OT: New Canaan up to 4 D1 commits

[huskyrob1]

1968 West Haven team wasn't too shabby....finished the season ranked #1 in CT and #5 nationally.

1968 New Haven Register Poll
#1 West Haven* (9-0) LL
#2 New London (9-0) L
#3 New Canaan (10-0) M
#4 Fairfield Prep (9-1) L

1969 New Haven Register Poll
#1 Derby (10-0) S
#2 New Canaan* (10-0) L
#3 Fairfield Prep (10-0) L
#4 Seymour (9-1) S

1970 New Haven Register Poll
#1 Stamford* (10-1) LL
#2 Notre Dame-WH (9-0-1) LL
#3 Fairfield Prep (9-1) L
#4 New Canaan (9-1) L

* Waskowitz Trophy Winner (Emblematic of the states best team, the award was discontinued after the 1971 season.)

Yes, West Haven had a great team in 1969, but you're missing the point of the whole thread which is not about state polls, biased local beat writers opinions, etc, which you have introduced here. What we are discussing here began when I quoted JMicks post and observation about the incredible number of D1 talent kids on this year's New Canaan team. I added, along with another poster that the degree of D1 talent on the late 90's Bloomfield teams and the late 60's early 70's New Canaan teams is unparalleled, to the best of my knowledge, in state history, and I don't think it's even close. I mean name another CT HS team besides New Canaan or Bloomfield that had such a collection of college and or NFL stars. Now that doesn't mean a team made up of blue collar kids with D2 football in their future can't make a great team too, I mean it is a team sport. Coaching has to be a factor as well, Bloomfield had Jack Cochran and New Canaan had Bob Lynch.

Farewell, Coach Lynch

 

[Waquoit]

Rice?

 

[kris1]

Yes, West Haven had a great team in 1969, but you're missing the point of the whole thread which is not about state polls, biased local beat writers opinions, etc, which you have introduced here. What we are discussing here began when I quoted JMicks post and observation about the incredible number of D1 talent kids on this year's New Canaan team. I added, along with another poster that the degree of D1 talent on the late 90's Bloomfield teams and the late 60's early 70's New Canaan teams is unparalleled, to the best of my knowledge, in state history, and I don't think it's even close. I mean name another CT HS team besides New Canaan or Bloomfield that had such a collection of college and or NFL stars. Now that doesn't mean a team made up of blue collar kids with D2 football in their future can't make a great team too, I mean it is a team sport. Coaching has to be a factor as well, Bloomfield had Jack Cochran and New Canaan had Bob Lynch.

First, this was how you started your post...

The New Canaan team in 68-69-70 was the best ever in the whole state, they went 34-0 in the FCIAC at a time when the FCIAC was loaded with great ball clubs.....

Second, there is no comparison between late 60’s NC and late 90’s Bloomfield as far as talent goes. Let’s look at the D1/NFL talent between the two. But first....NC has never produced an NFL player. Piel Pennington was never drafted (as you stated) nor did he player in the NFL. The closest was Pete Demmerle (a projected 3rd round pick before a knee injury) who was a 13th round pick by San Diego, but was cut. He accepted an invitation to Giants training camp the following summer where he was cut in September.
Players Born in Connecticut, USA | Pro-Football-Reference.com

But, back to the D1 talent. I’ll even give NC a five-year span and Bloomfield three-years. FWIW, the NC players were taken directly from the NC Football website “Rams in College “. The Bloomfield players were off the top of my head, so there may be a few that I missed.

New Canaan 1968-1972
Bob Saunders
Piel Pennington
Mark Totaro
Lemuel James
Pete Demmerle
Kurt Horton
Dave Benko

Bloomfield 1997-1999
Dwight Freeney*
Ian Whittingham
Andrew Pinnock*
Dion Shabazz
Jermelle Lewis
Daemeon Grier
Darrell Shabazz
Tony Lucas
Julian Pollard
Dwight Anderson*
Jason Manson
Fred Jelks

* NFL experience

Finally, Windsor doesn’t get very much press down on the Gold Coast of Fairfield County, but they’ve had quite a few big-time D1 kids recently as well. Overall, the CCC probably produces more D1 kids yearly in CT then any other conference.

NC is loaded with big-time D1 talent next season, no question. But there are a large number of kids in Bloomfield/Hartford/Windsor areas who are taking advantage of Supreme Athlete’s ability to churn out D1 kids on a consistent basis.

 

[huskyrob1]

First, this was how you started your post...
Second, there is no comparison between late 60’s NC and late 90’s Bloomfield as far as talent goes. Let’s look at the D1/NFL talent between the two. But first....NC has never produced an NFL player. Piel Pennington was never drafted (as you stated) nor did he player in the NFL. The closest was Pete Demmerle (a projected 3rd round pick before a knee injury) who was a 13th round pick by San Diego, but was cut. He accepted an invitation to Giants training camp the following summer where he was cut in September.
Players Born in Connecticut, USA | Pro-Football-Reference.com

But, back to the D1 talent. I’ll even give NC a five-year span and Bloomfield three-years. FWIW, the NC players were taken directly from the NC Football website “Rams in College “. The Bloomfield players were off the top of my head, so there may be a few that I missed.

New Canaan 1968-1972
Bob Saunders
Piel Pennington
Mark Totaro
Lemuel James
Pete Demmerle
Kurt Horton
Dave Benko

Bloomfield 1997-1999
Dwight Freeney*
Ian Whittingham
Andrew Pinnock*
Dion Shabazz
Jermelle Lewis
Daemeon Grier
Darrell Shabazz
Tony Lucas
Julian Pollard
Dwight Anderson*
Jason Manson
Fred Jelks

* NFL experience

Finally, Windsor doesn’t get very much press down on the Gold Coast of Fairfield County, but they’ve had quite a few big-time D1 kids recently as well. Overall, the CCC probably produces more D1 kids yearly in CT then any other conference.???????

NC is loaded with big-time D1 talent next season, no question. But there are a large number of kids in Bloomfield/Hartford/Windsor areas who are taking advantage of Supreme Athlete’s ability to churn out D1 kids on a consistent basis.

I never said that any NC players played in the NFL, what I did say was that many played D1 ball after HS, and that Freeney distinguished himself in the NFL and that Demmerle did great things in college. What I didn't say, and maybe should have, was that no one from the CCC or Bloomfield ever came close to a big time college national championship AND being instrumental in that. Demmerle did greater things in college than any player to come from the state, including Freeney. Being instrumental in a big time college national championship is no small feat, and Pete Demmerle did that, and if he hadn't blown his knee in the last game of his college career against Alabama or USC (can't remember which) he would've gone much higher than a projected third round (where did you get that info? Lol), IMO.




As far as your assertion that more D1 talent comes from the CCC than anywhere else in the state, PROVE IT. Name a CCC team other than Bloomfield or New Canaan that had four senior D1 players on it's roster at any one time. In New Canaan's case it could be this year or the team from 35 years ago.

You also conveniently left out how New Canaan rewrote the CT High School Record Book and set passing and receiving records that stood for almost 35 to 40 years, only to be eclipsed in the state beginning in the early and mid 2000's with the advent of the spread offense. No team in the state ever rewrote the record book like that team did. Although I will say Freeny's sack record stood the test of time for almost twenty years.

 

[crazyUCfan23]

First, this was how you started your post...
Second, there is no comparison between late 60’s NC and late 90’s Bloomfield as far as talent goes. Let’s look at the D1/NFL talent between the two. But first....NC has never produced an NFL player. Piel Pennington was never drafted (as you stated) nor did he player in the NFL. The closest was Pete Demmerle (a projected 3rd round pick before a knee injury) who was a 13th round pick by San Diego, but was cut. He accepted an invitation to Giants training camp the following summer where he was cut in September.
Players Born in Connecticut, USA | Pro-Football-Reference.com

But, back to the D1 talent. I’ll even give NC a five-year span and Bloomfield three-years. FWIW, the NC players were taken directly from the NC Football website “Rams in College “. The Bloomfield players were off the top of my head, so there may be a few that I missed.

New Canaan 1968-1972
Bob Saunders
Piel Pennington
Mark Totaro
Lemuel James
Pete Demmerle
Kurt Horton
Dave Benko

Bloomfield 1997-1999
Dwight Freeney*
Ian Whittingham
Andrew Pinnock*
Dion Shabazz
Jermelle Lewis
Daemeon Grier
Darrell Shabazz
Tony Lucas
Julian Pollard
Dwight Anderson*
Jason Manson
Fred Jelks

* NFL experience

Finally, Windsor doesn’t get very much press down on the Gold Coast of Fairfield County, but they’ve had quite a few big-time D1 kids recently as well. Overall, the CCC probably produces more D1 kids yearly in CT then any other conference.

NC is loaded with big-time D1 talent next season, no question. But there are a large number of kids in Bloomfield/Hartford/Windsor areas who are taking advantage of Supreme Athlete’s ability to churn out D1 kids on a consistent basis.

There's no way the CCC produces more D1 players than the FCIAC...

 

[superjohn]

Yes, West Haven had a great team in 1969, but you're missing the point of the whole thread which is not about state polls, biased local beat writers opinions, etc, which you have introduced here. What we are discussing here began when I quoted JMicks post and observation about the incredible number of D1 talent kids on this year's New Canaan team. I added, along with another poster that the degree of D1 talent on the late 90's Bloomfield teams and the late 60's early 70's New Canaan teams is unparalleled, to the best of my knowledge, in state history, and I don't think it's even close. I mean name another CT HS team besides New Canaan or Bloomfield that had such a collection of college and or NFL stars. Now that doesn't mean a team made up of blue collar kids with D2 football in their future can't make a great team too, I mean it is a team sport. Coaching has to be a factor as well, Bloomfield had Jack Cochran and New Canaan had Bob Lynch.

Farewell, Coach Lynch

Windsor High School- Chris Baker, Terrence Knighton, and Damik Scafe.

 

[huskyblooz]

I’m an FCIAC guy. But so many people in Fairfield County look down on the other conferences. personally, I think the SCC is the best athletic conference in the major sports.

 

[JMick]

I’m an FCIAC guy. But so many people in Fairfield County look down on the other conferences. personally, I think the SCC is the best athletic conference in the major sports.

It always depends on the year but generally the FCIAC and SCC are at the top. The CCC and SWC have had their moments. The ECC and NVL are dying and the rest of the conferences aren't even worth talking about

 

[polycom]

I made several friends at UConn who were from New Canaan.

We may know each other... Were your friend New Canaan Lax kids?

 

[JMick]

We may know each other... Were your friend New Canaan Lax kids?

I have friends from New Canaan that played baseball and the kids I knew at UConn were girls

 

[DoctorWho85]

It always depends on the year but generally the FCIAC and SCC are at the top. The CCC and SWC have had their moments. The ECC and NVL are dying and the rest of the conferences aren't even worth talking about

I think the two biggest problem with the NVL is that we know which team is winning every year, Ansonia, and location in which a lot of the schools are located in areas where football just isn't that big a deal. I follow the NVL pretty closely as I went to Wolcott, but outside of Ansonia, they just don't have the talent to play anyone out of conference.

 

[JMick]

I think the two biggest problem with the NVL is that we know which team is winning every year, Ansonia, and location in which a lot of the schools are located in areas where football just isn't that big a deal. I follow the NVL pretty closely as I went to Wolcott, but outside of Ansonia, they just don't have the talent to play anyone out of conference.

The NVL as a whole used to be pretty good but the last decade has been rough. I don't understand why Ansonia hasn't left.

 

[uconnfan68]

The NVL as a whole used to be pretty good but the last decade has been rough. I don't understand why Ansonia hasn't left.

Where would they go? And where would all their other sports go?

 

[JMick]

Where would they go? And where would all their other sports go?

They could join the SWC or SCC.

 

[Bezzz]

I think the two biggest problem with the NVL is that we know which team is winning every year, Ansonia, and location in which a lot of the schools are located in areas where football just isn't that big a deal. I follow the NVL pretty closely as I went to Wolcott, but outside of Ansonia, they just don't have the talent to play anyone out of conference.

Nice! Wolcott HS '72 here. We didn't even have a football team then, but our soccer team was killer because that's where the athletes went. I'm the handsome guy in the back row.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Nice! Wolcott HS '72 here. We didn't even have a football team then, but our soccer team was killer because that's where the athletes went. I'm the handsome guy in the back row. View attachment 32708

Class of '03 here. Baseball was the team to beat was there. The football team was so bad with Coach Marone that one of the senior RB my senior year got the game for scoring a touchdown against Ansonia. We lost something like 68-7 lol

 

[huskyrob1]

Windsor High School- Chris Baker, Terrence Knighton, and Damik Scafe.

Ok, half credit for naming a team that had only three D1 players. Lol.

 

[huskyrob1]

I’m an FCIAC guy. But so many people in Fairfield County look down on the other conferences. personally, I think the SCC is the best athletic conference in the major sports.

Disagree if you're talking football. Which conference has more state titles over the past ten years? It's close but I think the FCIAC wins. In basketball you might have a point though.

 

[huskyrob1]

I think the two biggest problem with the NVL is that we know which team is winning every year, Ansonia, and location in which a lot of the schools are located in areas where football just isn't that big a deal. I follow the NVL pretty closely as I went to Wolcott, but outside of Ansonia, they just don't have the talent to play anyone out of conference.

Why Shelton is in the SCC is beyond me, they should be in the NVL or the FCIAC, geographically speaking. Derby and Naugatuck were once state powers, but now Derby can barely field a team.

 

[JMick]

Why Shelton is in the SCC is beyond me, they should be in the NVL or the FCIAC, geographically speaking. Derby and Naugatuck were once state powers, but now Derby can barely field a team.

Prep is the real weird one.

 

[huskyrob1]

Prep is the real weird one.

FCIAC coaches wouldn't let them in after the old MBIAC fell apart. They didn't want a LL powerhouse Catholic school cherry picking the best players up and down Fairfield County, which Prep still does today. St Joe's and Stamford Catholic are bad enough.

 

[JMick]

FCIAC coaches wouldn't let them in after the old MBIAC fell apart. They didn't want a LL powerhouse Catholic school cherry picking the best players up and down Fairfield County, which Prep still does today. St Joe's and Stamford Catholic were bad enough.

ah that makes sense. New Canaan and Darien were much smaller back then

 

[kris1]

I never said that any NC players played in the NFL, what I did say was that many played D1 ball after HS, and that Freeney distinguished himself in the NFL and that Demmerle did great things in college. What I didn't say, and maybe should have, was that no one from the CCC or Bloomfield ever came close to a big time college national championship AND being instrumental in that. Demmerle did greater things in college than any player to come from the state, including Freeney. Being instrumental in a big time college national championship is no small feat, and Pete Demmerle did that, and if he hadn't blown his knee in the last game of his college career against Alabama or USC (can't remember which) he would've gone much higher than a projected third round (where did you get that info? Lol), IMO.

As far as your assertion that more D1 talent comes from the CCC than anywhere else in the state, PROVE IT. Name a CCC team other than Bloomfield or New Canaan that had four senior D1 players on it's roster at any one time. In New Canaan's case it could be this year or the team from 35 years ago.

You also conveniently left out how New Canaan rewrote the CT High School Record Book and set passing and receiving records that stood for almost 35 to 40 years, only to be eclipsed in the state beginning in the early and mid 2000's with the advent of the spread offense. No team in the state ever rewrote the record book like that team did. Although I will say Freeny's sack record stood the test of time for almost twenty years.

“With Demmerle forecasted to be a third-round pick in the NFL draft before the injury, San Diego selected him in the 13th round.” - NY Daily News
Legacy of Notre Dame star Peter Demmerle, who died of Lou Gehrig's disease, will be rekindled with BCS championship vs. Alabama on horizon - NY Daily News

Uhhh....Aaron Hernandez (sadly) played in the CCC. He was Florida’s leading receiver in a 2009 BCS Championship Game victory over Oklahoma, 24-14.

You might want to look up Nick Pietrosante’s career.

I’m not going to look up every kid that went D1 from the CCC, but there has been a few in recent years. Whatever.....

Ansonia has rewritten the record book many times and some of those records may never be broken (while I’m alive anyway).

FWIW, Dennis Rozum (Seymour, ‘66-‘69) who played in the same era as Demmerle had a “high school” career equal to or better then Demmerle’s. Demmerle had 165 career receptions (102 came in his senior season). Rozum had 155 career reception (80 in his senior season) but more yards receiving and more TD receptions.
http://imnctnetwork.com/collinsville/files/2017/10/2017-CT-Football-Record-Book.pdf

I’m done.....moving on.

 

[huskyrob1]

“With Demmerle forecasted to be a third-round pick in the NFL draft before the injury, San Diego selected him in the 13th round.” - NY Daily News
Legacy of Notre Dame star Peter Demmerle, who died of Lou Gehrig's disease, will be rekindled with BCS championship vs. Alabama on horizon - NY Daily News

Uhhh....Aaron Hernandez (sadly) played in the CCC. He was Florida’s leading receiver in a 2009 BCS Championship Game victory over Oklahoma, 24-14.

You might want to look up Nick Pietrosante’s career.

I’m not going to look up every kid that went D1 from the CCC, but there has been a few in recent years. Whatever.....

Ansonia has rewritten the record book many times and some of those records may never be broken (while I’m alive anyway).

FWIW, Dennis Rozum (Seymour, ‘66-‘69) who played in the same era as Demmerle had a “high school” career equal to or better then Demmerle’s. Demmerle had 165 career receptions (102 came in his senior season). Rozum had 155 career reception (80 in his senior season) but more yards receiving and more TD receptions.
http://imnctnetwork.com/collinsville/files/2017/10/2017-CT-Football-Record-Book.pdf

I’m done.....moving on.

Lol....only record Ansonia has is most cupcake wins by 50 or more points. You don't gain respect by beating up tiny NVL teams like Seymour, Kennedy, Holy Cross and Wilby for the past 30 years.

As for Seymour-New Canaan and Demmerle-Rozum, I'll say that tiny Seymour had a nice little run in it's NVL league, and Rozum was their only big weapon and was good enough to play for BC, but you're comparing a pony to a Clydesdale. New Canaan had lots of weapons besides Demmerle, it's why they won 34 straight games in the toughest league in the state, and it's the reason Notre Dame recruited Demmerle, who won a national championship there and was a consensus first team all-american. If Rozum was so much better than Demmerle then I suggest you write to Notre Dame and tell them Ara Parseghian recruited the wrong guy. You valley homers kill me.

 

[Bezzz]

Class of '03 here. Baseball was the team to beat was there. The football team was so bad with Coach Marone that one of the senior RB my senior year got the game for scoring a touchdown against Ansonia. We lost something like 68-7 lol

Good to hear that baseball was king. I was captain of the baseball team and we were pretty good.