ack Pinho sat at the front of a

third-floor classroom at Woodland

Regional High School, his and his
teammates eyes fixed on a projec-
tion screen. It was the first
Thursday afternoon in October,
only 28 hours before kickoff of the
Hawks rivalry game against Naugatuck.
Senior captains, such as Pinho, sit at
the head of the class during film sessions
and game plan presentations. Pinho is list-
ed at 5-foot-8, 120 pounds Woodlands
roster would not fare well against a lie
detector so none of the underclassmen
behind him fret about the wide receiver
obstructing their views.
Thats a good thing, because all 41 var-
sity players in the room needed to see how
sixth-year head coach Tim Shea was going
to conclude the weeks film study.
Week 4 was packed with pressure even
before the previous one had ended. Both
Woodland and Naugatuck entered October
with 3-0 records and the winner of their
game would likely emerge as the eventual
champion of the Naugatuck Valley League
Copper Division. Most local pundits picked
the Greyhounds to win a close one.
Plus, in an era when historical rivalries
of the prideful Valley have softened, the
emotions between the Hawks and Hounds
are more volatile than ever. Officials expect-
ed a crowd of at least 2,000 to descend on
Beacon Falls for the first time in nearly a
decade.
Woodlands players had plenty to focus
on leading up to the game, but Shea made
sure to keep one complacency-breaker until
the end of the week.
The Hawks already knew they were
going to play for the first George Pinho
Trophy, the decade-old rivalrys new center-
piece named for Jacks late father and for-
mer Woodland assistant coach who unex-
pectedly died in January. But they didnt get
to see it until Shea surprised them with the
last click in his pre-walkthrough
PowerPoint.
Coach Shea showed a picture of the
trophy in the film room, and everyone start-
ed getting hyped for it, Jack remembers.
The intensity level just perked up. There
was a lot of fire and emotion in that
Thursday practice.
So much, in fact, that the Hawks
assured themselves of what was going to
happen the next night.
That game meant so much to us, sen-
ior quarterback Tanner Kingsley recalls. We
knew we were going to win.
George Pinho was born Dec. 12, 1964,
in Waterbury and grew up in Naugatuck. He
graduated from Naugatuck High School and
eventually moved to Prospect, where he and
his wife, Jane, raised their two boys, Jake
and Jack.
Being involved in his sons lives was of
paramount importance for George. Jack
thinks his fathers motivation had deep
roots.
When he was younger, his dad wasn't
really there for him, Jack explains. From
youth soccer until now, he wanted to be
involved with everything. He was always
there for Jake and me. He was one of those
dads you always wanted.
Almost every youth sports organization
in the area boasted George on its volunteer
roster at some point. He coached soccer,
basketball, baseball and football in
Prospect, Naugatuck and Beacon Falls over
the years. It didnt matter how much or
how little George knew about the tech-
niques and strategies of each sport rather
than how badly he wanted to be there.
He never made it about himself, Jake
says. If he had a job to do, he was going to
give it his all. It didn't matter who it was for,
he just wanted it to be the best experience
possible for everyone. He was never even a
big football guy when it came to X's and O's,
but he was a motivator and everyone loved
to have him around.
George joined Sheas staff at Woodland
around the time Jake made the varsity
squad in 2008. Pinho served all sorts of
roles, from head freshman coach to assis-
tant varsity special teams coordinator. It
was important to Shea to have a positive
role model who had connected with many
of the players for years.
He didn't let a lot of things bother him,
and if he did he didn't show it, Shea says.
He was always like, OK, move on. Next up.
Don't worry about it. Kids gravitated to
that. In small towns like these, he essential-
ly had every kid on his team or in his house
at some point.
Georges love for his sons ran the gamut
from tough to tender. Jake, now studying at
Central Connecticut State University, also
knew his dad as his best friend.
He was truly a hero and an idol in my
life, Jake boasts. He was the only person I
was able to talk about anything with. If you
want to talk about someone being your
biggest fan, it was him. Jack and I always
knew that no matter what we did, success or
failure, that we always had him.
But George didnt limit himself to two
sons. The hundreds of young men he
coached throughout the years especially
the ones who played alongside Jake and
Jack at Woodland felt the same affection
from the man they called GP.
No other coach showed the same love
Coach Pinho showed for all of us, Kingsley
says. He cared so much for our team. He
would always say in his pregame speeches
how he loved us so much and that we'd
always have him forever. And we always
will.
They were his sons, too, Jack smiles.
He loved them all.
Shea, who also coaches the boys track
team, stood inside Hillhouse Highs indoor
facility Jan. 19 after supervising a football
weightlifting session that morning at
Woodland. On what should have been a
fairly quiet Saturday, he felt his phone buzz.
It was a call from assistant coach Jack
DeBiase.
Wheres Jack? DeBiase asked,
demanding to know where Pinho was.
What do you mean, Wheres Jack?
Shea responded. Im at a track meet. He
was at lifting this morning and then he had
basketball practice. Why?
George had a heart attack, DeBiase
said.
Shea thought it was a joke.
No, no, DeBiase shot back. He had a
heart attack. Jake found him and theyre on
their way to the hospital.
Shea told DeBiase to call the basketball
coaches so they could alert Jack and rush
him to the hospital. Once Shea finished
with DeBiase, he updated his assistant
coaches on the situation. While he
explained what was unfolding to a group of
B2
Friday, November 29, 2013
CITIZENS NEWS
Father figure
Kyle Brennan, Citizens News
George Pinho leaves lasting legacy at Woodland
J
If you want to talk about someone being your biggest fan, it was him. Jack and I always knew
that no matter what we did, success or failure, that we always had him.
Jake Pinho
RACHAEL MORIN
George Pinho was a staple on the sidelines at Woodland from 2008 until the
time of his death in January. Pinho volunteered for a variety of youth sports
organizations in the area during his life as a labor of love.
ELIO GUGLIOTTI
Woodland quarterback Tanner
Kingsley (7) and assistant coach Jake
Pinho celebrate after a touchdown
Oct. 4 against Naugatuck.
senior parents at the track meet, Shea felt
another buzz. This time it was a text from
DeBiase.
Hes gone.
In the week that followed Georges
death, Shea coordinated the football teams
effort to help memorialize the 48-year-old
dad and mentor. He organized the Hawks
joint entrance to the funeral at St. Anthonys
Church in Prospect.
It was a very tough time for a lot of
these kids because they all knew George,
not only as a coach but as friends, Shea
says. We thought a fitting tribute to him
would be for us to go in together. I had a
pretty good cry that day.
Jack and Jake saw the teams tribute as
the epitome of the Hawks motto: Fear the
Family.
Some people call their team a second fam-
ily, but I call this my family, Jack says. They've
been more than a second family to me.
The way that they embraced us is
something that you can't ever be thankful
enough for, Jake agrees. To have them be
there with us, and to see how it affected
them so much and show their feelings
toward my dad, it just brought everyone
closer. When you talk about family, I think
everything that's happened really defines
that word.
Of all the moments the outpouring
love at the funeral, the memories shared by
friends, the inspirational victories to come
nothing resonated with the Pinhos as
much as Georges wake, which attracted
what seemed like an endless stream of
thousands.
The night of the ceremony was crazy,
the amount of people and hours of waiting
they did, Jack says.
That night was probably the most
proud I've ever been to be able to call him
my dad, Jake gushes. Nobody else can say
that besides me and Jack. To see all those
people there was just incredible. It felt like
we hugged and shook hands for five hours,
and if I could relive it again I would. It was
amazing to see all that love.
To Shea, it was exactly what George
deserved.
The amount of respect shown at his
wake spoke volumes, Shea says. That's a
true testament of a man.
When the ceremonies ended and the
were-there-for-you assurances trickled to a
stop, the Pinhos were left to begin life with-
out their patriarch. The realization struck
Jack in the most mundane of ways.
Everyone was like, We're here for
you, Jack recalls. But when you get home
and Jake's at college, my mom's working,
and you walk in the door, it hits you because
you're all alone.
Shea knows the emotions Jack and Jake
felt. The Naugatuck native channeled his
experience from 1996, when he had to deal
with the untimely passing of his father,
Michael, after a battle with esophageal cancer.
He recognized the parallel between his
situation, which left him stepping up in his
early 20s to care for his mother and two
younger sisters, and that of the Pinho brothers.
As the oldest, I forced myself to the
head of the table, Shea says. I've talked to
the two of them about it Jake especially,
being the oldest. I've told Jake that there are
certain things he'll need to do. I still talk to
Jake about stuff, and I'll sit Jack down and
talk about dad stuff. There are certain things
they can tell me that I understand but other
people wouldn't.
For Jake, Shea has helped fill the role of
a father figure.
He's been someone who I can talk to
about anything. After my own football prac-
tices, I always had my dad to call, says Jake,
who is a walk-on player at CCSU. When I
lost him, I almost lost myself. But Coach
Shea has been able to provide that for me. If
I'm feeling bad about a practice or a game, I
can always go talk to him.
Jack and Jake have their mom, Jane,
too.
My mom is one of the toughest indi-
viduals, Jack says. How she's handled it,
with people coming up to her all the time
about it, is amazing. She's never missed a
game for me and Jake, and I don't know how
she's done it with her schedule. She loves us
so much.
Georges sons have never been the
star players of their teams. Theyre not the
all-state type. They have always been
among the most undersized guys on the
field. But Jake and Jack worked for their
spots in the Woodland football program,
and thats what made George proud.
Jakes senior season was in 2010. As one
of the teams three captains, he led the Hawks
to their first state postseason appearance in
three years. At just 5-foot-6, 157 pounds, he
earned All-Naugatuck Valley League Copper
Division honors as a defensive back.
Nobody recruited him to play college
football, but he earned a spot with the Blue
Devils as a walk-on. Jake played in his first
game Oct. 26 against Salve Regina and reg-
istered his first career tackle on special
teams. Playing on kickoffs gives Jake a spe-
cial chance to acknowledge his dad.
Before every kickoff, when I go out on
the field, I always point to the sky because I
know he's watching, says Jake, a sopho-
more. He was so proud of what Jack and I
have been able to do, and I use it as motiva-
tion to make him more proud because I
know he's still watching. I always write his
name down on my ticket list so I can guar-
antee that he'll be there.
When time permits, Jake comes back to
coach the Hawks. Its a way to stay close to
the program he loves and to duplicate the
love it received from his father.
He lived his life for me and Jack, and
now we're the ones who get to carry on his
legacy, Jake says. Hopefully one day we
will be able to pass it on like he passed it to
us and to so many other people.
Jacks senior season is this fall. Like his
older brother, hes also one of Woodlands
three captains, and hes helped the Hawks
reach the playoffs for the third time in four
years. The 120-pounder might be the smallest
starter in the conference, but it hasnt stopped
him from snagging five touchdown passes.
I know he wanted nothing more for
me than to follow in Jake's footsteps
because Jake was a leader, Jack says. I
know he's happy for me.
Jack lines up as Woodlands third wide
receiver wearing the same No. 3 as his
brother and usually functions as
Kingsleys security blanket in crucial situa-
tions. Jacks catch at the end of the 2012
Class S quarterfinal against Capital Prep
sealed a semifinal berth for the Hawks.
George was there for that game, and Jack
says he still gets the same vibe.
I feel like he's still there on the side-
lines, Jack says. I can still picture his voice
yelling and trying to find something wrong
about what I'm doing. There are certain
signs during the game that make it feel like
he's watching.
The signals have never been stronger
than they were Oct. 4, 2013.
Jake came back to coach Woodlands
game against Naugatuck the one with his
dads trophy on the line for the first time
and Shea allowed him to make a pregame
speech.
I tried to relay the message of what he
always said before the game, about how
much he loved them, Jake says.
Throughout my whole football career,
whether it's playing or coaching, that was
the most emotional game.
With more than 2,000 fans on hand, the
Hawks took their home field with GP
stickers on their helmets and his initials
Sharpied on their wrist tape. Georges
brother, Tony, paraded the trophy atop the
hill throughout the game for all to see.
Woodland took a 6-0 lead in the first
quarter on a 9-yard touchdown pass from
Kingsley to Mike Kenney. Naugatuck
snatched the lead in the second, but just a
minute before halftime the Hawks re-seized
it when Jack hauled in an 11-yard score
from Kingsley.
Naugy briefly took another lead in the
third but soon Kingsley took back the edge
for good with a 6-yard touchdown pass to
Taylor Tucciarone. Kingsley added an insur-
ance score on a 2-yard run in the fourth,
and Chris McDonald recovered an onside
kick to end the game.
Woodland 25, Naugatuck 22.
Jack stood on the field as Kingsley exe-
cuted the victory formation. As the quarter-
back raised his knee for the final time, Jack
took one of his own in the center of the grid-
iron. He pointed with both arms toward the
sky and then took a few steps toward Jake,
trotting onto the field to meet his younger
brother while the final siren blared beneath
the crowds roar.
I was able to run out onto the field and
greet Jack first and give him a hug, Jake
remembers. It was one of those moments,
in the midst of the tragedy when you
dedicate your life to this game, it makes you
realize it was all worth it.
I looked at Jake at the end of the game,
and it was just one of those moments, Jack
recalls.
Jake relinquished the 10-second
embrace to let Jack thank the black-clad
student section and shake hands with the
Greyhounds. Soon after, Jane took the game
ball and Uncle Tony presented to Jack the
silver football attached to a black base with
the inscription: The George Pinho Trophy.
Jack clung to the trophy much as he did
to the ball on his touchdown catch. He
posed for a few photos before he leapt atop
his teams bench to show off the prize to
those remaining in the bleachers.
It was probably one of my favorite
moments watching Jack hold up that trophy
with his dad's name on it, Kingsley
recounts. That was unbelievable.
We made a promise that it wasn't
going anywhere, Shea says. I believe that
George was looking down on us.
It was the fourth time in Jacks high
school career that the Hawks had beaten
the Hounds. He had a routine after each of
the first three victories. The final one spoke
for itself.
Usually when we'd beat Naugy, I'd rub
it in my dad's face because he went to
Naugy, Jack says. People might think that I
was sad, but I know he was happy about this
one.
MYCITIZENSNEWS.COM
Friday, November 29, 2013
B3
Above Jack Pinho holds the George
Pinho Trophy, named after his late
father, and points to the sky following
Woodlands win over Naugatuck Oct. 4.
At right, Jane Pinho holds the game
ball up to the crowd after the victory.
PHOTOS BY ELIO GUGLIOTTI