Ever since she started field hockey in the third grade, as well as when she played other sports, Bella Colitti’s father, Bill, did whatever he could to support her. At just about every game, he was always one of her biggest cheerleaders.

So, whenever the Bishop Feehan senior midfielder sees a yellow butterfly floating around the field on gameday, she’s comforted by the feeling he’s still showing support in spirit, nearly three years after his unexpected passing.

Colitti is a captain and one of the leading stars on a Div. 1 contender, and she knows he’s cheering on every second.

“I see (the butterfly) like almost every game,” she said. “It’s always on the field somehow. … (I think about him) a lot.”

It was a tragic time in the fall of 2021, when Colitti was just a freshman. The Shamrocks had a long bus ride home from after a loss to Winchester in the state tournament’s first round, and Colitti was told the news after she got picked up. The whole situation still horrifies Bishop Feehan head coach Betsy D’Ambrosia.

Colitti will likely never forget the unbelievable support system of her school and her teammates. Not just because of what was shown toward her, but also for how she needed to step up and be a part of it just three weeks after the tragedy. The father of fellow freshman teammate Sammy Logan, Clint, also passed after a long battle with illness. It was all-hands-on-deck again for the Shamrocks, twice in less than a month.

The team was an honor guard at the funeral, dressed in uniform and lined along the entrance. Knowing exactly what Logan was going through, Colitti was happy to be a part of the grand gesture, and it made a big impact.

“For such a tragic and defining moment of my life, having the field hockey team did wonders for me,” Logan said. “I don’t know where I’d be without them. Seeing them at the funeral; they lined the entrance for me. It just brought me to tears. It was just so comforting to see all these amazing girls be there for me at that time.”

It’s immeasurable how much Colitti and Logan miss their fathers – Logan prays for hers every day, and thinks about him every morning when a red cardinal flies by. It’s also immeasurable how strong their bond is with each other having gone through it together, as well as with the Bishop Feehan field hockey program.

“It definitely brought me closer to the sport,” Colitti said. “It was just great – to feel the community around me. … This team, no one will ever top this team. Everyone here is just so great and welcoming. Overall, they’re just such great people.”

“I have obviously people that have supported me and everything, but it’s so rare to have someone that’s gone through it,” Logan added. “I think through this tragic event, we’ve just found something (together) that we both truly loved and shared, and helped us through this process.”

It’s with great honor and pride, then, for how they’ve grown up within the program.

As Bishop Feehan has shaped from new-kid-on-the-block to now on Year 3 of contending for a deep Div. 1 playoff run, both Colitti and Logan have played major roles. Both were starters on the team that nearly upended eventual state champion Walpole in double overtime of the state quarterfinals last year. Now Colitti and Logan, alongside fellow senior captain Lilly Marchand and junior Jordi Higgins, are the leading standouts on a dangerous team.

How far they’ve come to be named team captains – despite what they’ve faced, as well as in honor of their late fathers – isn’t lost on them.

“Getting elected captain was definitely one of the best moments,” Colitti said. “For them to think I’m a leader, it’s just been really great. To go home, my mom was even saying, ‘I’m so proud of you, from everything you’ve gone through, and you’ve pushed your way up to now lead a whole team,’ with Sammy and Lilly.”

“Thinking of the fall of 2021 to 2023 winter, it was just so surreal, honestly,” Logan added. “I could’ve never pictured myself, as a freshman, at this very moment.”

It certainly isn’t lost on D’Ambrosia, either. Especially since the two, also Patriot Field Hockey club teammates, have received college offers.

Colitti is set to play at Assumption, while Logan decided not to pursue a Div. I opportunity.

“They’ve just navigated through high school without their dads, having a lot of extra responsibilities,” D’Ambrosia said. “They’re the kindest girls. They’re very thoughtful. They take care of each other and the team. They both were going to play in college. … I just can’t get over their resilience. I know resilience and grit are big buzz words, but those two exemplify that. They do.”

Logan believes the aftermath of tragedy is often too overlooked, which is part of why she’s happy to be a captain. She wants to serve as a voice for others in similar situations, showing how to get back into routine and how to reach out for help when it’s needed. That’s how she landed back on her feet, while Colitti focused on making her father proud.

Both have done so successfully as far as D’Ambrosia is concerned, and she couldn’t be happier to have Colitti, Logan and Marchand as her team’s captains.

Chip-ins

• Duxbury outscored their first seven opponents 37-0 within their best start to a season (7-1) in the modern, four-division era. Avery Bridgett (13 goals), KK Hussey (eight goals) and Delaney Nugent (six goals) lead scoring, while the defense has played strong in front of goalie Erin Munro (seven shutouts).

• It’s been a big 10 days for some MIAA stars. Bishop Feehan’s Higgins committed to Bryant, Uxbridge junior Amelia Blood verbally committed to Wake Forest, and Belmont’s Mackenzie Clarke is headed to UConn.

• Reading (8-0) has so far lived up to the promise of threatening for a repeat Div. 2 state title, and a collision course to meet runner-up Norwood (7-0) in the state final again looks highly possible. But they’re not the only teams to live up to pre-season hype, as Hingham (6-0), Somerset Berkley (4-0), Canton (6-0), Nashoba (5-1-1), Longmeadow (7-0), Westwood (4-3-1) and Doherty (7-1) also look strong.