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2015 edition of Connecticut High School Football Record Book is released

The 16th edition of the Connecticut High School Record Book is now available.

The Connecticut Sports Writers Alliance is pleased to release the 2015 Connecticut high school football record book. 

This is the 16th edition of the record book, a compilation of records and historical information from newspapers, team statisticians, coach’s records and individual research. Some of the new information in this year’s record book includes:

  • An update of year-end state coaches and sportswriters polls with voting for each season.
  • History of some state co-op football programs.

Several athletes earned new state records in 2014.

Southington’s Alex Jamele caught 18 passes last fall and set a new career record for most TD receptions with 50. Newtown’s Julian Dunn caught 14 TD passes last year and finished his career with 49 TD receptions.

Valley Regional/Old Lyme’s Justin Cheverier had a career-high 204 tackles in the Warriors’ state championship campaign and finished his career with a state record 683 tackles.

Darius Smith of the Abbott Tech/Immaculate co-op squad tied a state record with five kickoff returns for touchdowns in a single season. Smith, who had two kickoff returns for TDs in a win over Quinebaug Valley on Nov. 14 and another two kickoff returns for touchdowns two weeks later in a win over Wolcott Tech, tied the single season record held by Griswold’s Jay Drexel 20 years ago in 1994.

Staples’ Paul Tricarico had a 21-yard field goal in the Thanksgiving Day win over Greenwich to tie the single season state record with 12 field goals. He shares the record with New Canaan’s Peter Swindell, who had 12 field goals in 2013 and former Staples kicker Santiago Cuartas, who had 12 field goals in 2009.

Granby’s Connor Field set a new state record by rushing for at least 300 yards in four consecutive games last fall.

The book is full of remarkable accomplishments. With its state championship campaign and eighth undefeated season, Southington moves into the No. 2 spot for most undefeated seasons with New Britain and Hand. Ansonia holds the state record with 18 undefeated seasons.

One of the oldest individual record in the record book belongs to New Canaan’s Pete Demmerle, who caught a state record 102 passes in 1970. Only three players in state history have made 90 or more receptions in a single season.

The oldest individual record belongs to Stamford’s Earl Gillespie and Stamford’s Gaynor Brennan who each kicked 12 extra points in a single game. Gillespie did it in 1913 against Paterson, N.J., while Brennan did it against St. Francis Prep from Brooklyn in 1920. As recently as 2003, New Britain’s Chris Roberts was 11-of-13 on PATs in a win over Maloney.

Our local teams from the Farmington Valley are represented in the record book.

Farmington’s Brandon Williard is No. 3 on the single game rushing record board with 508 yards on 37 carries against Plainville in 2002. Farmington’s Greg Balicki holds the state record for most tackles in a single season (212), set in 1996.

Avon’s Colin Moore is ranked in the top 10 for career rushing yards with 5,217 yards on 682 carries from 2009-12. He rushed for at least 100 yards in 21 consecutive games in 2011-12, good enough for No. 2 on the all-time list.

Avon’s 707-yard rushing performance in a win over Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby last fall is the second-highest rushing effort by a team in a single game. Only Torrington in 2012 ran for more with 853 yards against Sacred Heart.

Simsbury’s Phil Pope shares the state record with Bobby Valentine of Rippowam-Stamford for most interception returns for a touchdown in a career. Both have returned five interceptions for TDs. Pope played at Simsbury from 1966-68 while Valentine, who managed the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox, played at the now-closed Rippowam from 1965-67.

Farmington holds the state record for most fumble recoveries in a single game with nine against Avon in 1974. Canton is No. 2 on that list with eight fumble recoveries in a 1952 win over Gilbert.

Click on the following link for the 2015 Connecticut High School Football Record Book. 

If you have some additional information for the record book, please email co-editor’s Robert Barton a[email protected] or Gerry deSimas, Jr., at [email protected].

 

Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 30 years.

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