Sports

New Canaan Rams Football Routs Ridgefield in Season Opener

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For a team with so many question marks heading into its 2015 season opener, the New Canaan Rams sure did have a lot of answers Friday night at Ridgefield High School’s Tiger Hollow Stadium. The reloaded Rams (1-0) scored on their first offensive possession and never looked back en route to a 45-17 rout of the Tigers in a game which showed the Rams haven’t skipped a beat from last season’s state championship run, despite significant personnel changes on the field and on the sidelines. “Going into this, I was scared to death,” New Canaan head coach Lou Marinelli told NewCanaanite.com. “We hadn’t practiced well. I don’t know if they were tired of just practicing without a game, but we looked sloppy and I couldn’t sleep last night.”

Marinelli should be able to catch up on his Z’s after the opening-night win, especially considering the performance of senior co-captain Michael Collins.

Sports

2015 New Canaan Football Preview: Rams Look to Fill Big Shoes, Defend State Championship

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Every year, the New Canaan Rams football team faces the same question: How will you replace last year’s graduates? And every year, the answer remains the same: Next man up. Few would disagree that elements of last season’s state championship team are irreplaceable—most notably All-State receiver Alex LaPolice and CT Gatorade Defensive Player of the Year Zach Allen. Both figure to be immediate-impact players at their respective post-NCHS, Division I programs, with Allen at Boston College and LaPolice at Harvard. That said, New Canaan head coach Lou Marinelli has the luxury of benefitting from his own creation—a factory-like feeder program in a football-crazy town, which can make even the biggest shoes seem fillable.

News

Ram’s Camp: Shaping the Future of Football

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This week, New Canaan High School’s football coaches and about 20 varsity players came together to form Ram’s Camp, a week of football-related activities for kids going into 3rd grade through 8th grade. About 80 kids signed up, and their ultimate goal was to be able to know everyone by the time their football season started in the fall.

News

‘The Most Influential Person I Ever Knew’: Ray Parry, 86, NCHS Teacher and Assistant Football Coach

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Before he retired as New Canaan High School’s assistant principal in 2003, Gary Field had wanted to construct what he calls an ‘Emeritus Wall of Fame’ near the auditorium or other conspicuous spot. Composed of plaques listing the names, years taught at NCHS and, importantly, a slogan relating to the honored educator, the would-be Wall of Fame in one special case for Field would honor a man that he said forever changed his life. “In Ray Parry’s case,” Field said, “I think his slogan would be: ‘Young people rely on us to touch their lives in some meaningful way.’ As for me, I know for a fact that they have certainly touched mine.’ ”

He added: “It was wonderful working with him and he was brilliant and he loved kids and they loved him. He was the most influential person I ever knew.

Sports

Q&A with John Marinelli: Prodigal Son Lands Greenwich Football Head Coaching Job

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Since taking over as New Canaan’s offensive coordinator in 2009, John Marinelli has been the architect of the Rams’ high-octane, up-tempo attack—an offense that could essentially end games and leave opponents gasping for breath before the first quarter was over. And now Marinelli will be taking his blueprints to Cardinal country. On Wednesday morning Marinelli accepted an offer to become the head football coach at Greenwich High School, succeeding the legendary Rich Albonizio who resigned in January after 18 years at the helm. For Marinelli, son of longtime New Canaan head coach Lou Marinelli, the decision was not an easy one for obvious reasons. A 2004 graduate of NCHS, Marinelli was a former captain for the Rams before going on to a collegiate career at Fordham and Trinity, eventually joining his dad’s staff as a coach.