Rams Name 2014 Captains

NEW CANAAN – Fresh off their state championship win over Darien, the New Canaan Rams wasted little time casting an eye toward the future by naming the captains for the 2014 football season.

Zach Allen, Frank Cognetta, Jim Keneally and Alex LaPolice were selected by their teammates to lead the Rams next season as they look to defend their FCIAC and Class L state crowns. The juniors will have some big shoes to fill as they take over for the 2013 captains - Connor Buck, Cole Harris, Joao Rocha and Michael Root.

Even so, this is not a group of neophytes.

Allen, a defensive end/linebacker led New Canaan with 11.5 sacks this season and will look to add to his school record 19.5 career sacks -  a record he currently shares with Buck. He also had two defensive touchdowns, including a remarkable pick-six that iced the Class L title game for the Rams.

Cognetta led New Canaan with 1,225 yards rushing in 2013, averaging more than 6 yards per carry. He will enter his senior campaign within reach of Chris Silvestri’s school record of 2,767 career-rushing yards, trailing the former Rams great (and current secondary coach) by only 1,208 yards.

If Cognetta is to eclipse Silvestri’s record, he will lean heavily on Keneally. The right guard was a major key to the Rams offensive success in 2013. Providing big holes for backs Cognetta and Morgan Carson and protection for quarterback Nick Cascione, Keneally was part of an offensive line that helped Cascione set a single-season school mark with 3,439 total yards gained in 2013.

LaPolice , a wide receiver, was one of New Canaan’s most explosive playmakers in 2013. Consistently coming up with a big catch or kickoff/punt return in key situations, he tied senior Cole Turpin for the team lead this season with 10 touchdown receptions. LaPolice was also one of the only New Canaan players who played significant minutes on both sides of the ball, logging 28 tackles as a defensive back this past season for the Rams.

-Terry Dinan