For Central Catholic’s Brian Waller-Reitano, the equation that summed up the United States Naval Academy could not have been more emphatic.
Ivy League level academics plus top-25 level FBS football equals home.
So when the offer came from Annapolis, the three-time all-conference first-team selection and two-time Eagle-Tribune Football All-Star pounced.
“Just the interactions I’ve had with coaches have been great, and when I got on campus, it was like, ‘Damn, this is where I want to be,’” said Waller-Reitano, who committed to Navy this week, first making it known on Twitter/X. “The education is obviously very prestigious, and the football is top 25 in the country. It will be an amazing challenge for me.
“It’s truly an honor to serve our country. I’m prepared for it.”
Now at ease with his future mapped, the Central junior can focus on football and the fall under new Raiders head coach John Dubzinski, then one last go-around as a captain on the defending state championship wrestling team in 2026-27.
The 16-year-old (turns 17 on Friday) will then spend one year at the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, R.I., before moving on to Annapolis.
The challenge – working toward bigtime college football – has Waller-Reitano all fired up.
“First off, I realize I will have to work my butt off to get there,” said the 6-foot-3, 295-pounder. “It’s been a dream of mine since I was little. It’s insane that I’ve gotten to this point. I’m grateful for it. I have truly worked for it. The chance to be playing for a top 25 team in the country, it’s just amazing.”
With Central’s coaching in transition this spring, as the offers piled up for Waller-Reitano, he sought out a couple familiar faces to help sort through the process.
First, there was his dad. As each offer rolled in, he took the contrarian role as a means to gauge how interested Waller-Reitano was in each institution.
“My dad made sure I was making the right decision. He wanted to make sure I felt passionately about any school I thought about attending,” Brian said.
“A service academy was not the first idea I had. But I researched it and I found that an academy was a good idea for me.”
And when that became a true possibility, Waller-Reitano called on Pact Performance coaches Jay Fielding – a former Central assistant and the current Andover High coach – and Pete Clifford, who played his college ball at Michigan State, for guidance. Pact Performance has helped developed Waller-Reitano as a player, and they got the ball rolling with Navy.
A National Honor Society student with a 4.7 gpa, potential two-sport captain and road grader at left tackle, Waller-Reitano was an easy sell.
And while he had offers from Army, Air Force and Navy, Annapolis won him over on a recent visit.
“At the Naval Academy, it’s all about brotherhood, building a program around the guys who have committed here. I’d say it’s a big relief to not have to continue the recruiting process. I’m thankful for where I am. I’m just super-excited to be part of this,” he said.