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) 

VIA PRESS RELEASE

New Haven, Conn. – As part of its 46th annual Weekend festivities, the Walter Camp Football Foundation will host a High School “Breakfast of Champions” on Saturday, January 12 at Anthony’s Ocean View in New Haven.  The sixth annual event will begin at 9 a.m. and be broadcast live at www.sportingnewsct.com.

 Hand, the Class L champion and state’s top-ranked team, will be honored along with the three other state champions – Xavier (Class LL), Hillhouse (Class M) and Ansonia (Class S).   In addition, the announcement of the 2012 Walter Camp All-Connecticut Team, presented by Achieve Athletics, will be made as will the presentations of four awards.

The state Coach of the Year award will be presented by Stadium System.  The three finalists include: Tom Brockett (Ansonia), Tom Dyer (Hillhouse), and Steve Filippone (Daniel Hand).

The three finalists for the state Player of the Year include:  Xavier senior quarterback Tim Boyle, Ansonia junior running back Arkeel Newsome and Daniel Hand senior linebacker/fullback Matt Walsh.

The Lifetime Achievement Award, which is presented by NFP Sports, will be presented to the family of the late Jack Hunt, the former head coach at Ansonia High School who won 88 percent of his games and seven state championships during his 19 seasons (193-26 record).

Walter Camp Award Winners

Joseph W. Kelly Award: Daniel Hand (Madison) High School
Connecticut Player of the Year: Bjoern Werner, defensive end (Florida State University/The Salisbury School)
Alumnus of the Year: Derrick Brooks (Florida State University)
Man of the Year: Herm Edwards (San Diego State)
Distinguished American:Tom Osborne (Hastings College/University of Nebraska)
Coach of the Year: Brian Kelly (University of Notre Dame)
Player of the Year: Manti Te’o, linebacker (University of Notre Dame)

EVENT SCHEDULE

Thursday, January 10

10 a.m. – STAY IN SCHOOL RALLY – Floyd Little Athletic Center – 480 Sherman Parkway

1 p.m. – CONNECTICUT CHILDREN’S CENTER VISIT – Hartford, CT

Friday, January 11

11 a.m. – MEDIA CONFERENCE/ALUMNI BRUNCH – Omni Hotel, Temple Street, New Haven, CT

1 p.m. – HOSPITAL VISITS – Easter Seals Goodwill Rehabilitation Center (New Haven), Feroletto Development Center  (Bridgeport), Gaylord (Wallingford), Veteran’s Administration (West Haven), and Yale-New Haven (New Haven)

4 – 7:30 p.m. – WALTER CAMP FAN FEST CLINIC & CARNIVAL
Floyd Little Athletic Center - 480 Sherman Parkway - Tickets: $10.00

Saturday, January 12

9 a.m. – High School “Breakfast of Champions” - Anthony’s Ocean View – New Haven

5 p.m. – 46th ANNUAL NATIONAL AWARDS DINNER***

Yale University Commons (New Haven) - DINNER is SOLD OUT.
The National Awards Dinner will be broadcast on ESPN3.

VIA PRESS RELEASE

Hand, the consensus No. 1 team in the state high school football season-ending polls, is the Walter Camp Football Foundation’s choice to receive the Joseph W. Kelly Award, which is awarded annually to Connecticut’s top high school football team.

It is the third time that Hand has earned the Kelly Award (1997 and 2004). It is also the fourth consecutive year a team from the Southern Connecticut Conference has won the honor (Notre Dame of West Haven, 2009, Xavier, 2010 and 2011).

“Navigating through a competitive regular-season schedule in the SCC and then the state playoffs, Daniel Hand distinguished itself as the top high school team in the state of Connecticut,” said Walter Camp Football Foundation President John Marks. “We salute Coach Steve Filippone, his staff and players on another tremendous season.”
 
Hand (13-0) captured the SCC Division I East title on its way to a perfect 10-0 regular-season record. During the regular-season, the Tigers had victories over three state playoff opponents, including wins over eventual state champions (Xavier, Class LL) and Hillhouse (Class M). In the state playoffs, the Tigers combined a potent offense and stellar defense to capture their second straight Class L title. The Tigers outscored its three playoff opponents, 120-49.

In the quarterfinals, Hand defeated Platt, 55-26, and then defeated Masuk, 42-23, in the semifinals. In the Class L championship game on December 9 at Rentschler Field, the Tigers overcame a 6-3 halftime deficit to defeat Windsor, 23-6. Daniel Hand currently holds a 26-game winning streak.

It is the 10th time since the SCC was founded in 1994 that one of its league teams has captured the Kelly Award (Hand, 1997, 2004 and 2012; Xavier 2005, 2010 and 2011; Cheshire 1994 and 1995; West Haven 2002; and Notre Dame 2009).

Coach Filippone and the Hand team, along with members of the 2012 Walter Camp All-America team, will be honored at the organization’s national awards banquet on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven. In addition, the Foundation will recognize three individuals – former Nebraska coach and athletic director Tom Osborne, former NFL player/coach Herm Edwards and All-Pro Derrick Brooks – with major awards. The Foundation is offering a "Holiday Ticket Promotion" for the National Awards Dinner. Buy two tickets for $400 (you save $150) before December 31. Please call (203) 288-CAMP (288-2267).

Also on January 12, Hand along with the three other state football champions – Xavier (Class LL), Hillhouse (Class M) and Ansonia (Class S) – will be recognized at the Walter Camp Breakfast of Champions, which will be held at Anthony’s Ocean View. That morning, the Walter Camp All-Connecticut Team, High School Player and Coach of the Year will also be announced.

Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goal and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.


Walter Camp “Joseph W. Kelly Award”
Connecticut High School Champions

2012 – Daniel Hand (Madison)
2011 – Xavier (Middletown)
2010 – Xavier (Middletown)
2009 – Notre Dame (West Haven)
2008 – New Canaan
2007 – Ansonia
2006 – Ansonia
2005 – Xavier (Middletown)
2004 – Daniel Hand (Madison)
2003 – New Britain
2002 – West Haven
2001 – New Britain
2000 – Fitch (Groton)
1999 – Bloomfield
1998 – Bloomfield
1997 – Daniel Hand (Madison)
1996 – Weaver (Hartford)
1995 – Cheshire
1994 – Cheshire
1993 – Cheshire
1992 – Cheshire
1991 – Notre Dame (West Haven)
1990 – Derby
1989 – Ansonia
1988 – Stratford
1987 – East Catholic (Manchester)
1986 – Trumbull
1985 – Hillhouse (New Haven)
1984 – Middletown
1983 – Ansonia
1982 – St. Joseph’s (Trumbull)
1981 – Naugatuck
1980 – Trumbull
1979 – Newington
1978 – Amity (Woodbridge)
1977 – Trumbull
1976 – Fitch (Groton)

Press release from the Walter Camp Football Foundation


Ansonia sophomore running back Arkeel Newsome was named the state Player of the Year at the High School “Breakfast of Champions” Saturday morning as part of the 45th annual Walter Camp Football Foundation weekend festivities.

Newsome rushed for 3,763 yards and 58 touchdowns and led the Chargers to the Class M state championship.

Newsome, the Register State Player of the Year, was nominated along with Masuk senior QB Casey Cochran and Hand senior WR Nick Vitale.


Hand's Steve Filippone was named the state Coach of the Year. Xavier's Sean Marinan and Ansonia's Tom Brockett were also nominated.

Filippone led the Tigers to a 13-0 record and the Class L title.

The 2011 Walter Camp All-Connecticut Team was also announced.

OFFENSE

QB: Casey Cochran (Masuk)

RB: Arkeel Newsome (Ansonia), Alex Manwaring (Ledyard)

WR: Aaron Berardino (Windsor), Nick Vitale (Daniel Hand)

TE: Ryan Murphy (Xavier)

OL: Rennick Bryan (Hillhouse) Hakeem Martin (Ansonia), Michael Money (Fairfield Warde), Dylan Vano (Ansonia). Austin Wezenski (Xavier)

DEFENSE

DL: Joe Demichele (Daniel Hand), Sean Marinan (Xavier), Cole Ormsby (Windsor), Ludovic Richardson (Notre Dame)

LB: Shane Nastahowski (Greenwich), Matt Walsh (Daniel Hand), Tyler Wood (Ansonia), Mark Zurlis (North Haven)

DB: Jawad Chisholm (Bunnell), Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn (Valley Regional), Brenden Lytton (Torrington). Ryan Jacobucci (Xavier)

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker: Matt Paola (Pomperaug)

Punter: Jon Heil (Staples)

Returner: Kyle McKinnon (New London), Thomas Milone (Masuk)

2010 WALTER CAMP ALL-CONNECTICUT TEAM



OFFENSE
QB: Casey Cochran (Masuk)
RB: Montrell Dobbs (Ansonia), Max DeLorenzo (Berlin), Tyler Girard-Floyd (Montville)
WR/TE: Alec Pacelli (Daniel Hand), David Coggins (Sacred Heart), Kevin Macari (New Canaan)
OL: Chris Valenti (Bethel), Conor Hanratty (New Canaan), Aaron Echevarria (Naugatuck), Dean Tsopanides (Torrington), Matt Digby (Norwich Free Academy)

DEFENSE
LB: Graham Stewart (Xavier), Rob Gau (Staples), Tyler Matakevich (St. Joseph), Stephan Dance (New London)
DB: Brian Kelly (Brookfield), Jack DeBiase (Woodland), Anthony Facchini (Norwich Free Academy), Tariq Odom (Bloomfield)
DL: Tommy Jordan (Ridgefield), Eric Mischke (Xavier), Desmond Gray (Ledyard), Anthony Sanders (Platt), Charlie Kunze (Darien)

SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker: Jon Testani (Masuk)
Punter: Mitchell King (Valley Regional)
Returner: James Ward (Wilbur Cross)

Masuk junior quarterback Casey Cochran was named the Walter Camp player of the year Saturday at the 4th "Breakfast of Champions" sponsored by the Dan Orlovsky Foundation, held at Anthony's Ocean View.

Cochran passed for 3,345 yards and 40 touchdowns for the Class L state champion Panthers. Other finalists included: Ansonia senior running back Montrell Dobbs and New Canaan senior wide receiver Kevin Macari.

Masuk's John Murphy was named the Camp's coach of the year. Murphy led the 13-0 Panthers to the South-West Conference and Class L state titles. Other finalists included: Tom Dyer (Hillhouse) and Sean Marinan (Xavier).

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Larry Ciotti, former head coach at Hand High School who won five state titles during his 19 seasons (141-42-2 record).

Via press release:

As part of its 44th annual Weekend festivities, the
Walter Camp Football Foundation will host a High School “Breakfast of
Champions” on Saturday, January 15 at Anthony’s Ocean View in New Haven.
The event, which begins at 9 a.m., will be sponsored by the Dan Orlovsky
Foundation.

Xavier High School of Middletown, the Class LL champion and state’s
top-ranked team, will be honored along with the three other state champions
– Masuk (Class L), Hillhouse (Class M) and St. Joseph’s of Trumbull (Class
SS).

In addition, the announcement of the Walter Camp All-Connecticut Team will
be made as will the presentations of three awards.

The state Coach of the Year award will be presented by Stadium System. The
three finalists include: Tom Dyer (Hillhouse), Sean Marinan (Xavier) and
John Murphy (Masuk).

The three finalists for the state Player of the Year include: Masuk junior
quarterback Casey Cochran, Ansonia senior running back Montrell Dobbs and
New Canaan senior wide receiver Kevin Macari.

The Lifetime Achievement Award, which is presented by NFP Sports, will be
presented to Larry Ciotti, former head coach at Daniel Hand High School who
won five state titles during his 19 seasons (141-42-2 record).

Later that evening, the Foundation will host its national awards banquet at
the Yale University Commons in New Haven. The 2010 Walter Camp All-America
Team, Player of the Year Cam Newton (Auburn), Coach of the Year Chip Kelly
(Oregon), and Connecticut Player of the Year John Moffitt (Wisconsin/Notre
Dame-WH) will be recognized. In addition, three individuals – NFL
Hall-of-Famer Chuck Bednarik (Pennsylvania) and former NFL All-Pros Will
Shields (Nebraska) and Tedy Bruschi (Arizona) – will be presented with
major awards.