SPB's High School Football

A little slow on getting this out because — well — I’ve been taking a long (and dare I say, well-deserved) break from the beat.

However, last week was Walter Camp banquet weekend and the organization, in addition to doling out honors for the top college football players in the country, handed down its Connecticut all-state team at its ‘Breakfast of Champions’ on Jan. 14.

This is the last of the major awards and the officially signals the end of the 2011 season, unless you count Signing Day or the All-Star games.

At the very least, it’s the last of the big awards. It’s also the most exclusive.

So here we go…

2011 WALTER CAMP ALL-CONNECTICUT TEAM

State Player of the Year: Arkeel Newsome, Ansonia (state-record 3,763 yards, 58 TDs rushing)

Coach of the Year: Steve Filippone, Hand (13-0, Class L champion).

Lifetime achievement award: Larry McHugh, Xavier (152-36-6 career record at Xavier).

OFFENSE

QB: Casey Cochran (Masuk)*

RB: Arkeel Newsome (Ansonia), Alex Manwaring (Ledyard)

WR: Aaron Berardino (Windsor), Nick Vitale (Daniel Hand)

TE: Ryan Murphy (Xavier)

OL: Rennick Bryan (Hillhouse) Hakeem Martin (Ansonia), Michael Money (Fairfield Warde), Dylan Vano (Ansonia). Austin Wezenski (Xavier)

DEFENSE

DL: Joe Demichele (Daniel Hand), Sean Marinan (Xavier), Cole Ormsby (Windsor), Ludovic Richardson (Notre Dame)

LB: Shane Nastahowski (Greenwich), Matt Walsh (Daniel Hand), Tyler Wood (Ansonia), Mark Zurlis (North Haven)

DB: Jawad Chisholm (Bunnell), Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn (Valley Regional), Brenden Lytton (Torrington). Ryan Jacobucci (Xavier)

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker: Matt Paola (Pomperaug)

Punter: Jon Heil (Staples)

Returner: Kyle McKinnon (New London), Thomas Milone (Masuk)

* 2010 Walter Camp All-Connecticut team member

Montrell Dobbs’ roller coaster of a recruiting ride is finally over. After some flirtation with UConn and then Marshall, the  2010 Connecticut Post MVP and all-state football player from Ansonia will be going to Temple.

Dobbs’ choice was first reported by the NVL Football Blog on Tuesday.

We caught up to Dobbs today to ask how Temple became his school of choice, his thoughts on UConn, and the rigmarole of the whole recruiting process.

Short answer: Not fun. But he’s happy now.

Read: Ansonia’s Dobbs ‘real excited’ about commitment to Temple

St. Joseph's Tyler Matakevich dives over Ansonia's defense to score a touchdown during Saturday's Class S State Football Championship game at Rentschler Field in East Hartford on December 11, 2010. Photo: Lindsay Niegelberg / Connecticut Post

Former St. Joseph standout Tyler Matakevich gave his verbal commitment to Temple today.

“Oh my God,” the 6-foot-1, 213-pound linebacker said. “I’m so happy to finally get this done after all that hard work. It’s finally paid off.”

Matakevich was a two-time all-state player who led the Hogs to back-to-back state championship victories in 2009-10. Temple, coached by Connecticut native Steve Addazio, was hot on his trail after a stand-out season at Milford Academy.

Matakevich said he impressed Temple and a number of colleges at a postseason college combine a few days after Thanksgiving. “It was probably the best day off football in my life,” he said. “Everything went great after that.”

He took a visit to Philadelphia and said he loved the atmosphere and the close-knit relationship with the players and coaches.

“I love everything about Temple,” he said. “It’s in downtown Philly but the biggest part is the coaches. The coaches make you feel at home. Players are awesome, it was so cool to hang out with them.”

Temple visited with Matakevich today and left with his commitment. He will start classes on Jan. 17.

Matakevich said his postgrad year at Milford Academy in New Berlin, N.Y. made all the difference. He started every game at linebacker.

“It paid off for me mentally, physically,” he said. “Milford makes you a football player. I can’t thank Coach (Bill) Chaplick and all the coaches at Milford and all my coaches at St. Joseph… Everyone who helped me out. I can’t thank them enough.

“I’ll definitely be a learning experience. Going in now in the spring semester gives me a good jump on every one else coming in next season. I went to Milford, I know what it takes to play college ball a little bit  I’m going in there to compete.”

Ansonia's Arkeel Newsome runs away from the entire Ledyard defense en route to a 95-yard touchdown run in the Chargers' 38-0 Class M title game. Newsome compiled an all-time, state-best 3,763 rushing yards and 62 touchdowns (total) and led the United States in rushing.

Ansonia sophomore tailback Arkeel Newsome has added another honor to his stacked mantle.

The first-team All-State and Connecticut Post MVP was recently named to the 2011 MaxPreps U.S. Air Force All-American Sophomore team.

The 5-foot-7 back, who broke the state’s single-season rushing record for the 14-0 Class M champions, makes the team as one of four running backs, joining Union (N.J.)’s Jamauri Bogan, Central (Miami)’s Joe Yearby and Jabrill Peppers, MaxPrep’s national sophomore of the year from Don Bosco Prep (N.J.)

Newsome’s 3,763 rushing yards was the third-best reported total in the country this season.

See the full team here.

The Connecticut High School Coaches Association unleashed its all-state teams for 2011. We’re publishing these in three installments, overall, Class LL and L, Class M and S.

Click here for the individual teams: Class LL & L | Class M & S

The following is the All-State Team. The best of the best. Players who make this list are excluded from the individual class teams.

The 2011 CHSCA All-State Team

Offense

QB — CASEY COCHRAN, Masuk
WR — AARON BERARDINO, Windsor
WR — NICK VITALE, Hand
WR — THOMAS MILONE, Masuk
RB — ARKEEL NEWSOME, Ansonia
RB — MIKE MASTROIANNI, Xavier
RB — ALEX MANWARING, Ledyard
RB — BRENDAN LYTTON, Torrington
RB — KYLE McKINNON, New London
RB — DAVE DiGIORGI, Holy Cross
OL — AUSTIN WEZENSKI, Xavier
OL — DYLAN VANO, Ansonia
OL — RENNICK BRYAN, Hillhouse

Defense

DL — SEAN MARINAN, Xavier
DL — JOE DeMICHELE, Hand
DL — LUDOVIC RICHARDSON, Notre Dame-WH
DL — COLE ORMSBY, Windsor
LB – TYLER WOOD, Ansonia
LB — SHANE NASTAHOWSKI, Greenwich
LB — AUSTIN CALITRO, Danbury
LB — KEVIN McDONOUGH, New Canaan
LB — MARK ZURLIS, North Haven
DB — DELSHAWN WILSON, Norwalk
DB — RYAN MURPHY, Xavier
DB — TOMMY UNDERCUFFLER, Berlin
DB — RYAN JACOBUCCI, Xavier

Continuing our coverage of the 2011 all-state teams with Class LL and Class L.

12 men per team. Players who made the overall Connecticut all-state team are not included.

Class LL

OFFENSE

OFFENSIVE LINE — Chris Simmons, Manchester; Jamie Horosko, Newtown; Zach Voytek, Trumbull; Serg Jean-Baptiste, Fairfield Prep
WIDE RECEIVERS – Sebastian Little, Cheshire; Andrew Isaacs, Manchester; Ian Duggen, Hall; Dan Hebert, Newtown
RUNNING BACKS — Joey Zelkowitz, Staples; Ervin Phillips, West Haven; Lou Fenaroli, Newtown.
QUARTERBACKS – Pat D’Amato, Xavier
KICKER — Matt Paola, Pomperaug

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE – Austin Kisling, New Milford; Audrey Fletcher, Hartford Public; Billy Weyrauch, Cheshire.
LINEBACKERS — Dan Palmer, Hartford Public; Jovan Santos-Knox, Xavier; Robert Rose, Shelton; Tyler Valenti, Pomperaug.
DEFENSIVE BACKS – James Frusciante, Staples; Chandler Foster, Stamford; Tim Dube, Hamden; Devin O’Reilly, Glastonbury; Nick Kelly, Staples.
PUNTER – Jon Heil, Staples

Class L

OFFENSE

OFFENSIVE LINE – Jake Mikos, North Haven; Voghens Larrien, New London; Tim Farina, East Lyme; Nick Salza, Bunnell; Kalin Killinger, New Canaan
TIGHT END — Tom Metyers, Coventry/Windham Tech
WIDE RECEIVERS — Khaleed Fields, New London; Jason Piontowski, Masuk; Patrick Newton, New Canaan; Jared Vasquez, Bunnell
RUNNING BACKS — Justin Potts, Platt; Colin Markus, Masuk
QUARTERBACKS – Matt Milano, New Canaan
KICKER — Colin Shapiro, New Canaan

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE – Andrew Savinelli, North Haven; Derick Orange, Coventry/Windham Tech; Emir Kuljanicic, Wethersfield
LINEBACKERS – Dylan Leeming, New Canaan; Isaiah Thomason, Maloney; Pat Kirkwood, Fitch; Chad Berry, East Lyme; Matt Walsh, Hand; Matt Duignan, Masuk.
DEFENSIVE BACKS – Devon Carillo, Middletown; Jevon Elmore, New London; Jawad Chisholm, Bunnell; Shawn Flynn, Masuk
PUNTER — Kevin Premto, Wethersfield.

Getting these teams are like getting the secret formula to coke.

In this case, you have to drive up to Southington and snap pictures of the few sheets coaches have in their folders out at this secret meeting for all-state pictures.

Done and Done.

Without further ado, the Coaches All-State Teams.

This is the real McCoy.

All-state is divided into five: the four playoffs classes plus an overall all-state team. Players who make the overall team do not make the Class teams. There are 12 men per team.

(Note: Misspellings are courtesy of the lists we’ve obtained. Leave a note, and we’ll fix it).

Class S

OFFENSE

OFFENSIVE LINE — Joe Carrbonneau, Oxford; Justice Doane, Valley Regional; Wes Hopkins, Northwest Catholic; Paul Spada, Rocky Hill; George Smith, Holy Cross.
TIGHT END – Zach Wood, Griswold
WIDE RECEIVERS — Mike Antonio, Cromwell; Dillon McMahon, Derby.
RUNNING BACKS — Dan German, Haddam-Killingworth; Chris Young, Rocky Hill
QUARTERBACK – Ray Kreiger, Derby; Athony Morales, Cromwell

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE — Malek Riley, Northwest Catholic; Mike Sullivan, Cromwell; Matt Keeney, Weston.
LINEBACKER – Tim Artuce, Stafford; Alec Corazzini, Coginchaug; Jacob Shippee, East Catholic; Anthony Franco, North Branford.
DEFENSIVE BACK – Dan Rogers, Weston; Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn, Valley Regional; Nick Gaynor, Northwest Catholic; Isaiah Wright, Holy Cross.
PUNTER – J.D. Simons, Weston.

Class M

OFFENSE

OFFENSIVE LINE– Kyle Wilson, Ledyard; Chris Meucci, Berlin; Sean Merrill, Sheehan; Jake Basillica, Montville; Hakeem Martin, Ansonia; Peter Serencsics, Bethel; Ken Vollaro, Ellington.
TIGHT END – Dave DePoi, Brookfield
WIDE RECEIVERS– Brandon Johnson, Montville; Connor Falaguerra, Law
RUNNING BACK – Harold Cooper, Hillhouse
KICKER – Brodie Corless, Sheehan

Defense

DEFENSIVE LINE – Ivar Werta, Waterford; Zach Paquette, Ellington; Jake LaRovera, Ansonia
LINEBACKERS — Dave Yerxa, Foran; Dallas Smith, Ledyard; Zach Holloway, Montville; Brian Birdsell, Bethel
DEFENSIVE BACKS — Brian Gencarelli, Waterford; Aaron Johnson, Stonington; Andre Anderson, Hillhouse; Devante Bonvillian, Wolcott.
PUNTER – Matt Aspinwall, Foran.

The SWC football all-star teams were also announced a few weeks ago.

Here they are.

FIRST TEAM

SECOND TEAM