Since becoming the new head coach of the football team just three years ago, Nick Torresso knew that the football program was heading in a downward trend. Torresso’s goal was to change that, and he has shown that every year since starting here, the team has made small improvements.

Although he’s done great things for the team, it doesn’t take away from the athletes’ skills.

“It’s not as much to do with me as it is to do with the player’s commitment to doing things the right way and doing things that are hard more often, and they have done all of the hard and uncomfortable work to make them better,” Torresso said.

This year, they took that next step that everyone had been expecting and all of the fans have been waiting for. The team was heading into the playoffs as huge underdogs. The team went 6-4 this year, losing in the first game of the playoffs 26-14, but leading the game at halftime 14-0. The team being able to hold their ground throughout the game, despite being such underdogs, directly correlates with what Coach Torresso teaches the team.

The team set goals for themselves, one of them being making it to the playoffs. Coach Torresso has done nothing but push his players closer to achieving those dreams.

“We expected to make the playoffs this year and hopefully make it far and Coach T truly helped in getting us there because he made us better football players and he made us mentally stronger,” senior Logan Brandfellner said.

It’s clear that Torresso is highly dedicated to the sport and his athletes, contributing to their success. He brings that winner mentality and that directly reflects onto the players.

“Coach T is different than our last coach because he shows more interest in us and the sport. You can truly tell that Coach T loves what he does and isn’t just in it for the job,” senior Noah Weinberg said.

Torresso makes it known that he values his players, on and off the field. He’s created a community that his athletes are thrilled to be a part of.

“Coach Torresso has done an amazing job showing his players that he cares.  Not just about their performance on the field but as individuals and people.  He really has established an identity and culture that our athletes have embraced and taken pride in,” Strength Coach Thomas Dellota said.