Tag Archives: Tag: Awards

Elias leads Notre Dame to win over Hamden in 67th Green Bowl

| November 25, 2017

HAMDEN — Senior quarterback Chris Elias led three first-half scoring drives then watched the Notre Dame-West Haven defense make two key second-half interceptions in the Green Knights’ 21-14 win over the Green Dragons in the 67th Green Bowl on Thanksgiving at Hamden High School.
The Green Knights (3-7) jumped out to a 14-0 lead after two of their first three possessions.
First, Elias capped off a 70-yard drive, scoring on a 1-yard quarterback sneak on fourth down to give Notre Dame a 7-0 lead with 8:45 left in the first quarter.
After a fumble on its next possession, Notre Dame’s third drive appeared to be stalled as well. Punting on fourth down, Hamden went for the block, but was called for a roughing the punter penalty, giving Notre Dame a first down.
The Green Knights’ offense used the reprieve to add to its lead when Elias lofted a neatly-thrown 15-yard touchdown pass to Nick Petruzzelli for a 14-0 lead with 6:45 left in the first half.
Elias’ third touchdown of the game came in an unconventional manner as first-year head coach Joe DeCaprio reached into his bag of trick plays.
Elias took the shotgun snap and handed to Isaiah Kane, who flipped the ball to Petruzzelli, who then lofted a perfectly-thrown pass to Elias who had snuck out of the backfield. Elias then outran a few Hamden defenders for a 35-yard touchdown and the Green Knights led 21-0 with just more than four minutes left in the first half.
“I give Hamden a lot of credit,” said Notre Dame head coach Joe DeCaprio. “We scored on three of our first four drives but we needed a couple key interceptions late in the game to hold them off.”
Elias, who completed 12 of his 16 passes for 207 yards in his final game for Notre Dame, was hoping that play would be called.
“I was pretty pumped, but nervous at the same time,” he said. “We’ve been practicing that play for two years now and I am glad it paid off. I was nervous I would drop it but it worked out.”
Hamden, which finished 1-9, did not go away quietly though. From that point forward, not only did the Hamden defense keep Notre Dame off the scoreboard, but they also engineered several nice drives, two of which ended in Sahim Hasan to John Mayes touchdown passes.
The first of which came with 40 seconds left in the first half from 39 yards out cutting the Hamden deficit to 21-7 at intermission. That duo connected again from 28 yards out with 6:13 left in the third quarter and suddenly Hamden trailed 21-14.
Hamden had a few chances to tie the game with drives reaching as far as the Notre Dame 30-yard line but the Green Knight defense rose to the occasion each time.
On the final play of the third quarter, Hasan (8-14 for 137 yards) tried to find Jayquan Bromell, but Notre Dame defensive back Andrew Kendrick ran stride for stride with Bromell and intercepted the pass in the end zone.
Kendrick sealed the win for the Green Knights with his second interception of the game with 1:40 left. Hasan, rolling to his left, threw the pass to the far sideline. The ball was tipped by Notre Dame’s Jared Gallbronner, but Kendrick was able to corral the ball and get both feet inbounds, ending any hopes of a Hamden come-from-behind win.
“It came down to they made a few more plays than we did,” Hamden coach Tom Dyer said. “Sahim made two great touchdown passes for us, but in the end, we had some key penalties that hurt us throughout the game, too.”
Notre Dame’s defense also came up with a huge fourth down stop from the two-yard line on Hamden’s first possession of the game.
“We switched defenses for this game and it worked out great,” DeCaprio said. “They scored on a couple fade patterns but we did a nice job on the run and those two interceptions by Andrew (Kendrick) were huge.”
For the game, Notre Dame outgained Hamden 336-235 and held a 14-12 first down advantage. Hamden did run 52 plays to Notre Dame’s 43 and held a 12-minute time of possession edge.
With the win, Notre Dame has won 12 straight in this series and holds a 43-22-2 all-time advantage. It’s the second time in four years that Notre Dame has won by a touchdown. The Green Knights won 35-28 in 2014. Hamden’s last series win was a 15-10 triumph in 2005.

Kolbe ’18 Point Guard, Trinity Bravo to Play for Bryant University

| November 22, 2017

Trinity Bravo is an exceptional student, role model and athlete. The point guard just accepted a scholarship to play Division 1 basketball for the next four years at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. No one is prouder than Trinity’s parents but her Shepherds mentor, Carolyn Vermont, is also thrilled. Trinity’s new status as a Bulldog will bring her back to the area at points during the season as Bryant plays Sacred Heart and Central Connecticut. Everyone at Shepherds wishes Trinity and her family the best of luck and know that the lessons instilled by her parents, her mentor and her teammates and teachers at Kolbe, will guarantee success during this next chapter.

Greg Dillon, NDWH ’74 Inducted at 2017 Knights of Honor Dinner

| November 10, 2017

Gregory B. Dillon, a proud graduate and loyal alumnus of Notre Dame, has had a successful career in law enforcement and business. Through his support for Notre Dame and dedication to the Shepherds Inc. mentoring program at ND, Greg has made a significant difference in the lives of many young Notre Dame Men.

A 1974 graduate of Notre Dame, Greg was an exemplary student while at ND. He was a member of the National Honor Society, the school newspaper, the Christian Student Mission Club, the Pep Club, and the intramural program.

Greg began a long and distinguished career in law enforcement after graduating magna cum laude from the University of New Haven in 1978 with a BS in Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement Administration. After college Greg was a Special Deputy Sheriff in New Haven and then spent seven years as a patrol officer in Branford which he credits for the foundation of his training in law enforcement. In 1985, Greg joined the FBI as a special agent. While at the FBI, his assignments included positions on the Violent Crime Squad, SWAT team, and the Criminal Reactive Squad. In 1990, Greg accepted a position as an inspector with the office of the CT Chief State’s attorney and was promoted to Supervisory Inspector in 1994. Throughout his almost twenty-year career with the Division of Criminal, he worked on the Gang and Continuing Criminal Activities Bureau, the Firearms Trafficking Task Force, the Connecticut Fugitive Task Force, and the Economic Crime Unit.

After retiring from law enforcement, Greg began a highly successful second career in business. His first venture was as owner of two CrossFit gyms—the first in Cheshire, CT and one currently in Morristown, NJ. He enjoys helping CrossFit enthusiasts reach their fitness goals through a regimen of high-intensity interval training. In 2016 Greg’s entrepreneurial spirit guided him to his latest business partnership as co-founder of Quandary, an Escape Room Experience in Wallingford, CT.

Greg’s involvement and long affiliation with the Shepherds Inc., mentoring program at Notre Dame has had a great impact on the lives of many young Notre Dame Men. Shepherds provides support for underserved students in the New Haven area and pairs them with mentors to guide them through their high school years. Throughout the fifteen-year partnership between ND and Shepherds, Greg has mentored eight students in the program. Currently, he mentors a young man in the junior class, serves as a mentor coach, and is a member of the Shepherds Interview panel.

Certainly Greg’s extensive experience in Law Enforcement was one factor in his decision to become involved with Shepherds, Inc. “There weren’t many bright spots in the (inner city) community for young men. I thought someone has to do something actively to turn this around. Someone has to fill this vacuum.”
Greg lives in North Haven with his wife Vilma.

Shepherds Celebrates Eight Graduates in Notre Dame’s Class of 2017

| May 31, 2017

Eight young men graduated from Notre Dame High School on May 28th, 2017. All are planning on pursuing higher education after graduation.

  • Ja’Sean Johnson-Henry participated in track, Minority Student Union and Team ND during high school. He received 1st Honors and worked at an extended student internship at New Haven City Hall. He was accepted to many colleges and will attend this fall. He was mentored by Cheryl & Mark Milano.
  • Misael Lisboa participated in track and the Environmental Awareness Club. Mentored by Jonathan Kearney, Misael was accepted to several universities and wants to pursue a career in music production.
  • Brent Raymond participated in track and Minority Student Union while maintaining First and Second Honors during high school and working part-time. He will study  economics and real estate at SCSU or UConn this fall. Brent was mentored by Joe Valentino.
  • Jalanni White helped lead the basketball team, earning numerous sports accolades. He received scholarships to Canisius, Quinnipiac, University of Maine, UNH and St. Peters and is debating which basketball program and college is the best fit. Jalanni was mentored by Mike DeChello.
  • Cameron Barnes participated in football and track and field and received a service award. He received Presidential and Dean Scholarships from UNH and will be working toward a degree in chemical engineering. He was mentored by Rich Coyle.
  • Angel Chavez is a respected leader at NDHS, captaining both the cross country and track teams as well as leading numerous clubs. He received Scholar Athlete, National Honors Society and Spanish Honors Society awards and completed a number of service projects. He will be attending College of the Holy Cross and working toward a medical degree. He was also mentored by Rich Coyle.
  • Jerrell Dorsey served as the president of the student council as was involved in band and a number of other clubs. He was captain of the basketball team and received a number of academic and music awards and scholarships. Jerrell will be attending Babson College in the fall. Jerrell was mentored by Mike Donahue.
  • Antonio Ferro participated in a number of sports and clubs. He is currently an EMT student at Yale and plans to go Paramedic school and eventually on to the Fire Academy. He has been accepted at UNH and Mount St. Vincent where he received a president’s scholarship. He was mentored by George McWeeney.

Angel Chavez ‘17 and Cody Markey ‘17 Honored at Westies Care Dinner

| April 27, 2017
West Haven — Two Notre Dame of West Haven students, Angel Chavez ‘17 and Cody Markey ‘17, were honored recently by the group Westies Cares at their annual banquet on Monday, March 27, 2017, at The Cielo Ballroom.
Both students received scholarships from the group based on their academic success and commitment to volunteering within the city of West Haven. Both will graduate from Notre Dame on Sunday, May 28, 2017, and are awaiting final decisions from the colleges they have applied to before selecting a destination for the fall.
“It is gratifying to see students like Angel and Cody recognized for what they accomplished in the classroom and for their interests and activities outside of Notre Dame,” said President Robert F. Curis. “Both are outstanding young men who have represented themselves and Notre Dame very well. We know they will continue to do great things as they move into the next chapter of their lives.”
Angel Chavez ‘17 has been very active at Notre Dame while also being an excellent student. A member of the National and Spanish Honor Societies, Chavez is also active in the Notre Dame community with his involvement in the Christian Student Mission Club (CSMC), Interact Club, and Literary Magazine for the last three years. He rose to leadership positions of CSMC President and Interact Treasurer. In addition, Chavez has been a key member of the cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track teams for the last three years. Outside of Notre Dame, Chavez has volunteered at WHEAT, his church youth group, USACF, and this past summer volunteering 120 hours as a transporter at the VA Hospital.

Cody Markey ‘17 has an equally impressive resume achieving honor roll status throughout his Notre Dame career. Immersing himself in many Notre Dame activities, he has been a member of the Interact Club (elected Secretary as a junior and President as a senior), AlumKnights, Team ND, BRO, and Ski and Snowboard Club. In addition to being a member of the outdoor track team for three years, Markey is active in the West Haven community at the OLOV Carnival, ECO Camp, being an altar-server, and helping at local food pantries.

Congratulations to both students on this well-deserved honor from Westies Care! The 2017 Westies Care Dinner marked the eighth annual celebration of education & community service where they recognized those who exemplify the core values of service, community, and education.

Westies Care has annually honored Notre Dame students. Past recipients of other awards include former President Br. James Branigan, C.S.C, Director of Campus Ministry Mrs. Gail Bellucci, and Vice-President of Advancement Mrs. Kathy Wielk.