The Walter Camp Football Foundation will host its 18th Connecticut High School “Breakfast of Champions,” presented by NFP Sports, on Saturday, March 14 at 8:30 a.m. in the Earth Ballroom at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville.

Ticket information: $70.00 if purchased online or $80.00 if purchased by cash, check or at the door

Use link: https://bit.ly/2025BreakfastofChampionsTickets

The members of the 2025 All-Connecticut First and Second Teams will be recognized as will the six 2025 Connecticut high school state champions – Greenwich (Class LL), New Canaan (Class L), Windsor (Class MM), Berlin (Class M), Daniel Hand (Class SS) and Sheehan (Class S).

New Canaan, which finished as the number one team in the state’s final polls, will be recognized as the Joseph W. Kelly Award winner for the second straight season.  The Rams, under the direction of head coach Lou Marinelli, won the Class L state title after defeating Cheshire, 34-13, on December 14 to finish 13-0.

Coach of the Year finalists, presented by Stadium System

Erik Becker (Daniel Hand), John Ferrazzi (Sheehan), Lou Marinelli (New Canaan)

Player of the Year finalists, presented by Buffalo Wild Wings

Hayden Allard (Killingly), Andrew Esposito (New Canaan), AJ Robinson (Windsor)

Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by NFP Sports

Paul Sponheimer, former Seymour High School coach

Inspiration Award, presented by NFP Sports – TBD

2025 Walter Camp All-Connecticut Teams

The Walter Camp All-Connecticut Team is voted on by a Selection Committee, which is comprised of 10 high school head coaches that represent the eight conferences around the state.  It is the 16^th year that Walter Camp has presented its All-Connecticut Teams.

2025 Walter Camp All-Connecticut Team

First Team Offense

Quarterback:  AJ Robinson (Windsor)

Running Back: Hayden Allard (Killingly)*, Cristian Luciano (Amity Regional)

Wide Receiver:  Jayden Compton (Windsor), Andrew Esposito (New Canaan)*

Tight End:  Hunter Allard (Killingly)#

Offensive Line: Michael Allen (Killingly), Adrian Delicata (New Canaan), Colin Falla (Greenwich), Tim O’Malley (Daniel Hand)#, AJ Tatro (Sheehan)#

First Team Defense

Linebacker:  Thad Balzi (Brookfield)#, Ryan Brooks (New Canaan), Conor Casagrande (Daniel Hand)#

Defensive Back:  Missoni Brown (Windsor), Kayden Davis (Northwest Catholic), Will J. Davis (Rockville), Jack Kelly (Greenwich)

Defensive Line:  Sean Granger (Berlin), Rickie Miller (Bunnell)#, Nick Pavia (Newtown), Will Zaccagnino (St. Joseph)

First Team Special Teams

Punter:  Jackson Favry (Ledyard)

Placekicker: Ben Conelius (Fairfield Prep)#

Kick Returner:  Joey Montalvo (East Catholic)#

Second Team Offense

Quarterback: Charlie Calabrese (Wilton)

Running Back:  Jayden Allen (New Britain), Josh Durant (Sheehan), Hector Lopez (Greenwich)

Wide Receiver: Dae’Sean Graves (Holy Cross), Rody Ricketts (Bunnell)

Tight End: Michael Golden (Greenwich)

Offensive Line: Cameron Bell-Snow (Norwich Free Academy), Anthony Bowe (Daniel Hand), Jamil Ortiz (Bunnell), Jacob Romanowski (Ansonia)*, Michael Talley (Maloney)

Second Team Defense

Linebacker:  Trent Burkowsky (Woodland), Aiden Gregorich (Cheshire), Heath Weeden (Newington)

Defensive Back: Luis Garcia (Wethersfield), Jake Rios (St. Joseph), Graham Spencer (Newtown), Javon West (Platt)

Defensive Line:  Jordan Louis (Fairfield Prep), Josiah Sims (Newington), Corey Smith (Wethersfield), Richard Van Dyke (Sheehan)

Second Team Special Teams

Punter:  Esten Ryan (Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic)

Placekicker: Molly Wilson (Rockville)

Kick Returner: Dennis Dustin (Wilton)

* – 2024 Walter Camp First Team All-Connecticut honoree

# – 2024 Walter Camp Second Team All-Connecticut honoree

Considered the “Father of American Football,” Walter Camp introduced the play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side in 1880. Nine years later, Mr. Camp, then the Yale University head coach, selected the first-ever college football All-America team. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team. Visit www.waltercamp.org for more information.

Walter Camp, the Father of American football, was named among top 25 most influential people in high school football by Max Preps.  Camp was picked second, just behind former U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt.

Father of American Football
Known as the “Father of American Football”, Camp played football at Yale in the 1870s and was responsible for many of the innovations in the game that helped transform it from the sport of rugby to the game of football. Among those innovations included the creation of the “line of scrimmage” and the “system of downs”. He also came up with the names of the positions of the players and determined that each side should play with 11 players.

William Penn University senior running back Destynd Loring has been named 2025 Walter Camp NAIA Player of the Year, recognizing his extraordinary performance and leadership throughout a record-setting season.

Loring led the NAIA in rushing with 1,949 yards and 30 rushing touchdowns, both of which set new single-season school records.  His explosive playmaking and relentless work ethic powered the Statesmen to one of their most successful campaigns in program history.

In addition to the Walter Camp honor, Loring was also named the Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division Offensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America First Team.

Loring’s 2025 campaign was marked by consistency and dominance. He averaged over 162 rushing yards per game and scored in every contest, helping William Penn reach the NAIA playoffs and finish with a national ranking.

A native of Charleston, S.C., Loring played scholastically at Wando High School.

Walter Camp NAIA Player of Year

2025 – Destynd Loring, RB, William Penn

2024 – Zach Chevalier, QB, Morningside

North Central’s Brad Spencer has been named the 2025 Walter Camp Division III Coach of the Year.  Spencer has guided the Cardinals to a perfect 14-0 record and its fourth straight berth in the Division III national championship game.

North Central (14-0) will play the University of Wisconsin–River Falls for the first time in program history in the national championship (The Stagg Bowl) on Sunday, Jan. 4 at 8 p.m. at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

Under Spencer’s direction, North Central led the nation in both scoring offense and scoring defense, continuing its reputation as one of the most formidable programs in the country.

This award marks Spencer’s second major national coaching honor of the season, following his selection as the AFCA Division III National Coach of the Year earlier in December.

After a stellar playing career as a wide receiver for the Cardinals (2001-2004), Spencer joined the North Central College coaching staff as a wide receivers/tight ends coach in 2004.  After 11 seasons as the wide receivers coach, Spencer was promoted to assistant head coach and offensive coordinator prior to the 2015 season. In January 2022, he was appointed the 26th head coach in the history of the Cardinals’ program.  In the time, Spencer has totaled an impressive 57-1 career record with two national titles (2022 and 2024).

Walter Camp Division III Coach of Year

2025 – Brad Spencer, North Central

2024 – Mike Cerasuolo, Springfield 

Here is the 2025 Walter Camp Division III All-America Team

Offense

Wide Receiver: Thomas Skokna (North Central), Albert Rundell (Bethel)

Offensive Line: Logan Fredrick (Utica), Dain Walter (Wisconsin LaCrosse), Giovanni Kennedy (Mount Union), Hayden Philpot (Hardin-Simmons), Reed Richards (Berry), Dave Casas (Delaware Valley)

Quarterback: Kaleb Blaha (Wisconsin-River Falls)

Running Back: Montie Quinn (Curry), Isaiah Simmons (SUNY Brockport)

Placekicker: Dominic Bourgeolis (Susquehanna)

Defense

Defensive Line: Liam Danitz (Hope), JP Chaney (Aurora), John Sullivan (North Central), Kaleb Brown (Mount Union)

Linebacker: Gage Timm (Wisconsin-River Falls), Matt Conroy (Shenandoah), Aden Wiser (Cortland)

Defensive Back: Ethan Burrows (Adrian), Nick Strusowski (Ursinus), Carson Bourdo (Johns Hopkins), Dylan Connors (Wesleyan, Conn.)

Punter: Chase Lanham (Southwestern)

Kick Returner: Cree Cross (Centre)