Vote: Who was Connecticut’s top senior football player of 2023?

We give you 12 candidates to choose from

The 2023 high school football season is complete and we are going around the East Coast, reflecting on the last few months.

One of the big questions is what returning upperclassmen on the scene made the biggest impact to a football program or state even? That’s where seniors that saw extensive playing time come into the mix.

That’s why we ask the question: Who was the top senior football player of 2023?

We will go state-by-state along the East Coast and once that voting is done, do a final poll including all the seniors that won going head-to-head.

We’ve selected 12 worthy candidates and ask you the fan to vote for who you think topped them all.

Voting will end on February 28th, 2024.

Editor’s note: Our corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. This poll is specifically for fans to vote on the players that have been nominated and in no way discredits any other player that may not be mentioned in our poll.

Here are the nominees: 

Caleb Smith, QB, Staples: Smith led Staples to the LL state title and proved to be among one of the top quarterbacks in the state as a senior on a weekly basis. The Wreckers’ signal caller completed 137-of-251 passes for 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns. Also rushed for 1,497 yards and 26 touchdowns. 

CJ DiBenedetto, QB, Southington: The senior quarterback was red hot throwing the rock for the Blue Knights. DiBenedetto completed 216-of-370 passes for 3,194 yards and 38 touchdowns.

Rashard Williams, WR, Southington: On the other end of a lot of DiBenedetto's passes was Williams this past season. The fleet-footed wide receiver hauled in 58 passes for 1,191 yards and scored 15 touchdowns. 

Tyler Hilgert, QB, Guilford: Hilgert had arguably one of the best seasons of any quarterback in Connecticut. The Grizzlies' signal caller has completed 139-of-190 passes for 2,372 yards, 37 touchdowns and just a mere two interceptions. Very efficient. 

Ben Roden, QB, Northwest United: Another quarterback that threw for 30-plus touchdowns this past fall campaign is Roden. The Workhorses' quarterback completed 140-of-207 passes for 2,228 yards and 34 touchdowns and only two picks. 

Soren Rief, RB, Killingly: Has anyone dominated on the offensive side of the football like the brusing Rief? The hard running tailback had himself a strong senior year as Rief carried the rock 364 times for 2,488 yards and 37 touchdowns.

Aidan Dolan, RB, Hand: Not many have put up the kind of yardage like Rief has, but Dolan was up there with him. The running back ran the ball 281 times for 2,022 yards and 23 touchdowns. 

Armani Reid, WR, West Haven: The 5-foot-10 wide receiver was a difficult cover for opposing defenses as he made himself readily available (open). Copeland this past season caught 67 passes for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns. On defense made 22 tackles and picked off three passes. 

Brandon Payne, LB, Foran: Payne roamed the middle of the front seven this season for Foran and was one of the best tacklers in the New England region. The middle linebacker totaled 155 tackles and 23 of those have gone for a loss. 

Cole Peterson, LB, Joel Barlow: The Falcons' linebacker was a steady force in the front seven and proved to be a sure tackler. This past 2023 season, Peterson made 168 tackles, 19 for a loss and three sacks for the state champions. 

Evan Russo, DL, Cheshire: The speedy edge rusher caused plenty of havoc for opposing offensive tackles this season. Russo was one of the leaders in the state with 15.5 sacks along with making 78 tackles and 29 of them going for a loss. 

Sam Petrosino, DB, Staples: The Wreckers' free safety patrolled the secondary and made plenty of plays this fall season. Petrosino was among the state leaders when it comes to interceptions with six and eight pass breakups. Also had 53 tackles and 751 all-purpose yards.

-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveconn