Mepham sees highest number of alumni football players

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As of next year, Mepham High School will have 13 alumni from its football team who have continued to play in college— the school’s highest number in over 10 years, according to Anthony Cracco, the school’s head varsity football coach, dean and athletic coordinator.

Cracco grew up in Bellmore, played football for Kennedy and graduated to play for the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils, a Division I team. Cracco said that he saw a pattern among district students interested in playing the sport. The students received an introduction as a child on the Bellmore Braves community team, moved on to play in middle school and had a decision to make regarding which high school they would attend. “A lot of people think the only way to have an opportunity [to play in college] is to play for a private school,” Cracco said. “[But] if you’re a great player, coaches will find you.”

Next year, five graduating seniors from Mepham will be playing at the schools of their choice: Michael Valentino and Jeremy Lissade, who will be playing for the Seton Hill Griffins, a Division II team; Mark Novak, who will be playing for the Farleigh Dickinson Devils, a Division III team; Owen Haeseker, who will be playing for the SUNY Maritime Privateers, a Division III team, and Davin Jones, who will be playing for the Saint Lawrence Saints, a Division III team.

The seniors all mused over the recruitment process, remembering it as being just as exciting as it was intimidating. “You get a lot of attention,” said Valentino, referring to the number of coaches who came to Mepham seeking students to play for their school. Lissade chimed in and said, “It was really cool seeing how many people wanted you.”

Although he ran All-State Track at Mepham, Lissade said that he chose to play football in college because of the reward of being part of a collaborative sport. “I like the [idea of] being part of a family,” he said. “And we preach that here.”

Haeseker also had a decision to make when it came to pursuing football in college. He had his heart set on going into the military and when asked how he made his decision, after a long pause, he said, “I don’t know.” However, Haeseker found a way to pursue both goals by committing to play football for SUNY Maritime and join its ROTC program.

Cracco attested to the stress his students felt during the recruitment process. Coaches begin coming to Mepham and interviewing student athletes at the start of their junior year. Cracco said that coaches want to know as much as they can about an athlete before recruiting them. He recalled multiple instances in which a coach would visit Mepham and ask anyone from security guards to cafeteria workers for their opinions on a prospective student. “If they’re making a financial investment in a kid, they don’t just want to talk to me,” Cracco said.

Valentino said that most of the coaches who interviewed him were trying to assess his character. “They want to see what kind of person you are,” he added.

According to Cracco, when Mepham alumni excel at their college the coaches are likely to come back and recruit more students. He recalled Tyler Davis, who graduated in 2015 and played football for the university of Connecticut Huskies, a Division I team. “His coaches continue to call me and ask about students,” Cracco said.

All student athletes who will be playing a sport in college will officially sign up with the NCAA at Mepham’s Varsity Awards night on June 6 at 6:30 at Mepham High School.