The Heart of Arlington
By: Miles Kauderer
Mikey Rescigno, the Quarterback at Arlington High School in Lagrangeville, NY, has been the heartbeat of the football team since he walked through the doors of the school his freshman year. Rescigno is a senior at Arlington and throughout his career there has made a reputation for himself throughout the athletics department, but most specifically in football. He is a three-year starter, an all-state player, captain, and now a rising college football star. Next year, Rescigno will be taking his talents to SUNY Cortland, the defending D3 national champion.
College football was something very important to Rescigno, and something that was a huge goal for him. “The game of football itself has given me so much as an athlete but more as a human being … to be able to extend the experience another four or more year excites me beyond words.” While a lot of high school kids aspire to play in college, according to NCAA stats only approximately 7.3% of all football players across the country make it to the next level.
For these select few athletes who are able to continue their careers in college, they are typically courted by many schools for their services before ultimately having to choose one. Being one of the top QBs in New York State, Rescigno had many schools looking for his service, but he ultimately chose Cortland. There were many reasons that he chose Cortland, teaching, their winning track record, the coaches, and even a childhood friend joining him there, but there was one reason that stood out above the rest. “I realized that the culture was different there, as much as winning was important, it was about getting better every single day for the people around you.”
Continuing to grow as a player is only natural for Rescigno as being a starter for three consecutive seasons at the position with the most spotlight forces you to sink or swim. Even though they came up short, the Admirals of Arlington reached a huge milestone this season having the most wins in a season in over the past 15 years, and that was thanks to none other than Rescigno. He knew that being in that quarterback role he had to not only excel on the field but become the best leader for his teammates as possible. Throughout his three years, Rescigno gained confidence in his abilities and was able to gain valuable experience and improve his playing ability greatly.
As previously mentioned his improved play led to the team’s best season in a long time, but also led to Rescigno’s best season where he was awarded with Second Team All New York State honors. Knowing that all of the hard work that he put in over the offseason was amazing and a huge moment of gratitude for Rescigno. A lot of players put in work during the offseason, but those who go the extra mile such as Rescigno, see the results and get rewarded for the play in the end.
For all the achievements on the field, there is none that Rescigno is more proud of than being a finalist for the “Heart of a Giant” award presented by USA Football and the NY Giants. The award recognizes 60 HS athletes from the Tri-State area who embody the spirit of the game through five qualities: commitment, character, teamwork, dedication, and will. Being the Quarterback of a team comes with many responsibilities in the team, but Rescigno took another one upon himself to make a real impact on his community. Knowing that he was a popular name in the community, he used that to his advantage to make a positive difference in his community through a lot of various volunteer work, with his favorite being the local youth football teams. “Seeing the smiles on all their faces was a perfect example for me to see that I was giving back to a community that had given so much to me. I believe that because of the jerseys we wear, we have the opportunity to impact our own little part of this world.” Rescigno has made a huge impact on his hometown throughout the past four years, and he will now have thousands of people and youth who will be cheering him on as he takes the next steps in his football career and life.
