Walter Camp High School All-Connecticut Teams Announced; Greenwich Wins Joseph W. Kelly Award as Top Team in Connecticut
The Walter Camp Football Foundation will host its 15th Connecticut High School “Breakfast of Champions,” during the weekend of March 11-12 at The Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale.
Tickets are $50 if purchased online (https://waltercamp.eventchamp.com/) or $60 if purchased by cash/check on the day of the event.
The six Connecticut high school 2022 state champions – Greenwich (Class LL), New Canaan (Class L), North Haven (Class MM), Notre Dame-West Haven (Class M), Joel Barlow (Class SS) and Ansonia (Class S) – will be feted.
Greenwich, which finished as the number-one team in the state’s final polls, will be recognized as the Joseph W. Kelly Award winner. The Cardinals, under the direction of head coach Anthony Morello, won the Class LL state title after defeating Hamden (47-7), Glastonbury (42-7) and Fairfield Prep (37-7) to finish 11-2. It is the second time Greenwich has earned the Kelly Award (2018).
Coach of the Year finalists, presented by Stadium System
Tom Brockett (Ansonia), T.J. Cavaliere (Joel Barlow), Tony Sagnella (North Haven)
Player of the Year finalists
John Neider (Jonathan Law), Danny Shaban (Joel Barlow), Jacob Staton (Notre Dame-West Haven)
Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by NFP Sports
Chuck Drury (former coach at Bristol Eastern, Bristol Central, Pomperaug & Southington High Schools)
Inspiration Award
Braiden Saucier, Woodstock Academy
2022 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: John Neider (Jonathan Law)
Running Back: Lincoln Cardillo (Southington), David Cassetti (Ansonia)
Wide Receiver: Tyler Clark (Staples), Ben Jax (Killingly)
Tight End: Ben Carley (Trumbull)#
Offensive Line: Alex Romanowski (Ansonia), Howard Stedford (Maloney), Jake Kiernan (Greenwich), Xavion Richardson (Trumbull), Joshua Kuczynski (Notre Dame-West Haven)
Placekicker: Ty Groff (New Canaan)#
First Team Defense
Linebacker: Jacob Staton (Notre Dame-West Haven), Jordan Black (Trumbull), John Insigna (Greenwich)
Defensive Back: Adam Pandolfi (North Haven), Joziah Gonzalez (Maloney), Jon Morris (Fairfield Prep), Dylan Magazu (Newtown)
Defensive Line: Danny Shaban (Joel Barlow), Dominic DeLuca (Greenwich), Terrence Allen (Killingly), Christian Lewis (Notre Dame-West Haven)
Punter: Thomas Dreibholz (Killingly)
Kick Returner: Davien Kerr (Bloomfield)
Second Team Offense
Quarterback: Caleb Smith (Staples)
Running Back: Rowan Johnston (Trumbull), Soren Rief (Killingly)
Wide Receiver: James Hillhouse (Staples), Brandon Hutchison (St. Joseph)
Tight End: Mark Sokk (Newtown)
Offensive Line: Douglas Traynor (New Fairfield), Dontay Bishop (New Britain), Nick Gerbase (West Haven), Matthew Tebbets (Ledyard), Peter Vomvolakis (Greenwich)
Placekicker: Logan Spoelstra (St. Joseph)
Second Team Defense
Linebacker: Jack Petrone (Glastonbury), Matthew Salmini (New Canaan), Michael Deitelbaum (Naugatuck)
Defensive Back: Charlie Dixon (Greenwich), Fred Camp (Gilbert-Northwestern-Housatonic co-op), James Green (Ledyard), Tra’vion Singleton (Hamden)
Defensive Line: Kaleb Garcia (Wethersfield), Brendan Gilchrist (Norwalk), Griffin Galletta (Greenwich), Javier Perez-Soto (New Canaan)
Punter: Daniel Hernandez (SMSA co-op)
Kick Returner: Achillius “Chilli” White (Windsor)
# – 2021 Walter Camp All-Connecticut Team Second 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.