Coming Off Of Four Straight State Title Wins, New Canaan Releases 2026 Football Schedule

Ask anyone in the state of Connecticut who has been the best high school football program in recent years, and they’ll most likely say New Canaan.

The Rams out of the FCIAC conference are contenders year in and year out. They’ve been to four straight Class L state titles and have won four, proving how dominant a football program they are in Connecticut. Led by the state’s winningest head coach Lou Marinelli (16 state titles), the Rams will look to compete for a fifth straight state title this fall.

New Canaan’s path to another state title will begin with two home games to start the season starting with the Trumbull Eagles. They’ll play on the road for their final two games of the season, concluding the regular season on the road against the Darien Blue Wave.

The Rams’ two Alliance matchups are against Class LL playoff teams from a season ago. The Rams will host Fairfield Prep in Week 2 and then travel an hour north up to New Britain for their Week 4 Alliance game against the Golden Hurricanes.

While dates aren’t set/official, let’s take a look at who New Canaan will play in order for the 2026 season.

New Canaan 2026 Schedule

-VS. Trumbull

-VS. Fairfield Prep (Alliance game)

-@McMahon

-@ New Britain (Alliance game)

-VS. Bridgeport Central

-@ Greenwich

-VS. Fairfield Ludlowe

-VS. St. Joseph

-@ Wilton

-@ Darien

New Canaan Loses Two Top-30 All-State Players, Four All-Conference Players From Last Season

Each year, the New Canaan Rams reload its roster, and they’ll be without a handful of key players from the 2025 season. In total, the Rams will head into the 2026 season without four All-Conference players from last season including three All-State selections. Two of those All-State selections were on the Top 30 Team by the CHSCA.

Wide receiver Andrew Esposito was arguably the state’s best player last year and will be taking his talents to Villanova University. Esposito was named the 2025 Connecticut Max Preps Player of the Year. He had 1,041 yards and 15 total touchdowns last season, along with 30 tackles and three interceptions on defense.

Another key player New Canaan will be losing is linebacker Ryan Brooks. Brooks will be taking his talents to Washington D.C., joining the Georgetown Hoyas football team in the fall. Brooks had 136 tackles and 11 tackles for loss for the Rams this past season.

Offensive lineman Adrian Delicata made All-State last season and outside linebacker Mike Hiraman was All-Conference for New Canaan last year; both leave big voids for the following season.