In Week 4, while interviewing Staples players and coaches about their upcoming game against Ridgefield, Marce Petroccio and Jack McFarland tell me that Naples has been going to Greenwich’s games.
To be honest, I was surprised at first but it made sense. This was, after all, Florida football we were talking about. I didn’t think much more of it.
Almost two weeks later, during the Darien-St. Joseph game, I saw and asked the Trumbull coaches about it. Yep, they said, Naples had been at McDougall for their game against Greenwich, too. They said had actually talked to the Naples people personally.
Finally, looking for a note last week, I called to ask Rich Albonizio. “I heard that Naples coaches or people associated with the school had been scouting your games,” I said.
Not only that, Coach Al said, but taping them, too.
Now, while this isn’t allowed in Connecticut, for the longest time the FCIAC has agreed to bypass that statewide policy and has been pretty liberal with game taping. Their reasons are simple: instead of encouraging the shadier coaches from trying to break the rule, they allow everybody to tape in the spirit of comraderie. Makes sense.
So, last week Albonizio said looked into Florida’s bi-laws, saw that it wasn’t allowed. He said decided to call Naples to see if he could give a camera to a vacationing friend to have Naples’ next game taped anyway. After all, Albonizio said, they didn’t make it a secret that they had taped his game.
Albonizio said not only did Naples deny the request, they denied they had ever taped his games.
Uh, what?
Long story short, we pretty much left it at that. I figured it would be a good story come the week of Nov. 9 when Greenwich boarded a plane and headed down to southwestern Florida.
Then, came reports that Greenwich, with the help of McMahon AD and FCIAC president Joe Madafferi, confiscated the video equipment of an elderly couple attempting to tape the game during Saturday’s 44-14 Greenwich victory over the Senators at Jack Casagrande Field. Somewhere in the vicinity, were Naples assistant coaches who deny being involved.
Wow. We had ourselves a story. But when I finally followed up with a phone call for a notebook item on Wednesday night, Albonizio told us it had already blown up as a full-fledged story in Naples on Tuesday.
This was unbelievable on so many different levels, and asks more questions than it answers:
Naples Daily News: Naples High, Greenwich football coaches putting videotaping allegations behind them
News-Press of Fort Meyers: Naples draws ire of Connecticut foe
For New Haven County readers, here’s our expanded high school football notebook item on ‘Tapegate’ which did not appear in your print editions.
In talking to Albonizio, Greenwich AD Gus Lindine and Madafferi over the past few days, they’ve all assured me the worst is over.
But is it? Is it really?
In the meantime, please drop the derisive NVL/SWC vs. FCIAC/SCC stuff guys. It’s pointless and annoying. Show some state solidarity and discuss this instead.
SPB
Wow florida coming all the way down here to scout inferior connecticut football. That seems to good to be true. Who should be more worried Naples or Ansonia? If Greenwich wins this game then does that end back to back #1s for the chargers? Its been obvious in past years that the writers look for excuses to take the chargers out of the number 1 spot like in 2003 when they started the year 1 and finished two while piling over competition and going undefeated. Actually Greenwich and Ansonia should be playing each other instead of them flying to naples and ansonia driving to torrington tonight to win by 40. How bout the Ciac concentrate on how to do that instead of trying to take away a young players shining moment late in a game so the coach doesn’t get suspended for the worst rule in football!
Good point Vinny.
Greenwich can’t play Ansonia, but they can play in Naples, FL.
In my opinion, the whole Greenwich vs Naples game is wrong and should never have been allowed in the first place.
From the Greenwich point of view its a “freeroll.” Not sure if you are all familiar with that term, but it basically means they have nothing to lose by playing this game.
If they lose badly, no one will even care and will simply chalk it up to FL strength.
And if they were to ever win, they would be celebrated as champions.
The most interesting thing will be is if they lose a close game. Then people from all over the state will suddenly become experts in FL high school football and proclaiming how great the moral victory was.
You can count on that.
With that said, I don’t see the Cardinals playing with Naples. Ansonia, Hand, or New London would not either. Hopefully, Greenwich will get smacked, they can take their charter home, and we can all pretend this never happened.
Hey Vinny Greenwich is willing to put it on the line and play a national power in Naples. If they win and that is a big IF, then they deserve the number one ranking. Ansonia is looking to add Sacred Heart as the 11th game next year. Do you see the difference here?
As stated in my first post, I am not sure if Greenwich is really putting anything on the like. They only stand to benefit.
Re-reading my own post, the ending seems a bit negative. And per SPB, that should be kept to a minimum. So I would like to clarify a bit.
Going under the premise that Greenwich will lose, I hope the following things happen:
1. They remain 2 in the state poll.
2. They sustain no injuries.
3. They remain untouched in the Class rankings.
Basically, this is an exhibition and should be treated as such with no impact on FL or CT football.
But I am not sure if my last point is even possible.
Does anybody know how this game affects the state playoff power points?
Rob:
This game DOES count toward Greenwich’s state playoff points. So, basically, everything about this game counts for Greenwich.
While I applaud Greenwich for deciding to throw themselves out there, I question the overall thought process. If they lose to this obvious state power from a power state, they will screw themselves in their hopes to repeat in Class LL playoffs.
Then again, they could win and… yes Ansonia fans, usurp the Chargers as No. 1 in this state while pretty much keying Naples’ shiny exterior.
This has no bearing on Naples’ state playoff hopes, since it uses a district format to go, but it does means everything for its rep and Florida’s rep, but it means more for Greenwich’s hopes to win a state championship.
While I would think most people in Connecticut will be rooting for the adventurous/foolharty Cards, its opponents in Class LL won’t be.
So its certainly a strange spot for Greenwich and Connecticut. A strange one indeed.
SPB
So the game might be at McMahon?
If that is true that Ansonia is looking to add Sacred Heart as an 11th game next year, they should be ashamed of themselves. Here is a chance to prove (in a game that counts, not a scrimmage) that they are better than larger schools in other leagues, like they say they are. If no one in the state will play them, Xavieran Bros (MA) or Chaminade (LI) are often looking for games. While I have no allegiance to Greenwich, I will be rooting for them vs. Naples precisely because they took a meaningful risk in scheduling this game.
To Rob and all other people commenting, i dont know why you’re writing Greenwich off in this game.
First of all, Naples is not a “national power” as someone reffered to them as. Yes they are having a good year, but they arent even close to the teams that we see in the national rankings like Northwestern Miami, St. Xaiver Ohio, Southlake Carrol, and Mater Dei in California.
Greenwich may be the underdogs, but they deserve more than you are giving them. I am a Fairfield Prep fan and i wouldnt mind if they lose, but at least i see this as an opportunity for Connecticut football to get on the map instead of calling it a joke game.
Greenwich envy anyone?? Greenwich has always been willing to play teams outside of the FCIAC etc…
When I was there we used to have home and away series with then national power Brockton Mass…
They had a hole in the schedule and the opportunity arose – CT should be pleased greenwich did not disapoint this year locally so that we could all take interest in the possibilities- I see no harm – just envy! GO CARDS!
This is the unfortunate mentality of HS football, especially prevalent in Southern states like FL and Texas. We’ve heard for years stories about holding boys back in school so they could “compete” in football. If they need to send “scouts” to tape our little FCIAC teams it sounds like they’ve been reading their press clippings.
I don’t blame the kids, I blame the coaches. But if Greenwich is willing to shell out a couple of hundred thousand $ to put CT on the map in FL, they deserve more credit then the other CT “power” that’s playing a cupcake schedule.