Jim Mora, UConn football finding talent in Connecticut’s prep schools (Amore @ Courant)

[huskymedic]

It’s a small piece in completing the puzzle:




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-> The latter was a talent source with which Mora said he was unfamiliar, but he likes what he sees as a way to find college-ready players close to his Storrs base.

“I had not been exposed to a lot of young men from prep schools,” Mora said. “But it’s a great avenue for these players to develop as players, as men. A lot of these guys had Ivy League aspirations, so you know you’re getting somebody academically motivated who has had a year of development and their [eligibility] clock hasn’t started.”

Offensive lineman Brady Wayburn, tight end Denzel Mountali and defensive back Derek Spearman, all from New England Class A champion Loomis Chaffee in Windsor, and offensive lineman Ben Murawski from St. Thomas More in Oakdale, figure to be just the first drops from a pipeline of improving talent. <-

-> It’s a talent base that hasn’t been lost others. Michigan has 16 players on its current roster from New England schools, most of them from prep schools. During his whirlwind first weeks on the job, Mora reached out and visited numerous schools in the area to get a feel.

“Coach Mora brought a lot of energy when he visited our school,” said Jon Wholley, a former UConn assistant now coaching at Avon Old Farms. “He talked with our kids and with me. He reached out within the first couple of days and wanted to get my perspective. The people he’s hired, I was very excited.” <-

 

[Chin Diesel]

Wish I can at least get a shout out when he blatantly plagiarizes me for his paycheck?

 

[HuskyDogArt]

Nice article about Connecticut's high school football. We might be overlooked, yet I think you might see more recruiting. In the 80s, most of the small high schools like RHAM didn't have football, now they do. I believe Parish Hill is the only high school that doesn't play football.

 

[CCSUblue]

Nice article about Connecticut's high school football. We might be overlooked, yet I think you might see more recruiting. In the 80s, most of the small high schools like RHAM didn't have football, now they do. I believe Parish Hill is the only high school that doesn't play football.

Welcome to the Berkshire League let me introduce you to Litchfield, Thomaston and Terryville. Every other school in the BL is co-op football.

 

[Waquoit]

I thought CT would have a surge in D-1 player production once UConn got going. Maybe if HCRE worked on outreach a bit more.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

" was a talent source with which Mora said he was unfamiliar, "

Not sure this is exactly true. I guess he is just trying to position it this way for the narrative, but Jim Mora was certainly very familiar with Connecticut Prep School Football for a very long time.

Back when Mora was at UCLA, he successfully recruited the #1 TE in the country in the same class that he brought in #1 QB recruit Josh Rosen. The #1 TE in the country was from Avon Old Farms and Mora out recruited the likes of Urban Meyer, Jim Harbaugh, and the entire SEC to sign him. His recruiting even made national news at the time as Mora took out a 2 page ad in ESPN the Magazine to give a recruiting pitch specifically to the recruit from Avon Old Farms.

UCLA bought advertorial space in the current edition of ESPN Magazine; two pages of paid space designed to look like a story on the future of UCLA tight end Chris Clark, all in an effort to convince Clark that his college years would be best spent in Westwood.

The ad predicts that Clark will score a touchdown on his first play, (as QB Brett Hundley did), that he will be a multi-year All American, will win the Mackey Award for the best tight end in the country, and will lead UCLA to a national championship by the end of his third year. It refers to him as “Gronk 2.0” in reference to New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski. There is even a picture of a locker with a UCLA jersey with the name Clark on the back. Clark thought enough of the effort to post a copy of the article on his Twitter feed and label it as the, “Coolest recruiting pitch.”


Clark said on ESPNU that UCLA Coach Jim Mora Jr. “has become like a second dad to me over the last couple of weeks.”


But maybe Mora has completely blocked this history out as a coping mechanism for himself. The recruit ended up playing in his first game as freshman at UCLA under Mora...and then immediately transferred out of UCLA before the second game of the season! So maybe him impression of New England Prep school kids wasn't the best from that experience.

BOOM! #1 TE Chris Clark Commits to UCLA

The Bruins start off National Signing Day with a gigantic BOOM at the nation's top tight end commits to U.C.L.A.

www.bruinsnation.com

 

[huskymedic]

Not sure this is exactly true. I guess he is just trying to position it this way for the narrative, but Jim Mora was certainly very familiar with Connecticut Prep School Football for a very long time.

Back when Mora was at UCLA, he successfully recruited the #1 TE in the country in the same class that he brought in #1 QB recruit Josh Rosen. The #1 TE in the country was from Avon Old Farms and Mora out recruited the likes of Urban Meyer, Jim Harbaugh, and the entire SEC to sign him. His recruiting even made national news at the time as Mora took out a 2 page ad in ESPN the Magazine to give a recruiting pitch specifically to the recruit from Avon Old Farms.

UCLA bought advertorial space in the current edition of ESPN Magazine; two pages of paid space designed to look like a story on the future of UCLA tight end Chris Clark, all in an effort to convince Clark that his college years would be best spent in Westwood.

The ad predicts that Clark will score a touchdown on his first play, (as QB Brett Hundley did), that he will be a multi-year All American, will win the Mackey Award for the best tight end in the country, and will lead UCLA to a national championship by the end of his third year. It refers to him as “Gronk 2.0” in reference to New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski. There is even a picture of a locker with a UCLA jersey with the name Clark on the back. Clark thought enough of the effort to post a copy of the article on his Twitter feed and label it as the, “Coolest recruiting pitch.”


Clark said on ESPNU that UCLA Coach Jim Mora Jr. “has become like a second dad to me over the last couple of weeks.”


But maybe Mora has completely blocked this history out as a coping mechanism for himself. The recruit ended up playing in his first game as freshman at UCLA under Mora...and then immediately transferred out of UCLA before the second game of the season! So maybe him impression of New England Prep school kids wasn't the best from that experience.

BOOM! #1 TE Chris Clark Commits to UCLA

The Bruins start off National Signing Day with a gigantic BOOM at the nation's top tight end commits to U.C.L.A.

www.bruinsnation.com

Narduzzi probably buffed Clark out if his memory too…

 

[hank970]

UConn might be more attractive to prep-school kids if Mora insisted upon a blazer-and-tie vibe for its football uniforms.

 

[ZooCougar]

Welcome to the Berkshire League let me introduce you to Litchfield, Thomaston and Terryville. Every other school in the BL is co-op football.

What about Shepaug and Wamogo?

I am pretty sure Litchfield and Wamogo students can play for Housy if they want to. At Salisbury we used to scrimmage Housy in the preseason. Good times.

 

[CCSUblue]

What about Shepaug and Wamogo?

I am pretty sure Litchfield and Wamogo students can play for Housy if they want to. At Salisbury we used to scrimmage Housy in the preseason. Good times.

Currently, Litchfield isn't participating in a co-op. Used to with Wamogo and Forman. Wamogo is in one with Nonnewaug and Oliver Wolcott called Northwest United. Not to be confused with the Gilbert, Northwest, Housatonic co-op. Actually totally forgot about Shepaug...seems like they would have been in one with Nonnewaug. Mills was the only BL school that could have supported one on their own. Heck, it's probably the only school with a growing student population thanks to Burlington.

All the BL schools need to be re-regionalized. It's crazy how small the districts up here have gotten.

 

[ZooCougar]

Currently, Litchfield isn't participating in a co-op. Used to with Wamogo and Forman. Wamogo is in one with Nonnewaug and Oliver Wolcott called Northwest United. Not to be confused with the Gilbert, Northwest, Housatonic co-op. Actually totally forgot about Shepaug...seems like they would have been in one with Nonnewaug. Mills was the only BL school that could have supported one on their own. Heck, it's probably the only school with a growing student population thanks to Burlington.

All the BL schools need to be re-regionalized. It's crazy how small the districts up here have gotten.

Yeah my information is old. I got hockey mixed up with football. My brother went to Litchfield and he was going to play hockey with Shepaug who I think practices and plays at The Gunnery School.

Unless Connecticut had 8 man there is no way Litchfield could put out a team given how big cross country and Soccer are there.

The schools are set up very strange. Wamogo is like a mile from Litchfield High. Kids who live in Bantam who are on the other side of Wamogo on 202 go to Litchfield. Litchfield is closer to Goshen than than Wamogo. And why wouldn’t Washington kids go to Shepaug?!?

You could probably make a decent sized school out of Litchfield/Bantam/Morris and Goshen, or even throw Washington in the mix too.

 

[UC1995]

The fact they are playing football at Northwestern and other BL schools is fantastic. I think if all the guys who would have played when I was there late 80’s early 90’s who wanted nothing to do with soccer.

 

[CCSUblue]

The schools are set up very strange. Wamogo is like a mile from Litchfield High. Kids who live in Bantam who are on the other side of Wamogo on 202 go to Litchfield. Litchfield is closer to Goshen than than Wamogo. And why wouldn’t Washington kids go to Shepaug?!?

Wamogo is literally Warren, Morris, and Goshen. It's a regional school. And Washington does go to Shepaug. But the numbers are still crazy low for most all the schools in the region.

 

[ZooCougar]

Wamogo is literally Warren, Morris, and Goshen. It's a regional school. And Washington does go to Shepaug. But the numbers are still crazy low for most all the schools in the region.

Yeah I’m just saying it’s stupid to have all these little schools particularly when a region seems almost gerrymandered together.

 

[Alum86]

What is Derby doing, or going to do? Didn’t they cancel their season midway through? Please tell me they aren’t going to let them play with Ansonia. I can stomach Seymour.

 

[PackTheRent]

Narduzzi probably buffed Clark out if his memory too…

Clark ended up at Towson State. Amazing decline from where he was. Hope things worked out post-grad and that he transitioned ok to "civilian" life.

 

[History Geek]

What is Derby doing, or going to do? Didn’t they cancel their season midway through? Please tell me they aren’t going to let them play with Ansonia. I can stomach Seymour.

There is pressure to fully combine the two districts. I think its a no-brainer. The football rivalry seems to be the biggest hurdle.

 

[huskysupporter]

There is pressure to fully combine the two districts. I think its a no-brainer. The football rivalry seems to be the biggest hurdle.

Yep - that’s the issue. Valley rivalries run deep and it’s a tough option for the old timers. It would be a shame if they didn’t link up with Ansonia sports, it makes too much sense. Shelton would be another option (blue bloods won’t let that happen there though I believe)

 

[uconnfan68]

Yeah I’m just saying it’s stupid to have all these little schools particularly when a region seems almost gerrymandered together.

The problem is that going 10 miles can take 45 minutes. No highways.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I thought CT would have a surge in D-1 player production once UConn got going. Maybe if HCRE worked on outreach a bit more.

The only thing FHCRE ever reached out to was the University of Maryland.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Wamogo is literally Warren, Morris, and Goshen. It's a regional school. And Washington does go to Shepaug. But the numbers are still crazy low for most all the schools in the region.

Washington, Roxbury, and a couple other towns go to Shepaug. As far as I know Shepaug doesn’t have a varsity football team.

 

[businesslawyer]

Yeah I’m just saying it’s stupid to have all these little schools particularly when a region seems almost gerrymandered together.

What’s your option? For each Town to pay for a high school, with separate administration, with senior classes of thirty kids? By combining regionally, you can provide much better education for less dollars per pupil.

 

[ZooCougar]

What’s your option? For each Town to pay for a high school, with separate administration, with senior classes of thirty kids? By combining regionally, you can provide much better education for less dollars per pupil.

I agree. That’s exactly what I said they should do.

 

[uconnfan68]

I agree. That’s exactly what I said they should do.

Sucks for kids and parents with all the travel involved just for practices.

 

[ZooCougar]

Sucks for kids and parents with all the travel involved just for practices.

Yeah they might have to travel 10-15 miles. The hardship.