2026 edition of state high school football record book released
Tacklers from Killingly try to stop Hand’s Lucca Boyce (3) in the 2025 Class SS championship game in New Britain at Willow Brook Park. Hand beat Killingly, 37-13 as Boyce ran for 177 yards and 2 TDs on 24 carries.
The 27th edition of the Connecticut High School Football Record Book has been released.
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 nearly three 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 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.
With Bob’s passing in 2019, I remain the editor of the record book.
Record-setting performances
A few new state records were set or tied in 2025.
Two point runs: Ledyard’s Calvin Casavant tied a state record with six two-point conversion runs in a single game against Stonington on Nov. 14. Kyren Petteway of Waterbury Career Academy (2016) and Quintez Whittle of Ansonia (2024) also had six two-point runs.
Interception returns: Killingly’s Hayden Allard set a new state record with five interception returns for a touchdown in a single season. Three other players had four interception returns for TDs – New London’s Jamal Johnson (1987), Torrington’s Phil Bresson (2011) and Amity’s Jack Coughlin (2021).
Allard also set a new state record with six career interception returns for a touchdown, breaking the previous mark of five held by Simsbury’s Phil Pope (1966-68), Rippowam-Stamford’s Bobby Valentine (1965-67) and Newtown’s Ben Mason (2015-16).
Allard also led the state in scoring for the second consecutive year, scoring 250 points, thanks to 45 touchdowns and averaging 20.7 points a game. The last player to lead the state in scoring for multiple seasons was Ansonia’s Arkeel Newsome, who led the state from 2011-13.
Receiving records: East Catholic receiver Joey Montalvo set new state records for career yards receiving (3,871) and career receptions (226). Montalvo, who played from 2022-25, broke the yards receiving record held by Bristol Central’s Aaron Hernandez (3,677 yards from 2003-06) and reception record held by Notre Dame-West Haven’s Nico Ragaini, who caught 222 passes from 2013-16.
TD passes: Windsor QB AJ Robinson set a new state record for career TD passes with 120 from 2022-25. That exceeds the previous record of 113 set by Woodland’s Tanner Kingsley from 2011-13. Robinson’s 50 TD passes in 2025 was the third-best in state history and four TD passes shy of the record held by New Canaan’s Michael Collins (54) in 2015.
East Hartford’s Anthony Caravallo tied the state record with nine TD passes in a single game against Conard on Oct. 4. That tied Caravallo with Bloomfield’s Jason Manson (2000) and New Canaan’s Michael Collins (2015).
Most points: Caravallo’s performance came in East Hartford’s 80-74 loss to Conard. The two teams combined for a state record 154 points.
The two teams combined to score 22 touchdowns (11 each) with Conard rushing for seven TDs, throwing for three TDs and running back one after an interception. East Hartford threw for nine TD receptions and scored their remaining two TDs on kickoff returns.
Girls milestones: Rockville’s Molly Wilson set a new record for most points in a single game with 15 against the SMSA co-op on Oct. 3. Wilson scored a touchdown and was 9-for-9 in PATs. Wilson tied the girls record for most PAT in a single game (9) and set a new state career record for most points kicking by a girl with 179 from 2022-25.
Old records: 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.
It’s been more than a century 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. In 2025, Plainville’s Chase Bouchard had a pair of kickoff returns (81 and 90 yards) against the Lewis Mills/Wolcott Tech co-op team.
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.
2026 Connecticut High School Football Record Book
Notable numbers
Other interesting numbers and information regarding the record book:
3: Three of the last six Gatorade state players of the year have come from Massachusetts and played at prep schools in the state. Fall River’s Wilfredo Aybar was a defensive end at Cheshire Academy in 2020, Paxton’s Ryan Puglisi was a QB at Avon Old Farms in 2023 and Boxford’s Blake Hebert was a QB at Brunswick in 2024. Windsor QB AJ Robinson was the state Gatorade Player of the Year in 2025.
4: In 2014, Granby’s Connor Field rushed for at least 300 yards in four consecutive games.
5: The number of state championship games that have required overtime. Three Class LL title games went to OT along with one Class MM game and a Class SS contest. The first OT game came in 1985 when Trumbull beat Glastonbury in the Class LL final, 27-21. The most recent OT winner came in 2014 with Xavier outlasting Shelton, 28-27 in the Class LL Small championship.
8: In 1944, Hillhouse’s Sam Nakaso intercepted four passes each in consecutive games against New Britain and West Haven.
17: Northwest Catholic’s Chuck Mears ran for 200 or more yards in 17 straight games from 1993 through 1994.
25: Bristol Central’s Tim Washington ran for more than 100 yards in 25 consecutive games from 1999 through 2001.
33: The oldest continuous football co-op began 33 years ago in 1992 when Suffield joined Windsor Locks in a co-op program. East Granby joined the co-op program in 2010. East Windsor is joining the co-op program this year, which is be in Class M.
41: Simsbury’s Williard Eddy scored 41 points (six touchdowns and five one-point conversions) in a win over Lyman Hall, according to a report in the Hartford Courant in 1922. Eddy was one of four boys in his family that all played football at Simsbury High and went on to play football at UConn or the Connecticut Agricultural College as it was known at that time.
Founded in 1881, UConn was originally known as the Storrs Agricultural School. In 1883, the school changed their name to Storrs Agricultural School, which became the Connecticut Agricultural College (CAC) in 1899 and Connecticut State College (CSC) in 1933. Finally, in 1939, the school became the University of Connecticut.
69: Killingly tied a state record in 2024 by scoring 69 points in the first half of their 75-14 win over Ellington in the Class SS quarterfinals in 2024. Killingly joins three other teams with 69 points at the break.
93: For now, Hartford Public and Weaver’s Thanksgiving morning rivalry is history after 93 meetings. Hartford Public joined Weaver’s co-op football program in 2025 along with Hartford’s Classical Magnet. The most recent game between the two ancient rivals was a 6-0 win by Weaver in 2023. Hartford Public leads the series, 50-39-4.
Looking back through the years
25 years ago: In 2001, head coach Jack Cochran won a Class LL championship in his first season in New Britain (11-1) as the Hurricanes beat Greenwich, 26-9 in the title game behind game MVP Justise Hairston with 252 yards and 3 rushing TDs. Hairston had 3 TDs and 227 yards rushing in a 20-15 semifinal win over West Haven. … The Hurricanes were voted as the No. 1 team in the state in the final New Haven Register sportswriters poll by a margin of four votes over No. 2 Notre Dame-West Haven (11-1), who beat Fitch, 35-15 in the Class L championship game. Notre Dame had most first place votes (9) than New Britain (8) – the only time that has happened in this century.
50 years ago: 1976 was the first year of the CIAC state football playoffs and there were still four undefeated teams at the end of the season. Fitch, Ansonia, East Hartford and Hand each finished 11-0 with Fitch being ranked No. 1 in the New Haven Register’s sportswriters poll with nine first place votes. No. 2 Ansonia (11-0) received one first place vote along with No. 5 New Britain (9-1), who didn’t qualify for the playoffs. Only the top two teams qualified from 1976 through 1994. … Joe Addison ran for 207 yards and 3 TDs in the championship game for Fitch while Rick Hauser ran for 2 TDs. Fitch ended the season ranked No. 10 nationally in a poll by the National Sports News Service. … Howard Tinney scored on an eight-yard run as Ansonia blanked Derby, 6-0 to win the Class S title. … St. Paul (10-1) averaged nearly 40 points a game but was shutout by Hand (11-0) in the Class M final, 29-0, which forced five turnovers (3 interceptions, 2 fumbles).
75 years ago: In 1951, Hartford Public was voted as the top team in the state in a poll of sportswriters conducted by the Associated Press by a 146-121 margin over Hillhouse. Five teams received first place votes in the AP poll with Hartford Public (7-1) receiving six votes and No. 5 Ansonia (9-1) receiving four first-place votes. No. 2 Hillhouse (7-2) received three first place votes with No. 3 Danbury (8-1) receiving two first place votes and No. 7 Manchester (7-1) receiving one first place vote. Hartford Public lost their opener to Chicopee, Mass., 12-0 but won their next seven games including an 18-14 win over Hillhouse, a 45-19 rout of New Britain and a 7-0 season-ending win over rival Weaver. A 19-14 loss to Norwalk on Thanksgiving hurt Danbury’s chances to being No. 1 and opened up the door for Hartford Public.
100 years ago: A century ago in 1926, some of the top teams in Connecticut were New Britain (8-0) and Stamford (10-0). Stamford had nine shutouts, gave up just six points to Iona Prep and and played three New York state squads. Stamford beat Ansonia, 45-0 and Bridgeport Central, 14-0. New Britain, which beat Hartford Public, 20-7 at Clarkin Field, had five shutouts. Clarkin Field eventually became the site of Bulkeley Stadium, which was the home of several minor league baseball teams in Hartford, including the Senators, Bees and Chiefs, who left the state in 1952. Bulkeley Stadium was named in honor of baseball Hall of Fame inductee Morgan Bulkeley, the first president of the National League, who was elected mayor of Hartford, governor in Connecticut and to the U.S. Senate. Bulkeley Stadium was torn down in 1960.