Ding! Ding!
The 2008 High School football playoff fields are set in Sean’s Perfect High School Football Neighborhood of Make Believe. And we have some nice playoff brackets this year, especially in Class M and S, where we could see a couple of big rematches in the championship games, like Darien-New Canaan or Ansonia-Seymour.
But we also see plenty of amazing potential semifinal matchups: Hamden-Glastonbury; Masuk-Cheshire… Brookfield-New Canaan, Darien-Hillhouse. …Ansonia-New London (in a rematch of last year’s final). …Upset specials in the first round? Northwest Catholic (which had more Class S/SS playoff points and gets in over Montville in our universe) over New London.
Yeah, it’s not as great as last year’s playoffs. Overall, it’s been sort of a down year in Connecticut. But at least we’ll — once again — get some true champions to come out of worthy fields of like-sized schools. … not the watered down abomination that we have today.
So, let’s get on the trolley and take a trip down the imaginary playoff lane and see what we’re missing:
CLASS L
TEAM (W-L)………………Pts…………….Avg.
1. Glastonbury 11-0……1,620……….147.27
2. Masuk 10-1…………..1,510……….137.27
3. Hamden 9-2…………..1,440……….130.91
4. Cheshire 9-2………….1,410……….128.18
5. Simsbury 9-2………….1,340……….121.82
6. Newtown 9-2………….1,310……….119.09 (116 tiebreaker)
7. Newington 9-2……….1,310……….119.09 (114 tiebreaker)
8. Windsor 9-2…………..1,300……….118.18
Quarterfinals, Dec. 2
No. 8 Windsor (9-2) at No. 1 Glastonbury (11-0)
No. 7 Newington (9-2) at No. 2 Masuk (10-1)
No. 6 Newtown (9-2) at No. 3 Hamden (9-2)
No. 5 Simsbury (9-2) at No. 4 Cheshire (9-2)
Semifinals, Dec. 6
Newtown/Hamden vs. Windsor/Glastonbury
Newington/Masuk vs. Simsbury/Cheshire
Championship Dec 13
CLASS M
TEAM (W-L)……………….Pts……………Avg.
1. New Canaan 11-0…..1,810……….164.55
2. Hillhouse 11-0……….1,640……….149.09
3. Darien 10-1…………..1,570……….142.73
4. Brookfield 9-1……….1,340……….134.00
5. Ledyard 9-2…………..1,420……….129.09
6. Cheney Tech 10-0….1,270……….127.00
7. Avon 9-2………………1,280……….116.36
8. Weaver 8-3……………1,260……….114.55
Quarterfinals Dec. 2
No. 8 Weaver at No. 1 New Canaan
No. 7 Avon at No. 2 Hillhouse
No. 6 Cheney Tech at No. 3 Darien
No. 5 Ledyard at No. 4 Brookfield
Semifinals Dec. 6
Weaver/New Canaan vs. Ledyard/Brookfield at SCSU, noon
Cheney Tech/Darien vs. Avon/Hillhouse at SCSU, 6
Championship, Dec 13
CLASS S
TEAM (W-L)……………………….Pts………….Avg.
1. New London 10-1……………1,710……..155.45
2. Cromwell 10-1……………….1,620……..147.27
3. Seymour 10-1………………..1,540……..140.00
4. Ansonia 10-1…………………1,530……..139.09
5. Rocky Hill 10-1………………1,520……..138.18
6. North Branford 10-1………..1,520……..138.18
7. Hyde Leadership 9-2……….1,460……..132.73
8. Northwest Catholic 8-2……1,220……..122.00
Quarterfinals, Dec 2:
No. 8 Northwest Catholic at No. 1 New London
No. 7 Hyde at No. 2 Cromwell
No. 6 North Branford at No. 3 Seymour
No. 5 Rocky Hill at No. 4 Ansonia
Semifinals, Dec 6:
Northwest Catholic/New London vs. Ansonia/Rocky Hill
Hyde/Cromwell vs. North Branford/Seymour
Championship, Dec. 13
SPB-
You are the man! Have you heard anything about potential times and sites for potential finals? I hate it when 2 marquee matchups are going on at the same time. If Darien meets New Canaan, it would have to be in the afternoon, regardless of whether it’s at Boyle or not. Darien-NC are not allowed to play each other in night games in any sport for 1 year…since that ugly scene at last year’s FCIAC hockey championship. Give us what you think the CIAC is thinking about sites/times. Thanks.
Since most leagues are content with playing only conference games then let each league send a representative into a true state playoff.
Lets let all the league winners playoff for a true state champion.We would need a league Title championship played after regular season play if a league champion cannot be determined:Leagues like the SCC/CCC/ECC and others would need to adopt one or have a formula to determine one without a league Title game.I took the liberties since some leagues do not play a Title game and others play relevant games after title games to pick what I consider the league champions.Also I believe as in Hockey the division set up by enrollment should not supersede a teams play on the field of play.I then matched them up through area.Here is what I come up with:
Ledyard(ECC)/Glastonbury(CCC)
Rocky Hill(NUTMEG)/Cromwell(PEQUOT)
Hillhouse(SCC)/Ansonia(NVL)
Masuk(SWC)/New Canaan(FCIAC)
You could also run other tournaments for league runner ups or class restictions class playoffs also.
Football fan: The League Champion playoff is an idea I’d absolutely love to see, but there are far too many variables… plus the criteria for determining a league champion would have to be universal and then you have the issue of some leagues being much larger than others.
I think to set something of of that vein, you’d have to completely restructure by districts.
I also don’t mind the idea of setting up football divisions by levels, like hockey does and lacrosse used to.
Charlie: I’ve been off the last two days, so no ideas yet. We won’t know anything official until Wednesday morning. The CIAC takes all of those variables into account and I’m sure they would be able to accommodate a Darien-NC day game.
SPB: If your land of make believe was real the matchups you have projected would be great battles.. All of the games would be entertaining and you would not see the blowouts that occur year in, and year out, in the semifinals, under the current system.
Folks…..for the last time….Brookfield is the SWC Champion for 2008. They beat Masuk on Friday October 10, 2008 by a score of 31-24. It is listed right on the CIAC website. It doesn’t matter if you have guys hurt, were up 24-9, or any of that. For 48 minutes in the truest sense of proving which team deserved the victory more, the final score reads 31-24 Brookfield.
They went on to avenge their only lose of the year to Newtown (once again, if you want bragging rights over a team, take care of the head-to-head game first and foremost). To proclaim the Newtown-Masuk Thanksgiving Day game to be the “Real SWC Championship Game” is absurd. Every team has the same rules laid before them. They are not perfect, but they make things are fair as possible. And the respecful as fair thing to say is what is true….Brookfield Bobcats 2008 SWC Champions. Please for the sake of these kids let them undersand the honor in that. Thank you
- Bunnell Bulldog Faithful
P.S. Masuk and Brookfield were both without a doubt the better team in 2008. Thank you for playing us tough. Best of luck to both teams in the State Playoffs
Brookfield won the SWC fair and square. I hope Masuk, Brookfield, and Newtown all capture State Championships.
After playing both Brookfield and Masuk I can say without a doubt that Masuk is the better team. We were all up on Brookfield and let it slip away. Masuk had us beat when they punched one in before half and went to the run in the second half. Good luck in the states and get ready for Bulldog Nation next year!
SPB: I agree with all of your picks in the upcoming semifianls…I am hoping that Newtown will force some turnovers that will make their game with Glastonbury competative. Matt Williams of Windsor is an explosive back…stop him and you stop Windsor, as long as Masuk plays its best athletes in the defensive backfield… the Windsor QB has some good statistics, too.
why is class L so down this year? It usually is the most powerful class. Kind of disappointing to see this this year.