NORWALK — This was almost going to be Notre Dame-West Haven. It was close, but we bumped Norwalk back into the Elite 8 after a one-week respite. Though Notre Dame-WH has faced an undefeated team every week of the season to this point and have a fabulous defense. The offense remains slightly one-dimensional. Norwalk plays good defense and has a little more offensive diversity. Beating Ridgefield has the Bears in prime position for the school’s first playoff berth since 1998. All they’ll have to do is beat arch-rival McMahon on Thanksgiving (no sweat, right?) Up Next: vs. Harding, Saturday.
That’s it.
RIDGEFIELD – The Tigers become the second straight team to lose after breaking into the Elite 8. Faced with yet another good defense, the Tigers just couldn’t make anything happen late in their 27-12 loss to the Bears. Still, Ridgefield has a good shot to finish the season strong and see where they land in Class LL. This next test figures to be the toughest until Thanksgiving. Up Next: vs. McMahon, Friday.
SHELTON — The Gaels defense is one of the region’s best. They proved that much throughout a contentious first-half with No. 1 Xavier. But with virtually no help on the offensive side, Shelton drops out of the ‘missed’ category despite a 4-2 record. The Gaels have been outscored 97-110 this season. Yipes. Up Next: at Amity, Friday.
Masuk (No. 1, last week 1) wiped out its latest SWC “Patriot Division” team. Now they finally start playing some of the bigger teams in the SWC. First up is New Milford. (Sorry, Miss Lynch, dad’s team has to play them.) After that, Masuk will face its first winning team of the season in Pomperaug. …Ansonia (No. 2, lw 2) wrapped up its Traditions television taping by wiping out Watertown, which should get a medal for keeping Arkeel Newsome from breaking any long runs. Still, the kid finished with three touchdowns. When’s the NVL title game? …Congratulations to New Canaan (No. 3, LW 3) coach Lou Marinelli for win No. 250 at the school. Awesome job to Matt Milano, who broke the venerable touchdown record held by legend Kurt Horton. Get by scrappy Wilton this week and you can probably start selling tickets to the FCIAC title game. …Bunnell (No. 4, LW 4), as always, scraped and clawed to hold off Brookfield and stayed unbeaten. If the Bobcats can turn around and knock off Newtown this week, you can start selling SWC title game tickets, too. …Staples (No. 5, LW 5) got contributions from just about everyone to dismantle reeling Trumbull. Now comes the first true big game of the 2011 FCIAC football season. …Ready or not, Staples, here comes Darien (No. 6, LW 6), which hung on for dear life to stop Wilton last week. Once again, the Blue Wave just find ways to win football games. A victory here would give them the inside track on Greenwich for the FCIAC title game. …Greenwich (No. 7, LW 7) is quietly going about its business using Shane Nastahowski as a battering ram. They’re a good bet to win their next three games, but will that be enough to qualify for the FCIAC championship? Might need the winner of the Staples-Darien game to lose.
JUST MISSED: As discussed, Notre Dame-West Haven is tantalizingly close to breaking the Top Eight. Two fumble recoveries are what separated the Green Knights from North Haven. They’ll have an outside shot at reaching Class L but they desperately need a pass offense to keep teams honest and free up their deep stable of tailbacks. …West Haven needed to hang on to beat Cheshire in a wild, 46-42 victory at Ken Strong Stadium. The Westies can score. Their defense leaves something to be desired. But, hey, they’re still in the hunt. …Pomperaug followed up its tough loss at Bunnell with another toughie vs. New Fairfield. Thankfully, Andrew Reel was able to run the ball. The Panthers’ SWC hops are fading fast with each Bunnell victory. But their greater concerns are qualifying in Class LL snf Masuk looming next week. …Newtown completely dismantled Stratford last week behind another 200-yard performance from Lou Fenaroli and three interceptions from Jack Kearney. They have a shot at returning to the SWC title game. The remaining road is tough: Brookfield, Bethel and Bunnell.
Good to know Wilton is such a powerhouse that by beating them in double OT on a missed (not blocked) XP gets you moved up into the Top 10. Does that mean when Wilton gets trounced by NC that NC will replace Ansonia (who plays 1-win crosby next week) at #3?
Kudos to Norwalk for their recovery. Figure Pomp and Newtown lose to Masuk for at least their second losses, either Glastonbury or Hall will have two losses since they play each other, and West Haven won’t beat both Xavier and Hand so will have at least two losses, meaning Norwalk is almost guaranteed of making the playoffs… if they beat McMahon. Start preparing now.
Honus, we get it, you don’t like Darien and are a NC fan. Just give it a rest.
I know West Havens chances arent good for playoffs this year but if they can come up with a defense next year they will be hard to beat.They have a lot of offensive firepower returning among their 80 returning underclassmen.Future is bright on the West Shore
what are the dates for the SWC and FCIAC championship games?
@SM – Relax. I honestly truly think Darien has as much heart as any team out there. They are defending FCIAC champs. They have a great program. As for the polls, it’s easy to knock them as meaningless, but if we didn’t have them we’d still have opinions and someone to tally those opinions into a ranking, so it’s much more accurate to just bypass the middle man. In retrospect, if you are an undefeated FCIAC team this late in the season, you should be ranked in the Top 10. Mea Culpa.
The Darien-Staples game for sure will be the FCIAC game of the year to date. Darien, like NC, is pass oriented. That could give Staples’ defense fits. As for who I think will win the game, I’ll save that (granted, not that anyone cares what I think) for later in the week.
BTW, I also have great admiration for Ansonia. The fact they continually put out teams that can compete at any level is truly impressive. But unlike Masuk that is treating 2011 as an extension of 2010, Ansonia can make no such claim, yet here they are at #3. Top 10, OK, but #3, not without a track record. I’ll say this in advance, if Darien beats Staples, the only Class LL team some think can give Xavier a game, I’d have no problems if Darien shot to #3.
FCIAC is scheduled for November 18th, HOWEVER, given the 4 teams in the running, Darien and New Canaan play thanksgiving, as do Greenwich Staples, so if those particular teams were to match up, assume that the FCIAC championship would be played on Thanksgiving day.
Norwalk will have a difficult chance of making the states if they lose to McMahon on Thanksgiving morning. They can still qualify with two loses but they will need help. Beat McMahon and they are in.
Honus…. Darien is run-oriented not pass oriented.
8) the main reason why Wilton stayed in the Darien game was because Darien got away from the run and fell in love with the pass.
@Honus, although I am assuming that you are only referencing this season, to say Ansonia doesn’t have a good track record is beyond absurd. The chargers would rip through the FCIAC this year, not recent years, but this year. Both they and Masuk are deserving of their rankings, and although I have tremendous respect for Staples and NC, they are nowhere near Ansonia’s caliber this year. Please feel free to hop into your German luxury car and take a look for yourself at the quality of both Masuk and Ansonia, I know it is out of your comfort zone for those of you who live in Westchester County east to travel the rest of the Nutmeg state, but you will be a believer if you are willing to make the trip!
Perspective, I think it’s crystal clear that Honus wasn’t disparaging Ansonia’s long & storied past in the aggregate. As for the classist clatter, I’m sure a lot of us can do without it. How’s that for some perspective! :-)
Perspective, I think it’s crystal clear that Honus wasn’t disparaging Ansonia’s long & storied past in the aggregate. As for the classist clatter, I’m sure a lot of us can do without it. How’s that for some perspective! :-)
I think Honus was suggesting that Ansonia’s schedule (they may not play a good team all year) is the problem, not their “track record.” Ansonia’s pedigree and credentials are impeccable. I also believe that the Chargers belong at #3, but don’t be shocked if they slip a bit in the next few weeks. By year’s end, however, they’ll be undefeated and anywhere from 1-3…
Also question your assertion that Ansonia would “rip through” Staples and NC. Highly unlikely. I’d love to see those teams match up (NC-Ansonia would be the ultimate “contrast” matchup…and, I’m sure, a great game between two tradition-rich programs), but it ain’t going to happen.
@perspective – I am saying that based on Masuk’s dominance last year and many of those same top kids coming back this year that they have a track record from which you can assume they are quite strong this year even though they’ve not played any strong teams. Are you saying that Ansonia also deserves the benefit of the doubt based on returning kids form a dominant team last year? Because if not, we need to put emotion aside and go by who they beat of any quality this year. Explain to me why Ansonia should be ranked higher than New London that beat a revitalized Greenwich? Or over Bunnell that beat a previously unbeaten Pomperaug? What team that Ansonia has or will face could put up a competitive game against any of the other Top 10? Are you saying the NVL is as competitive as ever this year? As for the FCIAC, those of us who have seen the league over the years feel the competition is getting better from below, not weaker from above.
@Anna – Yes, to do what Ansonia does with so few kids year after year is remarkable.
Here is hoping for a staples domination of the fiac. We have a two year old score to settle(our last loss) after fumbling on the 1yd line!
Isnt ND-WH 4-2 with losses to hand and Xavier…i mean ND is a good team those two losses were against very talented teams…idk just thought there is a mistake there….and a prediction i think it will be a Hand and Masuk showdown in the L championship and Hand will win…
@XHS, good thing you’re only hoping for Staples. The guys from Monroe would stand a more probable chance of ending that streak. Who’d X beat last year in the playoffs…was the opposition the same quality as that faced by Masuk! Strength of playoff schedule? Masuk all the way.
Just kidding, but sometimes its good to see how the proverbial other show fits.
Honus, If you followed high school football in the offseason you would understand why Ansonia is ranked so high. They were involved in offseason programs that put them against the likes of Masuk, X, Ridgefield, Hand, ND and Ridgefield. Not only were they Hanging with these teams, they won. Ansonia was the only team I saw give Masuk problems. Ansonia is a big and athletic team. Last year they were all soph’s or first year starters. They are not resting on their laurels. They belong right where they are. Newsome is one of the states best talents and he has peers on this team.
@ Rich – wow, if off-season workouts really have something to do with how teams are ranked at week 6 then there is a serious flaw in the system
Honestly some of you people are absolutely outrageous. All Honus is saying is that Ansonia has a weak schedule, and they are ranked high because of their tradition…
So that was one take… Rich is taking the off-season approach as to why they are ranked so high in week 6…
I am officially stunned at the iq level, and the overall stupidity of some of these comments. Off season workouts give them the #3 in week 6… anyone, anyone else?
Masuk and Ansonia are great teams. Both do play questionable competition, which isn’t their fault and isn’t going to change so we shouldn’t cry about it. Masuk has continued its dominance and would be anyone in the state including Xavier and Ansonia. I do agree with Rich. Ansonia plays against elite level teams during the offseason and scrimmages the likes of ND-WH, WH, and shelton in scrimmages and hold their own and or win. Also, they did give masuk problems and caused they great Cochran to make many mistakes. They return everyone but Dobbs and went to the Championship last year so based on that and their undefeated they deserve the #3 spot. But there are many good teams this year that deserve good rankings and by the seasons end it will be sorted out.
@Rich
really the people that they played in the offseason? dont get me wrong ansonia is great, i think they would lose to mcmahon or norwalk, but they are great. but offseason opponents? really? if that is the case then new canaan is the best team in the state, last i checked they were going all over the country play teams like De LaSalle in Cali and Don Bosco last year. give me a break, listen ansonia is a great program, but they were a great program last year also and st. joes got them pretty good
and if returning players from a team that went to a state championship the year before is qualification to get in the top 3 then new canaan should be their every year. last i checked nc has been to 5 straight and about to be six straight and they return the best quarterback in the state.
@Xhs – fumbling on the one wasn’t your only problem that night in Wilton – #26 put up 225 on you (approx. 325 in all purpose yards) and #35 torched your secondary for a number of big catches. Give credit where credit is due…
i dont think that x wants to see staples. we will know alot more about staples in the next few weeks, but i think that the fciac is actually pretty decent this season, i actually would like to see norwalk in the state playoffs to see how far they can go.
Say it doesn’t count , say Preseason doesn’t count, but the only way for voters to have a clue on who is or is not going to be good is not solely based on the previous year…sorry! Offseason gets people talking and preseason gives them a little more of an idea. Your mistaken if you think these things don’t come into play.
If they don’t have common opponents than there has to be something else. They were put there and the opinion still hasn’t changed! They did what they had to do, in a big way, with what was in front of them. The people who matter, NOT YOU!, still believe they belong there. They do by the way. Cry, kick, scream and hate all you want it won’t change the fact that Ansonia is where they should be.
Pat Myballs, they are there because that’s where they started for said reasons. They didn’t do anything to lose that spot. I’m amazed that something as simple as a state football ranking has someone with your intelligence so confused! It works like this Richard Cranium, a couple guys pick teams based on observation and second hand info. More people think Ansonia is the third best team. You should be able to understand something so simple.
Hey Spreadofan12… If only Masuk could get out of the Pop Warner league. You and your Pop Warner friends would find out what REAL football is!!!
Captainobvious, absolutely right. Now how about Week 6 going into Week 7? Does pre-season still play a part?
And actually do your HW, New Canaan started 3 in most of the polls, Ansonia 4. One Poll had Ansonia 3. Including SPB which had New Canaan 2, and then Ansonia, after some bad starts, New Canaan games came down to the wire they were bumped back to 3, and in the polls.
So el capitan, to quote the legendary John Sterling, do your homework, it’s not where Ansonia started. though close.
The argument I am making before you spell my name incorrectly which might I add I take offense too… Is that we just passed Week 6, we are heading into Week 7, and Rich made the statement that Ansonia won that ranking based on their offseason…. Give me a break, we should be judging teams based on what they did the first 6 weeks, do they deserve #3? YES but not because of their off season in week 6 or 7!
Also thank you for jabbing at my intelligence, means the world, perhaps if you read my statements, I never said Ansonia didn’t deserve #3. But perhaps you didn’t fully grasp, or fully read the statements, so intsead of knocking your intelligence, I’ll just ask that before you comment you examine what you are commenting on a little closer. Just a little.
Funny how Ansonia players are always picked as captains in the all state games by their peers. Real football, seriously? All I know is I’ve seen just about every team in the top ten so far and all of them are pretty good. Some have great passing attacks, some have great lines with awesome backs and some do all of the above. All of the teams we debate here have kids that can play in any league on any team. I just want to see some close games in the playoffs.
@ Prophet…NC has the second best QB in the state. Head to head, the kid from Monroe proved it in last year’s final. A QB rating of 150 ain’t too shabby…
@ rider, last year, every ranked team Masuk faced found out what real football is. We’ll see what happens this year, but with most of the guys who doled out the punishment back, the outcome is likely to be the same. Their conference affiliation is not their fault; moreover, the SWC isn’t as bad at the top as a lot of people here seem to think.
Cheers
Rider please do tell me what your version of “real” football is. As i check Masuk Handled New Canaan a powerhouse team without breaking too much of a sweat in the second half.
If we go based on what a team has done this season and who they play then Masuk wouldn’t be considered the #1 team by many of your standards and Ansonia wouldn’t be in the top 10.
@Weasel
its debatable between who the best QB in the state is. I would say you could flip a coin between Casey and Matt. Casey has more talent around him and is a more accurate passer, whereas Matt moves better in the pocket. In that State Championship game i think NC did a pretty good job in the first half, i would agree that Masuk was the better team on that day, but Matt put up big numbers that game and you could argue if his line could have protected him better could have put more pressure on Masuk. At halftime in that game anyone who was there watching it would have told you it could have went either way. Masuk blew it wide open and new canaan was at that point too one dimensional to stop the blitz and put passes on people. Also in my personal opinion Masuk had the states best player last year in Jon Testani. Testani, i believe, was the difference maker, not Casey. Hopefully we will get to see a rematch of that game again this year.
Funny how both QB’s play in the same exact system and run the same offense…also, while Testani was an awesome player he was not the states best last year…Dobbs was certainly better.
@prophet…fair enough. Agreed, they’re both fine quarterbacks and good kids. A1 and 1A is what we can call ‘em.