Michael Venneri ’27
Andrew Dente ’29
Photo courtesy of Max Boyko ’28
Watch any Friday night lights game at EA and one player will immediately stand out. From scoring touchdowns to breaking up passes to returning punts, it’s nearly impossible not to notice #10 on the blue and the white. Leading his team to a historic 9-1 season, an Inter-Ac Championship title, and the EA/Haverford Day Sweater victory, this player takes the spotlight as this month’s Boys Athlete of the Month: Jackson Orcutt ’26.
Known for his versatility as both a receiver and defensive back, Orcutt capped off his record-breaking career with a stellar season, finishing with 909 receiving yards, 50 receptions, and 10 touchdowns. Orcutt’s journey in football began long before high school. As a kid, he developed a love for the game by playing with his father, grandfather, and uncles. He first began playing tackle football in 8th grade after arriving at EA. Head Coach Todd Fairlie remembers noticing Orcutt’s talent from the moment Orcutt first set foot on a football field. Fairlie says, “The first time he played football, I remember thinking, he’s going to be very good.” At the time, Fairlie wasn’t sure what position Orcott would play, but “hoped he would stick with football” even as lacrosse remained his main sport. Ever since his first tackle football game, Orcutt’s impact on the EA’s program has only grown.
During his time at EA, Orcutt has evolved from a young running back and linebacker to an experienced two-way player who excels as both a wide receiver and a cornerback, while also serving as a punt and kick return specialist. When Orcutt was asked what drew him to EA, he explained that, “It’s just a great athletic and academic opportunity for someone so young. Taking advantage of that was very important.” That same sense of purpose has stuck with him throughout his career.
As a co-captain of the team this year, Orcutt has worked to instill an ethos of competition and grit throughout the football program. Senior Co-Captain Jamil Abdul-Malik ’26 says, “He just wants everyone to have a dog mentality, going to the game with a mindset of win, win, win.” Like past EA captains such as TJ Cadden ’23, whose leadership Orcutt has tried to emulate, Orcutt leads by example. “He’s not a talker, but everyone on the team knows exactly what he means. He picks us up when something goes wrong and keeps everyone in the game at all times,” says Abdul-Malik. Day in and day out, Orcutt’s consistency and effort lay the blueprint for the team’s success. Co-Captain Dorian Dabney ’26 says, “He comes every day ready to work.” Dabney also highlights Orcutt’s ability to lead through his actions off the field as well. “Off campus, you always see him picking up trash and things like that.” Orcutt’s actions have laid the foundation for a team culture centered around discipline and focus, one that propelled the team to historic success.
Orcutt’s play on the field inspires similar admiration and praise from his coaches and peers. This year, Orcutt’s athleticism was on full display on both sides of the ball, being a pivotal contributor for the defense and the cornerstone of EA’s explosive passing attack. When asked to explain Orcutt’s significance to the team’s success this year, Abdul-Malik says, “Don’t even get me started on Jackson Orcutt. He is our number one option on offense. He’s a playmaker. He gets the ball, he’ll do something with it.” Defensive Coordinator Ryan Klein echoes these same thoughts, saying, “We just try to get the ball into his hands, and it’s very hard to get him down on the ground.” Orcutt’s athleticism in particular has stood out in every position he’s played in. “He’s definitely a different-level athlete. His athletic ability is the most noticeable, but his toughness is equally recognizable,” Fairlie says. According to Abdul-Malik, “He’s a natural athlete, one of a kind. He started playing tackle in eighth grade, and you would never have known.”
Heading towards the end of the season, Orcutt’s main goals were simple: win the sweater. With the team’s dominating 24-3 victory over the Fords to claim both the coveted sweater and Inter-Ac Championship, Orcutt has done just that. As Orcutt continues his lacrosse career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill next year, his legacy of excellence and camaraderie will endure for years to come.
