Around Town

Back to Back: New Canaan Youth Football’s 4th Grade Repeats as FCFL Co-Champs

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If the success of New Canaan’s youth football program is a harbinger of things to come, longtime NCHS head coach Lou Marinelli might want to coach for another 35 years. For the second consecutive year the NCYF 4th Grade Black and Red football teams won the FCFL Co-Championship, as both teams defeated their counterparts from Wilton in the division semifinals this past weekend thereby clinching the shared title for New Canaan. New Canaan 4th Grade Red 14 – Wilton White – 0

Wilton White opened the game with a deep drive into NC 4 Red territory, but 4 Red’s stout defense would show its teeth. The ‘Fearsome Foursome’ of Miles Chisolm, Michael Fico, Keegan Noon and Jake Somma ignited the defense, with Somma slashing through the Wilton line to make a key tackle for a loss. Soon after, Alex Benevento flew up from safety, slamming a Wilton runner on 4th and short for a turnover on downs.

Sports

New Canaan Football’s Fifth Grade Black Tops Weston, Improves to 5-1

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Coming into Saturday, the New Canaan 5th Grade Black team had won three straight contests and were facing a Weston squad still seeking its first victory of season. In other words, it had all the earmarks of a trap game. Luckily for New Canaan, head coach Jason Milligan has played and seen enough football to recognize any potential pitfalls, as the well-prepared Black 5’s took out the Trojans 24-6 at Dunning Field. New Canaan was led by quarterback Ty Groff who completed eight passes for 100 yards and added 24 yards rushing, including the game’s first score on a one-yard plunge. Groff—who was also three-for-three on extra point kicks—did a tremendous job of spreading out the wealth, hitting six different receivers in the game.

News

New Canaan Youth Football Coach Subject of Negative Sign, Grievance

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New Canaan Youth Football leaders say they’re investigating the public posting of a sign that appears to call for the ousting of one of its coaches. The nonprofit sports organization’s president, Wendy Cunney, said she removed the sign from the fence at Farm Road and South Avenue—a conspicuous place for local organizations to post notices, typically spotlighting high school sports teams’ schedules—because it was “unauthorized and inappropriate.”

“We are upset about the sign,” Cunney said. The largest letters on the sign, which appeared Monday morning, seem to identify a coach on an 8th-grade team, saying that individual “must go.”

The league has contacted both New Canaan High School’s athletic director, who helps oversee the public posting area at South and Farm, as well as the New Canaan Police Department “to assist us,” Cunney said. “When we find out who it is, we will pursue as much sanction in our Parents Code of Conduct as we can,” she said. Signed by parents with kids in the popular youth football program, part of that Code reads: “I have an obligation to address any concerns that I may have at the time they occur with the Head Coach, member organization’s President or FCFL President.”

Another part reads: “I will encourage good sportsmanship by demonstrating positive support for all players, coaches and officials.”

Cunney said league leadership is “disappointed” about the sign.

Sports

Bounceback: New Canaan Fifth Grade Black Crushes Darien

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Heading into Saturday’s game against Darien White, New Canaan Fifth Grade Black head coach Jason Milligan must have been wondering which team would show up—the one which dominated the line of scrimmage and played flawless defense in a 14-8 opening day win against Ridgefield, or the penalty-laden, underachieving one that lost 12-8 to a decidedly-inferior Darien Blue team. By halftime, the answer was obvious. Energized by the return of wide receiver Brendan Hagan, New Canaan (2-1) jumped out to a 38-14 lead at the intermission and cruised the rest of the way en route to a convincing 38-22 win over Darien, who fell to 1-2 on the season. “We’re not too accustomed to losing,” Milligan told NewCanaanite.com. “Typically after a loss the kids respond, and they were fired up all week.

Sports

Kids and Teens Bring the Heat at NFL Punt, Pass & Kick Competition

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Connecticut girls and boys from ages 6 to 15 kicked off the 2015 NFL Punt, Pass & Kick Competition on Saturday, August 15. The competition was held at Water Tower Field in New Canaan, headed up by Chairperson for NFL Local in New Canaan Craig Hunt. “This is called a local competition that we are doing now,” Hunt said. “These go from June until the end of September. The sectionals start in October…in Cheshire Connecticut; and from there they go to the nationals.”

College-bound 2015 NCHS grad Clark Newlove, who was on hand to help out, said the experience can be amazing for participants.