THE TRAVELING COACH 56’S: TOP 5 LISTS AND 6 AWARDS

Before I get to the awards I have one more special wing review to do. We have decided to start a new tradition this year of “Christmas Eve Wings”. My wife Michelle prepared her homemade “Garlic Honey Wings”. The review panel consisted of myself, Anthony, and Allison.

The wings were tender however , second batch that came out was much crispier so scores were adjusted. The sauce , which is still a work in progress, hit all the notes for sweetness however needed more of the garlic flavors to balance them out. This analysis was the consensus between all of the judges. I also added that I thought the sauce could use more heat. Michelle has already began preparations for improvement of the sauce to make it a 5 star recruit. Tonight the rating average out to a 4 star recruit. They are a freshman defensive lineman just running on instincts trying to polish and refine their game.

The Lists and Awards are from the 31 teams I saw play this season. I had a blast watching good games, seeing great players, and eating excellent wings this year. Finishing the season with the best game Newtown vs. Darien in the final seconds was the the perfect ending. I got to reconnect with some old friends and meet some new people. Like most football coaches the season for me is not over. I am going to continue to write about my love of sports and coaching. I want to take the time to thank my family and friends who read every week. I wanted to especially thank my Wife for reading this for me and fixing some of my spelling. You have a Nazareth High School game with your name on it in 2020. I want to thank Chuck Burgy and my brother Matt Mascolo for editing my articles and making sure I stayed on course to why I was doing this. Merry Christmas Happy New Year to everyone and here is the “Traveling Coach 56’s”.

TEAMS:

1. Central High school (MA) (10-2) / D3 State Champions / #1 team in the State
2. New Rochelle (NY) (13-0) / Class AA State Champions / Points Against : 105
3. St. Joseph (PA) (12-2) / 5A State Champions / # 1 team in the State
4. St. Joseph (CT) (13-0) / Class L State Champions / #1 team in the State
5. Newtown (CT) (13-0) / Class LL State Champions / Points Against : 84

SPORTS BARS/WINGS:

1. Brother Mike (Madison, CT) : 5 Star Wings / Great atmosphere and Story
2. Whoo’s (Newburgh, NY): 5 Star Wings / Old School sports bar
3. Cover 2 (Newtown, CT): 4 Star Wings / Best connection between Bar and High School Football
4. Blind Rhino (Norwalk, CT): 4 Star Wings / Modern Sports Bar , great bar seating
5. Gabrielle’s (Piscataway, NJ): 3.5 Star Wings / Best set up to watch a game

VENUES:

1. Roosevelt Field in Union City : Great views from the roof and best halftime band.
2. Surf Club in Madison, CT : Awesome big game atmosphere
3. Granatell Stadium Don Bosco Ramsey, NJ: Historic Field on the top of the hill.
4. Middletown Sports Complex @ Middletown, NY: Modern field, Press box, and Jumbo Tron.
5. Cardinal Stadium in Greenwich, CT : Best mix of Modern & old school High School amenities.

STUDENT SECTIONS:

1. Bergen Catholic (Crusader Crazies): Went on the road and came out in droves.
2. Carmel High school (Carmel Crazies): Most patriotic fan base, decked out in Red, White, and Blue
3. Don Bosco (Ironmaniacs): End zone seating creates a great atmosphere
4. Hand: Packed the stands and where fired up from buzzer to buzzer
5. Darien: Another fan base that packed the stands on the road and were a rowdy.

PLAYER NAMES:

1. Phoenix Billings: Phoenix rises and takes top billing.
2. Kade Doverspike: Future WWE Champion. His finisher will be the Delaware Pile driver.
3. Brody Vincenzi: Greatest Italian Surfer name of all time. Think Point Break meets the Godfather.
4. Tom Bambrick: Only guy who’s last name is what you hear and feel when he hits you. Bam…Brick.
5. Chicago Rivers: A Rivers runs through it. Chris Berman would love this one.

Coach of the Year: Valdamar Brower – Head Coach Central High School (MA) : Won his 2nd State Championship with tougher out of conference schedule and Freshmen QB. Motto : “every day starts at zero”

Defensive Player of the Year: Jared Dunn – Newtown (CT)

Offensive Player of the Year: Jessie Parsons – New Rochelle (NY)

Special Teams Player of the year: Sahmir Hagans – St. Joseph (PA)

Freshman of the year: Will Watson – Central (MA) : 27 TD Passes / 6 rushing TDs /offense scored 559 points/ State Champion.

Traveling “Bro” of the year: Mike Morrissey– St. Joseph (CT) Defensive Lineman for #1 Team in the State. Listening to his interviews, reading his tweets, and watching him play he is the ultimate team player. Always complimentary of his teammates and opponents. The neck roll, rolled up sleeves, and always going hard make him a true football Bro.

Favorite Tweets by Morrissey:

“All the little kids out there anxiously unable to sleep tonight are only getting a glimpse of what it’s like the night before a big game”

“Unpopular opinion: the Roman Colosseum should be turfed and turned into a football stadium”

“Football. Rage and love”