Kajeda Fraser is a current senior attending THS. Kajeda is very active in her school as well as in the Torrington community. She is currently participating in Student Council as Senior Class President, Black Student Union as President, the Model United Nations Club as Ambassador of Finance, and on the Track & Field team. In her community, she volunteers with the YMCA year-round, with the Torrington Youth Service Bureau during Christmas time, and serves on the Mayor’s Committee on Youth as President during the school year. After high school, she plans to attend UCONN in the fall to study finance. In this newspaper, her goal is to write about more worldly topics that will interest the students of THS. In her free time, she enjoys trying out new recipes and reading “Chick Lit.”
Heading into the off-season, the Raiders were down most of their starting varsity players. Coach Rusty commented, “The off-season is vital to the team”. It gives the coaches a chance to see where the boys are at and how to prepare them for the game season.
The coaches never send in a player unless they think they are ready. “That move could cost one of the boys their confidence,” Coach Rusty preached.
The boys kicked off the season with a tough loss to Windsor, who were 6th in the state at the time. The game looked promising for the Raiders with a 7 point lead after the first quarter. The Windsor Warriors quickly responded and won the game on September 9th.
Coach Rusty recalled, “No one expected us to play as well as we did”, when referring to the Windsor game. That game solidified what type of season the Raiders would go on to have besides the loss.
That next Friday, September 19th, the Raiders blew the Kennedy Eagles out of their nest with a 54-15 win. In an effort to keep the team humble, Head Coach Rodriguez reminded them that just because the opponent changes does not mean the effort they play with has to.
After a rough loss to Ansonia on October 3rd, the team went on a 4-game winning streak, including the homecoming game against Oxford. With the ongoing construction at Torrington High School, the chances of home games looked slim to none for the boys.
The Head Coaches told them early on that there would be none. Luckily, they were wrong! The Raiders were able to have three homes games: The Breast Cancer Awareness Game, vs. GNH on 10/10; The Blackout Homecoming Game, vs. Oxford on 10/25; The Battle for the Helmet on Thanksgiving Day, vs Watertown.
Friday Night Lights always brings the community together. Even with the lack of home games, the boys continued to leave it out on the field. When asked if he thought this affected the team, Coach Rusty replied, “Not at all.”
Although not a highlight of the season, the 20-16 loss against Naugatuck marked a turning point for the team. The Naugy game is something to look forward to every year. They went into the game down two of their starting varsity players due to injuries. Here was when the coaches decided to invoke their ‘next man up’ philosophy by relying on younger players.
The Raiders played exceptionally well throughout the game. Being 16-14 to the Greyhounds halfway through the fourth quarter, Naugatuck scored a touchdown on the last play of the game. “No one could’ve predicted that,” Coach Rusty quipped.
Spirits were low, but senior captains used the upsetting Naugy game as a lesson. Senior Varsity Captain Anthony Cangiano said, “We came out of that game not on top, but we learned so much, and it made us much better players.”
To everyone’s surprise, the JV boys won their game against Naugatuck the following morning. “Coach Ora and Horton do a really good job at preparing the boys for varsity,” Rusty praised. Sophomores Mason Rose and Carl Salinas will be the ones to watch in the upcoming seasons.
Less than two weeks later would be the Battle for the Helmet. With more players out on injury, fans were undoubtedly worried. The boys continued to play with no stress. “Our younger talent shined on Thanksgiving Day,” Coach Rusty remembered, referring to Freshman Levitt’s touchdown during the game.
Senior Varsity Captain Evan Roman played a great game that day, rushing a total of 267 yards with Levitt and scoring three touchdowns. “Evan’s a blue-collar guy; he comes in with his toolbox and lunch and gets to work, ” Coach Rusty joked when reminiscing about Roman’s performance throughout the season.
Winning against Watertown and keeping the helmet home led the Raiders to the Class MM playoffs for the second year in a row! In a wintry mix, the boys traveled far south to Wilton. They ended up losing 48-6, but the seniors couldn’t have asked for a better season.
The Raiders ended their season 7-4. Cangiano couldn’t be prouder of his team. “We weren’t a team built on talent and natural ability, but a team built on doubt.”
For Torrington football, the 2025 season was about more than wins and losses. It was a testament to preparation, leadership, and brotherhood. The season was proof that when challenges arise, the Raiders are always ready for the next man up.