Kalanta leads Spartan gridiron squad

Senior football captain Kyle Kalanta is a player that leads by example. He does not yell. What he does do is get the job done for the gridiron squad on offense, defense and in the classroom.

"Kyle is working hard in practice every day to improve, both to help the team and to play at the next level," Amity Head Coach Bert Mozealous said. "I wish we had more kids in the program that were as dedicated as he is to getting better as football players."

Kyle is looking to play football in college next season where he hopes for a balance of getting a great education along with the opportunity to play football in college.

"Past (head) coach Mike DeVito was very influential," Kalanta said. "He helped me out with the college process. My first few college letters came from him. He talked me through the process."

Kalanta has attended several Ivy League football camps and New England Small School Athletic Conference (NESCAC) schools Middlebury College, Williams College and Amherst College are some of the colleges  that have expressed interest.

"He's such a humble kid," his father James said. "He doesn't put on any airs that he's a great athlete and a smart kid. He helps others out, including his teammates if they need help with schoolwork. His only problem is finding down-time."

Teammate and senior co- captain (offensive lineman) Charles Dunn has been friends with Kalanta since the eighth grade.

"Kyle is a great person," Dunn said. "He's one of the strongest-willed football players that I've ever played with. If he doesn't do as well as he'd like in a game he just works so hard in practice to get better for the next game. I consider Kyle and I both to be silent leaders. We show the younger kids by example instead of just making them run."

That leadership can be seen by the way Kalanta conducts himself.

"I personally think that talk is cheap," Kalanta said. "It really is about how you show them (younger teammates) what you know and teach those around you. You have to tell them what to do but also show them."

Kalanta is a busy guy. This quarter at Amity he's taking three advanced placement classes (Calculus, Science and Psychology) as well as honors poetry.

On the athletic front Kyle has gotten bigger and faster which has caused him to get off the ball faster and become an outstanding running back.

"His knowledge of the game has improved (from last season),"  Mozealous said. "His hands were always good. They are real good this year. He does a great job of catching the ball which is an important facet of the game that many backs have trouble with."

During his sophomore season of 2008 he scored 11 touchdowns (8-rushing) and amassed 790 yards on the ground. Last season as a junior he scored 12 touchdowns (11-rushing) and ran for 833 yards.

Kalanta has been an offensive bright spot for Amity this season. He scored four touchdowns in the Spartans home victory over East Haven on Sep. 24th. He hit paydirt again on a 45-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-one to help tie the game at seven in the first quarter on the road against Hand on Saturday Oct. 2nd.

"I saw the hole open but the Hand linebacker filled it," Kalanta said. "I put my shoulder pad on him and bounced off him. I see myself as more of an offensive player. I'm a powerful running back; instead of just running around you I go right at you."

Kalanta likes to take a physical approach. His favorite New York Giant is Ahmad Bradshaw. In the past he has looked up to Brandon Jacobs  and Tiki Barber of the Giants because they are not afraid to run right up the middle.

Kalanta credits his offensive line for his success running the ball.  Kalanta is quick to credit his teammates, but those individuals who watch him rush the ball up the middle can see that he is a special player.

"Kyle has great legs that help him with the ability to break tackles," Mozealous said. "If he keeps his vision and sees the field he really can make things happen. He often doesn't need a big block to make things go right."

He also starts at linebacker on defense so he gets little rest during a game. This is his first season also starting on defense, but he saw significant time last season. He started as a back on offense his sophomore year.

Amazingly, Kalanta finds time to be a three sport athlete. He has also been a starting basketball guard since he was a sophomore and was a member of the 4X100 relay team that finished second at the Class LL Championship last spring. He also throws the shotput during the outdoor track season.

Kyle's journey to becoming a high school standout started at eight-years old playing youth football for Derby Pop Warner. He decided he wanted to play football after watching Jason Sehorn level an offensive opponent when he was seven years old. He told his father wanted to play and his dad, a Giants season ticket holders, told him he'd sign him up when the next season started. Kyle is the only child of James and Jeane and lives in Orange Connecticut and they can be found cheering on their son on Friday nights under the lights. They are his biggest fans.

"When he was age eight (first season) it was 105 degrees and we thought he might quit," his father James said. "He was the only player that kept his helmet on the whole time like the coaches asked. He always follows rules and policies that are in place. He scored a touchdown in his first game. The key is that he loves the game and works hard at getting better even if he makes a mistake. He realizes that the game of football is a series of plays and that you have to keep playing hard. He realizes you can miss an assignment and then you can make it up on the next play. He keeps his emotions level and keeps focused on the job at hand."

Kalanta and Dunn have been working on Community Service Projects. One of these projects is cleaning up the yards of disabled people. The captains are also organizing activities for the whole team to participate in.

Kalanta has some time left to enjoy his senior season but he has unfinished business on the field and in the classroom. One thing is for sure he likes to have the ball in his hands on the football field.

"I have a fire going inside me when I have the ball in my hands," Kalanta said. "I like to get the glory of scoring touchdowns."

Kalanta knows how important his leadership will be to the growth of the Spartans in 2010.

"We just want to really compete in every game and stick with all the teams," Kalanta said.  "We will try to use our losses and mistakes as building blocks. If we use our mistakes to improve it can help us be better later on in the season."