John F. Kennedy High School: Welcome
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| Junior Captain 'Dink' Abdul-Lateef |
WELCOME friends, family, fans and Alumni of the Kennedy Eagles Football program. Thank you for taking the time to visit our website. Please check out what the site has to offer, including the 2013 schedule, roster, player profiles, 2012 photo/video highlights and much more! We hope that you will follow our Eagles through the regular season as they prepare to recapture their Copper Division title and return to the 2013 NVL Championship Game.
Thanks for your support.
Coach Sarlo
Varsity Football Head Coach
In 2005, Coach Sarlo dedicated an award to honor the memory of his close friend Stephen Rockwell. The Stephen Rockwell Memorial Award, known as the 'ROCK' is given to the player who serves as the 'ROCK' of the Kennedy Football program. He may not be the best athlete, but he models the foundation of the program, which is TEAM, COMMITMENT and HARD WORK. He is committed to working hard for the success of the team. He attends practice every day and leads with his actions. He makes that same commitment in the classroom as well. Above all, he is the player who can still crack a smile and make others laugh, even after a tough loss, or a rigorous day of practice. He is passionate not only about football, but about life itself.
Stephen Rockwell had those same passions. A former football player and 1982 graduate of Kennedy, Steve was killed in 1988 in a motorcycle accident. He left us way too early, but during his time on this Earth he made everyone in his life smile. One of his favorite songs was Bobby McFarren's 1988 hit, 'Don't worry, be happy'. That is exactly how Steve lived his life. No matter what life threw at him, Steve never let anything or anyone bring him down. He had a contagious smile and he made others laugh along with him.
The student/athlete honored with the 2011 Stephen Rockwell Memorial Award Senior Captain, Cody Colon-Dudeck.
Cody worked very hard to earn a Leadership Position for the 2011 season. He played ALL 4 years in the program on ALL sides of the ball, offense, defense and special teams.
Cody was one of the hardest working individuals on and off the football field. His work ethic and drive to excel served as a model for all. Coach Sarlo speaks of Cody as one of the hardest working athletes in the program with the heart and desire to lead others.
The character and spirit that Cody displayed over the past four years will surely be missed. Cody was an intelligent leader who demonstrated to his teammates the foundation of the program, TEAM, COMMITMENT and HARD WORK. Cody was a condidate for the US Naval Academy at Annapolis and considered for All Academic honors. He is attending the University of Connecticut in the fall. Good Luck Cody!
We wish you well in your future.
The 'ROCK' honorees
2005-Nevin Thomas
2006-Queshaun Harvin
2007-Steve Anton, Ken Fermin, James McColl
2008-Ronald Naraine
2009-Devin Myers
2010-Oscar Jean-Baptiste, Travis Johnson, Ryan Boland
2011-Cody Colon-Dudeck
Sunday, May 19
Spring Football starts Monday June 3rd. Anyone who did not attend the football meeting last Friday MUST see Coach Sarlo in Room 214 to register. ALL student-athletes MUST meet 2 eligibility requirements:
1) Medical eligibility: You MUST have a City of Waterbury Sports' Physical on file with the JFK School Nurse's Office.
2) Academic eligibility: You MUST meet the CIAC Academic Standard that requires a student-athlete to pass a minimum of 4 classes and earn 4.0 credits. The City of Waterbury Academic Standard requires a student-athlete to maintain a minimum average of 70% for all classwork in the Marking Period prior to and during the sport season.
If you have registered and meet these requirements, then you will be expected to attend Spring Football starting on Monday June 3rd. We will run 2 hour conditioning sessions Monday thru Friday in the first week and then we will run full contact sessions Monday thru Friday in the second week. Our annual BLUE/GOLD scrimmage will be on Friday June 14th.
The school will provide all of the following protective equipment: helmet, shoulder pads, mouthpiece, 7 piece set of lower pads, and practice pants with a jersey. All student/athletes must be prepared for BOTH indoor and outdoor practice. You must have sneakers and cleats, gym clothes and a lock to keep your personal items secure in your locker.
See Varsity Football Head Coach Chris Sarlo in Room 214 during the school day, or contact him via email, sarlo@att.net, with any questions or concerns.
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I am not sure exactly what I want to write in this post so it may ramble on, but I ask for your patience. Today, a former player visited Kennedy to inform me and others that Dariel Perez passed away on Tuesday. He died as the result of a one car accident late Sunday night. I don't know any more details about his death, but I would like to share more about his life.
Everyone in the football program knew Dariel as 'Rudy'. It was such a fitting name for him too. He played for our program from 2007-2010 and he graduated with the class of 2011. He served as a team captain his senior year and earned All City Defense honors for the 2010 Varsity season.
The best way to describe Rudy as a player will sound cliche, but he always gave 110 percent! When guys were dragging a bit in practice or down in a game, he always kept moving at top speed. He was never an all state caliber player, but Rudy was ALL HEART! I never coached anyone with more courage and mental strength than Rudy. His performance on the practice and playing field was so inspirational that I named an end of the year award in his honor. Each year since Rudy graduated, we have awarded the player with the most heart who NEVER quits with the Dariel Perez 'Rudy' Award. We will continue to do so for as long as I am the Head Coach, but sadly now it is a memorial award.
Take a look at the photo that I have attached. This pic sums up Rudy. As a sophomore, he was one of only a few 10th graders who suited up and played in the 2008 NVL Football Championship game. Take a close look at his helmet. Anyone who knows the game of football recognizes that this kid played hard and you can tell that by the 'war paint' on his helmet. He worked just as hard off the field as well. He was always in the weight room trying to increase his strength and serving as the model for other players throughout the off-season.
Even more important than his football contributions, were his contributions to the Kennedy school community. He got along with everyone. He made everyone around him a better person. He was a hard working student who took the time to help others. I had him as a student in class and I witnessed the same level of commitment and hard work. The Kennedy community, the city of Waterbury, this state, this nation and the world, lost a great young man.
I think that I can speak for all of my staff, his former teammates and even the current players in the program when I say that Rudy will be missed. #8 will always remain in our hearts. We offer our condolences to his family and we want to thank them for allowing us the opportunity to spend time and share life with their wonderful son.
In Memory,
Coach Christopher Sarlo
There will be a service to honor Rudy tomorrow night, Saturday April 27th, at the Washington Memorial Funeral Home, 4 Washington Avenue, North Haven CT 06473. The family requests that anyone who wishes to pay their last respects to Dariel may do so from 6-8 PM.
CALLING ALL friends, family, fans and alumni of Kennedy, Croft and Leavenworth High Schools! The Kennedy Eagles Football program invites you to join the 2013 Eagles Endzone Club, the booster organization for the Kennedy Eagles Football team.
All who join the Eagles Endzone Club will have their names entered as part of the Honor Roll in our Varsity game day program. They will receive a certificate of membership, 2 free passes to any EAGLES home game at Municipal Stadium and the necessary documentation for their tax records.
Members from the business community will have their sponsorship information placed in the Varsity game day program and their business advertisement will also be highlighted on the Sponsors' page of our website.. This will allow our sponsors to reach out to those from the Naugatuck Valley region who attend our games and who visit our website.
What better way to honor the glory of our past, recognize the players of today and ensure the success of our future? Spread the word to all family members and to friends who may have played for or attended Kennedy, Croft, or Leavenworth High Schools, and to anyone who is a fan of the great game of football.
Please feel free to contact Varsity Head Coach, Chris Sarlo at 203.755.2958, or sarlo@att.net. Any level of contribution will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your consideration.
