NEEDHAM — At St. Sebastian’s for Sunday’s A Shot For Life Bowl, the group’s first soccer event, it was chilly, and it was moist. But it surely was moreover fulfilling.
Tons, and lots of fulfilling.
That was the first takeaway for every event organizers and players who took half throughout the four-team 7-on-7 match. Certain, the local weather was moist, nevertheless the opponents was a blast, and the event was successful.
All instructed, $47,000 was raised for the Massachusetts Normal Hospital’s Most cancers Heart.
“It’s tremendous enjoyable,” A Shot For Life CEO Mike Slonina talked about. “All of our gamers are constructing off of what our gamers did earlier than them. If basketball wasn’t profitable, we will’t do baseball. If baseball wasn’t profitable, we will’t do soccer. If that’s not profitable, we will’t do soccer. These guys, what they’re doing right here at the moment goes to dwell on for a really very long time. Half these guys will likely be again. All underclassmen are welcome again. So it’s a roster. So various these children will likely be right here the subsequent 12 months, as nicely. They’re doing a very highly effective and particular factor, and we love them.”
Barrett Pratt, a Catholic Memorial alum who’s now a quarterbacks scholar assistant at West Virginia, put that roster collectively, and it was a proficient one. It included standouts from every the MIAA and NEPSAC.
“It’s very nice to see,” Pratt talked about. “It was a very lengthy course of, began virtually a 12 months in the past. Began speaking to guys final June. Began getting going in the summertime. Then, over the previous few months, obtained all of it collectively. It’s actually rewarding, good to see. They’re all nice children, all doing it for an excellent trigger. It’s been very nice to see, and nice to see occur.”
Probably the most heralded determine was Ryan Puglisi, a quarterback from Avon Previous Farms who hails from Paxton. All players each keep in or go to highschool in Massachusetts. Puglisi is a College of Georgia commit.
“Regardless of the climate, it’s a good time,” Puglisi talked about. “I used to be speaking to Barrett. My workforce, we had been shedding, however I advised him it was greater than soccer. It’s simply nice to be out right here for s nice trigger, and simply glad to characterize A Shot For Life.”
The local weather worn out the quarterback downside portion, so each factor wrapped up with the 7-on-7 match. In that half, Staff Struggle beat Staff Hope, and the star of the day’s festivities was Matt Childs, a working once more and linebacker from Milton Academy.
Within the final, Childs caught a one-handed, 1-yard touchdown transfer from Catholic Memorial’s JC Petrongolo. Later, Childs caught one different from Petrongolo on a diving seize in the back of the tip zone. Lastly, on the ultimate play of the afternoon, Childs chucked a deep ball that was caught for a touchdown.
It was one to complete on.
“It’s enjoyable enjoying soccer with all of the boys proper now,” Childs talked about. “All of us play in opposition to one another, however we’re boys out right here. That’s all it’s about.”
