Berlin High School Football Wins Final Game of Season Amid Cheating Controversy

Despite everything that’s happened recently, Berlin High School’s football season ended with an emotional and bittersweet victory over New Britain.

Berlin beat New Britain, 31-28. The win improves a record that’s been ruined by allegations of cheating.

“It is kind of hard. I mean the players are the ones that are suffering,” say Mari Cintron of Berlin.

“I feel sad for the kids. It’s always about the adults and it should be about the kids,” says Milli Day of Berlin.

“A lot of us are trying to be really supportive of the seniors because it’s pretty tough on them,” says Eve Betterini, a junior at Berlin High.

But the controversy involving the team likely will continue despite the end of the season.

Its head coach and at least one of the players who were sidelined are fighting to clear their names.

On Friday, the team was missing its head coach and four players.
NBC Connecticut spoke to one of the accused ineligible players, Gage Davis, and his mother.

They say he does live in Berlin despite being accused otherwise.
“It just makes me kind of upset that I was one of those kids that were wrongly accused,” says Gage Davis.

“I feel insulted. I feel bad for all the kids involved but obviously for my own it’s heartbreaking,” says Liza Davis, Gage’s mother.
The district suspended Coach John Capodice following an investigation into recruitment and ineligible players.

His attorney, Viral Keshwala, calls the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference's review “one-sided” and “biased.”

Keshwala says the coach is calling for the ruling to be reversed.
“Yes this is about his reputation and we’ve stood by his reputation.
He loves the Berlin community,” says Keshwala.

Berlin ends the season with a 1-9 record.

Among its punishments, the team had to forfeit its previous seven wins, can’t play in the post season, and the school had to pay a fine of $4,000.
 

Contact Us