Darien Named Walter Camp Kelly Award Recipient

The Darien Blue Wave, the Class LL state champion and consensus No. 1 team in the state’s high school football season-ending polls, is the Walter Camp Football Foundation’s choice to receive the 2016 Joseph W. Kelly Award. The Kelly Award is presented annually to Connecticut’s top high school football team.

2016 Walter Camp Kelly Award – Darien

It is the second straight year Darien has earned the honor, and the first to repeat since Xavier (2010 and 2011).

“With its potent offensive attack along with a stingy defense, Darien was outstanding on its way to another perfect season,” said Walter Camp Football Foundation President Robert Kauffman.  “We salute Coach Rob Trifone, his staff and players on a phenomenal season.”

Darien won its 10 regular-season games, including a 37-34 overtime victory over eventual Class L champion New Canaan, on Thanksgiving morning.

The Blue Wave then defeated Greenwich, 29-3, in the Class LL quarterfinals on November 29.  In the semifinals, Darien defeated Southington, 38-7, and culminated its 13-0 perfect season with a 28-7 victory over Ridgefield in the championship game on December 10.   In its 13 games, the Blue Wave averaged 40.4 points per game, allowing just 13.6.

Coach Trifone and the Darien team will be recognized at the organization’s High School Breakfast of Champions event, on Saturday, January 14 at the Omni New Haven Hotel. Darien, along with the three other state football champions (New Canaan, Hillhouse and Ansonia) will be feted.  Also that morning, the Walter Camp All-Connecticut Team, High School Player and Coach of the Year will also be recognized.

Later that evening, members of the 2016 Walter Camp All-America team, including Player of the Year Lamar Jackson (Louisville) and other major award winners (Alumni Award-Orlando Pace; Man of the Year-Warrick Dunn; Distinguished American-Mike Ditka), will be honored at the organization’s national awards banquet, presented by KeyBank, at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.

Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. 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 “Joseph W. Kelly Award” Connecticut High School Champions

2016 – Darien

2015 – Darien

2014 – Southington

2013 – Ansonia

2012 – Daniel Hand (Madison)

2011 – Xavier (Middletown)

2010 – Xavier (Middletown)

2009 – Notre Dame (West Haven)

2008 – New Canaan

2007 – Ansonia

2006 – Ansonia

2005 – Xavier (Middletown)

2004 – Daniel Hand (Madison)

2003 – New Britain

2002 – West Haven

2001 – New Britain

2000 – Fitch (Groton)

1999 – Bloomfield

1998 – Bloomfield

1997 – Daniel Hand (Madison)

1996 – Weaver (Hartford)

1995 – Cheshire

1994 – Cheshire

1993 – Cheshire

1992 – Cheshire

1991 – Notre Dame (West Haven)

1990 – Derby

1989 – Ansonia

1988 – Stratford

1987 – East Catholic (Manchester)

1986 – Trumbull

1985 – Hillhouse (New Haven)

1984 – Middletown

1983 – Ansonia

1982 – St. Joseph’s (Trumbull)

1981 – Naugatuck

1980 – Trumbull

1979 – Newington

1978 – Amity (Woodbridge)

1977 – Trumbull

1976 – Fitch (Groton)