La Jolla Country Day football: Singing with a chorus of angels

A new football season is underway, and the La Jolla Country Day Torreys have a new coach. Head coach Carmy Cesaire is getting off to a good start, celebrating his first game with a 50-13 thrashing of Canyon Hills on Aug. 21. Then, in an overtime thriller on Aug. 28, La Jolla Country Day edged visiting Mt. Carmel, 22-21. In week three, the Torreys fell to Trinity Valley (Fort Worth), 49-28.

Along with new Head Coach Cesaire, come new players who are hitting all the right notes.

Maddux Bass-Sulpizio, a sophomore defensive end, enjoys math and science but also singing in the school choir. “I’ve only been in choir since the eighth grade (at Country Day),” says Bass-Sulpizio. “I remember performing for our grandparents, my grandpa Richard, who is Italian, and my grandma, Gabby, who is Costa Rican.”

“I have fun doing both singing and playing football,” the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Bass-Sulpizio says. “My Spanish is better than my Italian (from the two sides of the family). I’m taking Spanish in high school.”

Miles Brogowicz, a senior linebacker, plays outside, usually on the weak side. “What do I try to be aware of? Be ready, don’t overshoot. I’ll sometimes go too far to the left to stop the running back, and he’ll cut right.”

Asked how he handles both run and pass coverage, the 5 foot 9 inch tall, 180-pound 12^th-grader says, “Read the guards. If they go backwards, it’s a pass. If they go forward or to the side, it’s a run.”

Keenan Howry, the Torreys’ defensive coordinator, says “Seb Rock” (senior Sebastian Rock) has been a pleasant surprise on the defensive line. “He has been a lot better. We’ve asked him to do some things that the team needed that weren’t his strength. Also, Parker Rab and Mikey Pena, both freshmen, have been able to come in and play well.

“At Country Day, we haven’t put freshmen in much, especially at cornerback, where you’re out there alone on an island. Mikey has two interceptions, and he ran one back for a touchdown. Parker is now having to fill in as a starter because of injury.”

Porter Brunson, a 6-foot-tall, 190-pound junior at defensive end (also tight end), says, “My focus is on speed—acceleration (to attack). To prepare, I watch a lot of film to spot opponents’ tendencies. Personally, I try to focus on our team, not the outside noise during the week.”

As a small school, Brunson says, “We’ve got a good group that is tight-knit. We don’t have a lot of guys,” so they have to use that cohesiveness to their advantage.