By Joe Morelli, Register Staffjmorelli@nhregister.com / Twitter: @nhrJoeMorelli

Tom Dyer will become the new athletic director at Hamden, replacing Jeanne Cooper, who retired in June.

Dyer, 34, served as co-athletic facilitator at Hillhouse from 2007-13 and the head football coach the last six years, two of them culminating in Class M state football championships (2010 and 2012).

“I’m extremely excited about the new opportunity and looking forward to meeting all of the coaches and student-athletes,” Dyer said. “But I’m also sad about leaving a great program.”

Dyer went 51-17 in his six seasons with the Academics. He also served as an assistant coach at Hillhouse from 2001-06.
“We are very happy to have Tom Dyer in the district as athletic director,” Hamden principal Gary Highsmith said. “He has a great track record, is a successful coach. He’s very enthusiastic and he’s a winner. I think our superintendent (Fran Rabinowitz) made a very, very wise choice.”

Said Dyer: “It was a very tough decision to leave the Hillhouse football program and those kids.”

The Academics also appeared in the Class M semifinals in 2008.

“It’s wonderful for Tommy. Hamden got a quality guy,” New Haven citywide athletic director Joe Canzanella said. “He will do very well in Hamden.”

Canzanella said Reggie Lytle, an assistant on Dyer’s staff, was promoted to interim head coach Wednesday. He has held several positions in his three years as an assistant and he is current;y the president of New Haven’s Pop Warner foootball program.

VIA PRESS RELEASE

Ansonia junior running back Arkeel Newsome was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year at the annual Breakfast of Champions on Saturday.

Newsome, who rushed for 2,245 yards and 38 touchdowns for the Class S state champion Chargers, won the award for the second straight season.  Other finalists included: Xavier senior quarterback Tim Boyle and Hand senior linebacker Matt Walsh.

The Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by NFP Sports, was presented to the family of the late Jack Hunt, former head coach at Ansonia High School who won seven state titles during his 19 seasons (193-26 record).

Hand, the Class L champion and state’s top-ranked team with a perfect 13-0 record, was honored along with the three other state champions – Xavier (Class LL, 12-1 overall record), Hillhouse (Class M, 11-2 overall record) and Ansonia (Class S, 14-0 overall record).

The state’s Coach of the Year award, presented by Stadium System, was shared by two coaches from the Southern Connecticut Conference whose teams won state titles in 2012 - Steve Filippone (Hand) and Tom Dyer (Hillhouse).  The other finalist was Tom Brockett (Ansonia). 

2012 WALTER CAMP ALL-CONNECTICUT TEAM

OFFENSE
QB: Tim Boyle (Xavier)
RB: Arkeel Newsome (Ansonia), Harold Cooper (Hillhouse)
WR: Andrew Matos (Ansonia), Kris Luster (Xavier)
TE: Andrew Isaacs (Manchester)
OL: Hector Rodriguez (Berlin), Jacob Basilica (Montville), Kyle Vaughn (Staples), Michael LaSala (Wilton), Max Schumann (Xavier)

DEFENSE
LB: Mike Jones (Capital Prep), Matt Walsh (Daniel Hand), Marquis Little (Manchester), Max Tylki (Xavier)
DB: Andre Anderson (Hillhouse), Joey Paparelli (Norwich Free Academy), Justin Potts (Platt), James Frusciante (Staples)
DL: Peter Gerson (Daniel Hand), Kyle Wilson (Ledyard), Tuzar Skipper (Norwich Free Academy), Cole Ormsby (Windsor)

SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker: Ed Groth (Shelton)
Punter:  Michael Nichol (Wolcott)
Returner:  Thomas Milone (Masuk) 

has been moved to THURSDAY AT 6:30 P.M.

The teams will meet for the 90th time. Ansonia holds a 53-28-8 series lead.

The change was originally scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. Likely moved because of the predicted inclement weather for Friday.


ALSO,

Tom Dyer said in an e-mail sent to him by my request that he will not miss any games after he received a two-day suspension for his alleged involvement in the grade and credit tampering at Hillhouse High.

When No. 7 Hillhouse hosts No. 3 Hand Friday in an SCC showdown at Bowen Field (4 p.m.), Hillhouse senior Je'Vaughn Moore will likely play a key role in the action.

Moore's been doing just that in every game since his sophomore year, when he took over under center in the third quarter against Cheshire in Week 2 in 2010. The Academics lost that game, but Hillhouse gained so much more: a steady, consistent and intelligent leader at quarterback.

"He's calm, cool and collected," Hillhouse coach Tom Dyer said. "In the offense we run, we put a lot of pressure on our quarterback to be a good decision maker. We're fortunate to have somebody, not only with Je'Vaughn's athletic ability, but with his mental capabilities, too."

Moore has started every game since taking over against Cheshire. Hillhouse finished the season at 10-3 and won the Class M state championship. The Academics went 7-3 last season but did not qualify for the postseason. With the amount of talent on the Hillhouse roster, another championship is certainly a possibility.

"The only quarterback stat that matters in our program is wins," Dyer said. "You're measured by wins. Je'Vaughn's bought into that the last few years. He's done a great job for us. He's been a great team player over the years."

Moore expects big things from his squad this season, but is fully aware of the type of challenge Hand, the defending Class L champion, presents.

"We just pretty much want to prove to the state that we can win this game, that we're able to win the state championship, God willing, and that we can pretty much compete with anyone," Moore said. "We have to take it one step at a time, of course."

Hillhouse captured the Class M state title Saturday after a 7-0 victory over New London. It was the fourth state title for the Academics (10-3). Hillhouse, the eighth seed, knocked off No. 1, and defending champion, Berlin in the quarterfinals, and No. 4 Gilbert/NW Regional in the semifinals.

Harold Cooper scored the game's only touchdown on an 8-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Here are some postgame sound bites:

Hillhouse coach Tom Dyer:

"It didn't surprise me how good New London was. We saw them on film and we thought they were a tremendous ball club. But I'm real proud of the way these guys (the Hillhouse players) handled themselves today with class. They played their butts out.

"I can't say how happy I am for the seniors, and how well they prepared to do this.''

Hillhouse suffered a 9-6 loss to Class LL champion Xavier on Oct. 29. Dyer firmly believed the Academics could still might the Class M field despite suffering their third loss of the season that day. The players were just as optimistic.

Said Hillhouse senior Steven Dejournett:

"Yes, we were very confident. The seniors got together and we just told all the younger guys that we can do this and we can make this run and go to the playoffs. Look at us now."

Said Cooper:

"I feel wonderful. It's the best feeling in the world."