All Chris Bartolone wants to do is play football.
With only one season left at Wallkill High School, the rising senior quarterback secured his football future beyond high school when he committed to continuing his athletic and academic career at SUNY Cortland.

The decision came after several visits, and he was sold on the coaching staff, calling both Head Coach Curt Fitzpatrick and Offensive Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator Patrick Rotchford, ‘great dudes’. He met Rotchford for the first time last year when he came to visit Bartolone at Wallkill.

“They were welcoming and just very willing to bring me in and almost treat me like I was already part of the team,” Bartolone said. “You could really tell they wanted me there.”

Bartolone will join a team that plays in the Division III Empire 8 Conference, and the school has opened the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex, which has two FieldTurf fields, both of which have lights for night games. The football field – which the program shares with lacrosse – recently had new turf and video board installed. The stadium seats 6,500 people.

New team rooms also opened this year.

“You don’t see many Division III programs with Division I-like facilities like they have,” Bartolone said.

The Red Dragons will get a quarterback that is entering his second year as the Panthers’ starter after taking over for Mat Shea. Last year, he led the Panthers to a 4-6 record and 3-3 record in their division. He’s looking to lead the Panthers to the playoffs this year.

They’re also getting a football-first player.

“My life is football,” Bartolone said. “it’s all I do. If it’s not in-season, it’s offseason working, throwing, lifting or whatever the case may be. It’s what I do. It’s what I love to do. There’s not many people from around here that at my age are willing to put as much work in as I do, and I think that shows for itself on the field.”

Wallkill coach Joe Pillitteri called Bartolone a “once-in-a-decade” kid. During the winter when he was a member of the Panthers’ basketball team, he lifted with the football team every day before basketball practice.

“Who does that?” Pillitteri said. “It doesn’t happen.”

He also said the Red Dragons run an offense that is similar in style to the Panthers in the way they throw the ball, and the run-pass-option plays. He also said the coaches love him.

“Scheme wise, it was great for him as a quarterback,” Pillitteri said. “The coaching staff is great. The facilities are great up there. The school itself is tremendous.”

He made his commitment before the Panthers took the field officially on August 19. He wanted to make that decision before the preseason so he would have only one focus: guiding the Panthers to the Section 9 Class A playoffs.

“Having that stress relieved off my shoulders and being able to strictly focus on just this is a great feeling because now I can truly just focus on my senior season, having fun and winning football games,” Bartolone said.

The biggest thing for Bartolone is that he gets to keep playing football. It’s been his dream since he started playing football as a little kid.

“It’s a dream younger me always aspired for,” Bartolone said. “Now it’s becoming true, so it’s a really cool feeling.”