Chris Coyne and Pat Murray, stars on a Staples High of Westport team which recorded five shutouts in 2009, were offered spots in the Yale football program within a week after they attended Yale's football camp in April. They both committed to Yale in recent weeks and with Staples scrimmaging at Cheshire on Monday morning, I took the chance to head out to Cheshire's Maclary Complex to talk to the two future Bulldogs.

"It was a great choice for me, great academics, great football," said Murray, a tight end and linebacker who had 52 tackles and nine sacks as a junior while catching 18 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown on offense. "You can't go wrong with Yale."

Coyne, a defensive end who also lines up as a tight end or receiver on offense, had 71 tackles and 16 tackles on defense while adding 12 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown on offense in 2009 in helping Staples reach the Class LL championship game.

"Just getting the opportunity to play there, getting a chance like that it is a once in a lifetime chance and you have to take it," Coyne said.

Coyne was at the Yale Bowl when Yale defeated Union 50-0 in a scrimmage on Saturday and came away impressed with what he saw.

"It's (going) uphill. Coach (Tom) Williams is a great coach," Coyne said. "They were doing so well. I thought their offense was moving the ball, the defense was making plays. It is definitely on the upswing."

Assuming their applications are approved as they are expected to be, Murray and Coyne could receive likely letters early next month.

"Coach (Williams) meets with admissions this week but we can get a likely letter in October and that pretty much means we are officially (committed)," Murray said.

Speaking of the Union scrimmage, here are links to the two video packages I put together off the scrimmage. The first one focused on the offense while the second showcasing the effort of the defense