Well over 200 Wilton High School football players, coaches, administrators and parents marked the official beginning of the high school football season last Saturday, Aug. 13, at the 2022 WHS Football Kickoff BBQ at Fujitani Field.
Optimism and family were themes of the day, as speakers including Head Coach E.J. DiNunzio and new Wilton Athletic Director Bobby Rushton fired up all in attendance with spirited remarks.
“The Wilton Football family is stronger than ever,” DiNunzio said. “I love this group of players, and I love these coaches. We’re going to win a lot of games this year and our goal is to make it into the state playoffs.”
Rushton, who took the reins of the WHS Athletic Department on July 1, said he’s eager for his first fall sports season in Wilton.
“There is an energy in this town right now around sports and it’s a great time to be a part of the Warrior family. I am excited about the upcoming fall season! Best of luck to Coach DiNunzio, his staff and Wilton Football,” he said.
Wilton is coming off of a very successful, seven-win 2021 season, including signature wins over FCIAC rivals New Canaan and Ridgefield.
The Warriors’ varsity schedule starts with their annual Blue/White scrimmage this Saturday, Aug. 20 at 3:15 p.m. at Fujitani Field, followed by scrimmages against Staples/Fairfield Prep on Aug. 26-27, and against Danbury on Sept. 3. The first regular season game is Friday, Sept. 9 at Norwich Free Academy.
The WHS Football Kickoff BBQ is an annual event sponsored by the Wilton Warrior Gridiron Club, whose president, Jeff Woodring, and vice president, Dan Ginsburg, spoke about the outstanding support provided by Wilton’s business community, parents, educators and others.
“For a football team to be successful it really requires the backing of the entire community,” Woodring said. “We have that here in Wilton, and it’s great to see the positive momentum continuing to grow.”
Wilton varsity captains Jackson Duncan, Christian McLaughlin and Carter Galante also addressed the crowed, sharing their inspirational thoughts on the upcoming season.
“We’ve all be working hard and I’m really excited for this season,” Galante said. “I love these guys.”