Impressive quarterback play has been one of the trademarks of the Greenwich High School football team for numerous years and Jack Wilson continued the successful legacy at the position the past two seasons.

Wilson, a 2023 Greenwich High School graduate, helped lead the Cardinals to the CIAC Class LL title last fall, the team’s ninth state championship. Prior to Wilson’s two standout seasons at the quarterback position, James Rinello effectively guided the squad under center for one season, after Gavin Muir excelled at quarterback, breaking a wealth of passing records, while leading Greenwich to the 2018 Class LL state title.

Due to the graduation of Wilson, it’s now time for new leadership at the quarterback spot and several players are in competition for the starting role.

Seniors Rocco Grillo, Brandon Boone and Kaine Rama are vying for the starting quarterback role, one that Wilson flourished at during the 2022 and 2021 seasons. Greenwich’s quarterbacks had a chance to gain some chemistry and timing with the squad’s receivers at the Grip It and Rip It 7-on-7 Passing Championships held at New Canaan High School this past Friday and Saturday.

The Cardinals brought 25 athletes to the 16th annual Grip It and Rip It Championships, which included 33 high school teams. The first day of the Grip It and Rip It 7-on-7 tournament saw Greenwich register a record of 3-1, defeating Ridgefield, Newtown and Harrison (N.Y.) High School.

The Cardinals were edged by Wilton in their fourth 20-minute game on Friday afternoon. On Saturday, Greenwich posted victories against Darien, Fairfield Prep, Rye (N.Y.) High School and Avon Old Farms. Their lone loss Saturday came against Fairfield Prep in the tournament’s semifinals. It marked the second meeting between the two teams in the tournament.

“It was the deepest we’ve gone in the tournament since I became head coach, so I was very happy with the performance,” said Greenwich coach Anthony Morello, who has been at the helm since 2019. “Overall, I’m really encouraged by both sides, I saw some really good things by the defense. Graduating as many seniors as we did, to see this rising batch of seniors step up and lead for the first time in a competitive environment – that’s what you want to see as a coach.”

The Cardinals are coming off a season in which it finished with a record of 11-2 on their way to winning the CIAC Class LL Tournament championship. They were victorious against Fairfield Prep, 37-17, in the Class LL final at UConn’s Rentschler Field seven months ago in December of 2023. Wilson passed for 116 yards, ran for two touchdowns and finished the 2022 season with 2,327 passing yards for the Cardinals.

This year’s group of quarterbacks hope to bring the same leadership to the position that Wilson did, while making Greenwich a tough team to contend with.

Grillo served as the Cards’ backup quarterback last fall and took the majority of the snaps on the first day of the Grip It and Rip It Championships this past Friday.

“Rocco is our lefty,” Morello said. “He gets the ball out real well, he’s had a tremendous offseason in the weight room – firing up teammates as well. He does a lot of leadership off the field with his teammates and he has a lot of leadership qualities, along with a strong throwing arm.”

Morello appreciates how well the quarterbacks are competing with the preseason and season, rapidly approaching.

“It’s great to have three guys competing against each other,” Morello noted. “These three are pushing each other and along with coach (Jonathan) Rich, who was recently promoted to our passing game coordinator. He has been doing so much work with our quarterbacks and wide receivers, it’s great to see it pay off here at Grip It and Rip It.”

Like Grillo, Boone was part of the Cardinals’ 2022 state championship squad.

“Brandon is a much more mobile quarterback,” Morello said. “He is a really good athlete who can move. Getting him out of the pocket and letting him make things happen with his not just his arm, but his legs, is something that we’re excited about. He’s also fearless out there, so it’s nice to have a quarterback who puts his body out there at will for the good of the team.”

Rama, also a member of the Cards’ 2022 team, has the ability to make all the throws at quarterback.

“Kane has arguably the strongest arm on the team,” Morello said. “He throws one of the prettiest balls I’ve seen down field. All of our quarterbacks are versatile in different ways and this is a perfect opportunity for them to showcase their skills.”

Wilson threw 25 touchdown passes in 2022, while being intercepted only five times for Greenwich, which outscored its opponents, 126-24, during the three-game Class LL Tournament. Morello believes the offensive unit has the potential to once again, excel this fall.

“We are further ahead in our playbook install than we were at this time last year,” he noted. “So, we really want to stretch the limits of our passing game early on this year.”