The annual Army-Navy college football game was a matchup that Peter Vomvolakis grew up watching and soon, the Greenwich High School incoming senior will be a part of the storied rivalry.

Vomvolakis, a two-time New Haven Register First Team All-State player and two-time All-FCIAC First Team selection, announced his decision to attend the United States Naval Academy, where he will play Division I football.

A 6-foot-2, 290-pound center, Vomvolakis has been a member of the Cardinals’ varsity football team since his freshman year and immediately made an impact, earning a starting role on the offensive line as a ninth-grader. He announced his commitment to attend the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, this past Thursday.

Vomvolakis competed in the 17th annual Grip It and Rip It Passing Tournament at New Canaan High School July 12-13 and discussed his decision to continue his academic and football career at Navy with Greenwich Sports Beat.

“In the end of my recruiting it was down to Navy and Army and I chose Navy because after I visited, I knew that the facilities were amazing there,” said Vomvolakis, who will serve as one of Greenwich’s senior football captains during the upcoming 2024 season.

Navy’s Division I football program is guided by head coach Brian Newberry. Vomvolakis was recruited as a center by Navy, whose offensive line coach is Jay Guillermo.

“The head coach, coach (Brian) Newberry is an amazing coach,” Vomvolakis said. “The offensive line coach – coach (Jay) Guillermo, he played at Clemson in 2016 and was the captain – the center. He snapped for DeShaun Watson and me being a center as well and him wanting me to be a center – I felt that I could really strive there.”

Peter’s older brother George, a 2024 Greenwich High School graduate, will also be playing Division I collegiate football. George Vomvolakis, who powered the Cardinals’ running game for several seasons, will soon further his football career at Stonehill College. Like Peter, George was a 2023 All-FCIAC First team selection.

The 2023 season saw Greenwich register a record of 10-2 and advance to the semifinal-round of the CIAC Class LL Tournament, where it lost to West Haven, 26-13.

Peter Vomvolakis reflected on the squad’s successful 2023 season and the opportunity to be on the field once again with his brother George.

“Last year’s experience was really good,” he said. “It was annoying to get knocked out in the semifinals, but we had a really nice run. Being able to play with my brother another year – him as a running back and having me block for him – was an amazing thing. He was a captain and me taking over his position as a captain is really special.”

The Navy-bound Vomvolakis shifted to the center position last season, a role he relished.

“It was a little tough in the beginning, having to make a lot more calls, having to be responsible at the offensive line,” Vomvolakis said of his transition to playing center. “But once the offseason and August went through it really became natural to make the right calls.”

“It’s a really stressful position having to make all the calls, but it’s a great position, being the captain of the offensive line, being the captain up front,” he continued. “It’s a really nice thing.”

A fixture on the Cardinals’ offensive line, the starting center is well aware of the Navy-Army tradition. Besides playing football, he’s looking forward to the education he will receive at the United States Naval Academy and serving his country.

“When I was younger, I used to always watch the Army and Navy football games,” Peter said. “Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to go to a service academy. The culture that they have at those schools, the brotherhood is great. And you get a tremendous education while playing tremendous football.”

He credits GHS head coach Anthony Morello and the entire coaching staff for preparing him to compete at the collegiate Division I level.

“The coaches have helped me immensely,” Vomvolakis noted. “Being in eighth grade and transitioning to my freshman year when I was pulled up to varsity and starting, I felt that my freshman year I learned so much from the coaches that I could really excel.”

As always, expectations are high for Greenwich, a football program that is perennial contender for the state championship.

“I feel really good about the team,” Vomvolakis said. “We’ve been working really hard this offseason. I think we can compete against anybody. We have a young team, but those young guys and seniors have been working really hard this offseason and I think we’re going to make a big impact.”

The main goal of the Cardinals, who most recently captured the CIAC Class LL state title in 2022, is obvious.

“Win a state championship, we want to go all the way this year,” Vomvolakis noted. “It’s a long process. To do that, we have to play it game-by-game and week-by-week.”