Derby's Ray Kreiger intercepts a pass intended for Ansonia's Arkeel Newsome during Friday's game at Jarvis Field in Ansonia on October 29, 2010.
A quick roundup of what’s good around the state as we inch closer to Week 3.
Ansonia, Derby resume rivalry Friday night
Our first preview of the week, Jason Sonski takes a trip across Division Street for a preview of Friday night’s border rivalry between Ansonia and Derby. The Chargers, of course, rallied from 26-13 down at halftime to win last year’s clash 33-32 — a game that ended with Arkeel Newsome‘s red zone pick with no time left. (You catch last year’s second half, at right)
The Chargers of 2011 are starting to look like a freight train. What will Ray Kreiger and the Red Raiders bring to the table, especially after losing late to Naugatuck last week? You decide:
Paola wins SWC player of the Week
In our new feature, run by Kevin Duffy, Pomperaug back/receiver/kicker Matt Paola has been voted SWC player of the week (for all sports) by fans. Congrats to Paola for his strong day in the Panthers’ 45-7 win over Bethel. Duffy also gives his thoughts on who earned his vote.
New London agrees to come to Cardinal Stadium
Ned Griffen of the Day of New London reports that, after some wrangling over playing at a possible neutral site, New London’s football team will be playing at Greenwich’s Cardinal Stadium in this intriguing Week 3 non-conference matchup. As we’ve said before, kudos to New London and Greenwich for making this game happen. Very few state teams (read: none) ever willingly drop Greenwich onto their schedules, which is why we usually see exotic matchups like Greenwich vs. St. Joseph-Montvale (N.J.) or at Naples (Fla.).
New London actually called Greenwich looking to hook up. The matchup should give us a good look at how each of these teams stand in the statewide hierarchy. New London is ranked in most state polls, Greenwich hasn’t been ranked since 2009.
The Lonesome Polecat Week 2 – Greenwich, score management, the coaches Top 10 and other stuff
Also coming to you from Ned at the Day, his weekly column ‘The Lonesome Polecat.’ This week, Ned examines Greenwich on the eve of the big game with New London. He also offers his take on this week’s violation of the score management policy: let’s try a running clock, eh?
Says Ned:
Reckon it’s better to have a running clock, though, then a rule that has resulted in headaches, meetings and paperwork.
We completely and utterly, thoroughly, emphatically agree. We’ve said as much before on this space. A running clock in the second half would publicly cure this state of this rule’s PC ills. Get past 35-0 at some point the third quarter, keep that clock a-runnin’ and let’s get everyone out of there. No harm, no foul. No fans, coaches and media screaming about the absurdity of this policy. No forms to fill. No committees. No embarrassment for the players and coaches … on both sides of the ball.
Related: Weaver’s Quinn defends Northwest Catholic’s Tyler
Yes. We need a running clock so this won’t be necessary: The losing coach having to publicly speak about being on the losing side of a blowout and how glad he was his opponents were so merciful, as Weaver coach Robert Quinn did this week.
But… hold on, didn’t Quinn just say he declined a running clock? He did because he’s a football coach trying to make his team better so it won’t lose games by more than 50 points in the future.
Quinn is both honorable and practical. But since these second halves are A) pointless and B) played against JV players anyway, why not leave this to actual junior varsity games. Besides, it may be a running clock, but you still get plenty of snaps.
As much as I respect Quinn’s decision to play on regularly, I’ll take a running clock instead of the laborious 50-point ‘score management policy.’
Legacy and loss drive Sheehan’s quarterback Gannons
Finally, we’ll end on a semi-positive note, Bryant Carpenter‘s wonderful piece on the family trials of Sheehan’s Gannon brothers, Billy and Jeremy. It’s both a sad and uplifting story. It’s a must-read.
new london will beat greenwich by 3 td’s.to much speed and talent.plus those guys can hit,long night for greenwich.
SPB get some sleep man, posting at 2:21 AM….you are dedicated!!
ON PAPER, IT SHOULD BE A ROUT.BUT ANSONIA-DERBY FANS KNOW BETTER
SPB—-GREENWICH GOT SOME UPS FOR SCHEDULING NEW LONDON—LETS NOT FORGET THEY TRIED TO BOOK SACRED HEART,A PERRENIAL WEAK SISTER IN NVL.FROM NAPLES FLORIDA TO SACRED HEART WATERBURY.INTERESTING.
@RayRay – …so you’re saying Greenwich, in trying to fill it’s open date that it can never fill, is trying to schedule patsies?
Correction – Kevin Quinn
Ray,
I like and agree with u on many threads here but lets give Greenwich there due here. As SPB has said, even in “bad” years GHS has a terrible time filling open dates and this is why the FCIAC needs to go back to balanced divisions with a few crossover games. There were only 2 teams in the state with the same bye week and 9 games scheduled. Sacred Heart was one of them and still only has 9 games scheduled. Not a lot to pick from with those parameters. Greenwich passed on SH before SH could say yes or no as they booked a game in Mass. Playing SH would have hurt Greenwich in the relm of state playoffs as they would not receive 100 points for the win as they would be playing a school 2 classes smaller in a nonleague event.
They never shy away from great oppponets and have traveled to Brockton Mass,Florida, and hosted Montvale NJ in the past to fill spots and give the kids an extra game. Games that could have kept them home in December. Especially the Naples year where 1 loss teams stayed home. I know I’m a homer in defending them and the past few years have not been up to their standards but don’t think for a minute they were booking sacred heart to get an easy W in a “down” time. I tried looking it up but I beleive it was the 80′s the last time GHS played a CT foe in a non league game.
lastly, a few years back didn’t Ansonia have an open date with a tremendous team (might have been 07 with alex thomas) and book SH in a non league game?
ECC is down again.Danbury crushed Fitch on Friady
ECC is down again.Danbury crushed Fitch on Friday
A detail oriented friend (fellow poster “31″), pointed out a GLARING omission in the 2011 record book.
Clue #1: Ray Brown should find it quickly.
http://ahsfootball.homestead.com/11_CT_FB_Records.pdf
In the 2011 record book they forgot Dobbs for most touchdowns in a season. He should be 2nd on that list.
HONESTLY DOC IM NOT MUCH ON PERSONAL STATS BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THEY ARE PADDED VS. LOUSY TEAMS.BUT DOBBS WAS IN A CLASS OF HIS OWN.HE PLAYED ON A J.V. TEAM AND NEARLY TOOK THEM ALL THE WAY.
SPB-WHAT IM SAYING IS—NAPLES FLORIDA—IS A LONG WAY FROM WATERBURY
JUST SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY FANS WERE SAYING S SCHOOLS COULDNT COMPETE WITH FCIAC OR SCC TEAMS.I KNOW THEY DIDNT RUN OUT OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO TRAVEL OUT OF STATE—-ITS CALLED PICKING YOUR SHOTS.I KNOW NEW LONDON IS L NOW,BUT TO BE HONEST I COULD CARE LESS WHO GREENWICH PLAYS.
@RayRay – So you want them to go away?
if they were good im sure they would have.
@RayRay – That’s because nobody would have played them if they were good.
@Brian–It was 2007 when Ansonia had an open date, which was filled by Sacred Heart. There are two things about that:
1. Ansonia attempted to go outside the NVL, contacting numerous schools including some from the “Gold Coast” (aka–FCIAC). Ironically, the phone calls were not returned.
2. The NVL attempted to permit Ansonia from trying schedule the OOL game, when SH had an open date as well. Ansonia still placed the calls looking for a bigger gate.
Unfortunately, when your Ansonia, there are not too many willing to take that game.
Kris,
I am not an ansonia fan and yes I root for Greenwich but respect the heck out of both of them. My point is there are not many teams in CT that will sign up to play those 2 teams especially when they are good. As far as the gold coast comment I am not sure what that means. The FCIAC is a good conference but very top heavy. The bottom stinks every year. With that said it is always leaps and bounds better than the NVL except for Ansonia. I am not sure what FCIAC schools were called in 2007 but I have a hard time believing NC,Staples,Trumbull,Darien would say no to Ansonia if the schedule would have worked. I know for sure GHS was not called before they booked Naples. As a fan I would have liked to see your guys play a top notch team that year outside the NVL.
@Brian – ‘Gold Coast’ is a universally understood, if not accepted, colloquialism for Fairfield County. Heck, I use it.
I know what it means SPB just don’t think it’s fair to knock it in some cases.