Connecticut high school football coach breaks silence on quitting mid-game as he hopes for return
The Connecticut high school football coach who stopped coaching mid-game after “confrontational exchanges” with players is hoping for a return to the team’s sideline. In his first public comments since stepping aside during Stamford High School’s loss to Warde on Oct. 23, Donny Panapada did not detail what he said to his players, but he apologized and said he was seeking a chance to patch things up after the game and continue on as head coach. “I want to sincerely apologize to my Black Knight Football Family, the Stamford football community, future Black Knights, and my own family for my actions on Friday night Oct. 23rd. In the heat of competition, I exercised poor judgment while addressing my team at halftime and immediately questioned my ability to lead the program in that moment,” Panapada said in a statement. Former Stamford HS football coach Donny Panapada. Facebook/Hoppie Keegan “To my players: I am sorry. You trusted me to lead you, and in the middle of a game I stepped away when you needed me most. That was wrong, and I understand why it hurt. This was my mistake, and I don’t want any of you carrying any of it. You have
