Sports

New Canaan Old Timers Association Spotlight: Mario Lopez

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One of the most intense competitors in the history of New Canaan High School athletics, Mario Lopez was a two-sport star for the Rams. The 1984 grad was a captain in both baseball and football in his senior year. Lopez was an inside linebacker for the Rams in head coach Lou Marinelli’s earliest seasons. Mentored by assistant coaches Joe Ditolla and Bo Hickey, Lopez earned three Varsity letters from 1981 to 1983, emerging as New Canaan’s top tackler and earning a reputation as one of the FCIAC’s hardest hitters. “Mario really set the tone for our team,” Marinelli told New Canaanite.com. “He was so emotional and so intense, one of the most intense players I’ve ever had.

Sports

New Canaan Football Slips Past Trinity Catholic 20-6

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It wasn’t the prettiest of wins, but Lou Marinelli will take it. Tested by a tough, underrated Trinity Catholic squad Marinelli’s New Canaan Rams—buoyed by a spectacular defensive performance—escaped their season-opener at Dunning Field with a hard-fought 20-6 win over the Crusaders. “Thank God for our defense, thank God for (defensive coordinator) Chris Silvestri, they did a tremendous job,” Marinelli told NewCanaanite.com. “The best thing I can say is that we were stymied. Thank God for some heroics by some kids who came up big.”

One such hero was New Canaan linebacker James Freyre.

Sports

‘It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This’: 2016 New Canaan Rams Football Preview

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For the first time in recent memory, the New Canaan Rams will be heading into their season without a defined quarterback situation. It’s a scenario that may be amplified for the Rams—who will look to defend their three consecutive Class L State Championships—given the graduation of All-State signal caller Michael Collins, who has taken his considerable talents to the University of Pennsylvania this fall. It’s not that New Canaan head coach Lou Marinelli lacks choices. In fact, as many as eight QB’s were in the running for the starting job through the summer—a talent pool that has been whittled down to five as New Canaan’s opening game against Trinity Catholic approaches this Saturday. “We’ve started all over again,” Marinelli told NewCanaanite.com.

Sports

Despite Season-Opening Loss, New Canaan’s Zach Allen Stars for Boston College Football

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Boston College suffered a heartbreaking 17-14 defeat to Georgia Tech on Saturday, as the Yellow Jackets scored the game-winning touchdown with just 35 seconds left to win the game. Despite the devastating loss, Eagles fans watching the nationally-televised game played in Ireland at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium can take some solace when considering the play of BC’s defensive unit—a unit that led the nation in lowest yards allowed per-game last season. And a unit which this season features 2014 New Canaan High School grad and former Rams star, Zach Allen. Listed as a backup defensive end on BC’s depth chart entering Saturday’s season-opener, Allen had a significant impact while seeing substantial time on both sides of the D-line. The 6’5″, 272-lb.

News

New Canaan’s Lou Marinelli, Wilky Gilmore To Headline Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016

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Two New Canaanites who have made indelible marks on the town will be honored as inductees into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame, officials said Wednesday afternoon. New Canaan High School head football coach Lou Marinelli and former New Canaan High School basketball student-athlete Wilky Gilmore headline the class of 2016, officials with theFairfield County Sports Commission announced at the University of Connecticut’s Stamford campus. “It means I’m getting old,” a smiling Marinelli told NewCanaanite.com when asked what the honor meant to him. “When you turn around and see the people who are in this [Hall of Fame], it’s humbling and I’m honored. I’ll be the first one to tell you, though, we couldn’t have built the program that we have without help from the assistant coaches that I’ve had, the administration, and more importantly the kids at New Canaan High.