A new era of Belmont Hill football dawns this year with new Head Coach Anthony Fucillo who joins the school after years of coaching college football. With all signs this year pointing to a great season, Coach Fucillo highlights the importance of “winning the day” and not only trying to win the game; instead, he wants the players on the team to develop skills and leadership that they can bring to the real world and the rest of their lives. Coach Fucillo aims to create a culture inclusive to everyone. He said, “Our culture is based on that in terms of no man left behind and … treating others with respect and treating our spaces with respect.” He and Cal Peterson ’24 both mentioned the importance of team chemistry and focusing their attention on making sure the team really comes together. Additionally, Cal said, “Other than that, we’re getting a lot of reps on team offense and defense. Getting a lot of new kids in. Making a lot more plays this year.”
When asking Cal about the recent scrimmage against Thayer, the expectations were coming in high and the game ended well with a 24-0 scoreline at halftime as Cal mentions, “The first half we had three touchdowns, got all the extra points. The defense definitely needs improvements. We definitely have to come together in the linebacker group for future games.” After the scrimmage, Coach Fucillo mentioned that the team had too many penalties and how those penalties could really hurt in the future. He also stated, “We are always working on fundamentals and ball security and making sure that we don’t fumble as much as we can. Whether you win or lose, I think it never looks as good as it is, and it’s never as bad as it is. We’ll take a look at the film and improve on those small things that we can take care of going into next week.” As the season is starting, a new coach is also taking the position of a prominent figure on the football team. The football team has had three respective coaches in 3 years, which may be a little tricky, as Cal says, there is still some merit to having different coaches. He stated, “I think that having different coaches is also a great experience, as you get to experience different coaching styles and adapt to them.” Even if there have been many coaches over these few years, coach Fucillo is off to a good start, with the players only having positive things to say about him. For example, Cal also said, “Fucillo is an awesome guy. I didn’t know what to expect when we first interacted with him, but now he’s one of the best coaches. He gets straight to the point and tells you what is going to happen and what you need to improve on. He’s an all-around great guy who you can talk to about football or anything else.” With the season just kicking off, there is a lot to look forward to, such as the homecoming game against Lawrence Academy. Coach Fucillo says, “I think we have a tough opponent, and I think they’re really good and they’re probably one of the favorites to win the league this year.” Cal is also looking forward to the home game against Sebs, talking about how the team needs to come out the gate hard, and how his confidence in the season and the team increased after the scrimmage. Overall, Coach Fucillo looks forward to seeing the players daily and strives to improve the team. He looks forward to the exhausting practices and seeing the players work tirelessly to improve their craft. Ultimately, the team is off to a great start to the season, and things are looking up for the new coach and fresh squad.
