Sports

2015 New Canaan Football Preview: Rams Look to Fill Big Shoes, Defend State Championship

By |

Every year, the New Canaan Rams football team faces the same question: How will you replace last year’s graduates? And every year, the answer remains the same: Next man up. Few would disagree that elements of last season’s state championship team are irreplaceable—most notably All-State receiver Alex LaPolice and CT Gatorade Defensive Player of the Year Zach Allen. Both figure to be immediate-impact players at their respective post-NCHS, Division I programs, with Allen at Boston College and LaPolice at Harvard. That said, New Canaan head coach Lou Marinelli has the luxury of benefitting from his own creation—a factory-like feeder program in a football-crazy town, which can make even the biggest shoes seem fillable.

News

‘The Most Influential Person I Ever Knew’: Ray Parry, 86, NCHS Teacher and Assistant Football Coach

By |

Before he retired as New Canaan High School’s assistant principal in 2003, Gary Field had wanted to construct what he calls an ‘Emeritus Wall of Fame’ near the auditorium or other conspicuous spot. Composed of plaques listing the names, years taught at NCHS and, importantly, a slogan relating to the honored educator, the would-be Wall of Fame in one special case for Field would honor a man that he said forever changed his life. “In Ray Parry’s case,” Field said, “I think his slogan would be: ‘Young people rely on us to touch their lives in some meaningful way.’ As for me, I know for a fact that they have certainly touched mine.’ ”

He added: “It was wonderful working with him and he was brilliant and he loved kids and they loved him. He was the most influential person I ever knew.

Sports

Q&A with John Marinelli: Prodigal Son Lands Greenwich Football Head Coaching Job

By |

Since taking over as New Canaan’s offensive coordinator in 2009, John Marinelli has been the architect of the Rams’ high-octane, up-tempo attack—an offense that could essentially end games and leave opponents gasping for breath before the first quarter was over. And now Marinelli will be taking his blueprints to Cardinal country. On Wednesday morning Marinelli accepted an offer to become the head football coach at Greenwich High School, succeeding the legendary Rich Albonizio who resigned in January after 18 years at the helm. For Marinelli, son of longtime New Canaan head coach Lou Marinelli, the decision was not an easy one for obvious reasons. A 2004 graduate of NCHS, Marinelli was a former captain for the Rams before going on to a collegiate career at Fordham and Trinity, eventually joining his dad’s staff as a coach.

Sports

New Canaan Edges Hand in Football Opener

By |

It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t easy. But when the smoke cleared, the only thing that mattered to the New Canaan Rams was the final score. In a game filled with mistakes and missed opportunities on offense, the Rams did their best Houdini impression and escaped Strong Field at the Surf Club in Madison with a 21-14 win over the Daniel Hand Tigers in the 2014 season opener. The Rams defense – which was a big question mark coming into this game after being decimated by graduation – stepped up when it was needed the most, twice stopping Hand drives deep inside New Canaan territory with the game on the line in the second half. “I think they did a hell of a job for being new and undersized and for Chris Silvestri just taking over as the defensive coordinator,” New Canaan head coach Lou Marinelli told NewCanaanite.com.

Ex-Canaanites

’69 NCHS Grad Jeff Caldwell on Coach Sikorski, Lenny Pags and New Canaan of Old

By |

Here’s what NCHS ’73 grad Brian Sikorski—standout NCHS Rams football player and son of legendary New Canaan High School varsity coach Joe Sikorski—told me about a player just a few years older than he. Though Brian Sikorski never played with Jeff Caldwell, he went to all of his dad’s games and loved watching the hard-hitting safety and linebacker. “Jeff Caldwell was an assassin,” Brian Sikorski said. “Jeff Caldwell used to lead with his head and was one of the hardest-hitting players who ever played at New Canaan High School. Jeff Caldwell was the real deal.