New faces start a new season for John Jay flag football

Lina Halaifonua carries after making a catch. Mitzi Chan carries for the Wolves. John Jay quarterback Gianna Pelosi fires a pass. Jim MacLean Photos

By JIM MACLEAN 

Another season begins for the John Jay flag football program, and there are a lot of new faces on the field and on the sideline with a new coaching staff led by head coach Jason Kuhlmann.

The Wolves opened the season at home March 20, against Putnam Valley, and it was a thrilling defensive battle for the first half as the two teams went into halftime locked in a 0-0 tie. However, Putnam Valley is a team that enjoyed a lot of success last season and the Tigers used that experience to pull away in the third quarter on the way to a 21-0 victory over the Wolves.

It was a good start overall against a good team, part of a learning curve to be expected for a young team with few returning starters and a new coaching staff.

“It’s been a ton of fun so far, obviously didn’t start the way we hoped to today,” Kuhlmann said after the loss. “Things kind of broke down a bit once they got that first score. It’s a challenge, trying to teach different skills. That’s what happened the second half, we were in the right spots, but we couldn’t grab the flag, it’s a skill they have to work on and learn.”

Even the coaching staff has to learn and adjust. Kuhlmann comes to the program with 15 years of experience as the varsity head coach for the Pawling High boys team, but this is his first season of coaching flag football.

He is the third head coach in three years for the Wolves since John Jay started the varsity program three years ago. He inherits a roster with few returning starters, but a lot of young players for good numbers overall and a bright future.

One returning starter is Gianna Pelosi. She started last year on varsity as a freshman, and now in her sophomore season she takes over the responsibility of leading the offense as the starting quarterback.

“Gianna is an excellent player, very happy to have her,” Kuhlmann said of Pelosi. “She’s a quick learner and processes fast, which you have to have at the quarterback position.”

Pelosi was leading the way on both sides of the field for John Jay against Putnam Valley. After a scoreless first quarter, Putnam Valley had possession in John Jay territory to start the second quarter, but Pelosi came up with an interception to stop the drive.

John Jay then started moving the ball in the air as Pelosi connected with Lina Halaifonua on a 24-yard pass play. The Wolves picked up another first down on a carry from eighth-grader Emilia Koronowski, but then Putnam Valley came up with an interception to stop the drive at the Tigers 18-yard line.

However, the Wolves defense stood tall and Pelosi deflected a third-down pass play to force Putnam Valley to punt.

John Jay then put together its best drive in an attempt to score before halftime. Pelosi completed a pass to eighth-grader Danielle Weisfelner for a first down. Another first down pass to Weisfelner and a completion to Halaifonua moved the Wolves inside the 10-yard line, but the Tigers came up with an interception in the end zone to stop the threat.

Putnam Valley then grabbed the momentum and never looked back in the third quarter, breaking the scoreless tie with a touchdown and then adding two more to secure a 21-0 shut out victory.

Despite the loss, Kuhlmann saw a lot of positive signs on the field for the Wolves. John Jay played the game without its starting running back Julie Berisha, a senior returning starter for the Wolves. Other senior returners include captain Mitzi Chan, Avery Bisignano and Nonie Whelan.

“Mitzi Chan is a really good athlete,” added Kuhlmann. “Julie Berisha, our tailback, had a great scrimmage and she was out ill today, but she’s a difference maker.”

There are a lot of sophomore veterans including Pelosi, Halaifonua, and Sofia Berisha. There are also a lot of newcomers, including five eighth graders, and they will all have to contribute on the field for the Wolves.

“I’m just getting to know everybody, it’s only our second week into the season together,” explained Kuhlmann. “We’re still learning and it takes time. I told the girls by the time we get to about our eighth game I hope everything is clicking. The other thing with me coming in, we only have a few returners and they’re learning a new system, so there is a lot of new stuff that’s hard to learn in a week of practice, but they’re working hard and improving every day.”