Anthony Fernandes
(Soccer, 1999)
Number 1 soccer team in
Connecticut in 1997 and 1998. Number 12 ranking in the country in 1998.
Number 5 ranking in the country in 1997. These team accomplishments are
the highlight of the illustrious soccer history of Danbury High School
under legendary coach Gary Donaldson. The top player on those two teams
was our next Hall of Fame inductee, Tony Fernandes. Tony’s personal
accomplishments are off the chart. He was a News-Times’ All-Area
selection for three years, an All- FCIAC performer for three years,
received All-State recognition his junior and senior year as well as
All-New England for those two years. In his senior year Tony was named
All-American for the Hatters. The real key to understanding Tony
Fernandes is the selflessness with which he played the game. The two
state titles and national rankings are the things that define just who
he was as a player. As a four year starter and two year captain of the
Hatter Booters, Tony finished his high school career scoring 54 goals.
Tony’s success continued at Southern Connecticut State University where
the Owls won a Division II National Championship in his freshman year.
Again the personal accomplishments were many as he was named captain for
both his junior and senior years at Southern as well as being an
All-Conference performer for two years as well. In his last year playing
for SCSU he was an All-New England selection and the Connecticut
College Player of the Year. After graduation from Southern Connecticut
Tony played three years of professional soccer for the Western
Massachusetts Pioneers of the United Soccer League. Tony has coached a
number of travel soccer teams in the last decade and presently is a
physical education teacher and Boys’ Varsity Soccer coach at Bethel High
School.