The 24th edition of the Connecticut High School Football Record Book is now available. It is a compilation of records and historical information from newspapers, websites, team statisticians, coaching records and individual research.
The record book celebrates the performances and achievements of athletes and coaches across the state in football and provides perspective regarding single game, single season and career achievements.
This record book began more than two decades ago in 1997 as a labor of love by the late Bohdan “Bo” Kolinsky of the Hartford Courant and Tim Sullivan, who was the offensive coordinator for the Weaver High football team in Hartford.
After Bo’s untimely death in 2003, the responsibility of compiling and updating the record book was taken over by the late Bob Barton, the long-time writer and editor with the New Haven Register sports department and myself – Gerry deSimas, Jr.
* * * *
There was one new record set last season. Granby/Canton’s Luke Maher set a new state record with four fumble returns for touchdowns in a single season, breaking the old record of three fumble returns for TDs held by three players.
Maher, who is from Canton, had a 98-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown against Morgan, returned a fumble for a TD (40 yards) against the SMSA co-op and returned fumbles for touchdowns (24, 74 yards) against the CREC co-op squad.
Maher tied the state record for most fumble recoveries for touchdowns in a career with four, also achieved by Jordan O’Brien of ATI in 2014-17.
With a perfect 13-0 season and a Class S championship, Ansonia extended their state record for undefeated seasons last fall to 20. The next closest program to the Chargers with undefeated and untied seasons is Hand with nine.
* * * *
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 109 years ago 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.
It’s been more than 100 years since Torrington’s Raymond “Ducky” Pond set a new state record that still stands with two kickoff returns for a touchdown in a win over Simsbury on Nov. 16, 1917.
Ansonia head coach Tom Brockett still has the top winning percentage in state history with a .927 winning percentage (193-15) since he began leading the Chargers in 2006.
* * * *
Teams from the Farmington Valley are well represented in the record book, too.
Farmington’s Brandon Williard is No. 6 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 20 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.
Moore’s 19 two-point conversion runs in 2011 is No. 3 on the single season list for most two-point conversions. Only Rockville’s Joe Calaci (22 in 1969) and Hand’s Isaiah McNeilly (25 in 2018) had more.
Avon’s 707-yard rushing performance in a win over Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby in 2014 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 and Newtown’s Ben Mason for most interception returns for a touchdown in a career. All three players 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. Mason played at Newtown in 2015 and 2016.
Granby running back Connor Field holds the state record for most consecutive 300-yard rushing games with four set back in 2014.
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.
* * * *
If you have some additional information for the record book, please email editor Gerry deSimas, Jr., at [email protected]. The PDF of the record book is updated once a year and is released each September.
If you see something that should be included, send it along today. We make real-time edits in the record book to get it ready for the yearly update during the summer.
Click on the following link for the 2023 Connecticut High School Football Record Book.
