MANCHESTER – Joey Montalvo has scored a touchdown in every game he played except one.
When he missed a few games due to injury his sophomore year, East Catholic lost.
When he came back, the Eagles won.
Montalvo, 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, has been a starter for the team since his freshman year and “he might have been our best player as a freshman,” East Catholic coach Tommy Seaver said.
Montalvo had a breakout season last year, with over 1,500 receiving yards, as did the Eagles, who went 9-2 and advanced to the Class S quarterfinals but lost to Bloomfield (for the second time) by a point.
On Sept. 19, in a 35-21 win over Bristol Eastern, Montalvo went over the 3,000-yard receiving yards mark, becoming the fifth player in Connecticut high school football history to do so.
Here’s who is in front of him: Aaron Hernandez (Bristol Central, University of Florida, New England Patriots), the leader with 3,677 yards; Nico Ragaini (Notre Dame-West Haven, University of Iowa) with 3,345 yards; Thomas Milone (Masuk, Tampa Bay Rays) with 3,224; and Marcus Cooper (Bloomfield, Rutgers, several NFL teams) with 3024 yards.
Seaver said, as far as he’s concerned, Montalvo is the best player in the state.
“When he’s on the field, the stuff he does, whether it’s running back, quarterback, receiver, returner, he’s making a difference on every single play,” Seaver said. “If he’s on the field, you know he’s out there.
“We were watching film against Bristol Eastern – he got a punt and he started to return it, maybe at the 40-yard line, and there’s kids on our sidelines thinking it’s a touchdown already. Everyone knows when he gets the ball, that he can score.”
Montalvo has played a little of everything; he also helps out first-year quarterback junior Geo Ramos. He has five rushing touchdowns this season (and one receiving). Last year, he threw a touchdown pass in a win over Tolland.
Last season, Montalvo racked up 1,548 receiving yards in 11 games; Seaver hopes if all goes well, he can break the all-time record by the end of the season. This season has been a little tougher for East Catholic (1-2), after the Eagles lost a number of veterans, including quarterback Christian Morales, who threw for over 2,000 yards and 29 touchdowns last year.
Montalvo said he doesn’t focus on records, “Whatever comes, comes.”
Saturday, Montalvo had no receiving yards in an Alliance game against Branford that was close for three quarters but turned into a rout, with East Catholic losing 54-14. He had 18 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns.
Montalvo has had to develop into more of a leader this season because there are a number of freshmen starting and playing both ways.
“He’s great for our younger kids,” Seaver said. “He’s been huge for helping them develop and get settled with high school football because he’s the freshman that was playing three years ago.”
Montalvo started playing football and basketball when he was 10 years old. He is the point guard for the East Catholic basketball team and also runs the 100 and 200 meters for the track team.
East Catholic’s Joey Montalvo (2) looks to get past Manchester’s Chance Clarke (0) during the first half at East Catholic High School on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)
“(East Catholic basketball) Coach (Luke) Reilly might have been worried a little bit (about football) freshman year but after he saw the impact I had on the football team, he told me to play,” Montalvo said. “He comes to the games. He’s been very supportive.”
Montalvo’s freshman year, East Catholic made the playoffs for the first time since 2015. He missed three games due to injury his sophomore year, and not only did the Eagles not win, they didn’t score, either.
“When he came back, we started winning again,” Seaver said. “He obviously has a huge impact on our team.
“It’s a combination of a lot of things – his shiftiness on the football field makes him hard to tackle and hard to cover. His knowledge of the game allows him to get to the right spot and he can then use his shiftiness and quickness. His quickness laterally is unmatched. He’s special in his physical ability but also his football IQ and determination – I think it’s a combination of all these things.”
Montalvo said he wants to play football in college but has not received any offers yet.
“(His size) is something that might be holding back some of the offers,” Seaver said.
“What I’ve been saying to coaches is that someone that gives him a shot is going to be very fortunate. In my opinion, he’s going to dominate no matter who he’s playing against. His mindset is ‘I’ll keep working hard and whatever happens, happens.’”
