Varsity Insider

Welcome to another week and another Captain’s Corner. I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July. I celebrated a Happy Anniversary No. 2 with my wife.

Anyway, as always, if you have a captain you’d like to suggest shoot me an e-mail at jthomson@lohud.com. You can check out the previous captains at the bottom of the post, but we start today with another good one from Iona Prep…

Name: Tim Perley
School: Iona Prep
Year: 2011
Jersey number: 13
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 170
Offensive position: QB
Defensive position: Do not play

What is your favorite part about football?: The one-team, one-goal aspect. For months your teammates are your brothers and the greatest teams are measured by how much each individual is willing to sacrifice for the team. I have also played many sports and the adrenaline you feel during a football game cannot be compared to any other sport.

What do you do to prepare for games?: I try to stay to a routine. I eat a good dinner the night before with my teammates and make sure I get my rest. On game day I’ll listen to anything from DMX to Dave Matthews. Then I do everything I can to get my legs and arm loose. Then it’s just all about getting hyped up and mentally ready to play. For me personally, it’s key to focus on just one play at a time.

What did it mean to be named a captain?: It meant something different to me. I do not view being a captain as having the ability to yell at my teammates and a higher social status. I view it as a responsibility to always put the team before myself and make sure I’m a good role model for the younger players.

As a captain, what will it take to be a leader?: It will take the physical and mental strength to never get discouraged and always having the ability to keep pushing. As a leader I need to set a standard for the younger players. I need to remain committed to the team every day because my goal is to set higher standards for the future leaders at Iona Prep.

Who is your team’s best teammate? Why?: Anthony Leo is the best teammate on our team. He is a leader in the weight room and in the classroom. He is one of the hardest workers I know in the classroom and on the field. He is always willing to put the team before himself and I would take fifty guys with his character over fifty guys with all the talent in the world any day.

Who is the best athlete on your team? Why?: Mike Longo is the best athlete on our team. He has been a starting linebacker on varsity since sophomore year and played a large part during the perfect season two years ago. His combination of size and strength is very rare. Not many guys can bench 320 plus pounds and run a 4.6 in the 40 yard dash. Even though he has never played lacrosse, the state champion lacrosse team wanted Mike to take faceoffs for them just because they were aware of his athleticism. As of now, Mike is probably our only legitimate Division I recruit as well.

Who is your funniest teammate?: This one may have to be a tie between one of our wide receivers Jack Stillwagon and the versatile Danny Maldonado. Jack is very Irish and yet he does the funniest Jamaican impersonation I have ever heard. Danny is just a clown sometimes and can lighten the mood to any situation. Everyone knows Dan likes to have a good time and I look forward to his wild weekend stories every Monday.

What are your team’s goals for the season?: Our goal is to compete in every single game and give ourselves the opportunity to win a championship. The moment there is any sense of quit during the season it is up to myself and other leaders to hold the team together.

What will it take for you to achieve them?: It will take a lot of hard work and dedication. In my mind the season has already begun and our success will be measured by how much work we do before September 11. This team must be about putting the team before the individual because we struggled last year when we put the individual before the team.

After high school, what’s your next step?: I am currently trying to figure out my next step. My older brother swims for a D-I program and I have been in touch with many Division I schools for swimming (photo or Perley at state championships on right). I have also spoken to D-III schools for football, specifically the NESCAC League. As long as I remain dedicated to my athletics, I hope to be either swimming or playing football somewhere next fall.

Previous Captain’s Corners —
June 20: Joe Magardino, Horace Greeley
June 21: Jaylen Amaker, Mount St. Michael
June 22: Dan O’Connell, Panas
June 23: Justin Kennedy, Dobbs Ferry
June 24: Giuseppe Deluca, Eastchester
June 25: Gustavo Larramendi, Horace Greeley
June 26: Eddie Fanning, Dobbs Ferry
June 28: Tom DiCarlo, Eastchester
July 2: Nick Cevallos, Westlake
July 3: Michael Longo, Iona Prep