Dan Popper
Sports Editor
In light of his outstanding performance at the State Championship against East Lyme on December 5th, it seems appropriate that senior quarterback Turner Baty is this week’s Athlete of the Week. Turner completed 19 of 32 pass attempts for 213 yards and 4 passing touchdowns. He also ran for 58 yards on 11 carries leading the Rams to a 28-0 victory bringing them their fourth straight state title.
Prior to the last three wins against Darien, St. Paul/Goodwin Tech, and East Lime, Turner sat down with John Marinelli, son of head coach Lou Marinelli, to go over progressions. “Meeting with John Marinelli really helped, because he helped me relax and break everything down,” Turner said. “Bridgeport really shook us up and got us off our normal pace. But at the end of the season we started performing better because we weren’t holding anything back.”
At the beginning of the season, Turner moved from his former school, St. Thomas Aquinas in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, who finished the season ranked #1 in the nation. Because he came to the team so late in the season, Turner had a hard time adjusting initially. “It was really tough fitting in because these guys had been together since freshman year and I would feel the same way if I were them,” he said. “But as the season went on we really came together as a team, once they saw what I could do.”
Turner prefers New Canaan’s football program to those of California and Florida. “I had a much better experience here,” he said. “The sense of togetherness this team has is unmatchable. I also love how everyone comes to the games and there is a great small-town feel.”
