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Success Under Pressure – Unfinished Business

Tristan Alvano  |  Senior  |  Westside High School

A multi-sport athlete, Westside High School senior Tristan Alvano decided to give kicking a try between his eighth grade and freshman years—a decision that has had huge rewards. In his sophomore year, Westside won the Class A state championship in football; in his junior year, they made the finals but lost to Gretna High School. “This year, senior year, we knew we had a very good, experienced team back and had ‘unfinished business’ (one of our team mottos for the year). The season flew by and we ended up in the state finals for a rematch with Gretna.”

According to Alvano, “The Class A state championship game was an incredible night. A terrific game between two terrific programs. My personal highlight was watching the offense drive down the field in the last 1:30 of the game and setting me up to hit the 45-yard field goal as time expired to win the game, 43-41. As a kicker and as a senior, to be 5 for 5 for field goals on the night, do my job on kickoffs, and seal the win for the team was a dream come true. I couldn’t write a better story or a better ending. I’m so proud of this State finals and the performance of the whole kicking unit—our line, our snapper, and our holder. They made it easy for me to do my job.”

Westside varsity football coach Paul Limongi said, “Tristan is special because he dominates the things he can control. He works harder than others and loves to make big kicks. Pressure is something Tristan thrives upon.” Westside kicking coach Garet Moravec adds, “Tristan has the ability to laser focus on what he’s doing and tune out all distractions. Tristan is an extremely competitive athlete blended with being a highly thoughtful and kind person.  He is a dream to coach.”

Alvano recently committed to play for the University of Nebraska Lincoln in 2023. “Since most college teams typically only have one kicker and one punter on scholarship, a scholarship offer to a high school kicker is a rare and valuable opportunity. Thankfully, Nebraska was one of a handful of schools to offer me a scholarship instead of a preferred walk-on offer. I’m excited about the next chapter in Lincoln. I’ll have an opportunity to compete and contribute to the program and bring Nebraska back to where it belongs among the best teams in college football.”

More stories like this one can be found at our Varsity Corner.

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