CBS News correspondent Armen Keteyian.

Former New York Jets quarterback Al Woodall.

Stamford legend Bobby Valentine.

Those were just a few of the big names spotted among the throng of nearly 10,000 people who traveled from all across the tri-state area, packed the stands and crowded two or three deep around the track to witness this old-school FCIAC Football match between undefeated archrivals Darien and New Canaan. They were merely spectators on this morning. The biggest name of the day turned out to be the one wearing the bright red No. 12 New Canaan uniform.

Of all the singular efforts made on both of the distinct blue and red sides of Boyle Stadium, Kurt Ondash was the brightest star on the biggest FCIAC stage of all-time.

We don't want to inundate you with unnecessary hyperbole. And it's true, had the New Canaan receiver's three-catch, 106-yard, two touchdown day been for, say, Old Saybrook/Westbrook against Morgan, he wouldn't earn nearly as much praise as he's going to get here.

But the sheer magnitude of this game, and the boundless electricity and hype that surrounded it for months, dictates that Ondash's MVP performance is the stuff local legends are made of.

Ondash's numbers aren't as impressive or as gaudy as some of the record-breakers in the FCIAC record book. But they're just as legendary because these two schools -- fierce rivals decades before the FCIAC ever existed -- were both undefeated and meeting in the championship for the first time.

FCIAC lifers, like executive secretary John Kuczo or former Trumbull coach Jerry McDougall, were calling this the biggest championship game since Bobby V and Rippowam took on Stamford Catholic in the inaugural title game 42 years ago.

And Ondash was the star.

"This was absolutely crazy," Ondash said of the atmosphere. "Not many high school players get to play in matchup like this. Two teams, undefeated on two sides. It was crazy."

And the senior didn't take long to immerse himself in it.

He picked off Darien's first pass of the game to set up a touchdown. On New Canaan's next possession, Ondash took a medium-range pass and turned on the Jets for a 66-yard touchdown.

But the one everyone will be talking about 'round these parts for generations to come was his last score. He caught a short pass along the right sideline, then stopped and cut back right against the grain and raced the other way for a 34-yard touchdown that put New Canaan ahead 21-0.

"I was shocked," said New Canaan linebacker Nick DiRubioh. "He took it all the way back, shake-and-baked a few guys. "? I love the kid. I was shocked."

And there were still 37 minutes left to play. Ondash ended the first half by knocking a sure touchdown pass out of the hands of Darien's star receiver Brian Kosnik.

Up in the stands, Curtis Casali was awestruck.

"I never got to throw to him," said the former New Canaan quarterback, who graduated two years ago. "(Ondash) was our kicker that season. I mean, if only we knew. If only we knew he was this good. You look at him now and it's like, where the heck did this kid come from?"

Long story short: New Canaan's coaching staff was grooming Ondash to be the quarterback to replace Casali.

But a confluence of events intervened to manifest Ondash's true destiny: then-senior Charlie Westfal made a decisive push to earn the starting job and No. 1 receiver Ryan Kilbane broke his wrist.

So, New Canaan coach Lou Marinelli said "we just threw him in there."

"I was happy with it," Ondash said. "I just wanted to get out on the field anyway I could. And it's turned out great."

Ondash wound up being New Canaan's leading receiver, catching 45 passes for 828 yards and three touchdowns. In last year's 34-30 comeback win over Hand in the Class MM championship, Ondash had 50 yards receiving and a crucial touchdown -- all while playing with a broken collarbone.

"I mean, what's tougher than that?" said Westfal, who was also watching from the stands. "He's a force. He's everything a quarterback could ask for."

Marinelli toyed with the idea of putting Ondash under center, but ultimately decided to give senior Nate Quinn a try instead. The two have now teamed up 49 times for 1,014 yards and 14 touchdowns.

"He's a gamer," Quinn said. "If you can get the ball in his hands, something good's going to happen."

Darien eventually adjusted the second half of Thursday's game, moving a safety up to help cover Ondash.

It worked. Ondash didn't catch another ball. But the extra attention merely opened the game up for New Canaan's other players to finally put this game away.

"That's what opened up the inside for us," Marinelli said.

Regardless what happens next week, the name Ondash will forever be intertwined with the 2008 FCIAC Football championship.

Contact Sean Patrick Bowley at sbowley@ctpost.com