ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Aquinas football is entering a new era with the return of head coach Chris Battaglia.
After winning their first Sectionals Championship since 2018 last season, the team made the surprising decision to let go of Maurice Jackson. Battaglia, who previously coached Aquinas from 2006 to 2016 and led the team to nine Sectionals Championships, was rehired in March.
Derek Annechino, a member of the new coaching staff, emphasized the team’s focus on the present.
“We’re focusing on the present. The past is the past. We weren’t here. We had nothing to do with the past. And we’re just moving forward trying to make it a great situation for everybody,” Annechino said.
Seniors like CJ Flaherty and Jeff Logan echoed this sentiment, expressing that their focus remains on playing football regardless of coaching changes.
“It’s football. At the end of the day it’s a coach for football, so it’s not too much difference, it’s football,” Flaherty said.
“Not much of a difference. Football is football and everyone is just excited,” Logan said.
Aquinas has a storied history with 16 Sectionals Championships since 1979. Annechino highlighted the program’s legacy of success.
“The program speaks for itself. There is many, many years of success. And even last year they had a successful year on the field,” Annechino said.
The team endured a six-year championship drought before last season’s victory. The new coaching staff is taking a team-first approach to maintain high standards.
“We’re not one player. We’re not three players, we’re not four players, we’re a whole 11 players on defense and we pride ourselves on being together,” Flaherty said.
“We want everybody to realize that this program is bigger than me, it’s bigger than Chris, it’s bigger than any one individual,” Annechino said.
As the Lil Irish prepare to open their season against St. Michael’s on Saturday, Sept. 6, players are focused on improving daily.
“If we can get 1% better every day, that means by the end of the season we’re gonna be 100% better than we were when we started,” Flaherty said.
Annechino, an Aquinas graduate, expressed his dedication to the school and the program.
“The school, it’s a phenomenal place to be. I graduated from here. It’s home and that’s why we came back to try and get things back to the way they used to be,” Annechino said.
The Lil Irish are ready to represent Aquinas well as they embark on this new chapter.
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