Days After Family Tragedy, CT Football Coach Returns to Sidelines

STAFFORD, CT — As Stafford/East Windsor/Somers receiver Tristan Julian scampered to the end zone on an 84-yard catch-and-run from quarterback Tyler Ouellette in the second quarter Saturday, he was nearly beaten to the goal line by head coach Brian Mazzone, showing surprisingly dazzling speed as he raced down the sideline. A short while later, Ouellette gained about a dozen yards on a quarterback keeper, prompting Mazzone to turn to 2018 All-State player Colton Engel, watching with a group of alumni on the track behind the Bulldog bench, and quipped, "If I'd known he could run like that, you may have never gotten the ball!"

Those two moments are true indications of Mazzone's everyday personality, providing evidence that he was able to be himself for a few hours in the face of a devastating family tragedy just 76 hours earlier. Mazzone's dad, Gary, died Wednesday morning along with six others in the crash of a World War II-era B-17 Flying Fortress bomber attempting to make an emergency landing at Bradley International Airport. Gary Mazzone was 66.

His son returned to the practice field briefly Thursday and Friday, and told reporters following Saturday's 21-7 victory over Valley Regional/Old Lyme there was never a doubt he would be in game mode come the opening whistle.

Prior to kickoff, the public address announcer paid tribute to Gary Mazzone, culminating with "a moment of celebration." Brian Mazzone allowed his emotions to flow freely, hugging players and assistant coaches during the tribute, then got down to the business of directing his Bulldogs on the gridiron.

A graphic artist at Stafford High School designed a sticker bearing the letters GM in honor of Mazzone's dad, which adorned the helmets of not only the Bulldog players, but also the competitors from the Valley Regional co-op.

"I have so much respect for [Warriors head coach] Tim [King], and his team is the class of the Pequot [League]," Mazzone said. "That's a program we want to be like."

Three Bulldog players from East Windsor were neighbors of Gary Mazzone, and referred to him as "essentially a grandfather figure to us."

"We knew him very well, he was always very friendly and always talking football, and we took his passing pretty hard," junior Mike Russotto said.

Russotto's brother Patrick, a sophomore, added, "He did stuff a grandfather would do. We played with intensity because of that; it was good motivation for us."

Ouellette, a senior, said, "We were all real close with Gary. He'd always support us, so the least we could do was come out here and play as hard as we could for him."

His dad's presence was also evident in Mazzone's choice of game attire: a camouflage cap similar to one his dad used to wear, and Gary's actual Stafford Football hooded sweatshirt, complete with his nickname on the sleeve: "Big Gar 44."

That sweatshirt was drenched by the time Mazzone addressed his team in a postgame meeting in the end zone, courtesy of a customary water cooler bath administered by a pair of Bulldogs. The ice cold water did not seem to bother the head coach in the slightest, despite the crisp autumn air, as he told his squad, "I love you guys, I love this team, and I appreciate everything you've done. Enough about me; go have fun - be smart, but go have fun."

(Tim Jensen/Patch Media Corp.)