Athlete of the Week: Austin Scronce

The crowd falls silent as senior Austin Scronce steps up to the 30-yard line. With a sharp and swift movement, Scronce kicks the ball in a smooth upwards arc. It sails through the air, aligning perfectly between the goalposts as it flies over the crossbar.

Scronce first stepped onto a football field during his prep year at Exeter. “[Senior] Spencer Nuzzo convinced me to tryout, following the all-athlete meeting with the athletic director,” Sconce explained. Since then, he has gone from the position of the JV placekicker to one of the four co-captains of the boys’ varsity football team.

Fellow co-captain and senior Jack Farrell commented on Scronce’s improvement since his first season. Farrell has been playing alongside Scronce from their beginning on JV in 2013. “Austin has come a long way,” Farrell said. “He is a great leader on the field.”

Scronce focuses on leading the team by example. “I try to be vocal when I feel it’s needed,” he explained. “But I mostly try to be a silent leader, letting my actions speak for me.” Lower Chimenum Tasie-Amadi attested to this. He elaborated on Scronce’s impressive athletic abilities, saying that Scronce is a co-captain who didn’t just inspire the team with words or pep talks, but with his prowess on the field. Tasie-Amadi especially admires the way that Scronce can be depended upon as a versatile player. “He may not start at other positions, but I’ve seen that we can rely on him to step in as a cornerback or wide receiver,” Tasie-Amadi said.

When asked about the strategies he tries to employ as co-captain, Scronce detailed the difficulty of the position. “The responsibility of the entire team is placed on our shoulders,” he said, referring to the other football co-captains, Farrell, senior David O’Donnell and senior Harrison Money. However, Scronce does not let this discourage him. “I’m very competitive, and so I am always focused on the team,” he said. Scronce explained that he is consistently as prepared as possible, so that when he is needed on the field, he can step up and put forward his best effort.

“Austin has come a long way,” Farrell said. “He is a great leader on the field.”

Tasie-Amadi appreciates the understated difficulty of both Scronce’s football position and his appointment as co-captain. “As simple as it may look, it’s not very easy,” Tasie-Amadi explained, referring to Scronce’s job as the placekicker. Lower Harrison Murray also admires Scronce’s ability to achieve distance. “He is an amazing kicker,” Murray said. Lower Alan Xie concurred, adding, “His talent inspires everyone.”

Farrell also acknowledged Scronce’s capacity to invigorate and push the team through his incredible aptitude for kicking. “He works hard and encourages others to do the same,” Farrell said. “He’s very consistent and exact. Austin makes sure everything’s done right each time.” Farrell praised Scronce as being the “motivator” and the “organizer” of the team.

Scronce’s deftness does not go unnoticed by his teammates. “He is serious when he needs to be, but also knows when it’s time to joke around,” Murray said. Postgraduate Patrick Schena agreed with Murray, saying that Scronce’s personality fits the mold for being a good co-captain because of his ability to both have a good time and to focus.

Many players described Scronce as a selfless co-captain; in particular, one who can be relied on for companionship and advice. “He looks out for everyone, both on and off the field,” lower Peter Sauer said. Xie also found Scronce to be a supportive member of the team. Tasie-Amadi echoed Sauer and Xie’s sentiments, calling Scronce “fatherly” and “stern.” He recalled a particularly difficult warm-up during which Scronce encouraged him to forge ahead. “I remember when we were doing tempo runs and Austin was my partner,” Tasie-Amadi recalled. “And he was just there beside me, pushing me to go on. It was like going through hell with a buddy.”

Although Scronce plays a vital role in the team dynamic, he can also appreciate the moments during which he is not needed. Scronce recalled his favorite game to be one during the 2015 season, when Exeter defeated Deerfield by a close eight points. “We didn’t have to punt the entire game,” Scronce said. “It was a come-from-behind last-minute victory.”

This year, Exeter has faced many tough losses. One of the more distressing matches has been to Choate Rosemary Hall, which ended in a disheartening score of 0-49. The team also lost by 17 points in a game against Loomis Chaffee School. Although Exeter has not done as well as he wishes, Scronce looks toward the upcoming Exeter-Andover game with hope. “They are a very beatable team,” Scronce said. “I like our chances against them. We still haven’t been able to catch a break all season, [but] I have a very good feeling about this game.”