Walter Camp Announces 2024 All-Connecticut High School Team; Breakfast of Champions event slated for Jan. 18
The Walter Camp Football Foundation will host its 17th Connecticut High School “Breakfast of Champions,” on Saturday, January 18 at the Uncas 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.
The members of the 2024 All-Connecticut First and Second Teams will be recognized as will the six Connecticut high school 2024 state champions – Greenwich (Class LL), New Canaan (Class L), Masuk (Class MM), St. Joseph (Class M), Killingly (Class SS) and Ansonia (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. The Rams, under the direction of head coach Lou Marinelli, won the Class L state title after defeating FCIAC-rival Darien, 35-21, on December 14 to finish 12-1.
Coach of the Year finalists, presented by Stadium System
Steve Christy (Masuk), Rob Fleeting (Windsor), Bryan Muller (Brookfield)
Player of the Year finalists
Hayden Allard (Killingly), Drayvn Roberts (East Hartford), Quintez Whittle (Ansonia)
Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by NFP Sports
Paul Pasqualoni – former Syracuse, UConn head coach
Inspiration Award, presented by NFP Sports – TBD
2024 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 15th year that Walter Camp has presented its All-Connecticut Teams.
First Team Offense
QB: Drayvn Roberts (East Hartford) #
RB: Hayden Allard (Killingly), Quintez Whittle (Ansonia)
WR: Andrew Esposito (New Canaan), Shane Walker (Masuk)
TE: Kevin Roche (Darien)
OL: Jameson Barry (Glastonbury), Nathan Kennedy (Brookfield), Michael Paine (Notre Dame-West Haven) #, Jacob Romanowski (Ansonia), Peter Vomvolakis (Greenwich) $
First Team Defense
LB: Nick Fox (Masuk), Mason Frey (Fairfield Prep), Cashmire Lewis (Windsor)
DB: Brady Gambee (Watertown), Hashim Jones (Capital Prep), Michael Smith (New Canaan), TJ Wright (St. Joseph)
DL: Kadear Dembele (West Haven), Nick Pavia (Newtown), Derek Schoenberg (Danbury), Simon Tchakarov (New Canaan)
First Team Special Teams
P: Alex Kvaratskhelia (Greenwich)
K: Tucker Stevens (New Canaan)*
KR: Jermel Bynum (Brien McMahon)
Second Team Offense
QB: Nick Conlan (West Haven)
RB: John Manning (Windsor), Michael Walters (Brookfield)
WR: Jesus Martell (Maloney) #, Joseph Mugovera (Manchester)
TE: Tyler Rodriguez (Trumbull)
OL: Michael Allen (Killingly), Malachi Fowler (Windham), Richie McMurray (Greenwich), Tim O’Malley (Daniel Hand), Edward van der Merwe (Staples)
Second Team Defense
LB: Conor Casagrande (Daniel Hand), Davis Crandall (Staples), Anthony Oates (Killingly)
DB: Hunter Allard (Killingly), Nathaniel Banton (Bunnell), Josiah Carter (Notre Dame-West Haven), Luke Shannon (Glastonbury)
DL: Thad Balzi (Brookfield), Rickie Miller (Bunnell), David Rivera, Jr. (Waterbury Career Academy), AJ Tatro (Sheehan)
Second Team Special Teams
P: Josh Marcus (Staples)
K: Ben Conelius (Fairfield Prep)
KR: Joey Montalvo (East Catholic)
* – 2023 Walter Camp First Team All-Connecticut honoree
# – 2023 Walter Camp Second Team All-Connecticut honoree
$ – 2022 Walter Camp Second Team All-Connecticut and 2023 First Team honoree
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.
