By Linda Chuss

Who are all the recipients of Milford High School’s esteemed Tony Correia Memorial Coaches’ Award? 

David Chaplin played football in the early ‘70s when Tony Correia worked with the team. Chaplin (“Chappy”) was the Milford High School boys’ swimming team coach for 35 years, is a retired teacher, and is on a quest to compile the full list of recipients and update the plaque that hangs at the high school. 

He has 89 names but 18 are unknown, and he is asking the public for their help to complete the record.

For nearly 50 years, each spring at the Dick Corbin Awards ceremony [Corbin is credited with establishing MHS as a football powerhouse], the Tony Correia Memorial Coaches’ Award has been presented to the high school’s top female and male athletes in recognition of outstanding character, leadership, sportsmanship, and athletic achievement. 

“It’s a real honor, in a school known for recognizing its athletes,” says Peter Boucher, Milford’s current Athletic Director. 

The 1975 championship football team players designed the plaque and had it made because of what Cornominate candidates and reach consensus on the winners. 

The plaque reads, 

“Tony Correia Memorial Coaches’ Award. Given in memory of Tony Correia who gave so much of his time, effort, and enthusiasm to the athletes and athletic program at Milford High School. 

Presented each year by the coaching staff to the top males and female athletes in recognition of outstanding character, leadership, sportsmanship, and athletic achievement throughout their years at Milford High School.

Memorial plaque presented by members of the 1975 Milford High School Football Team.” 

Little is known about Correia before he landed in Milford, but he was reportedly a professional soccer player in Portugal. 

According to Chaplin, “In 1970, Coach Dick Corbin had just started working on turning soccer player Jose Violante into a football kicker. Tony showed up at the field in dress slacks with a white shirt and started instructing Jose, using Portuguese to ease the process. To demonstrate, Tony removed his dress shoes and kicked barefoot. Violante went on to become a record-breaking kicker at Brown University, while Tony continued as a volunteer [unofficial] ‘coach’ at Milford, helping one kicker after another become exceptional, until he passed away too soon in 1976.

“Tony even designed training equipment to guide kickers through the correct motions. He helped in other ways too, driving players to doctor’s appointments and giving them rehab advice for injuries. He was exuberant, upbeat, and positive with everything.”

New recipients were added to the plaque yearly until 1983 when upkeep fell off. Nearly two years ago, Chaplin started working with the Booster Club to add names to complete the plaque.

Names still unknown are: male recipients from 1985, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2009, and 2013; and female recipients from 1988, 1992, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2009, and 2013. 

To help find names, people are asked to look through mementos or photos, newspapers; visit the historical society; and/or visit public or school libraries to sift through records, etc. To provide missing names, email Chaplin at [email protected]