Walter Camp Football Foundation Announces 2023 All-Connecticut High School Team; Staples Earns Kelly Award; Breakfast of Champions set for March 16
The Walter Camp Football Foundation will host its 16th Connecticut High School “Breakfast of Champions,” on Saturday, March 16 at The Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased online (https://waltercamp.eventchamp.com/).
The members of the 2023 All-Connecticut First and Second Teams will be recognized as will the six Connecticut high school 2023 state champions – Staples (Class LL), New Canaan (Class L), North Haven (Class MM), Daniel Hand (Class M), Joel Barlow (Class SS) and Bloomfield (Class S).
Staples of Westport, which finished as the number-one team in the state’s final polls, will be recognized as the Joseph W. Kelly Award winner. The Wreckers, under the direction of head coach Adam Behrends, won the Class LL state title after defeating eighth-seeded Fairfield Prep (13-12), fourth-seeded Southington (41-0) and third-seeded West Haven (21-10) to finish 12-1. It is the first time Staples has earned the Kelly Award.
Coach of the Year finalists, presented by Stadium System
Adam Behrends (Staples), EJ DiNunzio (Wilton), Tony Sagnella (North Haven)
Player of the Year finalists
Jett Hall (Naugatuck), Donte Kelly (Maloney), Caleb Smith (Staples)
Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by NFP Sports
George “Coach” DeMaio, WELI 960 AM
Inspiration Award, presented by NFP Sports – TBD
2023 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 nine conferences around the state.
First Team Offense
Quarterback: Caleb Smith (Staples) #
Running Back: Jett Hall (Naugatuck), Rowan Johnston (Trumbull) #
Wide Receiver: Davien Kerr (Bloomfield)*, Armani Reid (West Haven)
Tight End: Preston Dziubina (Ansonia)
Offensive Line: Tanner Chlupsa (Staples), Eli Fangiullo (Windsor), Ben Reagan (New Canaan), Brendan Ryan (North Haven), Peter Vomvolakis (Greenwich)
Placekicker: Tucker Stevens (New Canaan)
First Team Defense
Linebacker: John Insinga (Greenwich)*, Zakkai Moore (Maloney), Sebastian Parra (Greenwich)
Defensive Back: Alex Benevento (New Canaan), Davion Kerr (Bloomfield), Jon Morris (Fairfield Prep)*, Adam Pandolfi (North Haven)*
Defensive Line: Miles Chisholm (New Canaan), Evan Russo (Cheshire), Owen Theoharides (Wilton), Jayden Vega (Platt)
Punter: Ben Perry (Fitch)
Kick Returner: Donte Kelly (Maloney)
Second Team Offense
Quarterback: Drayvn Roberts (East Hartford)
Running Back: Aidan Dolan (Daniel Hand), Soren Rief (Killingly) #
Wide Receiver: Evan Anderson (Southington), Kyle Colsey (Ridgefield)
Tight End: Charlie Thom (Darien)
Offensive Line: Panas Charitopoulos (Bunnell), Gianni Drab (Fitch), Bryce Malary (Daniel Hand), Michael Paine (Notre Dame-West Haven), Justin Reid (Notre Dame-Fairfield)
Placekicker: Jackson Zylick (Masuk)
Second Team Defense
Linebacker: Antwan Davis (Notre Dame-Fairfield), Amir Knighton (Rockville), Todd Woodring (Wilton)
Defensive Back: Jose DeJesus (Notre Dame-Fairfield), Jesus Martell (Maloney), Max Maurillo (Staples), Samuel Petrosino (Staples)
Defensive Line: Ricci Fernandez (New Milford), Austin McGoey (Ridgefield), Ifeoluwa Oluborode (SMSA co-op), Chris Taylor (Shelton)
Punter: Zach Bonini (Enfield)
Kick Returner: Jason Champagne (Masuk)
* – 2022 Walter Camp First Team All-Connecticut honoree
# – 2022 Walter Camp Second Team All-Connecticut 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.
