The Giants Foundation and Gatorade to contribute $2,000 to the football program.

East Rutherford, NJ – The New York Giants and Gatorade have selected Mr. Brandon Jubrey of Northwest Catholic High School (West Hartford, CT) as the Lou Rettino High School Coach of the Week for Week 1 of the 2024 season. Coach Jubrey led the Lions to a 4-0 record in the first four-game pilot season with 16 teams in the Central Connecticut Conference. His team also won their division in the second annual Central Connecticut Conference Girls High School Flag Football Championship Tournament on May 11^th at Windsor High School.

In addition to coaching, Jubrey has really helped spearhead the growth of girls' flag football in the state. As founder and president of Connecticut Flag Football League ("CT Flag"), he has created opportunities for hundreds of boys ang girls, ages 3 to 15, to enjoy the sport of flag football in the greater Hartford area year-round. In the last few years, he has partnered with Windsor High School's athletic director Chris Fulton to organize local high schools to offer the sport in hopes that it will eventually become a recognized sport by the CIAC.

The Lou Rettino High School Football Coach of the Week Award is part of the Giants' continuing effort to support local high school football programs. The Giants elected to name the award in memory of former Union High School (NJ) coach, Lou Rettino, for his fine commitment to the game of football, his community and the betterment of his athletes' lives. Each week during the high school football season, the Giants selected one area high school head coach as the Coach of the Week winner. The selection is based on the coach's continuing commitment towards promoting youth football, developing motivated student-athletes and contributing overall to their community.

In recognition of Coach Jubrey's selection as Coach of the Week, a $2,000 check will be granted to the school's flag football program from The Giants Foundation and Gatorade. He will also receive a certificate of recognition signed by Giants head coach Brian Daboll, and will be honored at a dinner following the season, as well as a 2025 pre-season home game.

The Giants are proud supporters of Central Connecticut's launch of the rapidly growing sport, and hosted Northwest Catholic at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on June 4^th for a celebration of their season with Coach Brian Daboll, Brian Burns, Devin Singletary, Isaiah McKenzie and Dante Miller, along with some friendly competition with other championship teams from the tri-state area. The team also played in a halftime exhibition game against Columbia High School (East Greenbush, NY) during the Giants preseason game against the Detroit Lions on August 8^th.

Coach Jubrey, a native of Windsor, CT, graduated from Windsor High School as a two-sport varsity athlete in 1993 in both basketball and soccer. After spending one year at the Air Force Academy Prep School in Colorado Springs, he attended Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, where he played Division I basketball for the Fairfield Stags, earning a degree in Accounting. Upon graduation in 1998, Coach Jubrey started a career in finance, while spending much of his free time volunteering to coach youth sports, primarily basketball, until he founded CT Flag in 2018. In 2023 Coach Jubrey became the Head Coach for the Northwest Catholic H.S. Girls Flag Football Team.

"Growing up, my parents would not allow me to play tackle football, so basketball became my sport for many years, and still is. However, I have always loved football and in some ways, more so than hoops. Flag football did not exist where I lived when I grew up, so using the gifts that God has blessed me with to create opportunities for kids that didn't exist when I was a child has become a bit of a surreal experience. To help grow the sport of flag football in my community to what it has become today, with more work to do, has been gratifying and extremely humbling at the same time. I have made some tremendous relationships through sports, and the relationship that my organization has built with the New York Giants has been amazing.

To be able to coach my daughter in a high school flag football game is something I will never forget. The impact of girls' flag football goes beyond the field. It's about breaking barriers, challenging stereotypes, and giving these girls a platform to showcase their skills and potential. Being able to contribute to this cause has filled me with immense pride and joy, knowing that we are making a lasting difference in their lives and in our community. As I reflect on this journey, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to play a role in something so meaningful. The friendships formed, the lessons learned, and the memories created are all testaments to the power of sports in bringing people together and driving positive change. I am excited to see where this journey will take us next, and I am committed to continuing to support and nurture the growth of girls' flag football in our community."