WOODBURY — Younger athletes are stepping up to the plate at Nonnewaug, making a difference on their teams. 

Everyone knows the struggle of being a freshman trying to get minutes, yet fewer people talk about the struggles that can come with being a sophomore. Some are battling for minutes, while others are thrown into starting roles.

Josh Kornblut, Nonnewaug’s JV boys soccer coach, says it’s important for underclassmen to step up.

“Definitely some of the younger guys are gonna have to step up, and some sophomores may have to fill some roles in terms of depth on varsity,” said Kornblut. “The kind of moment that they realize that they have a real shot and can contribute and help to varsity success, they definitely do work a bit harder.”

Kornblut thinks the class of 2027 has a lot of potential.

“They seem to work really well together, and they just practice really hard together, and at the same time, they’re very competitive,” says Kornblut. “I think that as long as they continue to grow each year and work hard, they’re gonna be great in years to come.”

This year’s boys soccer team has a strong start with a 7-1-1 record thanks in part to sophomores Josh Zapatka, Cash Medonis, and Dylan Diezel.

Grayson Leveille, a sophomore cross country runner, wants to become a valuable asset to his team.

“I’m definitely starting off from a better point than I was at the beginning of last season,” said Leveille. “I’ve been doing a lot better so far. I think I kind of understand the sport a little bit more.”

Leveille says he’s increasing his goals compared to last season.

“Last year, I improved a lot, but I wasn’t on varsity, and I’m hoping to get varsity this year, so there’s definitely room for improvement as a sophomore,” Leveille says. “It’s gonna help me having that other year of experience, and I’m definitely better as a runner than I was. I want to be able to score in meets, and I’ll help the team win.”

Cam Jones, a sophomore football player, also wants to continue improving and seeing more time.

“Playing on a higher level than last year, I’m getting more playing time, getting more opportunities to show and help out the team, helping them win the best that I can, making sure that everybody has a good time and winning more games,” Jones said. “I think sometimes it is hard because there are a lot of people on the team. When you get an opportunity like that, go out and show the coaches what you got.”