SPB's High School Football

We’re at Ingalls Rink in New Haven all night for the Division I hockey semifinals.

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We didn’t get a rematch of the FCIAC championship game in the Class LL championship at Mohegan Sun.

But it’s probably just as well. Central and St. Joseph already settled the issue back then.

What we have now is, in my opinion, a lot more enticing.

New Haven vs. Bridgeport.

Two storied basketball towns duking it out for a state championship and, quite possibly, the No. 1 ranking.*

We haven’t had a Bridgeport vs. New Haven final in 35 years — when Central defeated Wilbur Cross for the 1975 Class LL title. New Haven and Bridgeport have met in the championship a grand total of five times. New Haven schools are 4-1 against Bridgeport schools in title games.

New Haven schools have won 35 state championships to Bridgeport’s 17.

It’s been a while since we had a Bridgeport team in a true basketball state championship game — one that will command the attention of hoops aficionados across the state. Central, which has assembled one of its best teams in school history, takes on the perennial power from New Haven, which has won two titles under current coach Kermit Carolina in the last five seasons (2006, 2007).

Hillhouse is a Class L school by trade. But Carolina said his team purposefully moved up into the Class LL bracket because they’re not concerned about just any championship. They want to win the championship.

“Let me just say this: In order to be the best you’ve got to play the best,” said Carolina, who was spotted at a handful of Central basketball games this winter. “We moved up into the double-L division for a reason. We wanted to play whoever the best team was considered to be in the state. And we’re happy that the state gets to watch two very powerful programs go head-to-head.”

Hillhouse started the season No. 1. Central, which hasn’t lost a game all season (not including the forfeit loss to Staples), usurped the top ranking midseason. Central creates off its full-court pressure defense, has solid outside shooting and a strong interior game. Hillhouse, relatively smaller than the Hilltoppers, runs a basketball version of the football spread offense. They play a four-guard set and love to hammer you with 3-pointers.

“We have a great deal of respect for what they bring to the table,” Carolina said. “We’re pretty sure they’re going to be on their A-game. So will we.”

We’ll have much more on this mega-match up a little bit later.

For now, give us your thoughts.

*Stratford might have something to say about this.