Ansonia running back David Cassetti runs the ball during the CIAC Class S state football championship game with Bloomfield at Arute Field at CCSU in New Britain, Conn. on Saturday, December 10, 2022.
Brian A. Pounds/Hearst Connecticut MediaThe Walter Camp Football Foundation announced its All-Connecticut Football teams and its finalists for player and coach of the year Tuesday afternoon.
The teams, a coach of the year and player of the year, will be honored alongside the six 2022 state champions — Greenwich, New Canaan, North Haven, Notre Dame-West Haven, Barlow and Ansonia — at the organization's 'Breakfast of Champions' at the Omni Hotel in New Haven during Walter Camp Weekend, Saturday, March 11.
Greenwich, the No. 1-ranked team in the final New Haven Register / GameTimeCT Top 10 Football Poll, will be honored with the Joseph R. Kelly Award during the annual Walter Camp All-American banquet.
The All-Connecticut teams, comprised of 25 players each, are selected from a committee comprised of 10 state head coaches from the state's eight conferences. They are separated into 11 positions on offense and defense, and three total for special teams.
The Player of the Year nominees are John Neider of Law, Danny Shaban of Barlow and Jacob Staton of Notre Dame-West Haven.
The coaches of the year nominees are Class S championship coach Tom Brockett of Ansonia, Class SS championship coach T.J. Cavaliere of Barlow and Class MM championship coach Tony Sagnella of North Haven.
Chuck Drury, who has coached for over four decades and won a state championship at Pomperaug in 2004, will be honored with the lifetime achievement award. Woodstock quarterback Brendan Saucier, whose season ended in the season opener when he went into cardiac arrest from an then-undiagnosed heart condition, will be awarded the inspiration award.
2022 Walter Camp All-Connecticut Football Teams
First Team
OFFENSE
- QB — John Neider, Jonathan Law
- RB — Lincoln Cardillo, Southington
- RB — David Cassetti, Ansonia
- WR — Tyler Clark, Staples
- WR — Ben Jax, Killingly
- TE — Ben Carley, Trumbull
- OL — Alex Romanowski, Ansonia
- OL — Howard Stedford, Maloney
- OL — Jake Kiernan, Greenwich
- OL — Xavion Richardson, Trumbull
- OL — Joshua Kuczynski, Notre Dame-West Haven
- PK — Ty Groff, New Canaan
DEFENSE
- LB—Jacob Staton, Notre Dame-West Haven
- LB—Jordan Black, Trumbull
- LB—John Insigna, Greenwich
- DB—Adam Pandolfi, North Haven
- DB — Joziah Gonzalez, Maloney
- DB — Jon Morris (Fairfield Prep
- DB — Dylan Magazu, Newtown
- DL — Danny Shaban, Barlow
- DL — Dominic DeLuca, Greenwich
- DL — Terrence Allen, Killingly
- DL — Christian Lewis, Notre Dame-West Haven
- P — Thomas Dreibholz, Killingly
- KR — Davien Kerr, Bloomfield
Second Team
OFFENSE
- QB — Caleb Smith, Staples
- RB — Rowan Johnston, Trumbull
- RB — Soren Rief, Killingly
- WR — James Hillhouse, Staples;
- WR — Brandon Hutchison, St. Joseph
- TE — Mark Sokk, Newtown
- OL—Douglas Traynor, New Fairfield
- OL— Dontay Bishop (New Britain
- OL — Nick Gerbase, West Haven
- OL — Matthew Tebbets, Ledyard
- OL — Peter Vomvolakis, Greenwich
- PK — Logan Spoelstra, St. Joseph
DEFENSE
- LB — Jack Petrone, Glastonbury
- LB — Matthew Salmini, New Canaan
- LB — Michael Deitelbaum, Naugatuck
- DB — Charlie Dixon, Greenwich
- DB — Fred Camp, Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic
- DB — James Green, Ledyard
- DB — Tra’vion Singleton, Hamden
- DL — Kaleb Garcia, Wethersfield
- DL — Brendan Gilchrist, Norwalk
- DL — Griffin Galletta, Greenwich
- DL — Javier Perez-Soto, New Canaan
- P — Daniel Hernandez, SMSA
- KR — Achillius “Chilli” White, Windsor