Captains of the Week: Varsity Football

Amélie Hespel / The Exonian

By LOGAN BECKERLE, JACK CASSIDY, and ARJUN VELAN

One of the most prominent teams on campus, Big Red Football, has undergone major strides within the past few years. A large factor in their improvement is the leadership, including Coach Voulgaris and four dedicated members of the team. Ewan Newton, Isaiah Reese, Thomas Hoey, and Rand Shepard are the captains for the 2024 season by a vote during preseason. Their leadership qualities really shine in practice through their work ethics and communication skills.

       Ewan Newton is a two-year senior from Ottawa, Canada and plays on the offensive line. Newton noted, “For me, it started when I was a kid. I was a big, big kid playing hockey. My dad recommended football, and it’s something that really stuck with me, because I just fit the position. I learned to love the game and love the brotherhood that you find, or the blessing.” His love for the strong sense of brotherhood allows him to take care of his teammates at all times, whether it be through words of encouragement or teaching them a new skill.

       Upper Ashim Rai shared an anecdote: “I’m sweaty, dirty, a little bruised, and sometimes super, super tired. My muscles are aching, but I look at the other guys, and they must be feeling the same thing, but those other guys are always pushing, never stopping, and then that kind of pushes me.” This strong sentiment shows the grindset shared throughout the squad, and the fact that the team’s leadership sets an unmatched precedent.

        A captain who echoes this sentiment is Thomas Hoey. He is a three-year senior in Wentworth Hall and he also plays in the trenches with fellow captain Ewan Newton. Thomas has been neck deep with the football team since his lower year, and with his commitment to Yale he is looking to win it all for his soon to be alma mater.

       “If we can execute on all levels, I think this is the most talented team that I’ve ever been a part of,” Hoey said. ” And I think that we have the ability to do something, you know, something really cool. And I hope that we can go win it all this year. ” These championship hopes were also perpetuated by an overall great preseason, which Hoey says is a testament to Coach Voulgaris as a coach.

        Rand Sheperd is a four-year senior from Austin, TX, currently living in Webster Hall. Shepard plays middle linebacker on the defense, he was a key role in the Suffield game. Ultimately helping to lead the team to a victory.  “We ended up taking a 28-nothing lead into halftime and basically just, shutting them out of the game. I feel like our defense and offense just clicked immediately, and for being the first game, that’s pretty hard to do, because you’re trying to get used to the speed of the game, all the calls. I think, just because we’re so strong, we have a strong brotherhood, and a strong community, we were able to do that.”

       The qualities of our captains all came together in the game against Suffield. As Rand said, the offense and defense easily clicked and it wasn’t hard to see in the blowout win. This week our Big Red football team will take on Cheshire Academy Rams for their homecoming game. “We have Cheshire this upcoming Saturday, we’re going into their place. It’s their homecoming game. We’re pretty fired up about that; they wanted to play us with their homecoming game… so we have to come in and take care of business.”

        With the momentum from the game against Suffield, the Big Red team and its senior pillars of the team will hopefully make a lasting mark this season.