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The New Canaan High School football team finished No. 175 nationally for the 2013 season, according to MaxPreps’ ranking program, and was honored as part of the Tour of Champions during halftime of the Rams’ basketball game on Tuesday night.
New Canaan (14-1) avenged a 28-24 loss to Darien on Thanksgiving Day with a 44-12 drubbing of Darien on Dec. 14 to capture the Connecticut Class L state championship, its first since 2009 and its 19th overall. New Canaan is one of just 50 schools being honored on the ninth annual MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard.
“In partnership with the Army National Guard, MaxPreps is delighted to honor New Canaan as one of fifty schools on the 2013 Football Tour of Champions,” said Andy Beal, Founder and President of MaxPreps. “We’re proud to include New Canaan into this elite group of teams in the country.”
“It’s a big country,” Rams’ head coach Lou Marinelli said. “ I go to the American Football Coaches Association event every year, so I understand how many teams are out there. And for us to be number 175 is certainly one of the highest honors I can remember while being at New Canaan.”
Senior quarterback Nick Cascione was dynamic in the Rams’ spread offense that averaged 43.6 points per game, as New Canaan set a school record for most wins (14) in a single season. Cascione completed 168-of-290 passes for 2,740 yards and 33 touchdowns while rushing 110 times for 699 yards and a dozen TDs.
Senior Cole Turpin (39 receptions for 661 yards and 10 TDs) and junior Alex LaPolice (35-619, 10 TDs) were his top targets. Junior Frank Cognetta rushed for 1,225 yards on 193 carries and scored 15 touchdowns.
Guard Joe Rocha and center Ryan McKenna, both seniors, stood out on the offensive line.
New Canaan’s 3-4 defense was just as impressive.
Senior linebacker Mike Root led the unit with 176 tackles, including 8.5 for loss and had 6.5 quarterback sacks and three interceptions. Cole Harris, another senior linebacker, contributed 170 tackles with 18.5 of them coming behind the line of scrimmage. He also had six sacks, intercepted three passes (returning two for TDs) and blocked a punt.
Junior outside linebacker Zach Allen made 81 stops and had a team-leading 11.5 sacks to go along with an interception which he brought back for a score.
Senior middle guard Connor Buck, who will play at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y., made 60 tackles and had 9.5 sacks while senior cornerback Michael DiCosmo had 51 tackles, a team-leading six interceptions and was named All-State. He will play at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.
Connecticut Army National Guard Captain Giancarlo Deangelo presented Coach Marinelli and the team with the Army National Guard national ranking trophy Tuesday night during halftime of the boys’ varsity basketball game. The team also received a banner for their accomplishment.
“For over 375 years, the men and women of the National Guard have come to the aid of their neighbors during times of need,” said Major Mark Burns. “As Citizen-Soldiers who serve part-time, we live and serve in more than 3,500 communities throughout the country. It is our privilege to honor and recognize nationally ranked football teams with the Army National Guard national ranking trophy which includes the Minuteman statue, a symbol of the National Guard.”
MaxPreps uses a sophisticated computer program, known as the Freeman Rankings, to determine team rank for the Tour of Champions. The system utilizes the huge number of game results stored in the MaxPreps database. Generally, the more a team wins the higher the ranking, but the system takes into account quality wins (against other highly ranked opponents), margin of victory, and strength of schedule. Playoff games are weighted 2.1 times a regular season game.
