National Football Foundation Honors Local Figures at Awards Dinner
The 58th annual Casey-O’Brien New Haven County Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete awards dinner took place on April 6 at Fantasia in North Haven. At the event, 29 high-school and prep-school athletes who play football were honored for academic excellence, leadership, and citizenship. Among the athletes who were honored at this year’s dinner were East Haven’s Justin Fonacier, Hand student Chris Iannuzzi, Jeff Jablonski of North Branford; Will Levis, a Madison resident who goes to Xavier; North Haven’s Mark Montano, and Sean Russell of Guilford.
Additionally, the chapter’s Distinguished American Award was presented to Yale University Athletic Director Tom Beckett, a Guilford resident who is retiring in June.
The Chapter Award of Merit was presented to Yale football Head Coach Tony Reno, who led the Bulldogs to the 2017 Ivy League championship, which marked the school’s first outright league title since 1980. Reno earned Coach of the Year honors from the New England Football Writers and the Gridiron Club of Boston.
North Haven resident Richard J. Moran Jr., a 27-year member of the New Haven Football Officials Association, received the Officials Recognition Award.
Hand football Head Coach David Mastroianni was presented with the Coach of the Year Award after guiding the Tigers to a record of 12-1, the Class L state title, and the No. 3 ranking in Connecticut in 2017. Hand also received the State Championship Award for winning the Class L crown.
Information courtesy of Bill O’Brien