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Our own Dave Ruden is reporting today that the CIAC football committee will retain the 50-point policy for the upcoming season.

On Twitter, Ruden said the controversial policy — which prohibits football teams from winning by more than 50 points, and subjects offending coaches to a possible one-game suspension (following a hearing) — was set to be abolished until New Canaan’s Lou Marinelli apparently swayed the vote.

Click here for the full story.

Some CIAC powers have gone on the record saying that the policy has “worked.” Scoring margins have declined significantly since the policy was implemented in 2006. Only a handful of coaches have broken the barrier, but only one has actually been suspended.

But the policy has also resorted coaches to using exotic and innovative strategies to keep their teams below the magic mark. Among them: Punting before 4th down… taking knees… intentional grounding… intentional falling… intentional safeties… allowing opponents to score… (insert your favorite here).

Before we get to that, we’re (again) going to put this to a simple vote to everyone here.

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Just a year removed from his last head coaching stint in the FCIAC, it looks like Frank Marcucio is getting another chance at Westhill.

The former Bassick football coach, who spent last year as the Vikings defensive coordinator, will be hired to replace Dick Cerone. Marcucio announced his hiring on his Facebook page Wednesday afternoon.

“Thanks to the kids, their parents, the administrators and faculty and my fellow coaches for the support. It is time to get to work!!!!!!” he wrote.

Marcucio and Westhill athletic director Mike King confirmed the news to Hearst CT Newspapers. King told our own Dave Ruden that vocal support from parents and players led to Marcucio’s hiring.

“I think Frank did a really nice job with the kids this year,” King said. “The athletes on the team and a lot of parents voiced the opinion that they really wanted Frank to be the next coach. And I’m not talking just one or two kids but many. He’s got a long football history and I think that makes him the right person for the job.”

Before coming to Westhill last year, Marcucio spent four years at Bassick, first as an assistant under Dennis Wanzie and the last two as the head coach.

Bassick was 3-17 under Marcucio. In 2010, Bridgeport fired Marcucio for ‘insubordination.’ Marcucio and the school district later settled a grievance over the issue.

Read the full story here

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It’s National Signing Day for college recruits everywhere and, welp, here in Connecticut it’s pretty quiet.

Most of the major signings are from players from previous seasons who took postgraduate routes to Division. The rest are mostly Ivy League and small colleges.

Here’s the quick list of regional players, most of whom we already know.

If there are any others, regionally, we’ll be happy to include them on this list just email me at sbowley@ctpost.com.

REGIONAL PLAYERS

Casey Cochran, QB, Masuk (2012) — UConn.
Skinny — Cochran, the state’s all-time passing leader is already taking classes up at Storrs.

Tyler Matakevich, LB, St. Joseph (2011) — Temple
Skinny — Matakevich played a postgrad season at Milford Academy and accepted a Temple offer earlier this month. He’s already enrolled.

Montrell Dobbs, RB, Ansonia (2011) — Temple
Skinny — Dobbs, who owns the third-best season rushing total in state history, originally committed to UConn and played postgrad at Milford Academy. He didn’t qualify to play for the Huskies, academically, and was considering Marshall. He eventually committed to Temple after a brief courtship.

Turner Baty, QB, New Canaan (2010) — Kansas
Skinny — Baty, who transferred to New Canaan for one season in 2009, left school after leading the Rams to the Class MM title. He eventually settled at City College of San Francisco where he played one season for the junior college, throwing for 3,149 yards and 42 touchdowns. He committed to Kansas after a visit last weekend. He’ll be playing for former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, who took the Kansas job in December.

Austin Calitro, LB, Danbury (2012) — Villanova
Skinny – All-state linebacker and Hearst Connecticut All-Star committed to Villanova last summer.

Rennick Bryan, OL, Hillhouse (2012) — UConn
Skinny – 6-3, 300-pound, all-state lineman committed to UConn before the start of the season.

Brandon Schmidt, QB/DB, Bethel (2012) — Army [new]
Ardian Sahinovic, PK, New Fairfield (2012) — Cornell
Mike Money, OL, Fairfield Warde (2012) — Central Connecticut State
John Turner, LB, Ridgefield (2012) — Holy Cross
Brandon Cusmano, WR, Masuk (2012) — Central Connecticut State
Marko Piedmont, OL/DL, Wilton — Bryant
Aaron Dixon, DB, Danbury (2012) — Bryant
Mac Morlock, OL/DL, Newtown (2012) — Bryant
Matt Milano, QB, New Canaan (2012) — Middlebury
Matt Corcoran, LB, Stamford — Tufts
Joe Ortoli, LB, Shelton (2012) — Norwich
David Camille, RB, Bunnell — St. Anselm
Bobby Kinnebrew, LB/RB, Ansonia (2010) — Stevenson
Brandon Williams, DL, Bassick (2012) — New Haven
Don Cherry, LB, Trumbull (2012) — Villanova
Dylan Vano, OL, Ansonia (2012) — Southern Connecticut

Note: Greenwich’s all-state linebacker Shane Nastahowski will prep at Milford Academy

STATEWIDE
Compiled from other news outlets, New Haven Register, Hartford Courant, The Day of New London).

Malik Golden, WR, Cheshire Academy/Newington — Penn State
Jevon Elmore, RB, New London — Army
Tommy Undercuffler, WR, Berlin — Yale
Eddie Glenn, LB, North Haven — Akron
Aaron Berardino, WR/DB, Windsor — Central Connecticut State
Ryan Murphy, TE/DB, Xavier — Southern Connecticut State
Austin Wezenski, OL, Xavier — Central Connecticut State
Cre’Shon Morrison, RB, Capital Prep/Classical — Central Connecticut State
Pat D’Amato, QB, Xavier, QB — Stony Brook
Ryan Jacobucci, DB, Xavier — New Haven
Sean Marinan, DL, Xavier — Wesleyan
Sebastian Little, WR/LB, Cheshire — Yale [Corrected]
Jovan Santos-Knox, LB, Xavier — UMass
Joe DeMichele, LB, Hand — Central Connecticut State
Nick Vitale, WR, Hand — Stony Brook
Shaun Bowman, DL, Cheshire — Sacred Heart
Billy Weyrauch, RB, Cheshire — Stonehill
Mike Antonio, WR, Cromwell — Southern Connnecticut State
Devin Silverman, K, Berlin — Southern Connecticut State
Kyle Nolan, QB, Branford/Choate (2011) — Georgetown
Kyle Pulek, K, Cheshire — Trinity
Ian Dugger, WR, Hall — Trinity