Leaders On The Field (Part 3)

Jack Tatigian – Defense, Hockey/Lacrosse

Jack Tatigian knows defense.

Whether it’s with a hockey stick or a long pole in lacrosse, with Tatigian on the field, opposing offenses are met with fierce opposition. But that’s just what’s in a day’s work for the hard-hitting defender.

On the ice, he was the only senior during the 2010-2011 season.  He adorned the Captain’s ‘C’ and was the leader on a young team that got better every single week.  Tatigian led by example with his physical play and he also gave opposing goalies trouble when he would blast a slap shot from the point on the power play.

Despite being the only senior on the hockey team, Tatigian was quick to deflect some of the praise to his teammates.

“There were other junior captains who stepped up too and helped like seniors, it all just came together,” said Tatigian. “I know I had the most responsibility on the team but they were right there with me.”

His play style was tenacious and aggressive, using physical play to intimidate opponents and keep them off their game. “I’m aggressive, but I know when to stop and control the flow of the game,” added number 20.

Though if you came to a game you could see the impact that Tatigian had, as a defender, you don’t always get the statistical acknowledgement that offensive players get.

“People that came to the games could see the impact that I had on the game and I like to set other people up and I pride myself on my defense so I don’t really mind that I’m not there for points and such,” said the defender. 

In Tatigian’s four years as a Glen Rock Panther, he helped his teams to some impressive feats.  Whether it was Rizk Division titles in lacrosse, or even two hockey division titles, he was a catalyst behind it all.

There is a cliché in sports that goes, “Offense wins games, but defense wins championships,” and with Tatigian’s steady presence anchoring the defense in both of his sports, success always followed.

His unrelenting tenacity and passion for fierce defending has allowed him to continue his game onto the next level.

Next year Tatigian will travel to Western New England College, where he was recruited to play lacrosse.

 “It been really special putting on the Glen Rock uniforms, it was so hard to put them down,” added the senior.  “I’m going to miss practice the most, because since freshman year, I’ve had something to do every day with maybe only a week between hockey and lacrosse and now its tough to not have any practice.”

It’s the undeniable love for the game that sets Jack Tatigian apart.  A passion that is clear with every big play he made.

It’s the passion that made him such a strong player and an even better leader as he constantly set the tone with his dedication and unwavering commitment to the team.

Jackie Carosotto- Forward, Basketball

If you’ve haven’t the chance to watch Jackie Carosotto play basketball, you’d be in for a treat.

Carosotto’s game wasn’t centered around throwing up a jumper or just knifing into the lane, she was all about taking the rock to the hoop hard every time she got the ball and then playing tenacious defense on the other side of the court.

“My dad says I’m old school, because I like the post and I like trying to get a girl one on one down low and then use my post moves.”

Old school is a fitting way to describe her. In a day where basketball has evolved more into a spot shooting game, Carosotto would constantly put pressure on the opposing team’s center by backing her down and often getting to the line after being fouled.

Her aggressive style made her a leader for other players to learn from, as she brought passion and hard work on both sides of the ball.

“As the leader you have to represent your school and your teammates, so I led by example during practices and what I did out of school as well,” said Carosotto.

While Carosotto has decided to hang up the sneakers on the organized level when she will attend Bucknell University next year, she does plan to play on the intramural level to keep her love for the game going after having so many great memories in high school.

“Beating Pascack Valley is a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life,” said number 33.  “That was the first time in Glen Rock High School history that we had beaten them and the first time that Coach Mosconi beat PV coach Jeff Jasper.”

Coach David Mosconi has been the architect of the highly successful program and Carosotto is quick to credit a lot of her and the team’s success to his tutelage.

“The most important lesson that I learned is that your teammates are very important if you want to be successful and we have a slogan that says, ‘teamwork makes the dream work’ and you have to cherish them and work well with them to be successful,” said Carosotto.

“Representing the town is the best feeling in the world and I really miss it so much,” said the senior. “I love that you can go on your court and have Glen Rock written across your chest and to represent the town is just amazing. I’ve made memories from being on the basketball team that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”

Even in talking to Carosotto for just a few minutes, you can hear the enthusiasm in her voice about basketball and see her smile from ear to ear as she talked about the season. 

It was that love for the game that made her into such a special player.

Old School, unique, fierce, there are many ways to describe Carosotto's game, but there is only one that really sums her up:

Heart.  

As the last time that we will chronicle the Glen Rock athletes of the class of 2011, on a personal note, I just want to thank all of the students, coaches and parents who allowed us to cover such great teams and even better kids.

Thank you also to Athletic Director Frank Violante who was instrumental in helping with this feature and many of the other sports items we did. 

Good luck class of 2011!