Cards Red and White ready
Annual spring contest to be played Saturday at 5 p.m.
Spring football is a sign that the upcoming season isn’t too far away and that’s welcome news for teams such as Greenwich.
The defending CIAC Class LL champion Cardinals are eager to take the field and compete against their rivals, who are just as intent on facing them.
Friday marked the conclusion of two weeks of spring practice for Greenwich, which caps its spring football session with its annual Red and White game on Saturday at Cardinal Stadium.
The spring practices and Saturday’s 5 p.m. Red and White intra-squad scrimmage game gives players an opportunity to show the coaching staff their skills and enables them to define their roles for the 2019 season.
“Spring football is great and it’s even better for the younger players,” GHS coach John Marinelli said. “The way the game is played now and the amount of safety precautions and measures we take to prevent injuries, the spring helps us improve upon the fundamentals. For us, it’s a major deal. We have more than 120 athletes here, so spring football for us, is fantastic.”
Marinelli believes teams that follow spring football get a head start heading into the season.
“It is a huge advantage,” Marinelli said. “One of the reasons why Connecticut football is on the map from a college recruiting standpoint is because there is a lot of football, a lot of participation in the state. It’s like a prelude. Every time you have a whistle in hand and you are out on the field, that’s a great day for us coaches. We are excited to be out there with our team.”
Greenwich, which finished 13-0 in 2018, saw 33 seniors depart from its championship squad, 11 of which will play football at the collegiate level.
Evan Weigold, Edward Iuteri, Callum Abernethy, Jack Warren and Spencer Hartley will each serve as Greenwich’s five senior captains in the fall.
“They are doing a great job of learning how to lead and developing their leadership skills,” Marinelli said. “We have a great group of captains.”