SPB's High School Football

It’s just not boys basketball season in Bridgeport without some controversy–be it over something as benign as a residency issue or something far more tragic, like some things we’ve seen over at Bassick the last year.

On Friday, Harding coach Charlie Bentley was a no-show to a pretty big game against Trinity Catholic down in Stamford, thus beginning our first controversy of the year.

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For those of you who care (because, frankly, I can’t stand polls), here’s the latest boys basketball media poll, diligently released by Hoops Morelli.

Media Top 10 BOYS’ BASKETBALL poll
Team Points Last
1. Hillhouse (7-0) (13)…………………..444…….1
2. Maloney (7-0) (2)……………………..394…….2
3. Wilbur Cross (7-0)……………………366…….3
4. Holy Cross (8-0)………………………356…….4
5. New London (7-0)…………………….308…….5
6. Trinity Catholic (6-1)…………………286…….6
7. Windsor (8-0)…………………………283……..7
8. Harding (7-0)………………………….232……..9
9. Crosby (6-1)…………………………..204……..8
10. St. Joseph (6-1)……………………..166…..NR
11. Glastonbury (6-1)……………………163
12. East Catholic-Manchester (5-1)…..142
13. Xavier (6-1)……………………………111
14. Norwich Free Academy (6-1)……..110
T15. Northwest Catholic (5-1)…………..67
T15 Wilby (7-1)…………………………….67
17. New Canaan (7-0)…………………….56
18. Bassick (5-2)………………………….50
19. Sacred Heart (6-2)……………………33
20. Torrington (6-2)……………………….18
T21. Bulkeley (6-2)………………………..17
T21. East Hartford (5-2)………………….17
23. Masuk (5-2)…………………………….9
T24. Kolbe Cathedral (5-2)……………..8
T24. Notre Dame-West Haven (6-1)…..8
T26. McMahon-Norwalk (4-2)…………..7
T26. Newtown (8-0)………………………..7
The following voted: Bill Bloxsom, Hersam-Acorn; Sean Patrick Bowley, Connecticut Post; Matt Doran, Norwalk Hour; Scott Ferrari, Greenwich Citizen; Ned Griffen, The Day of New London; Mark Jaffee, Waterbury Republican-American; Ken Lipshez, New Britain Herald; Hal Levy, Shoreline Newspapers; Joe Morelli, New Haven Register; Tom Puleo, Hartford Courant; Dave Ruden, Stamford Advocate; Don Rully, Imprint Newspapers; John Silver, Journal Inquirer of Manchester; Ben Talbott, Bird’s Eye Sports; Tiffany Ventura, Middletown Press.

And, of course, Tommy Razor’s Top 20.

Ranking/School/Record/Last Week’s Position
1. Hillhouse (7-0) (1)
2. Windsor (8-0) (2)
3. Wilbur Cross-New Haven (7-0) (4)
4. New London (7-0) (5)
5. Holy Cross-Waterbury (8-0) (6)
6. Maloney-Meriden (7-0) (7)
7. Crosby-Waterbury (6-1) (8)
8. St. Joesph’s-Trumbull (6-1) (9)
9. Trinity Catholic-Stamford (6-1) (10)
10. Harding-Bridgeport (7-0) (12)
11. Norwich Free Academy-Norwich (6-1) (14)
12. Hartford Public-Hartford (6-2) (3)
13. Wilby-Waterbury (7-1) (15)
14. East Catholic-Manchester (5-1) (16)
15. Glastonbury (6-1) (19)
16. Northwest Catholic-West Hartford (5-1) (13)
17. Sacred Heart-Waterbury (6-2) (11)
18. Torrington (6-2) (20)
19. New Canaan (7-0) (NR)
20. Xavier-Middletown (6-1) (18)
Dropped Out: Fairfield Prep-Fairfield (6-1) (17)

Looking at all of the non-regional teams out there, it looks like most people are perceiving this as a weak year for Greater Bridgeport. Can’t say I’d argue against that.

Central already has three losses; Harding just lost to Greenwich, while Kolbe Cathedral and Bassick both have yet to beat a top-10 opponent.

Hmmm….

SPB

It’s a sad day for Bridgeport sports: Tony Elliott, one of the best football players to ever come out of Bridgeport, was found dead at his home of natural causes on Monday.

This story came to us last night in the form of anonymous phone call and appeared in our paper and our website today in a story by Joel Thompson.

Tony, a defensive lineman, who was a two-time first-team Connecticut Post all-star selection and a defensive player of the year who helped Harding defeat Fairfield Prep 27-7 to win its famous 1976 MBIAC title, avenging a 17-16 loss to the Jesuits in the regular season.

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Yes, still alive and well. Happy New Year to all and to all a good night.

Sifting through a half-dozen receipts to see just how tight I need to make my belt this month to pay off all the Christmas gifts and New Year’s expenses.

Meanwhile, it’s back to work today after a two-week hiatus (has it been a month since football ended?), where I’ve been busy taking stock of the winter season so far and planning what/who to cover and how in the coming weeks.

But the games wait for no one and there are a bunch Wednesday night. So tonight here will be plenty to talk about as our local teams begin (SWC, CSC) or resume (SCC, FCIAC) or continue (NVL) conference play in boys basketball.

So keep checking back. And if there’s anything

Until then, it’s off to catch Stratford and Kolbe Cathedral tangle in a non-league game at Stratford… I’m sure he doesn’t care so much, but Kolbe Cathedral coach John Pfohl is chasing win No. 300 at the school. If not tonight, he’ll get it soon.

SPB