Meet the 5 freshmen starters on the St. Dominic football team making a major impact

At 5-5 and 120 pounds, Henry Fitzpatrick refuses to be intimidated by players who are much bigger than him. At 6 feet and 200 pounds, Rich Zaikowski is adjusting to no longer being the biggest player on the field. Ray Minson is learning to lead them both as the starting quarterback for St. Dominic.

All three players are freshmen.

They join Maurice Wilson and Lawenson Paul as five freshmen starters helping St. Dominic compete in the CHSFL’s AA-II division. The Bayhawks (3-5) finished the regular season in fourth place and will host fifth-seeded Christ The King on Friday in a quarterfinal. With nine freshmen on the 25-player varsity roster, the Bayhawks are getting an early look at their future while competing in the present.

“They’re helping me build the foundation,” St. Dominic coach R.J. Del Giorno said, adding of his entire team: “Our boys have a tremendous amount of heart. They play with emotion, and they play as a family.”

Senior captain Michael Ford, a two-way star, has helped the younger players find their footing. According to Ford, the upperclassmen drive freshmen to practice, work with them on the playbook and spend time together away from football, including trips to the arcade.

Fitzpatrick, a defensive back, has taken that support and delivered key plays, including an interception in their first victory of the season, a 48-2 win over Nazareth on Sept. 18. As a starting defensive back, he wasn’t fazed by the bigger opposition.

“I'm not afraid of anybody,” Fitzpatrick said. “They’re human, too.”

Del Giorno first noticed his fearlessness during tackling drills in August, when seniors pulled the coach aside after facing the freshman. They told him Fitzpatrick was bringing everything he had to each tackle.

“If anybody can learn anything from that, you’re never too small,” Del Giorno said.

Zaikowski faced a different adjustment. Accustomed to being one of the biggest and strongest players on the field in middle school, his eyes were opened when he lined up against a teammate, senior lineman Alfonso Terrana, whom he estimated was 6-2 and 265 pounds, during an early full-contact practice.

“High school is a big step up, especially from a smaller middle school,” Zaikowski said. “It’s different against these bigger guys, so I’ve had to up my game.”

Work in the weight room and advice from older teammates have helped Zaikowski become an important contributor on the offensive and defensive lines. Del Giorno said he’s already the strongest player on the team.

Minson, who has thrown seven touchdown passes, also leaned on the upperclassmen after becoming the starting quarterback following the first two games.

“They were really supportive, and they helped me out a lot,” Minson said. “The playbook was hard to learn in the beginning, but then once you get it down, it’s all easy and it’s fun. Then football starts to get fun, then you start playing good.”

He has developed a connection with classmate and receiver Wilson, who has totaled five touchdowns. It’s a quarterback-receiver duo that is one to watch for the next three years.

“This kid is one of the most talented wide receivers I’ve ever worked with,” Del Giorno said.

Of Minson and Wilson, he added: “They’re very advanced athletes. It took a little bit of time for them to kind of jell, but it’s happening.”

Paul, a freshman middle linebacker, has been a consistent tackler and has two interceptions.

The freshmen have already shared memorable wins. St. Dominic defeated Christ the King, 8-7, avenging last season’s 44-6 loss to the Royals.

The Bayhawks also celebrated a 25-8 homecoming victory over Cardinal Spellman in front of a large crowd on Oct. 9.

“Honestly, nothing I’ve ever felt before,” Zaikowski said of the homecoming win. “It was a surreal moment.”

For Ford, it’s been a pleasure to watch as he nears the end of his high school career.

“When I was a freshman, I didn’t really see the field at all,” Ford said. “They work hard every day and they deserve it. I’m proud of them.”

The other four freshmen, Colin McCarthy, Britton Wenzell, Bobby Sabitini and Ronald Rahme, contribute on special teams.

Their young roster gives Del Giorno reason to look further ahead, too.

“I love where we’re going right now because we’re bringing in the right kids,” Del Giorno said. “They’re smart, they’re hardworking, they’re great football players, and they’re great people. For these freshmen, sky’s the limit for them. I see D-I potential in several of them.

“We can take a run at this league for several years to come.”