The Wild Boars patch up the hole in their bus using a kicker’s net.
Last Saturday night, Boys’ Varsity Football boarded their DATTCO charter bus triumphant. They had just beat Phillips Exeter Academy 49-0, adding another win to their 24+ victory streak. But the night’s excitement played out on more than just the field, for the trip back included a sideswiped toll booth and a police-filed accident report.
Co-captain Matt Albino ’17 reported that they boarded the bus ecstatic about their win, but, as quarterback Pat Piscatelli ’17 said, “We were all pretty tired because it was a long and cold night. We just wanted to get home.” With a three-hour drive ahead of them, the team settled into their seats, expecting to return to campus by midnight.
While driving through a New Hampshire toll booth, the passengers heard a crash. Piscatelli noted, “It didn’t sound or feel like much.” Perplexed, the driver and coaches decided to stop. Albino said, “We took an exit. The driver pulled over and got out, followed by the coaches, but the players still didn’t know what happened.”
The curious team soon joined the driver and coaches outside to help investigate. Head Coach L.J. Spinnato determined, after examination, “The bus rubbed up against a toll booth as we drove through it. It ripped the storage bin door off the hinges.”
With hours left in the drive and loads of cargo in the bin, the team needed to improvise. According to Coach Spinnato, they secured the belongings under the bus using a kicker’s net and some athletic tape. Confident in their makeshift door, the Boars embarked for Choate for the second time that night.
However, their success was short-lived. Just minutes after they patched the gash on their hull, a police officer spotted the mess of athletic tape and football gear and promptly pulled the bus over. Once the situation was explained and the wreckage examined, the officer decided to file an accident report for insurance purposes.
Members of the football team described waiting for an hour as the officer conducted interviews and recorded the personal information of those involved. Piscatelli commented, “Initially, it was annoying, but I didn’t think it was all that bad.” Finally, after the second unplanned stop of the lengthening night, the bus was on the road and bound for Wallingford with no more interruptions.
Players and coaches returned to campus at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Sunday morning — much later than anyone could have anticipated. Piscatelli reflected on the experience, “We just went with the flow. We have a good group of kids that all get along, so we just had fun on the bus.”
It remains unknown who was at fault for the accident. Mr. Cliff Gibson, Chief Operating Officer for DATTCO, apologized for the delay and commented that there is little to no precedent for an incident like this. He added that the bus driver was very experienced, and the mishap did not endanger anyone. Albino remarked that it is always a tight squeeze through toll booths, but Mr. Spinnato said the driver may have cut it too close that time.
Regardless, the Wild Boars won’t have to worry about toll booths or police reports for their next game against Phillips Andover Academy at home this Saturday.
