Looking over my picks from the state semifinals, first thing I would think if I wasn’t me would be:
“Oh, yeah. Prep over Greenwich? Shelton over Southington? Who’s this guy think he is? Just because he covers the gosh-darn teams…”
Maybe.
Although I do believe these are unlikely scenarios and, God knows, I’ve been wrong before. But, honestly, these teams are in the state playoffs for a reason and we’re bound to see some surprising results. So this is just my way of saying, hey, these guys actually have a good shot to win.
Let’s take a look:
SHELTON
What chance do the Gaels, who lost to both West Haven and Fairfield Prep, have against unbeaten Nick Florian and Southington at Fontana Field, no less.
Here’s the deal: They’re still Shelton. And a team Shelton beat, Cheshire, found a way to bull up and down the field on the Blue Knights.
Granted, it was a rainy and blustery day and Southington’s quick-strike pass attack was siffled a bit (Except for one big play by Florian). But Shelton’s got the bigger line and the capability to keep the ball moving with Geoff Schultz and Andre Henderson.
The secondary may get strung up a bit because, well, everyone does against Southington. I do think the Gaels have the ability to make a play. They just can’t get into a shootout with the Knights. Anyone who does, loses every time.
I have faith in the Gaels, who have won seven straight. Especially if they can grind it out on what should be some pretty roughed-up grass at Fontana Field.
PREP
Again, these guys haven’t shown us much outside of a turnover-infested win against Shelton. They got absolutely bombed by West Haven and looked dismal against Xavier. But remember, actually led 14-12 against West Haven. Just too much James Alford.
While I have no faith in Prep’s run game against Charles Williams and Jonathan Meyers and a healthy Sean Bannon. I have even less faith in Greenwich’s run game with just Meyers and Bobby Sullivan.
Yes, Sullivan torched New Canaan with 100 something yards on six carries, but I think that’s because he was kind of a secret at that point and his speed shocked the Rams. Most of those yards were on a 90-yard run against a stacked front.
A week later, the hobbled Cardinals looked nothing like the team that rolled to a 10-0 record against Staples. The Greenwich offense is in disarray. So this figures to be a defensive battle, one Prep can certainly win.
Prep’s D has been almost as good as Greenwich’s this season. Greenwich just had the offense to put teams away while Prep didn’t. Now… it’s a bit of an even field with Jimmy Dunster and Nick Edwards out and QB Joe Poletsky isn’t winning many games by himself. Their offense just doesn’t work that way.
Unless the Cards can break a few runs, Prep can win this one. I don’t see any Alfords Greenwich’s sidelines, except the kid on crutches in a cast (T.J. Cameron). The Jesuits just can’t freeze when the headlights are bearing down on them the way they did against West Haven. And that can certainly happen…
Elsewhere, I think Masuk can beat Bunnell, but are a little too banged up to do so. …Stratford rolls Griswold, Ansona squashed North Branford, Hillhouse does the same to St. Bernard (not going to be a good day for the ECC). New Canaan could lose to Coventry, but I doubt it.
So, which of our 11 playoff teams DO lose? Somebody’s got to go down and I think we’re overrating them a bit too much. But, hey, they’re our teams. We’re entitled.
If anyone I picked is going down tonight, it will happen, in this order: Prep, Bunnell, Shelton…West Haven a distant fourth.
After that it’s almost a guarantee everybody wins. At least we know we’re getting somebody to cover in the finals.
Class L, after all, is the Connecticut Post Invitational
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