McGarrity. Tucker Bartone has rebounded from an injury in 2008, forming a solid combination with classmate John Urbanski.
“We need them to get experience because we will be losing a lot of seniors,” said Masi. “We have a core group of 10 to 12 sophomores who will see a lot of time next year.”
Possession and safety have been points of emphasis since day one of the program. While not always flashy, control of the ball keeps the opponent from building momentum and Cheshire has found success by striking on long runs.
Masi likes the hard-nosed mentality that Sullivan brings to the field. Zach Kapchan joins Sullivan at prop, while Zach Velcofsky (lock) and Elliott Laden (hook) add the group of senior starters.
“It’s a huge part of the game because whoever keeps the ball is going to win,” said Sullivan.
Masi preaches controlled aggression with the players so to avoid injuries.
“We start practice by talking about how to get contact and make a tackle,” said Masi. “I think our technique has improve tremendously.”
This year’s strong start has the team striving for a return to the state tournament and beyond. Cheshire will attend the Northeast Rugby Football Union playoffs (May 2) in their attempt to reach the national tournament.
“We have to qualify in the Community Division,” said Masi. “The winner gets to go to nationals in Pittsburgh (Pa.) and that would be such a great experience.”
The April 18 home match-up with Greenwich is also highly anticipated. The Cardinals are a national powerhouse and defeated Cheshire, 83-5, last season.
“They shutout us out during the first year and we were finally able to score on them last season,” said Steller. “We may not come away with the victory, but we want to show them that we’ve improved.”
Cheshire will face Cromwell for their home opener on April 8, at 4 p.m. The game will be held at Bartlem park.
“It’s really good to start out strong, but we can’t get overconfident. There is still more we can work on,” Steller said
