CIAC

New Canaan, Greenwich Officials Push To Move State Title Football Game Saturday Closer to Home

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[Note: Update here.]

Saying it’s the best thing for local students and their families, officials from New Canaan and Greenwich are asking the organization that oversees high school sports in Connecticut to consider moving a state championship football game this weekend closer to home. The Rams and Cardinals will square off Saturday for a widely anticipated Class LL championship after advancing in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference tournament. 

As it stands, the game is likely to be played at Shelton High School, though NCHS Athletic Director Jay Egan said officials from both lower Fairfield County high schools are asking whether it could be moved to Stamford’s Boyle Stadium, which is available. “Greenwich and New Canaan are advocating for a venue that would be most advantageous for our students and our fans to see the game, so they will not have to travel so far and all the reasons that make sense,” Egan told NewCanaanite.com. “Both schools are interested in what is best for the school and communities.”

Referring to the high schools’ advocating for a nearby venue, he added, “We would be remiss if we did not do that.”

CIAC officials could not be reached for comment. Asked what reasons CIAC officials have for not playing a New Canaan-Greenwich football game at a venue that’s halfway between them, Egan told NewCanaanite.com that the organization has said championship game sites are set before the season, that they’re chosen carefully with all potential teams in mind and that making a last-minute change could set a bad precedent. 

NCHS head coach Lou Marinelli’s Rams have played against a Cardinals team coached by his son, John, four times since the latter took the helm at Greenwich High School in 2015.

Sports

‘This Is Why We Play’: New Canaan Football Tops Windsor 35-20 for Fourth Straight Class L Championship

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As darkness enveloped New Britain’s Veterans Memorial Stadium, Lou Marinelli stood alone at midfield, long after his New Canaan Rams defeated Windsor 35-20 for their fourth straight Class L championship. “I don’t want to leave,” Marinelli said. “We’re counting down the minutes on the sidelines and I’m saying, ‘Damn, I can’t wait until it’s over.’ But now I don’t want it to be over.”

For Marinelli, the time to reflect is well-deserved. The win marked the 12th state title in his 36 years as head coach of the Rams and his 331st career victory, tying former West Haven and St. Joseph coach Ed McCarthy for the most wins in state history.

Sports

New Canaan Football Outlasts North Haven 42-35 for Third Straight Class L Crown

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It was billed as a matchup of two heavyweights with polar opposite styles—the 21st century run-and-gun spread offense of the No. 6 New Canaan Rams versus the old-school ground-and-pound, Single-wing formation of the top-seeded North Haven Indians. It turned out to be North Haven’s passing that kept the game close, but it was New Canaan’s ground attack that ultimately won it. Led by senior running back Matt Cognetta’s 225 rushing yards and two touchdowns, the Rams outlasted the Indians 42-35 in a classic Class L championship showdown at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven—one that had just about everything and anything you could have asked for from a high school football game. “It was a great football game to be at,” Marinelli told NewCanaanite.com.

Sports

Bounceback: New Canaan Football Defeats Windsor 21-6 in Class L Quarterfinals

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The New Canaan Rams bounced back from last Thursday’s loss to Darien in the FCIAC Championship with a 21-6 win over previously unbeaten Windsor High School Tuesday night in the Class L quarterfinals. Showing a mental and physical toughness at a rainy, cold Jack O’Brien Stadium, the No. 6 Rams (9-1) overcame the weather, key injuries and potentially big turnovers in a matchup of defending state champions. The No. 3 Warriors (10-1) came into the contest having won 22 consecutive games dating back to last season when they took the Class L-Small title.

Sports

New Canaan Football’s Swindell Sets State Field Goal Record as Rams Rout Norwalk 52-14

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For a team that has made its mark scoring touchdowns, it’s somewhat ironic that a field goal kicker would be the latest New Canaan Rams player to set a state record. When New Canaan senior Peter Swindell drilled a 29-yard kick in the second quarter of New Canaan’s 52-14 win over Norwalk High School Friday night at Testa Field he became Connecticut’s all-time leader in career field goals, breaking St. Mary’s-Greenwich kicker Roberto Inesta’s mark of 18 that had stood for 45 years. “That was awesome,” New Canaan head coach Lou Marinelli told NewCanaanite.com. “He’s worked very hard for it.