
Obituary: Luke Smith, 20, Beloved Son, Brother, Amity Grad

The Amity Spartans Boys and Girls teams have been performing well so far this season.
There are no Varsity games today.
Here is the schedule of events for the varsity teams for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Girls Swimming and Diving AWAY at Hamden High at 4 p.m.
Girls Volleyball AWAY at Cheshire High at 6:30 p.m.
Boys Soccer AWAY Wilbur Cross at 3:45 p.m.
Field Hockey vs Cheshire at HOME at 4 p.m.
Girls Soccer vs Hamden at HOME at 4 p.m.
Girls Volleyball AWAY at Lyman Hall at 5 p.m.
Football vs Simsbury AWAY at Holden Field at 7 p.m.
Girls Volleyball AWAY at John Jay High School (Crossriver) (NY) at 9 a.m.
The Spartans-Indians Thanksgiving rivalry began in 1996.
Amity has won 8 times, while North Haven has won 13 times, including the past 10 consecutive years.
Not since 2009, when the final score was 21-19, has Amity come “this close” to a Thanksgiving Day victory.
On Wednesday, Nov. 21, the highly skilled 2018 Spartans fought their way all the way through the game in North Haven, nearly breaking the Indian’s decade-long run, only to lose by 2 points at 28-26.
Amity 37 1996 North Haven 7
Amity 6 1997 North Haven 0
Amity 7 1998 North Haven 18
Amity 7 1999 North Haven 32
Amity 15 2000 North Haven 14
Amity 27 2001 North Haven 27
Amity 27 2002 North Haven 0
Amity 47 2003 North Haven 21
Amity 33 2004 North Haven 7
Amity 45 2005 North Haven 13
Amity 14 2006 North Haven 20
Amity 36 2007 North Haven 24
Amity 20 2008 North Haven 7
Amity 19 2009 North Haven 21
Amity 24 2010 North Haven 40
Amity 10 2011 North Haven 27
Amity 7 2012 North Haven 32
Amity 14 2013 North Haven 41
Amity 20 2014 North Haven 40
Amity 30 2015 North Haven 62
Amity 14 2016 North Haven 49
Amity 7 2017 North Haven 46
Amity 26 2018 North Haven 28
Series to Date
Amity: 9 wins
North Haven: 13 wins
Ties: 1
Amity was on the road in West Haven for a matchup against Notre Dame on Friday, Oct. 19.
Notre Dame has had a couple of big losses this year, and a couple of big victories as well. Their win against Amity 21-14 was the closest game yet.
The Spartans are warriors this year, and they played hard, and they certainly held their own against the Green Knights.
Here’s how the game played out:
Notre Dame’s Junior Quarterback Jackson Zalinsky scored the first touchdown of the game with 6:04 remaining in the first quarter.
The second quarter had a lot of back and forth, and then, with just 48 seconds on the clock, Amity Junior Joey Digello scored for the Spartans, and Abyan Nawaz’s kick was good, putting Amity ahead 7-6.
The Spartans retained their lead throughout the third quarter. Amity Junior Quarterback James Laubstein made his way across the goal line with 2:41 remaining.
Both teams battled for the next 2.5 minutes, but the Spartans retained their 14-6 lead.
The fourth quarter was a nail-biter, with the Green Knights scoring another touchdown within the first three minutes. At one point behind the Spartans, they needed to make a smart strategic move, so, they went for, and succeeded in executing a two-point conversion, tying the game at 14-14.
The Notre Dame band played through the final quarter, and both teams took turns attempting to break that tie.
Then the Green Knights Senior Warren Murphy made his breakaway move. With Amity Senior Runningback Daniel Beckwith hot on his tail, Murphy lept over fallen players and just made a beeline for the goal line. Beckwith made one last-ditch effort to tackle him, but Murphy sprinted on.
He ran past the goal line and straight over to fans lining the fence. He high-fived several of them and then, the extra point was good.
Notre Dame took the lead, 21-14, with 3:14 left on the clock.
Amity’s Michael Young made a valiant effort to tie things up again, but the clock ran out and the Spartans had to take the loss.
Other notable Amity players in this game were Sophomore Anthony Olenechuk (54), Junior Nico Semmonella (81), Junior Andrew Gnidula (13) and Senior Jake Lettick (10). Everyone played to win.
NOTE: This was the closest game Notre Dame has had so far.
Records: Both Amity and Notre Dame are 4-2 for the 2018 Season.
Next Up for the Spartans: a HOME game against Branford (4-2) at 7 p.m.
Rounding out the season, the final three games are ARGH, the undefeated Shelton Gaels at HOME on Friday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.
Then, and AWAY game at Hamden (not having the best season at 2-4) on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.
And Finally the BIG Thanksgiving Rivalry Game against North Haven (5-1) at Vanacore Field on Nov. 22 at 10:30 a.m.
I’ve said it before, do NOT underestimate the 2018 Amity Spartans, they’re strong, they’re talented and they’re determined. They can do this!
Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.
— Tom Landry
The Amity Spartans football team hasn’t gotten, nor earned much credit for several years, but now, under the leadership of new Head Coach Craig Bruno and Asst. Coach John Johnson, the boys are more than impressive this year.
Fans had grown used to leaving games disappointed more often than not, but so far this season, Amity has seen more victories than defeats, starting with Harding on Sept. 7, W 26-8; Hillhouse, Sept 21, W 27-18; Wilbur Cross, Sept. 27, W 27-12; and today’s tremendous shut-out in New Milford Oct. 13, W 36-0. The Spartans’ only loss was to Foran on Sept. 14. L 8-21.
We don’t have much information on today’s game, except that at halftime Amity was leading New Milford 29-0.
As stated above, the Spartans shut out the Green Wave 36-0.
Records: Amity 4-1, New Milford 0-5
Amity is on the road again next week, a little closer to home, going up against Notre Dame-West Haven (3-2) at Veteran’s Stadium on Friday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m.
The Amity Spartans Varsity Football Team hosted the Hillhouse Academics in Woodbridge on Friday night, Sept. 22.
Hopes were high for a Spartans victory, with the stands full of fans, or as Channel 3’s Joe Zone put it, “The largest crowd he’d seen all night.”
Even though Hillhouse was first on the scoreboard with 6 points, the Spartans did not disappoint. With 4:44 left on the clock in the first quarter, Amity rushed ahead of the Academics with Michael Young’s first touchdown of the night.
Junior kicker Abyan Nawaz added another point, making the score 7-6 Spartans.
In the second quarter, the Spartans continued to shine, scoring another touchdown and extra point around the halfway point, then, with 2:56 remaining in the first half, Young made his second touchdown, but Hillhouse successfully blocked the extra point.
At halftime, Amity leads 20-6.
Soon after returning to the field, the Academics made their move and junior Tre ronn Bryant made it safely past the goal line. (20-12)
With less than 5 minutes left in the third, Young made his third touchdown, and the extra point was good.
About 90 seconds later, Hillhouse scored again bringing the third quarter score to 27-18.
The fourth quarter was uneventful, with a bit of back and forth, but no one was able to add any points.
Amity wins 27-18
Records: Amity 2-1, Hillhouse 0-3.
Next up for the Spartans, a HOME game vs Wilbur Cross (2-1) on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m.
The Amity Spartans Football team hosted the Foran Lions in Woodbridge on Friday night.
The humid, yet cooler temperature out in Woodbridge Friday night reminded everyone that it’s football season.
The stands were full, and the Amity Army had a black-out in the far right of the stands, while on the track the Amity Cheerleaders shared their space with the award-winning Pop Warner cheerleaders, and the Amity Dance Team was on fire.
Out on the field, the Spartans and the Lions went head-to-head, and Foran was first to score closing out the first quarter at 6-0.
Foran continued to dominate with another touchdown and a successful 2-point conversion making their halftime lead 14-0.
The Spartans scored in the third quarter and made a 2 point conversion, and the Lions made another touchdown and the kick was good, bringing the score to 21-8.
No one scored in the final quarter and Foran boarded their bus with a 21-8 victory.
This has been a great week for our Amity sports teams as the Fall Season begins.
On Thursday, the Lady Spartans Swimming and Diving Team won its first meet vs Mercy 106-77.
Tonight, the Girls Volleyball team defeated Branford 3-0.
And the Amity Spartans Football team was victorious against Harding 26-8.
Congratulations to all these fabulous teams, we’re so proud of you!
Great Job Coaches Rainey, Davis, and Bruno!
The 2018 Fall sports season has begun and Amity athletes are ready to go.
Following is this week’s varsity sports schedule.
Monday (Labor Day) Sept. 3.
Field Hockey in the Pomperaug Jamboree, away at Pomperaug 9 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 4
No Games
Wednesday, Sept. 5
Girls Soccer vs Choat Rosemary Hall scrimmage away at Choat 3:45 p.m.
Field Hockey vs Sacred Heart Academy scrimmage Home at Amity 4 p.m.
Girls Volleyball vs Newtown scrimmage Home at Amity 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 6
Boys Soccer vs Shelton away at Capewell Park, Shelton 4:30 p.m.
Girls Swimming and Diving vs Mercy away at Mercy 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 7
Football vs Harding away at Harding High 7 p.m.
Girls Cross Country Black and Gold Home at Fitzgerald Trail Woodbridge 3:30 p.m.
Girls Volleyball vs Branford Home at Amity 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 8
Field Hockey vs North Branford away at North Branford 10:30 a.m.
Girls Soccer vs Newtown away at Blue and Gold Stadium 12 p.m.
Girls Volleyball CIAC Invitational away at Ct Sports Center, Woodbridge 9 a.m.
The Amity Spartans Football team has a new Head Coach, Craig Bruno, who built the Bunnell High School Football program and won CIAC CLASS L state championships in 2006 and 2007.
Bruno was the head coach at Naugatuck High School from 2013-2016 and most recently was an assistant coach at Staples High School. His overall coaching record is 124-49-1.
He may be what Amity needs to get some respect and start winning games.
Following is the Spartan’s schedule for the 2018 season with five HOME games.
• Wednesday, Aug. 29, scrimmage at Oxford High School turf field at 9:30 a.m.
• Friday, Sept. 7 at Harding High School at 4:30 p.m. W 26-8
• Friday, Sept. 14 vs Foran at Amity at 7 p.m. L 8-21
• Friday, Sept. 21 vs Hillhouse at Amity at 7 p.m. W 27-18
• Thursday, Sept. 27 vs Wilbur Cross at Amity at 7 p.m. W 27-12
• Saturday, Oct. 13 vs New Milford at New Milford High School at 6 p.m. W 36-0
• Friday, Oct. 19, vs Notre Dame-West Haven at Veteran’s Stadium at 12 p.m. L 14-21
• Friday, Oct. 26 vs Branford at Amity at 7 p.m. L 14-28
• Friday, Nov. 2 vs Shelton at Amity at 7 p.m. L 7-46
• Friday, Nov. 9 vs Hamden at Hamden High School at 7 p.m. W 46-26
• Thursday, Nov. 22 THANKSGIVING vs North Haven at North Haven’s Vanacore Field at 10:30 a.m. L 26-28