July 1, 2008

All-Star Month

We're smack-dab in the middle of what we like to call Connecticut's all-star break, where our outgoing football seniors say one last goodbye in the two local all-star games, the Governor's Cup, sponsored by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association and the Hall of Fame Football Classic, run by the New Haven and Fairfield County chapters of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

The Governor's Cup between Connecticut and Rhode Island was held last Saturday with Connecticut once again beating up on the Rhode Island all-stars 31-10 at Rentschler Field. Read that story from our own Victor Santos here: McKoy, Easley spark Connecticut to win. Connecticut's victory was its sixth in a row and eighth overall in the 10-game series, which has probably strengthened what had been a subtle call for Connecticut's organizers to drop Rhode Island from the series.

The Ralph DeSantis Fairfield County Chapter can relate. It hasn't won since 2002 and it hasn't been close, either. Chapter head Paul Criscuolo has done his best to get Fairfield County's best (players, coaches and effort) out of the game to no avail.

This year, with New Canaan coach Lou Marinelli running the show, Fairfield County has launched a rather aggressive media campaign led by local (i.e. FCIAC) football maven Tim Parry of the popular FCIACfootballblog and its fledgling sister Local Sports Feed site (localsportsfeed.com), who is actually holding what is believed to be the first Hall of Fame Classic media day on Monday. Organization helps, but will it work on the field?

Here's the skinny on the actual 12th Hall of Fame Classic, which will be held Friday, July 11 at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven.

12th HALL OF FAME FOOTBALL CLASSIC
WHAT — All-Star high school football game.
WHO — Seniors from Fairfield County vs. seniors from New Haven County
WHEN — July 11, 7:30
WHERE — Ken Strong Stadium, West Haven
TICKETS — $7 and available at the gate
SERIES — New Haven County leads 8-3

FAIRFIELD COUNTY ROSTER
Dimitri Matsiskas, Barlow; Ken Cobb, Central; Dwayne Guscott, Central; Ramon Mignott, Central; Trevardo Williams, Central; Jon Jackson, Bunnell; Mike Escobar, Danbury; Kevin Joy, Darien; Byron Jackson, Harding; Anthoney Biasetti, Immaculate; John Honey Fitzgerald, KLHT; Charlie Westfal, New Canaan; Kyle Duncan, New Canaan; Evan Rosenstein, New Canaan; Pat Cassidy, New Fairfield; Cody Wallace, New Milford; Jamie Goodwick, Newtown; Bob Lappel, Newtown; Christian Garcia, Norwalk; Cyprian Oyomba, Norwalk; Sly Accettullo,
ND-Fairfield; Mike Leonetti, Pomperaug; Andrew Mastriani, Pomperaug; Ryan Cicchese, Ridgefield; Sean O’Dea, Ridgefield; Ryan Carino, St. Joseph; Eric Zavadsky, St. Joseph; Torrey Mack, Stratford; Octavias McKoy, Stratford; Jason Vasquez, Stratford; Rob Dombrowski, Trinity Catholic; Alex Testani, Trumbull; Dave Wowk, Trumbull; Chike Madu, Fairfield Warde; John Midy, Westhill; Ron Thompson, Westhill; Dylan Hannum, Weston; Joe Smith, Wilton; Steven Lesperance, Wright Tech.
COACH — Lou Marinelli, New Canaan.

NEW HAVEN COUNTY ROSTER
Nick Ferris, Amity; Tom Finnucan, Amity; Rashaad Bass, Ansonia; Dan DeGennaro, Ansonia; Michael Flynn, Ansonia; Alex Thomas, Ansonia; Shane Lange, Branford; Casey Nugent, Cheshire; Ray Borelli, Crosby; Renee Montgomery, Crosby; Ryan Nolan, Fairfield Prep; Justin Loomer, Foran; Matt Lundberg, Guilford; Fred Turcio, Guilford; Aaron Brockenberry, Hamden; Royce Brunson, Hamden Hall; Jaron Grier, Hillhouse; Donte Wright, Hillhouse; Derek Ward, Holy Cross; Rodney Williams, Hyde; Dave Plaskon, Law; Matt Ramos, Law; Mike Schoenster, Law; Nico Moyer, Lyman Hall; Mike Cappozziello, North Haven; Dan Fleming, North Haven; Nikko Ildefonso, North Haven; Don Savenelli, North Haven; Justin Kopcik, ND-West Haven; Michael Dargan, Platt; Joe Gumbrewicz, Seymour; Andreau McCarthy, Seymour; Rich Spader, Seymour; Andre Henderson, Shelton; Phil Konopka, Shelton; Mike Mainiero, Shelton; Jeff Schultz, Shelton; Mike Brockenberry, West Haven; Erik Matos, West Haven; Sean Williams, West Haven; Jawan Hagan, Wilbur Cross; Wendell Williamson, Wilbur Cross; Eric Alfiere, Woodland; Will Volage, Woodland; Devin Dwyer, Xavier; Ryan Katon, Xavier
COACH — Jeff Roy, Shelton.

Past Classics

New Haven County leads series 8-3
1997 — New Haven 14, Fairfield 7
1998 — Fairfield 19, New Haven 9
1999 — New Haven 20, Fairfield 0
2000 — New Haven 42, Fairfield 14
2001 — Fairfield 24, New Haven 15
2002 — Fairfield 16, New Haven 8
2003 — New Haven 42, Fairfield 19
2004 — New Haven 28, Fairfield 0
2005 — New Haven 19, Fairfield 3
2006 — New Haven 24, Fairfield 15
2007 — New Haven 31, Fairfield 6

This does indeed look like one of the most talented Fairfield County team we've seen in years, with Octavias McKoy, Torrey Mack, Jon Jackson, Trevardo Williams, Charlie Westfal and Kevin Joy leading an all-star cast. But the proof, as always, comes on the lines, which appears to be led by Wilton's Joe Smith, Central's Kenneth Cobb and Trumbull's Dave Wowk.

More to come...

SPB

Posted by sports on 6:28 PM | Comments (4)

CONNPOST.COM

HOME

News

Sports

Business

Entertainment

Opinion

Weather

Death Notices

TEAM SITES

Darien
Fairfield Ludlowe
Fairfield Warde
McMahon
New Canaan
Ridgefield
St. Joseph
Stamford
Staples
Trinity Catholic
Trumbull
Westhill
Wilton