TRUMBULL – Finn Kilmartin and Will Zaccagnino were in the eighth grade when they found out they’d both be heading to St. Joseph for their high school years.
Since that time, they’ve become massive parts of the Hogs’ football team, Kilmartin as a linebacker and sometimes running back, and Zaccagnino as a disruptive lineman wreaking havoc on both sides of the ball.
Advertisement
When Kilmartin sees the 6-foot-5, 275-pound Zaccagnino make a big play, he’s not just celebrating with a friend or a teammate.
He’s celebrating with his godfather.
Kilmartin converted to Catholicism with guidance from Father Ferry Galbert, the school’s former chaplain, during his sophomore year and received the Sacraments all at once, with baptism, confirmation and communion at the Easter Vigil in 2025.
Throughout the process Zaccagnino was at his side, both in the gym and the church.
“We just kind of got after it,” Kilmartin said. “We would go to the field, go to the gym, and he became like my right hand man. As I started the process, he was one of the first people I told. He started telling me what he experienced and his knowledge about it. He was right alongside me the whole time.”
Advertisement
It’s an obviously unique relationship for high school football players, and one which sometimes is mentioned on the field.
“He’ll bust my chops a little bit and try to pull that card,” Kilmartin said with a smile. “I mean, he’s also 6-5, so it’s a little intimidating on both ends.”
When he heard of Kilmartin’s plans, Zaccagnino was excited.
“It’s my faith,” Zaccagnino said. “It’s what I believe in. It’s a lot of the character that I think I am, and what I try to value. To think that one of my best friends is going to be joining me and he’s taking that step in the right direction with us, and knowing what the faith did for me and what it can do for him is so exciting.”
Advertisement
Both Kilmartin and Zaccagnino are from Shelton, and have played huge roles in the Hogs’ success the past few seasons. St. Joseph is 19-6 the past two seasons, winning the Class M championship two years ago and reaching the semifinals last fall. Last season, both were named to the New Haven Register/GametimeCT All-State teams, with Zaccagnino on the first team and Kilmartin on the second, and they’re two of four St. Joseph seniors on the GametimeCT 50 Players to Watch list this year.
They’ll both be playing in college, with Zaccagnino having committed to Wisconsin and Kilmartin committing to Middlebury.
Kilmartin said he wasn’t very religious growing up, but during his freshman year, he became “more and more interested in developing a relationship like I felt in my heart with God and Jesus.”
During his sophomore year, he heard an announcement that Father Galbert was having “almost like a CCD class after school,” Kilmartin said.
Advertisement
Kilmartin decided to explore the opportunity. He began meeting with Father Galbert regularly and even visited him at St. Lawrence Church in Shelton.
“It just took off from there,” Kilmartin said. “(Father Galbert) taught me everything. I just loved it. I felt a big connection and I pursued it with him.
And my sophomore year, I was baptized at the Easter Vigil.”
Part of the process was finding a godfather and godmother.
“We were in the gym talking about it and he was like ‘I don’t really know what to do’,” Zaccagnino said. “I was like ‘you know, I’d be more than happy to do it for you’. For that to happen, to be my best friend’s godfather and to introduce him to the faith that I grew up with, there’s not a better opportunity.
Advertisement
“It just makes me feel good as a person.”
Kilmartin said he checked with Father Galbert, who responded that Zaccagnino would be a great fit.
And there’s an additional football connection. Kilmartin’s godmother is Dawn Wicker, the mother of linebacker Kyle Wicker, another longtime friend and teammate from Shelton.
“My dad couldn’t do it because he wasn’t fully in the church and Will wanted to do it,” Kilmartin said. “There were a bunch of people I was thinking of but I feel like he was the most responsible and actually into the church out of all my friends. I’m just super close with him and I trusted him.”
Advertisement
When everything was completed, Kilmartin was fully in the moment.
“The thing I remember was I couldn’t stop smiling for like 10 minutes,” he said. “I couldn’t even speak. Obviously, I went back into the mass process so I was sitting with other kids who got the sacraments, but I couldn’t stop smiling. All the schooling and all the time I put in with Father Galbert, to finally be converted was a big relief.”
The players are now on the doorstep of another football season, with opening night Thursday in Darien, and there are high hopes again for St. Joseph, which is now in Class MM and a clear contender.
“We’ve grown up together, a bunch of us playing Shelton youth and I haven’t really given much thought that this is the last time we’ll ever put pads on together as a group,” Zaccagnino said. “It’s just trying to make the most of this season, make the most memories. I just think of playing in that freshman field to now, we’re going to be seniors kicking everyone’s butt this year. It’s full circle.”
Advertisement
And when he sees Zaccagnino blow up a running play or sack a quarterback, Kilmartin can point out “that’s my godfather.”
“People love it,” Kilmartin said. “I’ve had lots of conversations about it. They’re like ‘wow, that’s great. You guys must be so close.’ It really means something. It’s a close connection and on the field that helps us play.”
This article originally published at Connecticut football stars share an unusual bond: One is the other’s godfather.
