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Pursuing the American (Football) Dream

Canadian Matt Levasseur, 14, has relocated to Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Va., to pursue his dream of becoming an NFL quarterback.

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Though the price of schooling and private coaching is expensive, Trisha said she has "not paid a lot" for her son's instruction. "People have been really good to me," she said, noting that some services were donated and that Matt has received scholarships that have covered part or all of his schooling.

The family considered sending Matt to California for this school year, but decided that it was too far and there were few choices, with only one military boarding school in the state. The idea to send Matt to rural Virginia came up after Irvine was hired at Massanutten.

"You can tell he's going to have a big-time arm," said Mike Carubba, a Hamilton native who played quarterback at a small college in Nebraska and now tutors Matt when he is at home. "At a young age, he's making throws that a lot of kids can't make. I think [going to school in the United States] is the right thing to do. The coaching up here, you're not going to get the coaching. It's a different game as well. U.S. high school football is way ahead of Canada. I think it was good advice."

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With 161 boys and girls enrolled in grades 7 to 12, Massanutten does not have freshman or junior varsity football teams. The Colonels already had a quarterback in place for 2008, senior Marquis Jordan, before Levasseur arrived. But Chiarolanzio was happy to have another signal caller on the roster even if, at 5-9 and 140 pounds, Levasseur is significantly lighter than most of the players on the field.

"When I heard about him [possibly enrolling at Massanutten], I thought he was going to be way bigger," Jordan said. "I didn't think he was going to be that small. But the kid has heart."

After playing sparingly in the season's first two games -- both losses -- Levasseur started two weeks ago when the Colonels played Model School in Northeast Washington.

Trisha and Keith made their regular weekend trip, hopping in their car before sunrise, stopping for coffee at a convenience store and arriving in plenty of time to see Massanutten take the field for pregame warmups. Trisha eagerly anticipated kickoff, feeling completely secure as her son faced opponents who were older, bigger and stronger.

"You know what he's scared of? Roller coasters," she said, standing along the fence surrounding the field. "He has no fear of a 250-pound lineman coming at him, but don't put him on 'Pirates of the Caribbean' at Disney Quest."

Chiarolanzio's strategy was to keep things simple and let Levasseur get accustomed to the feel of the game before asking him to throw. But the pressure heightened when Model scored on its first play from scrimmage.

Levasseur erred while calling his first play in the huddle, resulting in a run to the wrong side of the field and earning himself an earful from the bellowing Chiarolanzio. After his first two passes fell incomplete, Levasseur lofted a 28-yard completion to Jordan, then sprinted to the sideline to get the next play from his coach.

In the second quarter, Levasseur screamed as he was hit on one play, clutching his right ankle. He came out for two series but returned later, only to fumble while being sacked; Model recovered the loose ball for a touchdown. The final score was Model 53, Massanutten 8. Levasseur completed just 1 of 6 passes with two interceptions. He had an ice bag on his right shoulder and walked with a slight limp.

"I can't explain how much it hurts," he said.

But there was, he believed, a small victory that was gained, having proven to teammates that their short, young quarterback was a viable player. "At first, I don't think some of them thought I could do it," he said.

Said Chiarolanzio: "Matt didn't do a bad job. He made some first-year player mistakes. We definitely learned the biggest issue we're going to deal with for him right now: He passes well, has a good arm and he's accurate, but his height hurts. He couldn't see over them."

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Although Levasseur's height is an issue now, there is reason to believe it won't be a problem for long. Matt already wears a size 13 shoe and his biological father is 6-4 and 280 pounds.

"Right now, everything he gets is just a bonus," Chiarolanzio said.

Chiarolanzio envisions a taller, sturdier Levasseur standing in the pocket and leading Massanutten to success on the football field. The Colonels' glory days are long past; its most famous football alumni are a pair of former NFL linebackers -- Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer Jack Ham and the Los Angeles Raiders' Jack Squirek -- whose decades-old newspaper clippings hang on a wall in Chiarolanzio's office.

Levasseur proclaims himself "95 percent" sure that he will spend his entire high school career at Massanutten. But there are alternatives.

"I want to stay here if I can," he said. "I'm going to look at schools in California. Wherever I get the best offer."

But before Levasseur goes anywhere else, Trisha will consult with Clarkson's staff and others, just like she did when deciding whether Massanutten would be a good fit for eighth grade.

"I think we're going to have to be realistic at some point and see what happens," Trisha said. "We figure there is no issue between now and 10th grade. We'll have to talk at some point. Clarkson has suggested that we keep him in the Northeast and not bring him to California, because there are so many quarterbacks in California. They sometimes think you're better off being the big fish in the small pond."