News

NCHS Athletic Director: ‘Health and Safety’ Concerns Prompted Football Game Postponement

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New Canaan postponed Friday’s scheduled varsity football game versus Westhill High School solely because of concerns about players’ health and safety, and not to gain a competitive advantage, officials say. Though the Vikings’ head coach filed a formal appeal with the FCIAC accusing the Rams of wrongdoing, New Canaan High School Athletic Director Jay Egan said that “even though artificial turf provides good footing,” a far better option for players—and those who would’ve come to watch the home game at Dunning Field—was to wait for the “next available day.”

“Why go into the driving rain at 45 degrees just to say we played? I personally would not do that just to say that we did it,” Egan told NewCanaanite.com. “It is also my understanding that it is the home team’s call with respect to any athletic contest. I do not think it is by mutual agreement, unless I am missing something on that.”

The Rams defeated visiting Westhill 55-12 on Monday night, following a weekend that saw supporters of both sides take fiercely to Twitter regarding the postponement.

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

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.

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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.

News

New Canaan’s Zach Allen De-Commits from Northwestern, Commits to Boston College

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New Canaan’s Zach Allen—Connecticut’s Gatorade Defensive Player of the Year and one of the most sought-after football recruits in the nation—has de-committed from Northwestern and will instead sign his National Letter of Intent this Wednesday to play football at Boston College, the high school senior said. “First off, I would just like to thank Northwestern just for considering me,” Allen told NewCanaanite.com. “For me it came down to playing close to home so that all the people who made this possible—my family and friends—could come see me.” Allen, New Canaan’s all-time leader in sacks, was a co-captain on the 2014 squad that won the school’s second consecutive state championship this past December. Allen had 102 tackles, 13.5 sacks and 2 INTs—including a pick-six. He also caught three touchdowns while lining up as a tight end, fueling some to speculate that he might be playing tight end in college.