Sports
14th Hall Of Fame Football Classic Set For Friday Night At West Haven High School
Four Staples graduates are on the roster for the Fairfield County All-Stars, who trail in the series, 9-4
The 14th annual Hall of Fame football classic will be played at 7:30 p.m. Friday at West Haven's Ken Strong Stadium.
The contest matches graduating seniors from New Haven County against their counterparts from Fairfield County. Tickets are $7 and will be available at the gate.
New Haven has dominated the series with a 9-4 lead, including wins in six of the last seven meetings. Fairfield certainly has a score to settle after getting drubbed 49-0 in last year's game.
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Fairfield County's only win in the last seven meetings was a 31-30 double overtime victory in 2008.
The game is presented by the Ralph DeSantis Fairfield County Chapter and the Bob Casey New Haven County Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
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It is the first all-star game in the country between chapters of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, and raises money for deserving student-athletes.
The Fairfield County All-Stars will be coached by Bunnell's Craig Bruno and Hillhouse's Tom Dyer will guide the New Haven squad.
Staples will be well-represented in the game with four members of last season's 12-1 squad on the Fairfield County roster: running back Matt Kelly (Ithaca College), kicker Santiago Cuartas (Southern Connecticut), tight end Jake Santora (Ithaca) and offensive lineman Connor Bohling (Hotchkiss).
Kelly posted one of the best seasons in school history last season, rushing for 1,232 yards and 17 touchdowns on 132 carries. Kelly, Santora and Cuartas were Walter Camp all-state picks last season.
Staples was undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the state until losing to Cheshire, 28-21, in overtime in the Class LL championship game.
The Fairfield County roster:
Bobby Wood, New Fairfield
Rasheed Setal, Harding
Christian Bish, Bridgeport Central
Greg Butcaris, Trumbull
Rodney Lanham, Bassick
Damien Francis, Bridgeport Central
Brody Brandstatten, Notre Dame-Fairfield
Connor McNamara, Newtown
Eric Joyner, KLHT
Alex Roque, Trumbull
William Melvin, Trumbull
Michael Blanco, Westhill
Alex Roque, Trumbull
Dan Sheldon, Ridgefield
Anthony Giamo, Masuk
Mike Sheldon, Ridgefield
DeVaughn Millington, Ridgefield
Dean Samuelson, Pomperaug
Patrick Atkinson, Jr., Stamford
Ron Balzano, New Canaan
Renard Desir, Stamford
Colin Sullivan, St. Lukes
Valdemar Honoro, Stamford
Cole Duncan, New Canaan
Damien Winters, Danbury
Mike Lefflbine, Greenwich
Brian Kirwan-Welsh, New Milford
Carmen Ferrara, Greenwich
Pete Gallagher, Bethel
Nicholas Pulaski, St. Joseph
Kevin Walsh, Brookfield
Alex Trump, Masuk
Christon Gill, Bridgeport Central
Ben Crick, Pomperaug
Rory Kennedy, New Milford
Andrew Clements , Pomperaug
Andrew Jimenez, Bunnell
Connor Bohling, Staples
Jake Richard, Weston
Gordon Soper, Masuk
Matt Kelly, Staples
Jake Santora, Staples
Ernest Wiggins, Bridgeport Central
Jeff Star, McMahon
Santiago Cuertas, Staples
Scott Young, Wilton
C.J. Elser, Pomperaug
