Greatest HS players in Connecticut state history

[Northbound]

He was a running quarterback in high School. I was shocked he was as good as he was in college

He also had Kenny Bell on a couple of his teams at GHS. Those were very very good teams

 

[storrsroars]

Garry Cobb is at least top 25, if not top 10.

 

[superjohn]

If there was a plethora of top flight recruits, I would say, YES, recruit more instate, but the fact is, that there's not much top flight talent to turn Uconn into a power football team. This is not basketball, where one or two superstars can make the difference. You need 3-5-7-9 or more 4 and 5 star players to make the difference, and a 3-4 star player from Connecticut, does not measure up to a 3-4 star player from Texas, Florida, New Jersey, PA, Ohio, or other hot beds of high school football. Accept it, it is what it is.

A 3-4 star player in CT. absolutely measures up to a 3-4 star kid in any of those states there are just a million more of them in the best football states. CT. actually puts out some damm good players considering it's size and culture. The top CT. kids aren't really worth putting much time into because they will go to Florida, Michigan, Penn State etc.

Why would any top kid go to UConn? The program is a dumpster fire and you don't have to look any further than the guy coaching to know they aren't serious.

 

[superjohn]

Dude, do your homework!!! Alex Thomas and Arkeel Newsome both made 1st team All-State three seasons. Bobby V isn’t the only one to do it.

And....if you’re talking about dominating the CT high school scene the list start with Arkeel Newsome, PERIOD. His state records will be very, very, very difficult to beat.

Sandy O was great. But he’s not even the best QB to play at Ansonia, James Lane. In fact, Sandy wouldn’t even be in the Top 5 of Ansonia greats.

Kenny Tinney (in my opinion) is the best player I’ve ever seen at Ansonia (if not the state). He was dominant in all three phases of the game, unlike any other player in state history. He was a nightmare for defenses as a dual-threat QB running the triple-option. He was a lockdown all-state CB with 4.3 speed. On special teams, opponents chose to punt the ball out-of-bounds halfway through his senior season because he returned 7 for TDs. He still holds the state record for punt returns for TDs in a season and was one shy of the national record of eight (8) in a season. If it was possible, he would have been all state at all three positions.

Kenny Tinney and Jermelle Lewis were awesome but neither panned out for different reasons.

 

[superjohn]

Tony Ortiz
Steve Coughlin

Tony Ortiz was a ridiculous athlete at Crosby, I remember thinking if he trained in the decathlon he had a chance of beating Dan and Dave, he had better times than them in the 100 and 110 hurdles and he was obviously incredibly strong. I used to run track back then and was amazed by him. Had to look up his times, absolutely insane. He didn't even have proper training and he wasn't far off of national records...

 

[kris1]

While Tony Ortiz was clearly tremendously fast he wasn’t in the same stratosphere of a national record in any of the three events listed. He was much closer to my 300IH time (39.92 in 1985) than the national record that same year by George Porter (35.32). He wouldn’t have even made the state finals in California in the 300IM or 100M. That said, the 13.8 in the 110H was blazing fast. Did he end up running track or playing football somewhere after high school? I’ve never heard of him. (I grew up in California and was only in CT for 2.5 years).

He went on to be an outstanding LB at Nebraska.

 

[JMick]

Another one that no one mentioned is Kory Sheets. He was unstoppable his senior year.

 

[AAC Guru]

Dude, do your homework!!! Alex Thomas and Arkeel Newsome both made 1st team All-State three seasons. Bobby V isn’t the only one to do it.

And....if you’re talking about dominating the CT high school scene the list start with Arkeel Newsome, PERIOD. His state records will be very, very, very difficult to beat.

Sandy O was great. But he’s not even the best QB to play at Ansonia, James Lane. In fact, Sandy wouldn’t even be in the Top 5 of Ansonia greats.

Kenny Tinney (in my opinion) is the best player I’ve ever seen at Ansonia (if not the state). He was dominant in all three phases of the game, unlike any other player in state history. He was a nightmare for defenses as a dual-threat QB running the triple-option. He was a lockdown all-state CB with 4.3 speed. On special teams, opponents chose to punt the ball out-of-bounds halfway through his senior season because he returned 7 for TDs. He still holds the state record for punt returns for TDs in a season and was one shy of the national record of eight (8) in a season. If it was possible, he would have been all state at all three positions.

Problem is they don’t play anyone. I think you have to take Spievey over him who went on to make all big ten at Iowa and play for the Detroit lions.

 

[60'sfan]

Although he didn't play for Ansonia, Nick Pietrosante was one of the best to come out of Ansonia and the state. He was a two-time all pro running back for the Detroit Lions.
Do any of you remember Pietrosante's grocery store in Ansonia?

 

[BlueandOG]

Walt and Tommy Oko

 

[UC313]

Tony Ortiz was a ridiculous athlete at Crosby, I remember thinking if he trained in the decathlon he had a chance of beating Dan and Dave, he had better times than them in the 100 and 110 hurdles and he was obviously incredibly strong. I used to run track back then and was amazed by him. Had to look up his times, absolutely insane. He didn't even have proper training and he wasn't far off of national records...
View attachment 36492

I remember Tony and Tom Ciccio getting off the bus before a football game my freshman year in HS. They looked like grown men.

 

[JMick]

Problem is they don’t play anyone. I think you have to take Spievey over him who went on to make all big ten at Iowa and play for the Detroit lions.

The NVL is really bad now but it wasn't always that way. Newsome didn't play great competition but Alex Thomas played in a competitive NVL from what I remember

 

[bristol rises]

John Sullivan (Greenwich). Currently center with Los Angeles Rams.

 

[kris1]

Kenny Tinney and Jermelle Lewis were awesome but neither panned out for different reasons.

Kenny was very immature and made poor decisions along the way for sure. School wasn’t a priority and so football took a back seat. He had many opportunities and had he been able to focus on the things he needed to he certainly had NFL potential. He had gifts you just can’t teach. He seems to have grown up and is currently on the coaching staff at Milford Academy.

 

[kris1]

Problem is they don’t play anyone. I think you have to take Spievey over him who went on to make all big ten at Iowa and play for the Detroit lions.

The OP was looking for dominant CT HS players, there were none more dominant then Newsome. The NVL is terrible now, I can’t argue that. However, they were 43-0 with Newsome at RB. That’s not easy to do against any competition. It’s pretty easy for high school kids to lose focus. He could only play against who was on the schedule (that wasn’t something he could control) and he dominated every one of those 43 games, when every opponents knew he was getting the ball. Statistically speaking, he had the greatest HS career of anyone player ever in the state of CT.

FWIW, I would still put Kenny Tinney ahead of Arkeel as the greatest Ansonia player of all time. Even the old-timers in town would agree. As far as pure athletic ability, KT was off the charts. Steve Coughlin would probably be second.

 

[JMick]

The OP was looking for dominant CT HS players, there were none more dominant then Newsome. The NVL is terrible now, I can’t argue that. However, they were 43-0 with Newsome at RB. That’s not easy to do against any competition. It’s pretty easy for high school kids to lose focus. He could only play against who was on the schedule (that wasn’t something he could control) and he dominated every one of those 43 games, when every opponents knew he was getting the ball. Statistically speaking, he had the greatest HS career of anyone player ever in the state of CT.

FWIW, I would still put Kenny Tinney ahead of Arkeel as the greatest Ansonia player of all time. Even the old-timers in town would agree. As far as pure athletic ability, KT was off the charts. Steve Coughlin would probably be second.

It's unfortunate for newsome that he just happened to be playing in one of the NVLs darkest periods. He would have been dominant in any league. Maybe he wouldn't quite have all the records that he does, but he also would have played more snaps. How many games was he in during the 4th quarter?

 

[kris1]

The NVL is really bad now but it wasn't always that way. Newsome didn't play great competition but Alex Thomas played in a competitive NVL from what I remember

Holy Cross had their greatest team ever during that time. Woodland, Seymour and Naugatuck were all very good. Ansonia and HC finished #2 and #3 in the final poll. Ansonia beat Bloomfield, led by Marcus Cooper WR/DB (Rutgers/KC Chiefs), 34-17. Holy Cross shutout a great Stratford team, 40-0, that featured two of the best RBs in the state, Torrey Mack and Octavious McKoy.

Ansonia beat Holy Cross on a neutral field, 27-13, for the NVL Championship.

 

[JMick]

Holy Cross had their greatest team ever during that time. Woodland, Seymour and Naugatuck were all very good. Ansonia and HC finished #2 and #3 in the final poll. Ansonia beat Bloomfield, led by Marcus Cooper WR/DB (Rutgers/KC Chiefs), 34-17. Holy Cross shutout a great Stratford team, 40-0, that featured two of the best RBs in the state, Torrey Mack and Octavious McKoy.

Ansonia beat Holy Cross on a neutral field, 27-13, for the NVL Championship.

Torrey Mack and Octavius McKoy were unbelievable. They carried Stratford on their backs. Stratford hasn't been good since. The prep schools and private schools have decimated both high schools in Stratford.

 

[crazyUCfan23]

Jordan Reed and AJ Dillon. how has nobody mentioned them yet? lol

 

[JMick]

Jordan Reed and AJ Dillon. how has nobody mentioned them yet? lol

Didn't AJ Dillon play in mass?

 

[SECONN]

Garry Cobb Rich Diana Ducky Pozzuli its a big list of great players

 

[FAIRTIDES]

He also had Kenny Bell on a couple of his teams at GHS. Those were very very good teams

Wrong Young. Bell played with brother Mike. BTW, Steve averaged less than 4-passes a game for his HS career.

Also Greenwich's Sullivan, I believe, made all-state all three yrs. Greenwich's Jon Myers was a two-yr all-stater
4-star with 52 media-verified BCS (at the time) offers. Chose Princeton.

 

[superjohn]

Didn't AJ Dillon play in mass?

He's a New London kid but did his last few years of high school at prep in Ma. His teammate at BC who is also from CT. Zach Allen led the nation in tackles last year and is beasting again this year. The idea that talent isn't coming out of CT. is just off, obviously not like bigger states that are hotbeds for football but there is certainly talent in the state, they just don't come here.

 

[FrostyNuggets]

Scott Burrell.

He got shutout his final game. Saw somebody calling for the sophomore backup in the 4th, was that you?

 

[JMick]

He's a New London kid but did his last few years of high school at prep in Ma. His teammate at BC who is also from CT. Zach Allen led the nation in tackles last year and is beasting again this year. The idea that talent isn't coming out of CT. is just off, obviously not like bigger states that are hotbeds for football but there is certainly talent in the state, they just don't come here.

You don't have to tell me. I thought the thread was about HS careers though