Mystery solved. The ball wasn’t in the arm Kyle McKinnon extended toward the pylon. It was in his left arm, as described by New Canaan coach Lou Marinelli to Dave Ruden in this blogpost. plus the Day of New London’s photo (at right).
I should have read Dave’s post more closely.
Still, very close. But clearly not good.
Still worth a watch below.
Original Post:
The Day’s of New London’s Peter Huoppi had a great video report on the New Canaan-New London game, including a clip of the thrilling conclusion, Dylan Leeming’s stop of Kyle McKinnon’s 2-point conversion run at the end of the game.
I think rewound and froze the clip a 100 times this past hour and… I don’t know. That looked awful close.
The clip is shot from across the field, in pouring rain. Plus the frame rate, while good, isn’t nearly as high to exactly pinpoint when McKinnon stretched his arm toward the pylon.
The saving grace — for high school, at least — is that the side judge is looking at it the whole way. He’s right on top of the play. He made the call and stuck with it.
But… man, oh man, oh man, that was close. That was so close, and this is high school, you almost have to give it to them there, no?
Gutwrenching play.
I feel for New London and its 18 seniors. It was decided by nanometers. It was that kind of game.
Masuk's Colin Markus takes a handoff in Super Tuesday's 28-14 victory over North Haven.
Pat Tripodi (30) and Andrew Sebben (41) knock down North Haven's John Paul DeVeglia.
Pulling into the parking lot at Trumbull’s McDougall Stadium, you got the feeling this wasn’t going to be a typical night for Masuk’s football team. The rain, which had started just a few hours before, morphed from mildly annoying to downright disconcerting.
Feels like North Haven football weather, I thought. North Haven football coach Tony Sagnella must be loving this. Now if only he could get some wind, too.
Cue the wind that blew my umbrella inside-out.
Yup. This was North Haven football weather.
“I thought the football gods might have been on our side today,” Sagnella said. “We weren’t going to be bothered by it.”
It was an hour before game time and, already, a 49-8 Masuk pick on this space wasn’t looking even remotely possible.
But, as Masuk gunslinger Casey Cochran had said just the week before, it takes more than one moving part to make a championship football team. Rain, wind, floods, heck even earthquakes were no excuse. Not now. Not in the playoffs.
You either pouted and whined, or you lined up and figured it out.
And, for a while at least, Masuk couldn’t quite figure it out. Cochran’s passes were flying all over creation. They were dropped, tipped, skipped, nearly picked off or just blown away.
North Haven had no such issues. Sagnella has built an entire program — which was making its third state playoff appearance in 5 years — around old-fashioned, methodical, power football. They run the single-wing offense religiously, the same way Pomperaug used to run double wing for most of the last decade.
Sprinkle in some players who grew more emboldened by every Masuk misstep, and you had yourself a football game. A raw, crawl-through-the trenches football game.
Not exactly Masuk’s style.
Masuk was up 14-0 just on sheer talent. But North Haven stuck to what brought it and just pounded away, keeping the ball out of Cochran’s hands for an insane 10:30 of the third quarter, pushing Masuk’s otherwise excellent defense to the brink of exhaustion. Consider that Masuk averages more points than there are minutes in a football game, the formula for the upset was in the making.
But again, it takes many moving parts to make a football team. So, with Cochran’s passes disconnecting, Masuk finally turned to a sure thing: Tailback Colin Markus. “Once the pass wasn’t working, I figured they’d come to me,” he said. Markus put the Panthers on his back, quickly snatched back the lead and asked the defense to make one more stop.
Masuk coach John Murphy watches his team compete in the state quarterfinals.
“I like how our kids handled the adversity,” Masuk coach John Murphy said. “They came out in the second half and punched us in the face, then they got the onside kick and punched us in the face again. To respond from that, for our guys to make, to survive these conditions … I can’t say enough about my guys.”
It wasn’t the best game of the night — those honors went to Wolcott’s overtime win over Ellington/Somers and New Canaan’s spine-tingling 27-26 victory over New London [See below]. But it certainly raised the most eyebrows.
Though two of the four SCC teams were sent packing on this evening — Windsor, the CCC’s best team, outlasted ineffective Notre Dame-West Haven on the other side of the bracket — the league’s denizens were already cooing about the suddenly rosier prospects of one Daniel Hand High School before Masuk’s soaked football players had even boarded the bus.
They smell blood. If Masuk had trouble against s little ol’ SCC Division II team. How ever will it contend against an unbeaten one from the big, bad SCC Division I?
We’re about to find out.
It’s on. Casey Cochran’s Flying Circus comes to West Haven Saturday night for a long-awaited playoff date with Joe DeMichele, Nick Vitale, Henry Foye and the Hand Tigers.
Apollo, you wanna ring the bell?
♦♦♦
Elsewhere on this dismally dark, balmy and stormy night, Year 2 of the CIAC’s expanded state playoff slate produced great matchups and great games galore. And it all resulted in some big-time Saturday games.
Saturday’s state semifinal sites have been announced:
Class LL: Xavier (11-0) vs. Norwalk (9-1) at West Haven, 2 p.m.; Staples (10-0) vs. Newtown (9-2) at Bunnell, 2 p.m. | Class L: New Canaan (10-1) vs. Windsor (11-0) at East Haven, 2 p.m. | Masuk (11-0) vs. Hand (11-0) at West Haven 7 p.m. | Class M: Ansonia (12-0) vs. Berlin (10-1) at Sheehan, 2 p.m. | Wolcott (8-3) vs. Ledyard (10-1) at Middletown, 2 p.m. | Class S: Holy Cross (10-2) vs. Valley Regional/Old Lyme (10-0) at Falcon Field, Meriden; Cromwell (9-2) vs. Northwest Catholic (9-2) at Cheshire, 2 p.m.
Here in Shangri-La, six of our nine playoff teams won and moved onto the semifinals: Staples, Norwalk and Newtown in Class LL. New Canaan and Masuk in Class L. Ansonia in Class M.
Your recap, our thoughts:
Staples tailback Jon Heil ran for 366 yards vs. Ridgefield.
STAPLES got on the back of Jon Heil, who ran for an astounding 366 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-21 victory over FCIAC rival Ridgefield. It was astounding because, A) Heil’s a backup behind Joey Zelkowitz, whose shoulder forced him to miss this game. B) No one on Staples ever runs for that many yards; and C) Ridgefield is still a pretty good football team.
That was ridiculous.
“We had a bunch of other plays including some passes ready to go,” Staples coach Marce Petroccio said. “But they couldn’t tackle Heil. So we just said `Keep giving him the ball until they stop him.’ ”
Ridgefield finishes a fine season 8-3 and its first state playoff berth in six years. It’s still a very young team. Its time is coming. “We’re still trying to get to that level,” coach Kevin Callahan said.
Perhaps showing a little malaise from its 46-7 loss to Masuk in the SWC title game, the Nighthawks fell behind early but turned on the jets in the second half.
“What the kids did in the offseason is they set their sights on (this win) and they were able to obtain their first goal,” coach Steve George said. “I’m happy to be a part of it, as they are.”
Newtown now faces another massive challenge when it takes on FCIAC champion Staples in the state semifinals at Bunnell on Saturday at 2 p.m.
♦♦♦
Norwalk's Delshawn Wilson and Bobby Stringfellow swarm for a tackle in Norwalk's 21-15 win over Hall.
Like Newtown, NORWALK reached a milestone of its own: The school’s first football playoff victory, 21-15 over Conard in West Hartford. The Bears, who, like first-year coach Sean Ireland said, weren’t supposed to do anything this year, used their usual formula. Big plays by QB Delshawn Wilson and Derek Edwards. Then bone-crushing defense, particularly from senior Johnny Anzalone (two interceptions).
“We’re the first,” Wilson said. “They’re going to be talking about us for a couple of years down the line.”
We’ll go out on a limb and say more than a couple, Delshawn.
A huge goal already in its back pocket, Norwalk is now playing with house money as it heads to West Haven at 2 p.m. to face top ranked and unbeaten and reigning No. 1 Xavier, which put the hurt on Glastonbury 35-6.
“Are they a great team? Yes,” Ireland said. “Are they the best team in the state? Yes. But we’re going to go play as hard as we can and see what happens.”
♦♦♦
Dylan Leeming stops New London
What can anyone say about NEW CANAAN’s 27-26 road playoff victory over New London? Pick your superlative, the game was that good. New London pulled to within one point with seconds left and pulled a Lou Marinelli: going for the victory with a two point conversion. As anyone on Greenwich can attest, with Kyle McKinnon on New London’s side, it was a sure thing.
But Dylan Leeming came up with the play of the year: He bolted into McKinnon and stopped the electric back inches short of the goal line.
“I saw him cut back and I didn’t think I would be able to get there,” Leeming said. “We collided, I snapped back and I guess he did too. I fell backwards and didn’t even know what happened.”
That pretty much was the story of the night for New Canaan, which had a few of them to tell. McKinnon ran for 227 yards, and he wasn’t even the game’s leading rusher. That honor went to New Canaan (New Canaan?!?). Kevin McDonough: 230.
Throw in a tidbit about QB Matt Milano throwing for under a 100 yards (what?), yet somehow tossing a TD strike to Peter Kraus and then scoring the go-ahead TD on a 31-yard run.
Just. Wow.
“NC’s a great team and well coached and QB is a hell of a baller,” New London QB Rob Key wrote to me on Twitter just hours afterward.
You could pretty much say that about the previous five New Canaan teams, too. This one’s got it.
They’re one win over Windsor away from reaching yet another state championship game.
♦♦♦
As for WINDSOR’s impressive 14-7 victory over NOTRE DAME in the Class L bracket, I suspect I fell for the same deductive reasoning that most people fall for when they speak of the top SWC or NVL teams. They put up great numbers, but who have they played?
I wrote them down as a winner before being influenced to change my mind in favor of the big-time SCC team.
Wrong. Though the CCC’s Hall, Glastonbury and Conard were all bounced from the Class LL draw, Windsor struck a blow for the league with great defense and big plays in its 14-7 victory over the Green Knights. Notre Dame, which was expected to make a major dent in the Class L playoffs, moved the ball but couldn’t score in crunch time.
Windsor is 11-0. It’s a great team. Aaron Berardino is one of the best in the state. He has talent surrounding him. Windsor-New Canaan will be a show.
♦♦♦
Arkeel Newsome runs for some of his 303 yards in Ansonia
ANSONIA took the first step in securing its first state championship since 2007 with a thorough 35-6 victory over Bethel in the rain and slop at Jarvis Stadium.
And, while lineman Dylan Vano described playing on the muddied turf as “walking on ice skates,” you’d never know it by looking at Arkeel Newsome‘s stat line.
He had another outstanding game, rushing for 303 yards and three touchdowns. His numbers are fast approaching Alex Thomas and Montrell Dobbs territory. For the year, Newsome has run for 3,079 yards and has scored a state-record 53 touchdowns.
As for Bethel, the Wildcats knew they were in for a tough one. Unlike two years ago, when Bethel stunned New London, even a perfect performance probably wouldn’t have been enough. But seniors like Brandon Schmidt and Brian Birdsell walk out the door proud with the knowledge they helped put together one of the best football runs in school history and Bethel on the map.
♦♦♦
We won’t delve into too many specifics here on the Class S tournament. It is blessed (and we mean blessed) with no teams from Shangri-La. But both Catholic schools, Northwest Catholic and Holy Cross won. They sit on separate sides of the bracket. Only Valley Regional and Cromwell stand in their way of a playoff holy war.
By the way, huge props to the CSC teams. Both Capital Prep and Cheney Tech didn’t win their games. But they were far from mince meat like other CSC playoff teams before them. They represented Tech school football well. It bodes well for them and their opponents.
Eight of the nine regional playoff teams (Clockwise from top left): Bethel's Brandon Schmidt; Masuk's Colin Markus; Newtown's Lou Fenaroli; Staples' Nick Kelly; Norwalk's Gil Arujo; Ridgefield's Connor Rowe; Ansonia's Arkeel Newsome; New Canaan's Matt Milano.
The Live Blog
NORTH vs. SOUTH
The early part of the last decade was good to the Central Connecticut Conference. Bloomfield and New Britain dominated (mostly under the tutelage of coach Jack Cochran), won six state championships from 2000-2005. By no means was it boss, but it was respectable.
But since 2004, pickings have been slim. Teams waving the CCC banner have gone 2-7 in state championship games and have done even worse in the earlier rounds.
In 2008, while Glastonbury was capping off a 13-0 championship season, Masuk crushed two CCC teams by a combined score of 106-35 and the league went 3-4.
In 2009, it got worse. The CCC sent six teams to the playoffs and went 3-5 even as new member Berlin, fresh over from the defunct Nutmeg league, won the Class M title. Simsbury and Conard were hammered by Pomperaug and Notre Dame-WH in Class L.
This play, Glastonbury’s 2-point conversion stop in a 7-6 win over Staples in the Class LL quarterfinals, was all that kept the CCC from going winless in the 2010 state playoffs.
Despite expansion to 32 teams, the league bottomed out in the new playoff format in 2010. Glastonbury broke through to the semifinals with a 7-6 win over Staples, prompting then-Glastonbury coach Peter Pfeffer to famously state, “I don’t think they know anything about us. …We have football up here. So what ever happens down in Fairfield County should stay down in Fairfield county. That’s all I have to say.”
Meanwhile, Pfeffer’s league was collapsing around him. The CCC went 1-7 that quarterfinal night. No. 1 M seed Berlin was upset by Hillhouse 33-30. The other six teams lost by a combined score of 39-12. Glastonbury fell to Xavier 24-13 the following Saturday, eliminating the conference from title contention.
This year the CCC brings seven teams to the table, including high-flying Windsor in Class L, returners Glastonbury, Hall and Conard in Class LL and Berlin in M, Rocky Hill and Northwest Catholic in Class S.
Many of the large schools’ opponents once again go head-to-head with Southern Connecticut (a.k.a. Shangri-La): Top-seeded and 10-0 Windsor takes on No. 8 seed Notre Dame-WH of the SCC and everybody (NHR, The Day, us) seems to be picking ND to win; Hall hosts SWC runner-up Newtown; Conard hosts Norwalk of the FCIAC. Glastonbury faces the freight train we call Xavier, a northern team playing in a southern conference (we won’t count that one).
The smaller CCC teams face off against the Pequot and CSC. Berlin plays Cheney Tech; Northwest Catholic plays North Branford; Rocky Hill travels to Valley Regional/Old Lyme.
Suffice it to say, the games against NDWH, Newtown and Norwalk will be watched closely tonight. Will this be a big bounce-back year for the embattled CCC? Or will it be more of the same? Most observers are picking against them, this is their shot to turn it around.
Conversely, commissioner Al Carbone and the rest of the SCC mavens have a chance to make a big statement about their rule as the state’s best league. “S-C-C! …S-C-C! …S-C-C!” You hear it all the time, like a pie to the face for most regions.
With Xavier heavily favored in Class LL, NDWH, North Haven and Hand all in the Class L field alongside Masuk, Windsor, New Canaan and New London, the league has a great opportunity to plant its flag high above the mountain.
No. 2 Hand hosts Coventry/Windham Tech at the balmy Surf Club in Madison tonight
Class M
No. 8 Bethel dives right into the the belly of the beast with a trip to legendary Jarvis Stadium to face 16-time state champion and No. 1-seeded Ansonia.
Also, out of our area, but on the radio/internet tonight:
Welcome back, my friends. Hope the Turkey went down well.
Welcome back to high school football. Welcome to the second season.
It’s Year 2 of the CIAC’s gloriously expanded playoff field (I’m a fan). Four divisions. Four champonships at stake. Eight teams enter, four teams leave and leap head-first into an uber short week before the state semifinals. It’s a tough stretch to get to the championship. But once you’re there, it’s a well-deserved week before the state championship games at Rentschler Field.
In the four-division, 32-team field features two returning state champions (Xavier and Masuk), three returning finalists (Ansonia, New London and New Canaan), and nine other repeat qualifiers (Staples, Glastonbury, Hall, Conard, Hand, North Haven, Berlin, Valley Regional/Old Lyme and Cromwell).
That means there are 18 new teams in this year’s field. In Newtown, Norwalk and Ridgefield in Class LL. Windsor, Notre Dame-WH, Coventry/Windham Tech in Class L; Bethel, Ellington/Somers, Ledyard, Cheney Tech, Wolcott, Waterford in Class M; Holy Cross, Northwest Catholic, North Branford, Capital Prep/Classical Magnet, Haddam-Killingworth; Rocky Hill in Class S.
Wolcott, Ellington/Somers, Cheney Tech and Capital Prep/Classical are all making their first playoff appearances.
As always, we’ll be keeping an eye on how the leagues fare: So here’s your league-by-league breakdown:
Pequot (6): Ellington/Somers, Coventry/Windham Tech, North Branford, Haddam-Killingworth, Cromwell, Valley Regional/Old Lyme. (Four of these teams are in Class S; none play each other in the 1st round).
FCIAC (4): Staples, Ridgefield, Norwalk, New Canaan. (Staples and Ridgefield play each other).
SCC (4): Xavier, Hand, Notre Dame-WH, North Haven.
SWC (3): Newtown, Masuk, Bethel.
ECC (3): New London, Ledyard, Waterford (Ledyard and Waterford play each other).
NVL (3): Ansonia, Wolcott, Holy Cross
CSC (2): Capital Prep/Classical; Cheney Tech
The Connecticut Post/Stamford Advocate/Danbury News-Times SWCT region features nine state playoff teams: Staples, Ridgefield, Norwalk, Newtown in Class LL; New Canaan, Masuk, Notre Dame-WH in Class L; Ansonia and Bethel in Class M. No one in Class S.
Here’s the playoff schedule:
Quarterfinals: Tuesday Nov. 29 – 6:30 p.m. at sites of the higher seed (except Rocky Hill-Valley Regional, which is at 5:30 p.m.
Semifinals: Saturday, Dec 3 at the following sites
Middletown HS (2 p.m.)
Cheshire HS (2 p.m.)
Bunnell HS (2 p.m.)
Sheehan HS (2 p.m.)
East Haven HS (2 p.m.)
Falcon Field, Meriden (2 p.m.)
Municipal Stadium, Waterbury (2 p.m.)
West Haven HS (two games at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.)
Championships: Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10 at Rentschler Field (One game on Friday evening at 6:30 / Three games on Saturday at 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.)
We’ll start with Class LL and L because all but two of our regional teams reside here.
Class LL
No. 8 Glastonbury at No. 1 Xavier
WHERE — Palmer Field, Middletown RECORDS — Glastonbury 8-2 (CCC Division I East champion), Xavier 10-0 (SCC Division I West champion) PLAYOFF RECORD — Glastonbury 5-3; Xavier 5-3 LAST APPEARANCE –Glastonbury: 2010 (1-1, lost to Xavier 24-13 in LL quarterfinals); Xavier: 2010 (3-0 Class LL champions, defeated Trumbull 24-7). PLAYERS TO WATCH – Glastonbury: Sr. WR/DB Bobby Solecki, Sr. WR/DB Nick Welsh; Soph. QB Josh Hill; Sr. OL/DL Thomas Bakre (6-0, 215). Xavier: Sr. RB Mike Mastroianni (1,136 yards, 8 TD rushing); Sr. QB/DB Pat D’Amato; Sr. OL/DL Sean Marinan; Sr. OL/DL Austin Wezenski; Sr. WR/DB Ryan Jacobucci (5 INT); Sr. TE/LB Ryan Murphy; Sr. LB Jovan Santos. YOU SHOULD KNOW – Glastonbury has scored 22 rushing TDs, just 5 passing despite running in a spread offense. The defense has posted four shutouts, and has allowed just 77 points this season, third best in the state. …It averages just 25 points per game, lowest in Class L playoffs. …Coach Scott Daniels took over for Peter Peiffer this year. …Xavier, the reigning No. 1 team in the state, is on a state-best 23-game win streak (tied with Masuk). Hasn’t lost since the 2009 Class LL semifinals (to Staples 31-27). …Xavier has allowed 76 points, second-best in the state. It has posted three shut outs. …Xavier has scored 423 points, sixth-best total in state. …QB D’Amato is committed to Stony Brook; Santos is committed to UMass. OUR PICK – Xavier 48-7
No. 5 Norwalk at No. 4 Conard
WHERE — Conard HS, West Hartford RECORDS — Norwalk 8-1, Conard 9-1 (CCC Division I East co-champion) PLAYOFF RECORD — Norwalk 0-1; Conard 0-4 LAST APPEARANCE –Norwalk: 1998 (0-1, lost to Southington 34-22 in Class LL semifinals); Conard: 2010 (0-1, lost to Trumbull 27-6 in Class LL quarterfinals). PLAYERS TO WATCH – Norwalk: Sr. QB/DB Delshawn Wilson (1,675 yards, 17 TD total offense; 6 INT); Sr. TE/DE Gil Arujo (6 sacks); Sr. WR/DB Derek Edwards (504 yards, 7 TD receiving); Sr. DE Kwazee Rice (9 sacks); Soph. Cory Barrett (6-1, 228); Sr. LB Patrick Whalen (6-0, 204) Conard: Sr. RB Ricky Cotton (1,239 yards, 13 TDs rushing); Sr. LB Dominick Spaulding (6-1, 220); Sr. DE Chris Reckmeyer (6-2, 235); Jr. QB Owen Snyder (6-2, 180). YOU SHOULD KNOW – This is Norwalk’s first state playoff berth since 1998. It’s only loss was to New Canaan 28-14. …Norwalk leads the state in sacks with 38.5, led by Whalen and Rice. Defense also has 14 interceptions and allows 12.0 points per game. …With 243 points, Norwalk averages the second-least offensive points in Class LL playoffs (27 ppg). …Conard allows 9.1 points per game and scores an average of 32.5 per game. …Its only loss was to Hall 20-0 at the end of the regular season. OUR PICK – Norwalk 24-14
No. 6 Newtown at No. 3 Hall
WHERE — Hall HS Stadium, West Hartford RECORDS — Newtown 8-2 (SWC runners-up), Hall 9-1 (CCC Division I East co-champion) PLAYOFF RECORD — Newtown 3-7; Hall 0-4 LAST APPEARANCE –Newtown: 2008 (0-1, lost to Glastonbury 42-28 in Class LL semifinals); Hall: 2010 (0-1, lost to NFA 30-14 in Class LL quarterfinals). PLAYERS TO WATCH – Newtown: Sr. RB/LB Lou Fenaroli (1,598 yards, 24 TDs rushing); Sr. OL/DE Tyler Hassett (8.5 sacks); Sr. OL/DL Mac Morlock (6-3, 265); Jr. WR/DB Dan Hebert (8 TD, 6 INT); Jr. WR Justin Devellis; Sr. WR/DL Mike Lord ; Hall: Sr. WR/ Ian Dugger (829 yards, 12 TD receiving; 9 tackles/gm; 4 INT); Sr. QB George Lund (1,332 yards, 16 TD passing); Sr. ILB/RB Jesse Maltz (311 yards rushing; 6.7 tackles per game, 5 sacks); Sr. RB/LB Christian Bohn (691 yards rushing). YOU SHOULD KNOW – Newtown switched to Soph. QB Drew Tarantino after a 16-9 loss to Pomperaug in Week 4. …He’s thrown for over 1,000 yards, 10 TDs and 4 interceptions (3 vs Masuk). Newtown won five straight afterward, including a 54-48 OT win over Bunnell to clinch a state playoff berth. …Newtown’s other loss was 46-7 vs. Masuk on Thanksgiving eve. …Newtown has 17 interceptions, fifth-most in the state. …Fenaroli is the single-season rushing record holder at Newtown. …Hall’s only loss was 19-0 to New Britain, a game in which Hall committed six turnovers. …Hall has won six straight by an average score of 30-13, including a 20-0 victory over unbeaten Conard in Week 10. …Dugger is 10th in the state in receiving yards. OUR PICK – Newtown 34-21
No. 7 Ridgefield at No. 2 Staples
WHERE — Tom Fujitani Field, Wilton RECORDS — Ridgefield 8-2; Staples 9-0 (FCIAC Champions)
PLAYOFF RECORD — Ridgefield: 3-1; Staples 9-7
LAST APPEARANCE –Ridgefield: 2005 (0-1, lost to Masuk 18-16 in Class L semifinals); Staples: 2010 (0-1, lost to Glastonbury 7-6 in Class LL quarterfinals).
PLAYERS TO WATCH – Ridgefield: Jr. RB/KR Sam Gravitte (753 yards, 12 TDs rushing); Jr. QB Connor Rowe (1,807 yards, 16 TD, 11 INT passing); Sr. RB/LB John Turner (671 yards, 7 TD rushing); Sr. LB Adrian Jones; Sr. OL/DE Mike Tarantino; Sr. OL/DE Matt Flanagan (5 TD, 4 sacks) Staples: Sr. RB/DB Nick Kelly (14 TD); Jr. WR/DB James Frusciante (3 INT); Sr. OL/DL Bo Gibson (6-0, 245); Jr. RB Joey Zelkowitz (800 yards, 10 TD rushing); Jr. LB Pieter Hoets (8 sacks). YOU SHOULD KNOW – The teams met in a preseason scrimmage Sept. 5., but did not meet in the regular season. …Staples defeated Ridgefield 31-17 in Week 3 of 2010. …Ridgefield’s last victory over Staples was 36-7 in 2008. Staples has won two straight. …Staples’ Joey Zelkowitz missed two games due to a shoulder injury. LB Kevin Kearney has missed the last three games. ..Staples leads the state in sacks with 43. …LB/K Robbie Wolf has 7 field goals. …Ridgefield’s only losses were to Greenwich and Norwalk. …It has 16 interceptions, sixth most in the state. …Gravitte averages 12 points per game (21st best in state). Rowe averages over 200 yards in total offense. …Common opponents in the FCIAC: Greenwich (Staples won 31-27; Ridgefield lost 16-3); McMahon (Staples won 24-21; Ridgefield won 14-13); Warde (Staples won 35-17; Ridgefield won 37-20); Central (Staples won 48-8; Ridgefield won 48-32); Danbury (Staples won 31-12; Ridgefield won 56-14). OUR PICK – Staples 27-17
Class L
No. 8 Notre Dame-WH at No. 1 Windsor
WHERE — Windsor High School RECORDS — Notre Dame-WH 8-2; Windsor 10-0 (CCC Division II West champion) PLAYOFF RECORD — Notre Dame-WH: 5-3; Windsor 1-3 LAST APPEARANCE –Notre Dame-WH: 2009 (2-0, defeated Pomperaug 28-21 in Class L final); Windsor: 2008 (1-2, lost to Masuk 50-12 in Class L semifinals. PLAYERS TO WATCH – Windsor: Sr. WR/S Aaron Berardino (1,182 yards, 17 TD receiving); Jr. LB Kamahl Valentine (9.5 tackles/gm); Sr. LB Mike Joseph (8 tackles/gm); Sr. RB Kymm Jordan (588 yards rushing); Jr. QB Rob Fleeting (2,445, 28 TD, 5 INT passing; 418 yards, 4 TDs rushing); Notre Dame: Sr. RB Amihr Bess (722 yards, 8 TD rushing); Sr. RB/LB Javon Grey (929 yards, 13 TD rushing); Sr. LB Davante Mallard (7.8 tackles/gm); Sr. DB Eamon DelTorro (4 INT, 3 TD); Sr. DB Anthony Masucci (8.2 tackles/gm); Sr. T Ludovic Richardson (6-3, 277); Sr. DB Maliik Tinney (4 INT) YOU SHOULD KNOW – Notre Dame’s opponents were a combined 53-38 this year… ND’s only losses were to 10-0 Xavier (36-7) and 10-0 Hand (24-14). …ND averages 276 rushing yards per game, 36 passing. …Notre Dame has the 15th-best rushing offense in Connecticut, 2,487 yards. …Windsor has the state’s third-ranked passing offense (2,641 yards) and is sixth in total offense (4,256). …Windsor has the fourth-most sacks in the state with 31. …Fleeting, the son of Windsor coach Rob Fleeting, is second in the state in total offense, fourth in passing yards. …Berardino has the second-most receiving yards in the state and is No. 3 in scoring (17.2 ppg). OUR PICK – Notre Dame-WH 28-21
No. 5 New Canaan at No. 4 New London
WHERE — Canamella Field, New London HS RECORDS — New Canaan 9-1 (FCIAC East champion); New London 9-1 (ECC Large champion) PLAYOFF RECORD — New Canaan 18-5; New London 9-7 LAST APPEARANCE –New Canaan: 2010 (2-1, lost to Masuk 50-20 in Class L final); New London: 2010 (2-1, lost to Hillhouse 7-0 in Class M final) PLAYERS TO WATCH – New London: Sr. RB/LB Kyle McKinnon; Sr. OL/LB Brendan McNeil (6-0, 220); Sr. QB Robert Key; Sr. RB/DB Jevon Elmore. New Canaan: Sr. QB Matt Milano (2,362 yards, 30 TD passing); Sr. TE/DE Dylan Leeming; Sr. LB Kevin McDonough; Sr. WR/DB Patrick Newton (678 yards, 9 TD receiving); Sr. OL/DL Thomas Rochlin (6-2, 265); Sr. WR/LB Connor Kilbane; Sr. LB Bobby Distler; Sr. OL/DL Kalin Killinger (6-3, 285) YOU SHOULD KNOW – This is New Canaan’s seventh-straight state playoff appearance; it won four state titles and was runner-up once during that run …New Canaan has made the state finals five-straight years; the last time it failed to reach the final was with a Class MM loss to East Lyme in 2005. …Milano recently surpassed Kurt Horton as New Canaan’s all-time leading passer … New London reached last year’s Class M championship game, losing to Hillhouse. …McKinnon set the school’s career touchdown record this year. …New London’s only loss was 14-0 to Fitch. The Whalers defeated FCIAC opponent Greenwich 51-33 in Week 3. …New Canaan did not play Greenwich this season. …New Canaan’s only loss was to Stamford, 36-29. Milano missed most of the game due to a migraine. OUR PICK – New Canaan 34-30
No. 6 North Haven at No. 3 Masuk
WHERE — McDougall Stadium, Trumbull ECORDS — North Haven 9-1 (SCC Division II East champions); Masuk 10-0 (SWC Champions) PLAYOFF RECORD — North Haven 0-2; Masuk 11-10 LAST APPEARANCE –North Haven: 2010 (0-1, lost to Hand 19-7 in Class L quarterfinals); Masuk: 2010 (3-0, defeated New Canaan 50-20 in Class L final). PLAYERS TO WATCH – North Haven: Sr. RB/DB Jalon White (1,061 yards, 12 TD rushing); Sr. QB/DB Joe Shwab (1,006 yards, 14 TD rushing; 483 passing yards); FB/LB Mark Zurlis (6-0, 205); Sr. TE/LB Spencer Oakes; Sr. OL/DL Andrew Savinelli (6-2, 260) ; Masuk: Sr. QB Casey Cochran (2,634 yards, 35 TD, 3 INT passing); Sr. RB Colin Markus (1,330 yards, 18 TD rushing); Sr. LB Shawn Flynn; Sr. LB Matt Duignan; Sr. LB Pat Tripodi; Jr. WR Thomas Milone (1,011, 16 TD); Sr. WR Jason Piontowski; Sr. DB Nick Lauricella (4 INT); Sr. WR Brandon Cusmano. YOU SHOULD KNOW – Masuk has won 23-straight games dating back to Thanksgiving 2009. It was ranked No. 1 for two weeks and No. 2 since Week 4. …Cochran, a UConn commit, is 38-3 as a starting QB and has two state titles (New London and Masuk). …Cochran is the state’s all-time leading passer in yardage and touchdowns. …Milone is No. 5 in the state in receiving yards. …Masuk is the state’s top scoring offense (54 ppg), No. 2 in passing and No. 4 in total offense (4,722). …Masuk’s opponents were 40-60 this season. …Masuk failed to score in the first quarter for the first time all season vs. Newtown, but won 46-7. …North Haven is the third-best rushing team in the state (3,517 yards in 495 attempts and has passed for 604 yards. …North Haven’s only loss was to Class L No. 8 seed Notre Dame, 27-12. OUR PICK – Masuk 42-8
No. 7 Coventry/Windham Tech at No. 2 Hand
WHERE — The Surf Club, Madison RECORDS — Coventry/Windham Tech 9-1 (Pequot Sassaucas runners-up); Hand 10-0 (SCC Division I East champions) PLAYOFF RECORD — Coventry/Windham Tech 0-2; Hand 15-7 LAST APPEARANCE –Conventry/Windham Tech: 2006 (0-1, lost to New Canaan in Class MM semifinals); Hand: 2010 (1-1, lost to New Canaan 38-21 in Class L semifinals). PLAYERS TO WATCH – Coventry/Windham Tech: Sr. QB/DB Mike Fahey (6-0, 180); Jr. RB/LB Kyle Wing; Jr. WR/LB Tim Meyers Hand: Sr. WR/DB Nick Vitale; Sr. QB/S Henry Foye (1,803 yards, 20 TD); Sr. OL/D. Joe DeMichele (6-2, 285); Jr. FB/LB Matt Walsh (6-1, 220); Jr. OL/DE Peter Gerson (6-3, 215; 12 sacks). YOU SHOULD KNOW – Hand has completed the seventh unbeaten regular season in its history, last was 2007 (lost to New Canaan in Class MM final). …Coventry has 39 players on its CIAC roster; Hand has 62. …Vitale is committed to Stony Brook; His older brother Richie Vitale was the MVP of New London’s 2008 state title team. …Coventry’s only loss was to Class M participant Ellington/Somers on Thanksgiving, 27-14. …Coventry averages 34 ppg and allows 15 ppg. …It’s closest win was 26-21 over Avon. …Hand’s closest win was 24-14 over Class L qualifier Notre Dame-WH. OUR PICK – Hand 42-6
We move to the Class M and S previews. Just two regional teams reside here, and they’re playing each other. The rest of the contestants are all ECC, Pequot, CSC, CCC and upper-NVL.
Quarterfinals: Tuesday Nov. 29 – 6:30 p.m. at sites of the higher seed (except Rocky Hill-Valley Regional, which is at 5:30 p.m.
Semifinals: Saturday, Dec 3 at the following sites
Middletown HS (2 p.m.)
Cheshire HS (2 p.m.)
Bunnell HS (2 p.m.)
Sheehan HS (2 p.m.)
East Haven HS (2 p.m.)
Falcon Field, Meriden (2 p.m.)
Municipal Stadium, Waterbury (2 p.m.)
West Haven HS (two games at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.)
Championships: Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10 at Rentschler Field (One game on Friday evening at 6:30 / Three games on Saturday at 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.)
Class M
No. 8 Bethel at No. 1 Ansonia
WHERE — Jarvis Stadium, Ansonia RECORDS — Bethel 7-3, Ansonia 11-0 (NVL Champions) PLAYOFF RECORD — Bethel 1-2; Ansonia 26-14 LAST APPEARANCE –Bethel: 2009 (1-1, lost to Berlin 46-6 in Class M final); Ansonia (2-1, lost to St. Joseph 42-27 in Class S final). PLAYERS TO WATCH – Bethel: Sr. QB/DB Brandon Schmidt (1,373 yards, 15 TDs rushing; 815 yards, 2 TDs passing); Sr. LB/RB Brian Birdsell (933 yards, 15 TDs rushing; 15 tackles/gm); Sr. OL/DL Peter Serenicsis (8 sacks, 12 tackles/gm); Sr. OL/DL Phillipe Daluz (11 tackles/gm); Sr. RB/DB William Quinn (6 TD). Ansonia: Jr. RB/DB Arkeel Newsome (2,776 yards, 46 TDs rushing); Sr. TE/DE Jake LaRovera; Sr. LB Tyler Wood; Sr. OL/DL Dylan Vano; Sr. OL/DL Tyler Williams; Sr. OL/DL Hakeem Martin; Sr. WR/DB Andrew Matos (472 receiving yards, 5 TD); Sr. QB Elliot Chudwick. YOU SHOULD KNOW – Ansonia has won the most CIAC state championships in the state: 16. …Arkeel Newsome is the state’s leading rusher and, with 50 touchdowns, recently broke the single-season touchdown record held by former Ansonia all-state back Alex Thomas. …This is Bethel’s third state playoff berth and second in three years. Bethel reached the 1988 finals (lost to St. Joseph). …Bethel upset New London and lost to Berlin in 2009 Class M finals. Schmidt was a tailback in 2009. …Bethel’s has been outscored 108-21 in in its three losses: Newtown (33-7), Pomperaug (45-7) and Weston (30-7). The Wildcats upset Bunnell 56-46 in Week 8. OUR PICK – Ansonia 49-14
No. 5 Cheney Tech at No. 4 Berlin
WHERE — Scalise Field, Sage Park, Berlin RECORDS — Cheney Tech 9-1 (CSC runners-up); Berlin 9-1 PLAYOFF RECORD — Cheney Tech: 0-1; Berlin 3-13 LAST APPEARANCE –Cheney Tech: 2008 (0-1, lost to Ledyard 43-0 in Class M semifinals); Berlin: 2010 (0-1, lost to Hillhouse 33-30 in Class M quarterfinals). PLAYERS TO WATCH – Cheney Tech: Sr. RB/LB DaShaun Smith (16.3 ppg); Sr. QB/CB Dejahn Dawkins; Sr. RB/MLB Desean Higgins. Berlin: Sr. WR Tommy Undercuffler (616 yards, 5 TDs rushing; 490 yards, 6 TDs receiving); Soph. QB Mitch Williams (1,467 yards, 14 TDs passing); Jr. RB/LB Wojtus Zak; Jr. OL/DL Chris Meucci (4 sacks). YOU SHOULD KNOW – Berlin’s Tommy Undercuffler recently committed to Yale… Berlin’s only loss was to Class S playoff participant Northwest Catholic 20-3 in Week 5. … Berlin is ranked in the state’s top 25 in passing yards (1,513). …Cheney Tech is ranked No. 11 in the state in rushing yards with 2,719. …This is the school’s second solo playoff berth. It competed with East Catholic in the 2003 (Class L) and 2004 (Class LL) state playoffs. …Its only loss was to CSC champion and Class S participant Capital Prep, 34-22. OUR PICK – Berlin 39-0
No. 6 Waterford at No. 3 Ledyard
WHERE — Mignault Field, Ledyard RECORDS — Waterford 7-3; Ledyard 9-1 PLAYOFF RECORD — Waterford 0-1; Ledyard 8-7 LAST APPEARANCE –Waterford: 2003 (0-1, lost to Brookfield 28-12 in Class SS semifinals); Ledyard: 2008 (1-1, lost to Brookfield 16-14 in Class M final). PLAYERS TO WATCH – Waterford: Sr. FB/LB Kobey Coburn; Sr. FL/DB John Palladino; Sr. QB/DB Brian Gencarelli; Sr. RB Y-Kim Sheppard; Rr. OL/DL Ivar Wirta. Ledyard: Sr. RB/DB Alex Manwearing (2,068 yards, 16 TDs rushing); Jr. QB John Rainey (5 TDs passing); Sr. RB/LB Matt Daggett (12 tackles/gm; 6 sacks); Sr. TE/LB Dallas Smith (4 sacks). Sr. WR Slade Backsley. YOU SHOULD– Ledyard is 9th in the state in rushing yards (2,819). …Manwearing is fourth in the state and broke Tim Allen’s ECC season rushing record vs Fitch. …The teams met four weeks ago with Ledyard winning 15-7. …Ledyard’s only loss was to Class L participant New London, 33-14; Waterford’s other losses were to Montville (35-2) in Week 2 and CCC’s Windsor 42-13 two weeks ago. Gencarelli and Sheppard were injured in that game, but have returned. OUR PICK – Ledyard 21-14
No. 7 Wolcott at No. 2 Ellington/Somers
WHERE — Ellington High School RECORDS — Wolcott 7-3; Ellington/Somers 10-0 PLAYOFF RECORD — Wolcott: first appearance. Ellington/Somers: first appearance PLAYERS TO WATCH – Wolcott: Jr. QB Mike Nichol (1,481 yards, 14 TD passing; 816 yards, 12 TD rushing); Sr. RB Devante Bonvillian (623 yards, 10 TD rushing; 485 yards, 3 TD receiving); Sr. RB/LB Joe Russo; Soph. LB Mike Coulliard (8 INT); Soph. WR/DB Adam Santopietro. Ellington/Somers: Sr. QB/LB Bryan Rider (537 yards, 5 TD passing); Sr. RB/DB Mitch DiResta (950 yards, 9 TD rushing; 5 INT); Sr. RB/LB Luke Levasseur; Sr. RB/LB Jake Schneider (4 sacks). YOUR SHOULD KNOW – Wolcott averages 27 points per game, allows 25. It comes into the playoffs having lost two of its final three games, to NVL Championship game participants Ansonia 48-14 and Holy Cross 35-20. …Wolcott has only allowed less than 12 points once, a 14-6 win over Kennedy. …Ellington/Somers allows just 7.1 points per game, 2nd in the state. It has two shutouts and seven victories in which it allowed less than 10 points. …Ellington/Somers’ closest win was a 10-8 victory over Stafford/East Windsor. OUR PICK – Wolcott 32-14
Class S
No. 8 Cromwell at No. 1 Capital Prep/Classical Magnet
WHERE — Dillon Stadium, Hartford RECORDS — Cromwell 8-2; Capital Prep/Classical Magnet 10-0 (CSC champions) PLAYOFF RECORD — Cromwell 4-5; Capital Prep/Classical Magnet: First appearance LAST APPEARANCE –Cromwell: 4-5; Capital Prep/Classical: None. PLAYERS TO WATCH – Cromwell: Anthony Morales (2,993 yards, 38 TDs); Derrick Villard (1,550 yards, 21 TDs rushing); Sr. OL/DL Mike Sullivan; Sr. WR/DB/K Brett Director (838 yards, 9 TDs receiving); Capital Prep/Classical: Sr. RB/LB Cre’shon Morrison (1,614 yards, 24 TDs rushing); Jr. QB/DB Antwan Byrd; Soph. RB/LB Mike Jones (6-1, 235), Sr. WR Derrick Sarfo-Darko (702 yards, 3 TDs receiving) YOU SHOULD KNOW – Cromwell’s Morales is the state’s leading passer; Villard is the state’s seventh-leading rushers. …Cromwell has 5,122 yards of total offense, best in the state. It also owns the state’s top-ranked passing attack and is third-highest scoring team (44.2 ppg). …Cromwell is also No. 3 in sacks (32). …Capital Prep’s Morrison is ninth on the state rushing list and is sixth in the state scoring list with 16.9 points per game. …This is just Capital Prep/Classical’s third varsity season. OUR PICK – Cromwell 49-7
No. 5 Northwest Catholic at No. 4 North Branford
WHERE — Colafati Field, North Branford RECORDS — Northwest Catholic 8-2; North Branford 9-1 PLAYOFF RECORD — NWC 1-4; North Branford 2-5 LAST APPEARANCE –NWC: 2009 (1-1, lost to Hyde 21-0 in Class S final); North Branford: 2008 (0-1, lost to Ansonia 28-0 in Class S semifinal). PLAYERS TO WATCH – North Branford: Jr. QB Brandan Basil (2,010 yards, 29 TDs passing); Jr. RB/LB Dale Hausman (783 yards, 12 TDs rushing); Jr. Joe DeLucia (491 yards, 11 TDs receiving); Jr. LB Gary Falanga; Sr. G/LB Anthony Franco (13.1 tackles/gm).Northwest Catholic: Sr. QB/DB Tyler Calitri; Sr. RB Anthony Carter; Sr. WR David Blackwell; Jr. WR/RB/S Nicholas Gaynor; Sr. C/DT Malik Reilly; Sr. OG/DT Wesley Hopkins; Sr. DB Christian Farrell YOU SHOULD KNOW – North Branford lost the season-opening game 48-47 to Valley Regional and has since won nine straight. …The T-Birds are seventh in the state in scoring (40 ppg) and 12th in total offense. …Basil, the son of coach Mark Basil, is ranked 11th in the state in passing yards. …DeLucia is the 20th ranked scorer in the state (12 ppg). …NWC has allowed 66 points, No. 1 in Connecticut, including five shut outs. NWC averages 34 points per game. …It’s losses were to CCC Division II West foes Rocky Hill (14-13 on Thanksgiving) and Bloomfield (29-28 in OT). OUR PICK – Northwest Catholic 23-20
No. 6 Rocky Hill at No. 3 Valley Regional/Old Lyme
WHERE — Valley Regional High School, Deep River – 5:30 p.m. RECORDS — Valley Regional/Old Lyme 9-1; Rocky Hill 8-2 PLAYOFF RECORD — Valley Regional/Old Lyme 1-1; Rocky Hill 0-2 LAST APPEARANCE –Valley Regional/Old Lyme:2010 (1-1, lost to St. Joseph 44-7 in Class S semifinals); Rocky Hill: 2008 (0-1, lost to Seymour in Class SS semifinals). PLAYERS TO WATCH – Valley Regional/Old Lyme: Sr. QB/FS Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn (936 yards, 13 TDs passing; 1,305 yards, 22 TDs rushing; 11.8 tackles, 6 INT); Sr. DB/RB Jordan Santil; Sr. DT/G Justus Doane (6-0, 248); Rocky Hill: Soph. RB/LB Chris Young (1,438 yards, 20 TDs rushing); Jr. RB/LB Alex DeNardo (913 yards, 12 TDs rushing); Sr. WR/DB Matt Clapp; Sr. G/LB Nick Carducci (5-8, 140). YOU SHOULD KNOW – Rocky Hill was 2-2 near midseason and finished with six straight wins, including a 13-12 upset of Northwest Catholic, to qualify for its third state playoff berth. …Rocky Hill has the eighth-most rushing yards in Connecticut (2,819 yards); has only passed for just 154 yards and 2 TDs this year on 32 attempts. …Valley is 14th in the state in rushing, and 18th in total offense, led by Sonn, who is among top 25 leaders in rushing yards, interceptions and tackles. …The team won nine straight to start the season before a 6-0 upset vs. Haddam-Killingworth on Thanksgiving eve. …Valley Regional/Old Lyme’s Sr. DT/OT Owen Guarino and Sr. TE Colin Devlin are both injured and questionable. OUR PICK – Valley Regional 29-20
No. 7 Haddam-Killingworth at No. 2 Holy Cross
WHERE — Municipal Stadium, Waterbury RECORDS — Haddam-Killingworth 8-2; Holy Cross 9-2 PLAYOFF RECORD — Haddam-Killingworth 0-1; Holy Cross 3-5 LAST APPEARANCE – Haddam-Killingworth: 1994 (0-1, lost to Putnam 20-14 in Class S final); Holy Cross: 2009 (0-1, lost to St. Joseph 56-6 in Class SS semifinals) PLAYERS TO WATCH – Haddam-Killingworth: Sr. RB/LB Dan German (1,724 yards, 22 TD; Jr. QB Alex DiMauro-D’Amico (681 yards, 7 TD passing); Jr. FB/LB Nathan Cruz (488 yards, 11 TD rushing; 10 tackles/gm); Sr. SE/CB Tyler Genoveseio (6 INT) Holy Cross: Sr. RB/LB Dave DiGiorgi; Sr. QB Zach Brown; Sr. LB/OL Anthony Jemele (6-0, 215); Jr. RB/LB Adrian Brown; Sr. WR/DB Paul Cotter; Sr. LB Joe Parent. YOU SHOULD KNOW – Haddam-Killingworth started the season 1-2. It won seven straight, including a 6-0 upset of Valley Regional, to qualify for its second state playoffs. …H-K has the 12th-most rushing yards in Connecticut (2,982), led by RB Dan German, who is ranked sixth Connecticut and 12th in scoring (13.2 ppg). …H-K averages just under 300 rushing yards per game. …Cruz might be out after an injury vs. Valley Regional. …Take away two losses to Ansonia, Holy Cross is 9-0 and has outscored its other nine NVL opponents 298-122, or an average of 30-12. …The Crusaders have won six of their last seven games, including a 33-0 loss to Ansonia in an non-CIAC sanctioned NVL championship game. Ansonia also defeated HC 45-13 in the regular season. OUR PICK – Holy Cross 36-12
The Day's Lonesome Polecat: Ned Griffen (at left, if you didn't know)
No members of the Connecticut sporting media sees as many teams and as many leagues than former New Haven Register reporter Bob Barton, The Day’s Ned Griffen and WFSB-3′s Joe Zone.
Two of them got together last weekend to talk CIAC state playoffs on WFSB.
Of course, it was only the Lonesome Polecat who was forced to stand out on a limb and pick the winners of the 2011 CIAC state playoffs.
Ned Griffen says Xavier, Masuk, Ansonia and Holy Cross will be carrying trophies out of Rentschler Field in less than two weeks.
Back in Week 3, the SNY show ‘Traditions’ paid a visit to Dunning Field to take a inside look at the New Canaan football program.
A month later, the camera crews returned to Connecticut and headed over to The Valley, because, let’s face it, you can’t talk about proud and strong high school football programs in Connecticut without talking about Ansonia.
Today, Ansonia makes it debut on the weekly feature produced by Drew Thorry‘s Five x Five Productions and shown on SNY every Sunday at noon.
The crews talked to Ansonia stars, past and present, and followed this year’s football players and coaches leading up to and into the school’s game vs. Watertown.
Staples' Peter Bonenfant catches the winning touchdown pass against Greenwich in the Thanksgiving FCIAC championship game.
Greenwich fans react to the conclusion of the FCIAC championship game, won by Staples 3127
Staples coach Marce Petroccio holds the Jerry McDougall FCIAC championship trophy with McDougall's son, Jerry Jr. on Thanksgiving.
Several thousand fans packed the bleachers and lined the fences around Staples Field to see two of the best teams in Fairfield County duke it out on a glorious Thanksgiving morning in Westport.
Yes, Staples was already in the state playoffs.
Pressure’s all on Greenwich? A day at the park for Staples? Ehhh… not quite.
The Wreckers players and coaches were highly motivated, not only to win the FCIAC title and punt their rivals from here all the way into 2012, but they desperately wanted to win the newly-christened Jerry McDougall FCIAC Championship trophy for their coach, Marce Petroccio, who is one of McDougall’s finest proteges and one of the late coach’s best friends.
Petroccio played for McDougall. Won a state championship with McDougall. He coached with him at Trumbull. He was with McDougall all the way up until the week he died from acute Leukemia in October and served as a pallbearer at his funeral.
“To win the inaugural Jerry McDougall trophy would be very special to me,” he said in the days leading up to the game.
So, yes, there was tremendous urgency on the Staples sideline as Greenwich raced to a 10-point lead in the fourth-quarter thanks to the Play of the Year (Alex McMurray’s double-pass-68-yard-touchdown run) and Shane Nastahowski’s 18-yard touchdown.
Sensing the life was being drained from his team, Petroccio took a moment to remind them to keep playing.
“I said, ‘Listen. We’re not going to lose today with our heads hanging,’” Petroccio recalled telling his kids at some point. “If we lose today we’re going out with our heads held high and we’ve gotta go after it. Lo and behold, that’s what they did.
Staples scored, stopped Greenwich with four minutes left, then drove and scored again on unlikely senior hero Peter Bonenfant‘s 16-yard touchdown catch from sophomore Jack Massie with 1:21 remaining.
“I caught four passes all year and that was my first touchdown of the year — it felt amazing,” Bonenfant said.
Just a few plays later, Staples had a stacked Thanksgiving Day plate: A 31-27 victory over Greenwich, the FCIAC title, a No. 2 seed in the Class LL playoffs, McDougall Trophy.
“We showed tremendous heart,” Petroccio said to his kids, standing with the trophy and McDougall’s son, Jerry Jr. “We never give up and today it took a little something special. And I’d like to think that Jerry’s Dad had a little bit to do with what we accomplished today.
“So I want to tell you, I love you with all my heart, we’re certainly not done here, and today I want you to enjoy yourselves because you are the crown jewel of the town of Westport today. …Now let’s go eat turkey!”
Greenwich's Shane Nastahowski gazes at the celebrations on the Staples sidelines at the conclusion of the FCIAC championship.
As for Greenwich, an 8-2 season was an incredible improvement over last year’s 5-5 disappointment. But not winning this, not reaching the state playoffs with one of the state’s best players on its side (Nastahowski) was a devastating blow for a program that has seen more than its fare share of them.
“I haven’t felt this heartbroken for a group of kids in a long time,” Greenwich coach Rich Albonizio said amid his crestfallen players. They fought hard. You felt for them.
Alas, that mishmash we call the FCIAC schedule was Greenwich’s real culprit.
They had enough victories, but not nearly enough points thanks to three winless opponents, Westhill, Ludlowe and Bassick. With any other schedule, Greenwich would be making state playoff redemption plans. Greenwich was good, if not better, than almost the entire Class LL field.
“I’m sorry they’re not in it. I would have loved to see them in the state playoffs,” Petroccio said. “Because I think they could have done a lot of damage. They’re a heckuva football team and Coach Albonizio is a heckuva football coach.
Staples, the No. 2 seed, hosts FCIAC rival and seventh-seeded Ridgefield at Wilton in the first round of the state playoffs. The two teams didn’t meet in the regular season, but they did scrimmage each other on Sept. 5. Ridgefield’s players are already fired up. So should Staples’ players.
Oughta be a war.
New Canaan QB Matt Milano avoids a Darien defender in NC's 42-21 Turkey Bowl victory.
Darien was cruising along, winning by comfortable margins in the FCIAC. Then, days before Thanksgiving, a couple players are allegedly involved in criminal conduct and get suspended. Darien subsequently gets buried in the Turkey Bowl by a New Canaan team desperate to get into the playoffs, 42-14.
That was last year.
This year, the only difference this time was the venue (Dunning Field in New Canaan) and the stakes for Darien (the loss ended the Blue Wave’s state playoff hopes) and the margin (42-21 rather than 42-14).
TIME-LAPSE OF 2011 TURKEY BOWL
The Blue Wave had a great year, better than anyone expected. But, once again, it’s tainted by the selfish acts of a few players and a rout at the hands of arch-rival New Canaan. Gotta feel for coach Rob Trifone, who also lost his father the previous week.
“This doesn’t mar the reputation of the program, it mars the reputation of one individual. One bad apple doesn’t spoil the whole bunch,” Trifone said.
This is getting old.
As for New Canaan, their demise has been greatly exaggerated. A hiccup loss to Stamford derailed an FCIAC championship course. But QB Matt Milano, who’s been setting all kinds of school passing records, and the Rams are suddenly looking dangerous heading into the Class L playoffs.
The big difference this time was New Canaan’s much-maligned defense, which looked strong in this one. It picked off Darien QB Henry Baldwin five times. “I thought our defense played the best game of the year,” coach Lou Marinelli said.
While Darien starts thinking about a comeback year in 2012, the Rams head into the Class L playoffs. They’ll need that same defensive effort in their quarterfinal game at New London.
The Whalers, led by speedster Rob McKinnon and a massive line (who beat Greenwich 51-34 earlier this season), will bring it Tuesday night in what should be one of the playoffs best matchups.
“There was a little bit of pressure with what was on the line,” New Canaan LB Kevin McDonough said. “We embrace pressure. That’s when you see the best out of our team.”
We’ll certainly see Tuesday night.
Brian Birdsell brushes off a Brookfield defender in in Bethel's 40-21 victory on Thanksgiving.
The scenario was simple for Bethel: Beat Brookfield and hope one team ahead of them in the Class M playoff standings lost to clinch its second state playoff berth in three years. Brandon Schmidt, Brian Birdsell and the offensive line did their job. Schmidt and Birdsell combined to rush for 320 yards on 50 carries and Westerly (R.I.) did the rest, shutting out Stonington 15-0. The Wildcats are dancing again.
“It is our bread and butter,” Birdsell said of Bethel’s notorious rushing attack, which helped it to upset Bunnell a few weeks ago to qualify for the playoffs for the second time in coach Jay Gill‘s three-year tenure. “People know Bethel likes to pound the ball and our line played their hearts out. It hasn’t sunk in yet that there’s a game on Tuesday.”
Bethel needed some help to avoid sinking to the No. 8 and facing you-know-who in the first round at Jarvis Stadium. But Wolcott managed to outpoint Bethel to clinch the No. 7. So it’s off to Ansonia they go.
As for Brookfield, it was the end to a frustrating season. A year ago, the Bobcats were playoff bound and, while many of us figured they’d make a run at the SWC title and make a return trip, the upset loss to Weston in Week 2 and a close loss to Bunnell and now this dropped them to a 5-5 record. Leaon Gordon and LB Joey Acquanita are gone now. QB Boeing Brown will return. Still, looks like a long climb back.
Norwalk's Gil Arujo rumbles for yardage in the Bears' playoff-clinching victory over Norwalk.
Under Coach of the Year candidate Sean Ireland, Norwalk needed just one more victory to clinch a long-awaited state playoff berth. Unfortunately, the Bears needed to hurdle unpredictable rival McMahon, which had had playoff teams New Canaan, Ridgefield and FCIAC champion Staples all on the ropes in previous games.
But Norwalk, which (honestly) has been just a little more than a novelty in Fairfield County compared to many of the usual suspects, got behind potential regional MVP candidate and the inaugural Pete Tucci MVP Delshawn Wilson and big TE/DE Gil Arujo and shoved the Senators into the discard pile while catapulting themselves into the state tournament.
“When do you hear about Norwalk High?” Wilson asked, rhetorically. “Usually our scoreboard is on the other side for the entire year.”
The thing that stood out most: Norwalk’s defense. Check this stat line: Held explosive McMahon QB Damien Vega to just 58 yards passing, picked him off twice, and sacked him four times. Overall, Norwalk’s defense — underrated all season — held McMahon to just 72 total yards.
“Overall, that was our best effort defensively. We just had kids flying in,” Ireland said.
Eat your heart out Staples and New Canaan. An absolutely incredible year, which included an impressive 27-14 victory over No. 7 seeded Ridgefield. Norwalk, which has made no secret of its angst at being overlooked, now gets a chance at big things in the state playoffs. They get No. 4-seeded Conard in the first round at West Hartford. A victory there will (likely) give the Bears a shot at Xavier.
It was in this spot last season that Naugatuck stunned annual favorite Ansonia to win the NVL championship and propel itself into the state playoffs for the first time 2001. Ansonia’s seniors remembered. It was all they could think about moments after winning the NVL championship last week.
Revenge.
The Chargers put the region’s longest rivalry back on its usual course, with a dominant victory over Naugatuck. Arkeel Newsome did his usual thing, breaking the game early with long touchdown runs. The Ansonia defense did it’s usual thing: Play bone crushing defense. Yada, yada, yada…and Ansonia marches into the Class M field as the No. 1 seed.
The Chargers (11-0) are an overwhelming favorite to win the Class M championship and become the state’s first 14-0 team. They start with Bethel Tuesday at Jarvis Stadium. The winner gets either Berlin (which had an interesting Thanksgiving eve, to say the least) or Cheney Tech. Then it’s off to Rentschler Field and the state championship.
Ansonia lost last year’s Class S state championship, 42-27 to St. Joseph.
Anyone wanna guess their motivation for this year’s title run?
Stamford's Cameron Webb carries as Westhill's Chris Soule, left, James Irvine close in.
Stamford was everybody’s dark horse candidate to contend for an FCIAC championship and reach the state playoffs. Looking back, the Black Knights didn’t really disappoint. They finished 7-2 and won five straight games — including a 36-29 upset of New Canaan in Week 8 — to finish the year.
After a loss to Norwalk in Week 3, coach Bryan Hocter lamented the team’s inability to win the big game. But after pasting winless Westhill to take the City Championship, he believed they had answered his call. “The kids finished the job,” he said.
Alas, Stamford loses a fine senior class, including Bryan Boderick, his twin brother Barry, Matt Corcoran, Chandler Foster, Tarek Bruce, Carlos Martinez and more. At least they walk away with the Frank Robotti Trophy for the City title.
“This trophy means so much,” Martinez said. “It slipped away last year. But we got it back in 2011 with a great season. It means the world to all our seniors to go out with a 7-2 record.”
As for Westhill, another tough season. A year after going 1-9, they finish 0-10. The Vikings seem to wade in the short end of the Stamford pool. Like all the teams who had tough seasons, we tip our caps to all the players who played as hard as they could until the final whistle despite the rough year.
What a year for Weston. Behind Tyler Hassett and sophomore Danny Rogers, the Trojans upset Brookfield 21-20 in Week 2 and then won four straight (including 30-7 over Class M qualifier Bethel) to finish with its best season since 2003.
They capped a banner year with the Patriot Division championship with Rogers running for 188 yards and three touchdowns in a victory over Barlow.
Alas, it was close, but that record wasn’t enough to get coach Joe Lato and Weston into the playoffs for the first time. They were outpointed by a Class S playoff spot by all the Pequot Conference teams who don’t have teams like Masuk, Newtown or Bunnell on their schedule.
Regardless, great season for Weston. They went 5-0 against Patriot competition and 2-3 against the Colonial. Their losses were to Newtown, Masuk and Bunnell. Not bad at all, guys. Rogers is a player to watch for the next two years. We’re anxiously awaiting the SWC’s realignment to see if it’ll help the Trojans get that eighth victory and a spot in the playoffs next year.
As for Barlow, a tough 3-7 season, but a competitive one. QBs Jack Shaban and Cooper Brown return and the team has a good allotment of linemen. We’ll see for next year.
(Aside: There was a rumor running rampant in the back woods of Fairfield County that Barlow had found a dead Falcon on the football field and serious speculation that Weston was the culprit.
Few things: Where would anybody get a falcon from outside of hunting one? And if it wasn’t hunted, who in their right minds would/could kill it? Do people regularly hunt falcons? And, as unlikely as the first two things happening together, what are the chances that an actual falcon just upped and died on the Barlow Falcons’ football field?
I’m guessing somebody has a dad who’s into game hunting and also has a (sick?) sense of humor.)
Bunnell's David Camille slips through Stratford tackles in the Dawgs 50-19 victory.
Last week was a tough one for Bunnell. Two weekends before, they lost a wile, 54-48 overtime game to Newtown. Coupled with Bethel’s upset a few week prior, it kept the highly-regarded Bulldogs out of the playoffs.
Once reality set in, however, the Dawgs went out like champs, crushing struggling town rival Stratford at Penders Field. “I’m really proud of the kids,” coach Craig Bruno said. “We had a great season.”
Junior quarterback Bryan Castelot threw four touchdown passes to departing seniors Jawad Chisholm and Jared Vasquez. Senior RB David Camille ran wild and J.J. Bivona was a brick wall.
“Everything was clicking — we got the job done,” Castelot said.
All eyes will be on this team next year with Castelot returning as the league’s top quarterback. Bunnell has plenty of offensive holes to replace, but they’ll be an early favorite next year.
As for Stratford, it was a tough season but marginally better than the previous one. There’s still a long way to go for coach John Svatik‘s crew. “Our kids played hard. I’m proud of our kids,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade ‘em for the world. We’re going to work to get better.”
Foran's David Yerxa runs out of Law tackles during the Battle of Milford
It was yet another year of crippling injuries for Foran. But the Lions, who lost QB Matt Aspinwall at midseason, got him back in time for the stretch run. Behind him and RB Dave Yerxa, the Lions averaged 45 points in its final two games and capped it all off with a turnover-filled 48-13 victory over Milford rival Law.
Seven turnovers doomed any chance Law had at picking up its first victory of the season.
“It wasn’t really that easy,” Yerxa said. “Law came to play. The turnovers, how the ball bounced, made the game (look easy).”
Foran finished 3-7, winning two of its final three games. It defeated Guilford 47-41 in overtime, lost to Stonington 41-40.
Shelton’s playoff hopes were already slim as the Gaels lined up with Valley rival Derby at Lou DeFilippo Field. But as Thanksgiving morning wore on, it became very clear that Shelton had more pressing concerns.
For the first time since 2002, Derby’s last victory in the series, the Red Raiders were actually hanging around, refusing to get run off thier own field.
Down 26-6, Derby senior quarterback Ray Kreiger, who threw for 324 yards on 23 of 38 passing) rallied Derby to within 26-19 after three quarters.
“We went up to the locker room and a bunch of my seniors got together and said, ‘This isn’t happening to us — we’re not getting blown out on our own field in our last game,” Kreiger said.
Then they almost had a shot to win the game. With time running down and Derby facing fourth-and-11 inside the 30, Kreiger’s pass to Brian Dobek came just one yard short.
For his efforts, Kreiger earned the Silver Turkey MVP award, the first Derby player since 2002 to take the coveted trophy.
But Shelton, which got touchdowns from seniors Gary Thompson and Frank Camerino, finished 8-2, got the victory.
“It reminded me of old school Shelton-Derby game,” Shelton coach Jeff Roy said. “I enjoyed this one and 8-2, playing in our league, that’s a great record.”
Derby, which finished 4-6 is still looking for its first winning season since 1996. The Red Raiders were hindered all season long by the preseason loss of Jake Tomczak. Shelton finished 8-2 on the strength of its defense and an offense that finally figured itself out late in the year. The Gaels have a strong sophomore class that will be counted on to help the team get over the hump the next two seasons.
Central's Fred Tucker shows off his David E. Johansen MVP trophy with coach Dave Cadelina and the rest of the Hilltoppers after their 13th win over Harding.
Did anyone get a load of the threads donned by Central coach Dave Cadelina and his coaching staff? Did we miss the memo on the dedication of the ‘Tweed Bowl?”
Blessed with a flair for theatrics, Cadelina the Central coaches looked quite dapper on the sidelines of the annual Central-Harding clash.
Taquan Broadway tried to rally the Presidents past Central with two touchdowns.
Central back Fred Tucker didn’t need a costume to put on a show. The senior and 2012 FCIAC-leading rusher capped a fine career with a 317 yards and three touchdowns to capture the John E. Johansen Memorial Trophy as Central won its 13th straight Thanksgiving Day game over Harding. “He was the heart of our game plan,” ‘Bear’ Cadelina said. “We just wanted to get our blockers into the right spots, give it to Fred and let him take over.”
But, for the second-straight year Harding was more than a match. Taquan Broadway scored on a pair of touchdown runs and Harding pulled within 26-20 late, but couldn’t stem Central’s series win streak.
Going forward, the Bridgeport schools all struggled on the field, thanks in part to the stringent “Core 4″ academic policies enforced in the already struggling school district. Cadelina, for one, lost 20 players to the new standards before the season started. Whether these stringent policies (which require students to pass all four core subjects in addition to maintaining an acceptable GPA) will be effective in the long term remains to be seen. Right now, it sounds like it’s doing more harm than good by keeping kids involved in school and out of any trouble that might otherwise find them.
And then there’s the issue of the Harding coaching situation. Head coach James Morris has been suspended for the last month for ‘insubordination’ and a half and there’s been no indication (zero) from the Bridgeport athletic department that it’s even interested in bringing him back. And, judging by interim coach Aaron Stroud‘s comments after Thursday’s game, it sounds like he believes he’s in it for the long haul.
Morris is the second football coach this year to be slapped with an insubordination charge (Frank Marcucio was fired from Bassick last summer). Something seriously is fishy down there.
Bullard-Havens looked like it would be in the running for a CSC title and a Class M playoff spot. But the Tigers lost to Prince Tech, got hammered by Class S top seed Capital Prep/Classical Magnet and all but dropped out of the running. So the Tigers settled for a Thanksgiving Day victory over city rival Bassick. Angel Rosario scored two touchdowns and had an interception.
Bullard-Havens, which like many CSC teams didn’t think it would be allowed to play football this season due to state budget cuts, finished with its fourth winning season in five years and the third-straight under coach John Johnson. While there were some issues this season, overall Bullard-Havens is light years away from all those weekly beatings in the SWC.
As for Bassick, a sudden coaching change by the Bridgeport athletic department back in the summer brought some turmoil before former West Haven star Derrick Lewis stepped in. The Lions finished 0-10, including a close loss to rival Harding. Lewis is encouraged by the performance of his players, despite the record. Unlike Bullard-Havens, Bassick plays in the uber-tough FCIAC. So there’s that issue, too.
“We’re very proud of the way the kids responded to such a sudden change,” Lewis said. “It’s the reason I’m here. We’re about permanence, we have a great group of sophomores; we got kids that are interested in playing next year. We’ve just got to keep the ship rolling.”
Mike Pulaski carries the ball for St. Joseph during the Cadets 35-24 victory over Trumbull.
2010 Class S state champion St. Joseph was everyone’s pick to take the biggest nose-dive in 2011.
And while the Cadets struggled to a 3-7 record this year, they could look across town and be thankful they were nowhere near that train wreck.
Trumbull was the FCIAC and Class LL runners-up in 2010.
Here’s how the 2011 season went: Trumbull’s first game, all the way up in Boston vs. Catholic Memorial (Mass.) ended in the second quarter when the lights malfunctioned. Trumbull lost QB Brendan Moore to injury in its second game. The Eagles were buried by Greenwich at home in Week 4. The week after, town patriarch Jerry McDougall died after a year-long illness. Just a week later, coach Bob Maffei‘s father died. Trumbull was hammered by Darien, Staples, Danbury and Central. Just before playing New Canaan standout RB/LB Don Cherry was suspended for the remainder of the season.
Then the Eagles lost to St. Joseph for just the sixth time in series history and watched the Cadets walk away with the inaugural Jerry McDougall Thanksgiving Day trophy.
Just… wow.
While the game sounded entertaining for both teams and both sides, it’s back to the drawing board for both.
Thankfully, for both clubs, 2012 is just weeks away.
The craziest, if not the best, game of the day was played at Alumni Field in Fairfield. The Jesuits were 5-4 going into its annual clash vs. West Haven, having struggled significantly against the big boys of SCC Division I. But — surprise, surprise — the Jesuits showed up and played, perhaps, their best game of the season.
Unfortunately, it also ended with a loss.
Oh, but what a game. Prep actually had a 27-21 lead after three quarters. Tom Brewster threw a pair of long touchdowns to Michael Niche. Shane Dempsey and Dillon Ryan scored on a pair of TD runs.
But the Jesuits couldn’t stop the Mannings, Tahir and Jawaun. After Jawaun Manning blocked the extra point, Tahir Manning caught a 26-yard touchdown pass (his third of the day) from Nick Nieves to put the Westies up a point. Later, as Prep pulled within one again, their onside kick went right to James Moore, who took it all the way for the backbreaking score.
Now two years removed from 0-10, Fairfield Prep goes into the 2012 season encouraged by a 5-5 finish in coach Tom Shea‘s second season. West Haven finished 7-3 with some rebuilding to do. Sophomore Ervin Phillips, who spent the last few weeks on the sidelines due to injury returns for coach Ed McCarthy. Even McCarthy, who missed three games due to health reasons, indicated he’d be sticking around for a while.
Warde's Devin Lofton races up field with an interception in the Mustang's 52-13 victory over Ludlowe.
Fairfield Warde probably deserved a better fate than a 5-5 season. The Mustangs were as competitive as they’ve ever been in recent years, but just couldn’t deliver in crunch time. They let leads slip away vs. Darien, New Canaan and Wilton.
So coach Duncan Della Volpe, who’s bent on building a great program on the east side of town, had to settle with the knowledge that good football can be played at the Fairfield public schools.
It’s just going to take a little more time. If that eventually happens, this year’s seniors, who ended the season on a good note with an overwhelming victory over Ludlowe to capture the Gallaher-Baynas Trophy, can at least know they were part of something.
“We’ve been in every game to the end and we definitely had some frustration,” DellaVolpe said. “We don’t have much in our trophy case, so it’s important that (the Gallagher-Banyas Trophy) stays in there.”
Senior Devon Lofton ran for 248 yards and three touchdowns to send the class out in style.
Ludlowe would love to have Warde’s problems. Ludlowe was 6-4 two years ago, but have struggled mightily for two straight years now. Can’t be fun. Hat tip to all of the players and coaches for hanging in there.
Think about this for a moment: Had North Haven’s Jalon White not pulled this rabbit out of his hat, the playoffs might have a significantly different look this year.
That play ultimately sent defending Class M champion Hillhouse home for the rest of 2011 and catapulted North Haven into its third state playoff berth in five years. Thankfully, the Indians will not be going to the Surf Club again.
They’ll go to Trumbull to face defending champion Masuk instead.
The Indians are a wacky team, using all kinds of misdirection and play action out of the single wing. It’s old school football, but real fun to watch when it’s humming. The Indians’ only loss was to Notre Dame-WH (and that was because of two fumble recovery TDs).
North Haven wasn’t as efficient as it normally is against SCC Division I opponent Amity, turning the ball over three times. But the Indians stuck with what brought them to a 9-1 record — their methodical run game — to qualify for the state playoffs.
Oughta be interesting against Masuk in the quarterfinals.
Amity, meanwhile was competitive in its brutal SCC Division I schedule. The Spartans, who were led by QB Tyler Vallie, finished 4-6 but still managed to win a few big games along the way.
Also, since this is my alma mater, I’m pleased to see longtime announcer Stan Gedanskyget recognition for his years of dedication. And I like that Amity name the football field in honor of coach Bill Johnson. The complex is still named after influential Superintendent William E. Sim. But in terms of football, Johnson was king: State Champs over Ansonia 1978.
Like North Haven, the Green Knights needed to bust up Hamden to qualify for the Class L playoff field. And though Hamden is much better than last season’s 0-10 team and showed as much by scoring first. But while Hamden committed to stopping ND’s notoriously brutish run game, the Green Knights took the opposite of North Haven’s tact and took to the air. QB Nate Schambach, who hasn’t been called on much this year like predecessor Sean Goldrich, threw 10 passes and completed six, three for touchdowns.
Notre Dame reached the Class L playoffs at 8-2 over 9-1 Farmington thanks to its schedule — which included wins over 8-2 Shelton, 7-3 West Haven, 9-1 North Haven and 5-5 Fairfield Prep. ND’s only losses were to 10-0 Xavier and 10-0 Hand. (Now juxtapose that with your schedule, Greenwich fans, and you see why the FCIAC’s gotta figure this scheduling thing out.)
“We feel we deserve it,” coach Tom Marcucci said. “And we’re looking forward to it.”
Wilton had everything to make a run this season. It had good athletes, a strong offense with big-play potential. It’s only problem was defense. It struggled in a four-game losing streak against Ridgefield, New Canaan, Darien and McMahon at midseason. Wilton scored 104 points in those four games, but surrendered 132 and 240 for the year. Still, the Warriors did finish a respectable 6-4 with three straight wins to end the year. They put it all together vs. Trinity Catholic.
“We had a rocky middle of the season, but to finish 3-0 shows great resilience by our team to shake off that four-game losing streak,” quarterback Sean Carroll said.
As for Crusaders, losing RB Shaquan Howsie earlier in the year severely limited them in a frustrating 3-7 season.
Big congratulations to Rico Brogna whose team rolled up over 500 yards of total offense. But it wasn’t Nigel Beckford raking up the big numbers, it was senior Daquan Coleman who had the game of his career with seven runs for 193 yards and three touchdowns, a pair of interceptions and a touchdown from a lateral.
After a long 1-9 season, in which the Lancers played with just 15 guys, they could at least celebrate in a win. Brogna said he’s anxious to get his team back in the weight room and is encouraged by an incoming class. So there’s that. The Lancers also bring back Beckford for his senior year.
For Immaculate, a rough start for new coach Bryan Pinabell. The Mustangs can’t be happy about losing by 41 to another winless team. There’s some serious work to do for both these small Catholic schools.
Liam Lynch catches a touchdown pass from Connor Shanahan in New Milford's 31-27 Candlewood Cup victory over New Fairfield.
Both northern Danbury teams struggled for consistently throughout the 2011 season. So what better way to wash it all away with victory in the Candlewood Cup?
It turned out to be a good one. Connor Shanahan completed 23 of 31 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns to lead New Milford in a wild game off Route 7.
New Fairfield didn’t go quietly. It rallied from 28-7 down in the first half and tied the game in the third quarter behind Nick Guardi and Rob Fiamengo. But New Milford nipped the Rebels on Ben Bayer‘s 29-yard field goal.
“It’s just absolutely incredible,” Shanahan said. “Every single person out here has worked so hard. We gave everything we had for this game.”
The game also held statewide importance. Like last year, it wound up costing an SWC team a shot at the playoffs. Pomperaug needed this one to go New Fairfield’s way to qualify over Glastonbury.
♦♦♦
We saved this one for last because, one of the best lines of the day came not from a reporters question, but from the Twitter account of New Milford WR Liam Lynch, who played for Class LL champion Xavier before transferring back home.
It was a tremendous sentiment, and at the crux of everything this week stands for.
We all get wrapped up in state playoffs, making it the end-all-be-all of the high school football season. While it’s great measuring stick of great teams and great programs, it’s family and relationships that truly count the most. Football is the ultimate team game. It’s an unforgiving sport that requires many intricate moving parts to run efficiently and successfully.
It takes talent, skill, brains, brawn, dedication and commitment.
Or, as the late great Coach Jerry McDougall said: Pride, Attitude, Desire, Sacrifice.
Eleven guys play on the field, but dozens more make a successful program. If one falters, the whole house of cards starts to crumble. Everyone must to work together and function as one unit.
With every kid in uniform, there are three and four times that many more involved. Whole families. Whole communities.
Only a select few can wear a championship ring, that’s what makes it special. But that’s only a small part of the whole experience. Lynch’s thought reminds everybody what high school football is really all about.
It’s not the destination, it’s the ride.
♦♦♦♦
Trumbull and St. Joseph fans and tailgaters watch the Hogs and Eagles duke it out on the field during Thanksgiving Day.
Now, a bit of thanks.
Thanks to all the players, coaches and administrators from all over our region (and beyond) who made this another great high school football season.
Especially the players. You guys do all the hard work, make all the sacrifices. We just watch.
Regardless of how you finished your season, what triumphs you may have had, what disappointment or even tragedy you may have endured, thanks for all of your dedication and hard work in giving us this amazing season. Everyone on my side of the aisle is truly blessed to cover such outstanding young men. To the seniors who just completed their season, we wish you well in the coming years. Make us proud again.
To all of the other journalists and citizen reporters who gave their time and got involved to help bring this football season to all of those who couldn’t see it live and in person. There are too many to list here for now, and maybe I will at the real end of the season, but for now I am indebted to all of you.
And to everyone else who comes here for high school football news, we thank you most of all. We had over 16,000 people visiting this spot this Thanksgiving Eve and Day. We had 1,881 people tuned into the Live Blog Wednesday night (up from 1,600 the year before) and another 3,223 people tuned in on Thanksgiving Day (up from 2,700 the year before).
Amazing.
Thanks for being interested and coming here to see what’s up around the region and the state. We’re thrilled you keep coming back and it makes us all work harder to give you the best coverage we can.
I’m taking a break for the next day. I’ll catch every one on the other side for the state semifinals.
Staples coach Marce Petroccio holds the Jerry McDougall FCIAC championship trophy aloft after his Wreckers defeated Greenwich 31-27 to win the FCIAC title and end Greenwich's state playoff dreams.
We’ll get to the entire Thanksgiving Day recap in a little while (have some turkey to gobble).
And what a day it was. Staples wins the FCIAC championship. Notre Dame-West Haven and North Haven win and get into the playoffs. Ridgefield reaches Class LL playoffs for the first time since 2005. Bethel returns to the state playoffs for the second time in three years. New Canaan routed Darien (again) and clinched a Class L spot. Weston falls one upset short of the school’s first playoff berth.
And Pomperaug — oh, Pomperaug. Thanks to Greenwich’s loss to Staples, the Panthers appeared to have clinched the final spot in Class LL when Platt upset Maloney in Meriden. But South Windsor won its first game of the year, 39-6, over 1-9 Rockville.
That gave Glastonbury the one bonus it needed to tie Pomperaug at 1,000 points. Tiebreak points were also even and, without any common opponents, it came down to the tiniest of margins: a draw by lot.
The CIAC Super Computers had predetermined winners by lot. Sayeth the computer: “Glastonbury prevails 919581-716083″
Their reward? A trip to Palmer Field in Middletown to face No. 1-ranked Xavier in the first round.
Eh. Might be the best draw Pomperaug ever could have lost.
Pulling into the parking lot at Trumbull’s McDougall Stadium, you got the feeling this wasn’t going to be a typical night for Masuk’s football team. The rain, which had started just a few hours before, morphed from mildly annoying to downright disconcerting.
Conversely, commissioner Al Carbone and the rest of the SCC mavens have a chance to make a big statement about their rule as the state’s best league. “S-C-C! …S-C-C! …S-C-C!” You hear it all the time, like a pie to the face for most regions.
WHERE — 
Or, as the late great Coach Jerry McDougall said: Pride, Attitude, Desire, Sacrifice.
