Schools

Stamford High's Black Knights Credit Success to Community

The coach of Stamford High football's 6-2 Black Knights addresses hunger among players last year and explains how people across Fairfield County helped them beat it.

With a victory over the last week, Stamford High School's Black Knights are in the middle of one of their most successful seasons since the 1970's, and are giving much of the credit for their victories to extra training and support from Fairfield County residents. 

"I'm very excited about it. We put a little extra effort in during the off-season," Stamford High head coach Bryan Hocter said about the Black Knights' recent string of victories, including an upset over New Canaan. Saturday's win over Brien McMahon High was the fifth in a row for SHS.  "It's a big accomplishment...if we win against Westhill, that'll be six wins in a row."

This season, the varsity Black Knights are apparently rebounding from past issues on and off the field, such as their past win-loss record. According to Hockner, the Black Knights are enjoying the most wins that they've had since 1996, but still, a state championship is not an immediate possibility.

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"We're at number 12. Some teams have to lose, and we have to win in order to move up," Hocter said. Hocter attributes some of the team's improvements to the solving of a problem he discovered last year, which was worse than any Knights seasonal record.

"We had uncovered, throughout the years, kids getting sick and light-headed. We found out that a lot of kids weren't eating at home," Hocter said.

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Hocter stated that parents who didn't make food at home, and kids who were not given money or food to eat at school were among reasons that players were not eating properly. When the Fairfield County public learned of the malnourishment on the SHS varsity football team, they formed a united front to feed the Knights, donating money and food.

"Darien parents contributed heavily; they were amazing. Stamford contributed, New Canaan...people really came out. We haven't had any issues with it [malnourishment] for the past two seasons," Hocter said.

According to Hocter, kids on the football teams and other sports programs now receive snacks and drinks, such as Gatorade, before, during, and after daily sports. Hockner and the Black Knights remain grateful for the past and present community support. 

"We'll reach out to those people who helped us," Hocter said.


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