Jeff Jacobs: Plainfield football mourns the loss of Andrew Vincent, its Thanksgiving football hero

Griswold was hit with a penalty, one sack, two sacks, three sacks and an unsportsmanlike penalty and, all of the sudden, the Wolverines have been fourth-and-goal from the 50. Logic would say the sport was over. Historical past would say in any other case.

In 2008, the ball on the Plainfield 43 within the closing seconds — Griswold down 29-28 — Sean Brackett dropped again and unleashed a 60-yard Hail Mary go that someway, in some way deflected into the arms of Griswold’s Drew Gardner ultimately zone.

That is how Thanksgiving has been ruined in our city for almost 20 years. That is how a rival beats one other 16 of 17 occasions.

However not Thanksgiving 2021.

Luke Cassidy’s Hail Mary landed within the arms of Plainfield linebacker Andrew Vincent with 61 seconds left. Two kneel-downs from the victory formation later, right here was Vincent sneaking up behind coach Pat Smith to provide him a Gatorade bathe.

“Two issues about Andrew,” Smith mentioned Monday. “The very first thing was his massive, massive smile. He was at all times comfortable. Individuals gravitated towards him due to his character.”

“He would stroll in and his smile would gentle up a room,” mentioned Bryce Carchidi, one in all Vincent’s closest associates. “He was the nicest child. Tremendous happy-go-lucky.”

“The opposite factor was his toughness,” Smith mentioned. “He had knee accidents all through his profession and even this senior 12 months he blew out his ACL once more. He was nonetheless an important teammate, and he obtained medical clearance to play on Thanksgiving. Not solely did he play, he sealed the victory.”

Andrew Vincent talked soccer, he lifted for soccer, he cherished soccer. It was a becoming reward that his interception — the final play of his profession — would full a valuable Thanksgiving win over Griswold.

In the future it’ll make for comfortable city legend.

As we speak it brings solely unspeakable heartache to my hometown.

The interception was additionally the final soccer play of his life.

Smith had fallen asleep when his telephone rang someplace round 12:30 a.m. Saturday. His son Liam, the one passenger in a 2008 Audi A4 pushed by Vincent, was being transported to Hartford Hospital by LifeStar with severe accidents.

Vincent was touring on Water Road in Canterbury, in keeping with state police, left his lane on a curve and struck a utility pole. The pole snapped, downing wires, in keeping with the incident report, and on Monday the lengthy, curving skid marks remained.

Andrew William Vincent, a senior at Plainfield Excessive, was lifeless at 17.

“I cherished Andrew,” Pat Smith mentioned. “I cherished his ardour. I’m devastated. My prayers are along with his dad and mom, Karen and Aaron, and his household.”

“It is a child who had like three ACL surgical procedures,” Carchidi mentioned. “He performed Thanksgiving with a torn ACL, obtained surgical procedure afterward. Having the ability to come again and do what we did in his final recreation, I do know he cherished that.”

Carchidi mentioned his dad and mom woke him up Saturday morning with the terrible information.

“They have been crying once they advised me,” Bryce mentioned.

These should not straightforward phrases to write down. Bryce’s older brother Griffin has been a pal of my very own son for years. He has been to our house. I do know his dad and mom. Pat Smith taught my daughter historical past and coached my son in freshman basketball, simply as he did Andrew and his personal son. Sterling and Plainfield, whose faculty districts type PHS, are small cities. People know one another and in the event that they don’t, they know somebody who does.

Andrew Vincent, from Plainfield, and Bryce Carchidi, from Sterling, began hanging out Andrew’s freshman 12 months. Mario Manella, Elijah Brady, Gavin Hewitt and Jacob St. Cyr, these guys fashioned an in depth group of associates. But that will indicate a clique, and Andrew Vincent didn’t abide cliques.

He cherished to bop. He delivered pizzas for Pizza Pizzazz in Moosup. His mother is our city’s assistant tax collector. He wished to observe in his dad’s footwear and work at Electrical Boat. He belonged to our city.

“Everyone seems to be devastated,” Bryce mentioned. “He was a tremendous individual. He was such an important child to be round. I do know youngsters in our space have handed away tragically, youngsters across the state, however for our college, our age group, that is the worst factor we’ve ever needed to overcome.”

A variety of Andrew’s associates like Carchidi, who works at Frito-Lay, and Smith are from the Class of 2021. Rising up, he had performed at a soccer stage with the youngsters a 12 months older. He performed varsity as a sophomore. His junior 12 months was worn out, like all soccer across the state.

“Andrew was a throwback,” Smith mentioned. “He cherished the ache of soccer. You must actually love the sport to do every part to prepare for it. He had the fervour for it.”

Every week in the past, Smith mentioned he was within the weight room working with the youngsters. Regardless that his senior season was accomplished, Vincent was there squatting, lifting. Smith mentioned they talked about his knee, about subsequent season’s outlook for Plainfield. As they have been strolling out, Vincent requested him the place he was headed. Smith mentioned he was going to his daughter Emily’s observe meet.

“In case you need assistance with something,” Vincent mentioned. “Let me know.”

Every week later, all Smith, his gamers, his faculty, his city know is the ache. Though PHS is off this week, it’s open to supply grief help to college students and households. My spouse brings our Labrador retrievers to PHS every week for pet remedy with college students. Subsequent Monday, she has been requested to deliver them into a couple of of Andrew’s lessons. Our black Lab might be carrying his official orange Panthers kerchief. It’s our small contribution to assist with the incalculable loss.

“Nobody arms anybody a guide on the best way to stay life,” Pat Smith mentioned. “You must do the most effective you possibly can with the circumstances. Our youngsters have such a close-knit household. It is a very tough time. We are going to rally and stick collectively. We are going to get via this.

“We’ve already talked about assembly previous to the service, carrying our jerseys and paying respect to Andrew’s household. We are going to attempt to assist anybody who’s having a tougher time than another person. It’s going to take a group to heal.”

Liam Smith, a quarterback and multi-sport standout at Plainfield, returned house Sunday from the hospital. Simply final spring, Pat Smith invited me to be a speaker at an occasion honoring our space’s Nationwide Soccer Basis Corridor of Fame high student-athletes. Liam was one of many honorees.

“Liam’s actually banged up,” Carchidi mentioned. “However he’s going to be OK.”

And when he recovers, he’ll play soccer at UMass Dartmouth.

Bryce Carchidi might be one of many pallbearers at Andrew Vincent’s funeral Friday morning at All Hallows Church in Moosup.

That might be tough, I say to him.

“It’s an honor,” he answered.

The large, sturdy child began crying.

jeff.jacobs@hearstmediact.com; @jeffjacobs123