Because a majority of its schools will be out for the remainder of the week due to the aftereffects of Hurricane Sandy, the FCIAC announced Wednesday it will be rescheduling its Week 8 and Week 9 football games into a 10-day span before Thanksgiving week.
The FCIAC said its Week 8 football games will be played Thursday, Nov. 8. Week 9 will be played Tuesday, Nov. 9.
If necessary, the league title game will be played Saturday, Nov. 17 at Trumbull.
The way things stand now, Staples and Trinity Catholic will qualify for the FCIAC’s annual tilt if they both win out. Greenwich would supplant either team if they win their final two games and if Staples or Trinity Catholic loses.
Trinity (7-0) plays Darien and St. Joseph in its final two regular season games. Staples (6-0) plays at Warde and at Westhill. Greenwich (6-0) finishes at McMahon and vs. Danbury.
Should Trinity Catholic lose, and Staples and Greenwich win, their regular-season Thanksgiving game will serve as FCIAC title game.
Of course, this arrangement will add stress on teams that are likely to qualify for the state playoffs.
In theory, Trinity, Staples or Greenwich could wind up playing seven games in just 30 days should they reach the state championship in their respective classes.
Petroccio called the scenario “absolutely crazy,” when asked by our own Doug Bonjour.
“We are put in a very, very difficult position,” Petroccio told Bonjour. “But again, it is what it is. We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do.
“We talked to (Staples) AD Marty (Lisevick) and we gave our opinion, but I had no idea they were going this route—none.”
Meanwhile, several SWC teams have already postponed their Week 8 games to the weekend of Nov. 17, including Masuk-Weston, Stratford-New Milford.
Bunnell athletic director Dave Johnson said the league’s ADs are meeting Thursday morning at 10 a.m. to discuss their league playoff situation. “It’s a good possibility that we might just not crown an SWC champion,” he said.
I don’t believe Trinity or Darien have lights … where are they going to play Thursday night’s game?
Probably 3 p.m.? 2 p.m.?
@SPB if Masuk and Newtown win out won’t the SWC championship game be played for during their Thanksgiving match up? OR am I thinking of something entirely different?
Daylight savings is this weekend … so it doesn’t seem possible an away team can get to the game from after school until at least 4pm … so it will have to be moved someplace under the lights.
Greenwich passed Trinity after last weeks games, the FCIAC standings you posted is a week outdated.
Greenwich with a 126.7 average compared to Trinity with a 122.9 average
This is a tough time for area families coping with the aftermath of this terrible storm and highschool football is not the top priority at this time for many of us affected by the impact of Hurricane Sandy. Most of Faifield County is still in shock and it will take some time before we can get our lives back in some kind of order. God Bless us all through these tough times. I am looking forward to whatever area games that will be played over this weekend.
Sean the FCIAC webpage has a different standings list than the one you show above? I don’t believe there will be enough daylight for a game that starts at 3:00 or even 2:00 next week.
Yes. It was the wrong version of the playoff standings. Apologies.
Unfortuately, It took a storm of this nature to juggle the schedule of High School football games…However, in a way, it does show that an LL vrs M, and L vrs S “Final Four” could be possible in the future, done before Christmas…To end all arguments about who’s best in show..
SO WHAT DAY IS TRINITY PLAYING AND WHAT TIME
Why do teams in the FCIAC love the title game so much? Its a money maker. Doesn’t anyone in the FCIAC wanna win a state title instaed of the FCIAC championship. NVL needs to get rid of the title game as well. Usually the two teams that play one has already beat the other. If Greenwich, Trinity and Staples all go undefeated but one gets out pointed that is a joke as well. So an undefeated FCIAC team can not win a league title. That tells you right there it’s silly. In the NVL a small school like Ansonia does not need to play Holy Cross or Woodland a 2nd time to say they are NVL champs. Eliminate all league title games, especially this year.
I have a huge issue with this schedule. #1 it’s dangerous to the kids to play that many games in this span. 2) Why does football get to preserve it’s title game but the lesser sports of volleyball, field hockey and soccer have co-champs. That’s not fair, especailly when those sports could be played 3 days in a row if needed unlike football. The games should be moved to Friday 11/16 when NO ONE plays games and if TC/Staples is the title game than Co-champs should be crowned in football also. If TC loses and GHS/Staples is the title game than the FCIAC got lucky and can crown a champ. This process is just dumb and hurts the FCIAC’s teams that make States.
I totally understand the gates of football games helps offset the costs of lesser sports like the ones mentioned above but on multiple fronts this schedule is just stupid.
Couldn’t agree with Brian more. The schedule is an absolute joke. Unfortunately the one it hurts most is Staples (shocking the AD would agree to this). Trinity is NOT beating Ansonia for a state title so this is their shot for 2012 glory. Most likely Staples will not lose to Westhill and Warde so Greenwich’s chances of playing the extra game is slight. Lots of respect for Coach Marinelli BUT I’m pretty sure his feelings would be different (regarding respecting the integrity of the FCIAC) if NC was in Staple’s position. Sad with all this SCC / FCIAC back and forth that the FCIAC would choose to dissadvantage one of its better teams with a shot at a state title.
Oh well – we’ll see how the next week’s games shake out. Go WAVE & Joe’s!
The Nov 17th FCIAC title game should be eliminated. The top two FCIAC teams should play for the championship on T-day via a swap with their normal opponents (if necessary). The T-day games count for state points. The CIAC would have to approve the altered schedule to the extent needed, but given the circumstances this seems like the best all around solution.
Trinity and Darien are playing Sunday at 1.
if Staples and Greenwich are blowing out teams like they have been, then these games for Staples and Greenwich should be over before the first half before they meet on thanksgiving. As For Trinity, they’ll lose v. Darien and Joe’s so it doesn’t really matter, they’ll get that break from tuesday the 13th till the 22nd when they play Wilton
PatPatriot….I’ve got news for you, Trinity is not beating Staples either..please get serious.
@Wave – sounds like Trinity is pushing for Thursday at 1pm (see Tweets from SPB and Ruden).
I seriously doubt the Darien school administrators are going for that as an option, given these kids have been out of school too long already and Darien players would have to leave class at like 10am to make a 1pm kick-off at Trinity.
And this gets even more comical … the following week’s tilt between SJ and Trinity has to be a day-game as well … oops, no lights at those schools either. How about the rest of the FCIAC? Don’t these kids have to catchup on missed work and take midterms?
The FCIAC AD’s must have been sleep-deprived when they made this decision for Thursday/Tuesday games just to allow for a Nov 17th title game? Really stupid and you have to think it will unravel once the school’s administrators start dealing with the clear academic related issues and complaints.
The FCIAC should just push out everyone’s schedule one week and have the title game on T-day … that way only 4 teams (at worst) are impacted by having to swap T-day opponents to accommodate the title game.
It doesn’t work that way. We’ve lost a whole week & you’re still trying to cram in one more game before the state playoffs. That’s the issue. Just cancel the damn game.
Its ironic that those looking to preserve the integrity of the championship have probably set in motion the movement that will eventually kill it. I’ve been a vocal supporter of the game in the past, while recognizing it pushed the limits of scheduling. But this takes that aggressive schedule and makes it dangerous.
I agree this Thursday/Tuesday schedule decision for 19 teams just to preserve a neutral-site title game … crammed in before the T-day games … really makes you scratch your head. These ADs need to rethink this decision after a good shower and a cup of coffee. Players are suffering enough from no power, poor diets, lack of sleep, etc.
Adults should be wiling to compromise to protect the kids. Play the Week 8 games on Nov 9&10, play Week 9 games Nov 16&17 and play the title game on T-day by swapping-out the four impacted teams (if needed). Simple and the best solution for 19 teams.
IF TC loses on the 8th they should put the games on the 16th/17th because there is no way in Hell Greenwich losing to McMahon or Dbury and Staples not losing to Warde or Westhill. I don’t care if those 4 teams that GHS and Staples are playing feel insulted or not! LOL
What is the big deal other than Stapes and Greenwich having 2 EASY games in a 4 day period? They will have 11 days to prepare for the Thanksgiving Day FCIAC Championship that happens every year? I’m sorry TC but you were not going to beat both Joe’s and Darien anyway.
Tweet of the day:
***DaveRuden*** “A week away, but just saw a forecast for 6-8 inches of snow next Thursday. CIAC championship games on New Year’s Day?”
Sounds good … Orlando, Pasadena or Miami?
Totally selfish and most irresponsible move by the FCIAC to allow this buffoonery…..Did I read correctly on the CIAC site, Staples will play 2 games in 3 days….and Greenwich will play back to back games on a Friday and then the very next day???? What happenned to the minds of the so-called smart FFld county leaders of our school systems….Maybe there heads are once again on the all mighty dollar..What gets me even more so is the CIAC allowed the Fciac to do this….The CIAC is MOST DEFINATELY about money..Truely a classless governing board
No, PapaDags, you did not read it correctly. No-one is playing back-to-back or twice in three days. The dates for next-to-last games of the season just haven’t been changed yet.