News

New Canaan Flag Football League Sees Dramatic Rise in Popularity among Local Youth

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Every Saturday morning throughout the fall, New Canaanites should expect to see the Water Tower field packed with young boys and girls huddling up, running plays, tossing the pigskin and otherwise competing against each other in a full-on version of the nation’s most popular sport—but this is not tackle football, it’s flag football. Since the start of the co-ed Recreational New Canaan Flag Football League (NCFFL) in 2005, the program has rapidly expanded and—thanks in part to a popular week-long preseason camp in August—welcomes kids from 2nd through 8th grade to participate. When children are young, some parents worry about their kids playing tackle football for fear that they will get hurt, officials in the program say. Flag football gives kids the opportunity to learn and develop their techniques in the sport that they love, with not as much worry about concussions or other injuries. “It got started because Phil Davis, who is a good friend of mine—we are going back almost 10 years,” Craig Hunt said, who has been involved with the program in 2008.

Sports

New Canaan Baseball Tops Stratford 11-2 in Class L Opener

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With rain pushing the opening game of the CIAC Class L playoffs from Monday to Wednesday—with a potential second round game to follow on Thursday—New Canaan Rams head coach Mitch Hoffman knew pitching would be at a premium. A best-case scenario for New Canaan would be to open up a big lead for pitcher David Giusti, allowing Hoffman to get his ace some much-needed rest for the road ahead. Thankfully for the Rams, Hoffman could not have written a better script himself Wednesday afternoon at Mead Park. Tenth-seeded New Canaan scored five runs in the first inning and added three more in the second en route to an 11-2 win over No. 23 Stratford.

Sports

LaPolice and Newlove Stymie McMahon’s Offense in Baseball’s 6-1 Win

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On a picturesque spring afternoon at Mead Park, the first home game of 2015 for the Rams, a pitcher’s duel occurred. Senior co-captain Alex LaPolice took the hill for the Rams, and after they scored two runs in the bottom of the first, LaPolice made that enough to get the W for New Canaan (3-0; 2-0 FCIAC) over Brien McMahon. “It felt good,” LaPolice told NewCanaanite.com when talking about his outing. “I was getting ahead of kids which was huge. [Felt] really good early on.” LaPolice helped his cause when the Rams put up two runs in the 1st.

News

The Boys of Mead: 2015 New Canaan Rams Baseball Preview

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The snack shack got back to business at Mead Park a couple weeks ago. Now the boys of the New Canaan Rams baseball program are getting ready to do the same. After a 2013 season that culminated in the program winning its first state championship since 1950, it was going to be tough for the 2014 Rams to follow such an act. But while 2014 didn’t include any championships (14-6, 12-6 FCIAC) it did feature continued development of some top talent and leaders that are ready to create their own story in 2015. That story begins with the team’s four senior co-captains: outfielder/pitcher Alex LaPolice, pitcher/outfielder David Giusti, shortstop Brandon Abate, and All-State catcher Zack Smith.

News

Four New Canaan High School Seniors Sign on National Letter of Intent Day [SLIDESHOW]

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Four New Canaan High School student-athletes signed letters of intent Wednesday to play sports in college, at an event held in the auxiliary gym and sponsored by the Athletic Department. The ceremony is for senior athletes signing National Letters of Intent or who have received a “likely letter” from an Ivy League school, Athletic Director Jay Egan said. Click through the photo gallery above to view photos of these standout NCHS Rams and their families at the signing, and to read comments from them on next year. Wednesday’s ceremony follows an early signing day in November that saw five NCHS seniors sign letters of intent to play sports in college. The seniors who signed Wednesday are:

Zach Allen—The NCHS football team’s all-time sacks leader, and a co-captain of the state champion Rams this past season, Allen made headlines Sunday when he announced that he’ll attend Boston College rather than Northwestern, as originally planned.