Mohegan — Melquann Gomez is New London High School's quarterback, for the football team and for the Whalers' fan section which has made the school's girls' basketball games all the more entertaining in recent weeks.

There was no official fan section per se for New London's 42-36 victory over Trumbull in the Class LL state girls' championship game Saturday night at Mohegan Sun Arena.

“We've got the whole city, though,” said Gomez, waving his hand around the arena. “There's a lot of green and gold together.”

Gomez was practically right, too. It's a city which head coach Holly Misto calls an “exceptional community.”

Gomez, himself, wore a green T-shirt with gold lettering which said Lady Whalers — a kid going to American International College to play football next season, who was spirited enough to serve as official spokesman for the girls' basketball team during a Friday pep rally.

Earlier this week, New London coaches Craig Parker (boys' basketball), Juan Roman (football), Tommie Major (assistant football) and Mike Gorton (wrestling) were among those who traipsed to Glastonbury to watch the girls play Enfield in the semifinals.

Among the crowd Saturday were former New London boys' soccer coach Nick Vamvakides and his wife Dottie. They're the parents of current athletic director Chris Vamvakides, a former soccer and baseball player and wrestler for the Whalers.

“It's tremendous the student-athletes know they have all of New London behind them,” Chris Vamvakides said. “We have people coming from all over, just tremendous support. … It's great. You could see the emotion on the girls' faces, how much (winning the state championship) meant to them.”

New London sophomore Spencer Roman, who had three points and three assists against Trumbull but drew a charge that was the fifth foul on the Eagles' Claudia Tucci, also grew up a Whaler.

Roman's dad Juan is New London's head football coach. He is a 1984 graduate of the school and later served as a longtime assistant coach for the football program before returning the Whalers to the playoffs this season.

The tears streamed down Spencer Roman's face Saturday as she recalled sitting in the stands as an eighth-grader, watching New London girls' basketball players Lexus Childs-Harris and Co.

“I wanted to be just like her,” Roman said of Childs-Harris.

“It's so amazing to see everyone here,” she said. “We couldn't have done it without them. Everyone wants to be a Whaler. … I've grown up supporting every football team. My dad has a ring. Now I have a ring. And we're not done here yet.”

It was New London's third state championship game and second title in four years, likely giving them a lock on the No. 1 spot in the final GameTimeCT/New Haven Register top 10 state poll.

“They're the superstars. They're the biggest celebrities in town. They're the ones getting the job done right now,” said Gomez, who joked that if he were to play New London star India Pagan one-on-one, he would have to do so in private “just in case.”

“I think it's a nice, small-knit community,” added New London graduate and Northeastern student C.J. Parker, whose dad Craig is the boys' basketball coach and whose mom Missy is an assistant for the girls' basketball team. “There's a lot of Whaler pride. A lot of love for the city. … I know how hard it is (to get to a state title game). We were a good team (when he played at New London) and we couldn't even get here.”

v.fulkerson@theday.com