Printer Friendly Version - National Football Foundation Honors Two Local Athletes

Branford student Drew Schwartz was presented with an award from the Casey-O’Brien New Haven County Chapter of the National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Hall of Fame. Pictured are Branford football Head Coach John Limone with Schwartz and Schwartz’s mother and father, Elizabeth and Andrew. Photo courtesy of Bill O’Brien

North Branford student Charlie Johnson was presented with an award from the Casey-O’Brien New Haven County Chapter of the National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Hall of Fame. Pictured are Johnson’s mother Liz with Johnson. Photo courtesy of Bill O’Brien

Press Release from the Casey-O’Brien New Haven County Chapter of the National Football Foundation

The Casey-O’Brien New Haven County Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame will hold its 63rd annual Scholar Athlete dinner on Wednesday, April 12 at Aqua Turf in Southington. A reception will begin at 6 p.m. with the March to the Head Table at 7 p.m.

“We are very pleased to recognize twenty nine outstanding young men that excel in the classroom and played football this past fall for their academic excellence, leadership and citizenship,” said Anthony Mortali, president of the chapter. “We are pleased to honor another group before their parents, grandparents and friends”.

In addition to the scholar athletes, which include Branford’s Drew Schwartz and North Branford’s Charlie Johnson, four other award winners will be honored, including 33-year football official John Tullo of North Haven, who will be presented the Official Recognition Award. Selected by the New Haven Football Officials Association, John is considered one of the top officials in the area. He served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.

In addition, Kevin O’Brien of Hamden will receive the Chapter Award of Merit for his work with the chapter over the past 18 years, including serving as chairman of the Scholar Athlete Selection Committee. He has also been a member of the Walter Camp Football Foundation since 1975, serving as president from 1990 to 1992.

The Chapter Coach of the Year Award will be presented to Anthony Sagnella, coach of the North Haven Nighthawks. Anthony has been the coach at North Haven since 1997, winning 152 games, 12 league/division titles, with nine CIAC playoff appearances and this past season winning the Class MM State Championship defeating Killingly 51-34.

The chapter’s Distinguished American Award will be presented to WTNH’s Ann Nyberg, who has spent more than 40 years in television news. She is the longest serving female news/anchor in Connecticut television history. In 2015, Ann was inducted into the prestigious Silver Circle, an honor given to television professionals who have made significant contributions to the community. Ann was voted Best News Anchor for a decade in Connecticut Magazine Readers Poll. In 1993, she founded the Toy Closet Program at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Other awardees include Daniel Hand’s Sam Sisk, East Haven’s Jason Toth, Guilford’s Luke Carignan, Brian Lastomirsky of North Haven, and Killingworth’s Owen Lelko, who played football at Xavier.