Notre Dame-West Haven, the No. 1 in the final Register Top 10 Poll, New London Day, and Hartford Courant season-ending polls, has won the Walter Camp Football Foundation's Joseph W. Kelly Award, which is awarded annually to the state's top high school football team.

It is the second time that Notre Dame (11-1) has earned the Award (also in 1991). It also marks the seventh time since 1994 that a Southern Connecticut Conference school has earned the Kelly Award (Cheshire 1994 and 1995; Hand 1997, 2004; West Haven 2002).

The team will be honored at a banquet on Jan. 16, 2010.

Past winners are:
2008 New Canaan
2007 Ansonia
2006 Ansonia
2005 Xavier
2004 Hand
2003 New Britain
2002 West Haven
2001 New Britain
2000 Fitch
1999 Bloomfield
1998 Bloomfield
1997 Hand
1996 Weaver
1995 Cheshire
1994 Cheshire
1993 Cheshire
1992 Cheshire
1991 Notre Dame-West Haven
1990 Derby
1989 Ansonia
1988 Stratford
1987 East Catholic
1986 Trumbull
1985 Hillhouse
1984 Middletown
1983 Ansonia
1982 St. Joseph
1981 Naugatuck
1980 Trumbull
1979 Newington
1978 Amity
1977 Trumbull
1976 Fitch