It was a moment that these athletes have dreamed of ever since they fell in love with their sport. On February 3rd, the student body looked on in the upper school commons as seniors Antonio Colacci and Christopher Morrish made their dreams come true: they signed letters of intent, officially committing themselves to play sports at the colleges of their choice. Later in the month, Jacob Westberry would announce his commitment to play football at Jacksonville University.

Chris Morrish has been at Saint Stephens for two years and has been on the soccer team for only one, but it was enough time for him to make some unbreakable bonds on the team and at the school. This summer, he is off to Trinity University, a prestigious Division 3 program located in San Antonio, Texas. Morrish has played soccer for 15 years, and the years of hard work and dedication have written his ticket into collegiate athletics.

Morrish said, “I am, really going to miss the guys I have grown up playing with: Antonio, Johnny, Alex, Trevor, and Chris Pennewill. My inspiration is Tim Howard. He is the greatest goalkeeper our country has ever seen. Also, my coach, Tim Mulqueen, has helped me get to where I am today with a lot of intense, but still fun training sessions,”

Colacci, who has attended Saint Stephens for six years, is heartbroken to be leaving behind Saint Stephens but is excited for things to come at University of New Hampshire. Colacci had left Saint Stephen’s in 8th grade for Braden River High School, but came back to rejoin some of his friends and spend his last high school years at Saint Stephen’s. Antonio Collaci is headed to New Hampshire to play Division 1 college soccer. He has played soccer for 14 years, and he is working every day with the same passion and love for the game as he did when he first started playing. Collaci has grown to become a role model for the younger players at the school and he is constantly motivating his peers to grow to the level that he is at and to strive for success. “The hardest part about leaving the school will be leaving the soccer team behind. It will be tough leaving such a fun and caring environment. My inspiration is Andres Iniesta (a F.C. Barcelona soccer player). We play the same position, and he is at the level I aspire to be at one day.” “My dad has helped me get to the level that I am at today by helping work with me on the weak points of my game, as well as mold me into the man that I am today.”

Jacob Westberry has been an integral part of the football team since he joined his freshman year. He has been known for his talent in a variety of sports, too. Westberry, despite suffering season-ending injury that kept him off the court this year, was able to join an elite group of high school athletes by scoring his 1000th point. As far as baseball goes, Jacob is among the best we have, and he was the only player last season to hit a home run. Jacob Westberry will be staying somewhat close to home, attending Jacksonville University, which has a D1 college football program. Westberry could have played college athletics in basketball or baseball, but he felt that football would be his best option. Westberry is a role model for young football players coming up through the middle school to the varsity level. He is inspiring football players here to work hard and play at the highest level that they can.

The fact that two Saint Stephen’s soccer players will be playing collegiate soccer speaks volumes about how the soccer program is run here at Saint Stephen’s. It shows how seriously each practice is taken, and how hard each player works on a daily basis.

On the football end, Jacob Westberry is living proof of how far the football program has come. Five years ago, the team posted a winless record, but this past year they made it farther in playoffs than they ever before (the conference championship). With the young talent in the program, the team isn’t far from winning a state championship.

With players every year going to college to pursue their sports, the athletic aspect of our school has really come a long way.  Although Saint Stephens is well known for its academics, it has made a name for itself in the athletic world as well.