SPB's High School Sports

Welcome back, boys and girls. The Playoff Land of Make Believe awaits our arrival.

It is a land of fairy tales: where every 9-1 high school football team, and plenty of 8-2s can practically taste the sweet, untainted air of playoff bliss and get to prove themselves on the field.

It’s a place where many others, out of it in real life, still have a shot to clinch a spot if all goes well. It’s a place where Thanksgiving — the best day of the Connecticut Sports year — remains the last day of the regular season.

The CIAC football committee has approved. We’re one crazy “seasonal” committee and a roomful of PhD’s away from seeing our cares disappear.

Come now, children. Grab your Teddy Bear and your blanket. Sew your shadow to your feet. Take a leap of faith out the window.

Second star to the right. Straight on ’til morning.

Here’s what high school football could really, really, really look like…

CLASS LL

Synopsis: One more week left, lots of key games going on. The five teams have practically clinched (including Central). Cheshire controls its own destiny, but could be out with one more loss. Ridgefield’s hanging by a thread to 7. Hamden must win to get in. Otherwise, it’ll be Windsor, Manchester, Newtown and Greenwich (with the best shot) to get in with two losses.

But, if the season ended today (and, remember, it doesn’t so none of this is set in stone), here’s what we would get:

8. Hamden at 1. Glastonbury; 7. Ridgefield at No. 2 Staples; No. 6 Cheshire at No. 3 Xavier; No. 5 Central at No. 4 Simsbury.

CLASS L

Synopsis: Basically a combination of L and MM. This is much, much stronger and exciting field.  Everybody at 9-0 has clinched and are jockeying for positioning. New Canaan, East Lyme and ND control their own destiny (many of them are probably in despite a loss anyway). Like the current MM scenario, Darien and Fitch have outside chances to join the field.

But, if the season ended today, here are your matchups

8. St. Paul at Masuk; No. 7 Notre Dame-WH or East Lyme at Pomperaug; No. 6 Notre Dame-WH or East Lyme at No. 3 Vinal Tech/Coginchaug; No. 5 New Canaan at No. 4 Conard

Yeah, a potential ND/Pomperaug  quarterfinal isn’t desirable. A win over Hamden would ensure that wouldn’t happen for ND. New Canaan traveling to Conard is tough. But remember, none of this is set in stone. Plenty can happen on Thanksgiving.

CLASS M

Synopsis: Shaping up to be the weakest fields (hey, I proposed a three-division solution that would take care of this), but this certainly gives us some more variety. New London, Avon, Wolcott and Berlin have clinched the top seeds. Bethel, Gilbert, Coventry and Watertown are still fighting for spots and positioning with Ellington, Ledyard and Bacon Academy knocking at the door.

Here’s the field if theseason ended today:

No. 8 Watertown at New London; No. 7 Coventry/Windham Tech at No. 2 Avon; No. 6 Gilbert/Northwestern at No. 3 Wolcott; No. 5 Bethel at No. 4 Berlin.

CLASS S

Synopsis: Pretty much the same scenario in Class SS, with St. Joseph needing a win over Trumbull to secure its spot in the field (and perhaps leap over a few teams in the process. Give or take, the field is chock full of strong programs and competitive teams. It’s probably the third-best of the bunch.

Here’s how it would shake down if the season ended today:

No. 8 St. Joseph at No. 1 Bloomfield; No. 7 Bullard-Havens at No. 2 Holy Cross; No. 6 Ansonia at No. 3 Northwest Catholic; No. 5 Hyde at No. 4 Montville.

***

Remember, the quarterfinals after Thanksgiving; Semifinals the following Saturday.

Then it’s one massive week of buildup before the glorious Championship Weekend at festive Rentschler Field.

Close your eyes.

Just imagine.

***

It’s time to go now, boys and girls.

Until we meet again for the final pairings.

Not every great game has to have title implications. When you get two teams of equal talents lined up, the results can be pretty satisfying — especially for the football players on the field.

Since I’ve been at the Connecticut Post, I’ve annually come to cover the Week 9 Harding-Bassick game (with the exception of 2006, when Bassick broke its 63-game winless streak).

Yeah, Harding and Bassick have taken their lumps this season — Harding perhaps more than Bassick. But they work as hard as anyone else out there. They’re football players. As city rivals, they always put on a great show.

That’s what we got Monday night at Kennedy Stadium.

Bassick sophomore Davonte Franklin’s 34-yard catch-and-run touchdown with no time left gave the Lions a thrilling 18-12 victory over the Presidents.

Yes, it wasn’t pretty at times — the two teams combined for maybe six of seven turnovers — but the frantic finish was worth the price of admission.

Harding’s Julian McCord scored on a 14-yard run to tie the game, 12-12, with 2:48 left. Harding went 2-point conversion and failed. Though they recovered the onside kick,  Bassick stopped the Presidents on downs with a minute left and drove right back down the field to the Harding 34.

There were just 12 seconds left.

Harding had the initial play stopped, but quarterback Rodney Lanham scrambled for more time and found Franklin, affectionately known at Petey to his coaches and teammates, all alone beneath Harding’s prevent defense. He scooted left and danced out of several tackles — all while coach Frank Marcucio was screaming for a time out if (and in Marcucio’s mind, when) Franklin fell to the turf.

Franklin never fell. He was standing in the end zone when his teammates finally caught up to him to celebrate.

For Bassick, it was their second win of the season and their third straight over Harding.

For coach Jim Morris and the Presidents it was a crushing loss, their second in as many weeks (Harding had Danbury beat a week ago but couldn’t seal the deal). Their players were devastated. Your heart has to break for them considering how this one get away.

For Bassick, it was absolute jubilation. Franklin, for one, was almost at a loss for words to describe his feeling.

They have bragging rights, for now.

On a side note, the Lions got a scare when teammate DeAndre Harper was knocked unconscious, taken off the field on a gurney and to Bridgeport hospital. Marcucio, who visited him after the game, said Harper was doing fine. He’ll stay the night as a precaution and get an MRI Tuesday.

DeAndre, here’s how it all went down:

ADD: We didn’t have adequate rosters for Harding and couldn’t identify No. 24 after the game. We now know, it was Taquan Broadway who caught Harding’s first touchdown, an impressive 24-yard strike from McCord. Sorry, Taquan!

The voters have spoken.

In a surprise (to me at least): Staples is No. 1.

That’s in two polls, the traditional media poll (which has always been accused of a “southern” bias) and the coaches poll.

Meanwhile, the Connecticut Sports Writers Alliance poll — which has many more “northern” voters (so to speak) sprinkled in with many of the same voters in the media poll — has cast its lot with Glastonbury.

It’s a close call. Personally, if it’s a choice between the two (which it isn’t), I think you have to vote Glastonbury. But what do I know?

I’ll admit it, I didn’t think the NHR’s media voters would go with Staples. Then again, I was equally surprised when Staples was No. 2 last week.

Central chimes in around 7-8…. and gets a first-place vote in all three of the polls. (Voters are strange).

New Canaan drops all the way to No. 9… I’m actually surprised they didn’t drop out.

Conard debuts at 10… Pomperaug finally gets some love in the state coaches poll. The CSWA continues to vote Masuk ahead of them.

Intriguing stuff all around. These polls are starting to get a little screwy.

Anyway, here they are:

STATE MEDIA

Dropped out: Hamden (9), Holy Cross (10).
Others receiving votes: Cheshire (7-1), 214; Montville (8-1), 201; Bloomfield (9-0), 191; Greenwich (7-2), 141; Simsbury (8-1), 87; Avon (9-0), 81; Ridgefield (8-1), 77; Hamden (7-2), 50; Holy Cross (8-1), 49; East Lyme (8-1), 25; St. Joseph (7-2), 24; Hyde (8-1), 23; Wolcott (8-1), 20; Ansonia (7-2), 15; Shelton (6-3), 9; Vinal Tech/Coginchaug (9-0), 7.
The following voted: Marc Allard, Norwich Bulletin; Bob Barton, New Haven Register; Bill Bloxsom, Hersam-Acorn; Sean Patrick Bowley, Connecticut Post; Don Boyle, SportingNewsCT.com; Bryant Carpenter, Meriden-Record Journal; Henry Chisholm, Connecticut Post; Garrett Dale, Register Citizen; George DeMaio, WELI; Mike DiMauro, The Day of New London; Matt Doran, Norwalk Hour; Noah Finz, WTNH-8; Ned Griffen, The Day of New London; John Holt, WFSB-3; Mark Jaffee, Waterbury Republican-American; Ken Lipshez, The Herald of New Britain; Mike Madera, Elm City Newspapers; Joe Morelli, New Haven Register; Paul Nichols, Middletown Press; Mike Pucci, New Haven Register; Dave Ruden, Stamford Advocate; Tom Yantz, Hartford Courant; Jimmy Zanor, Shore Line Newspapers.

STATE COACHES

Also receiving votes: Bloomfield (9-0), 118 points; Greenwich (7-2), 116; Cheshire (7-1), 114; Simsbury (8-1), 86; Montville (8-1), 86; Avon (9-0), 75; Hamden (7-2), 50; Ridgefield (8-1), 38; Holy Cross-Waterbury (8-1), 30; East Lyme (8-1), 22; St. Joseph-Trumbull (7-2), 15; Berlin (8-1), 10; Northwest Catholic-West Hartford (8-1), 9; Vinal Tech/Coginchaug (9-0), 8.

The following coaches voted: Scott Benoit, Hamden; Tom Brockett, Ansonia; Jim Buonocore, Ledyard; Dave Cadelina, Bridgeport Central; Chuck Drury, Pomperaug-Southbury; Steve Filippone, Hand-Madison; Tanner Grove, Montville; Jude Kelly, St. Paul-Bristol; Tim King, Valley Regional-Deep River; Bill Mella, Southington; John Murphy, Masuk-Monroe; Marce Petroccio, Staples-Westport; Bob Zito, Maloney-Meriden.

CSWA POLL

Also Receiving Votes: Cheshire 7-1 126; Bloomfield 9-0 120; Montville 8-1 97; Avon 9-0 63; Greenwich 7-2 63; Hamden 7-2 47; Simsbury 8-1 37; Holy Cross 8-1 32; Berlin 8-1 30; Ridgefield 8-1 23; East Lyme 8-1 19; Wolcott 8-1 16; Vinal Tech/Coginchaug 9-0 10; St. Joseph 7-2 8; Ansonia 7-2 6; Cromwell 4; Hyde Leadership 8-1 3; Northwest Catholic 2; Darien 1; Windsor 7-2 1

Voters: Marc Allard (Norwich Bulletin), Bob Barton (CT H.S. Football Record Book), Bill Bloxsom (Hersam Acorn), Johnny Burnham (Bristol Press), Bryant Carpenter (Meriden Record-Journal), Henry Chisholm (Connecticut Post), Ray Curren (Elm City Newspapers), Garrett Dale (Torrington Register Citizen), Anthony Della Calce (Central CT weeklies), George DeMaio (WELI Radio), Gerry deSimas (Collinsville Publishing Co.), Bill Donovan (WXLM 104.7 FM), Dave Greenleaf (CCC website), Mike Guerrera (Southington Citizen), John Holt (WFSB Channel 3), Mark Jaffee (Waterbury Republican), Larry Kelley (Times Community Newspapers), Greg Lederer (Cheshire Herald), Ken Lipshez (New Britain Herald), Andrew Lovell (New Britain Herald), Matt Norlander (Darien/New Canaan News-Review), Tim Parry (FCIAC Football Blog), Sean Patrick Bowley (Connecticut Post), Pat Pickens (Fairfield Citizen-News), Ryan Pipke (New Britain Herald), Mike Pucci (New Haven Register), Jesse Quinlan (Greenwich Time), Paul Rosano (Meriden Record-Journal), Dave Ruden (Stamford Advocate), Steve Sellers (Shore Publishing Newspapers), Peter Vander Veer (Elm City Newspapers), Tom Yantz (Hartford Courant), Rich Zalusky (Willimantic Chronicle), Jimmy Zanor (Shore Line Newspapers)

According to Connecticut Post calculations, the following teams have unofficially clinched CIAC state playoff berths:

Class M: New London (8-0); Avon (9-0); Berlin (9-0)

Class MM: Vinal Tech/Coginchaug (9-0)

Class S: Bloomfield (9-0)

The following teams can unofficially clinch with one more victory:

Class LL: Glastonbury (9-0, vs. Simsbury) (the Tomahawks can still clinch with a loss); Staples (9-0, vs. Greenwich); Xavier (8-1, vs. Middletown). …Cheshire (7-1, vs. West Haven, vs. Southington)  can clinch with two more victories.

Class L: Masuk (9-0, vs. Newtown), Pomperaug (9-0, vs. Oxford)

But, and you’re not going to believe this, not 9-0 Conard.

There’s a statistical chance — and a halfway decent one at that — that the Chieftains could miss the playoffs at 10-0 if Pomperaug, Masuk, Simsbury and Notre Dame-WH all win their final games.

We kid you not.

Class MM: New Canaan (8-1, vs. Darien), East Lyme (8-1, vs. Waterford).

Class M: none.

Class SS: Holy Cross (8-1, vs. Wolcott); Wolcott (8-1, vs. Holy Cross); Montville (8-1, vs. St. Bernard)

Class S: Northwest Catholic (8-1, vs. Plainville); Hyde (8-1, vs. North Branford); Ansonia (7-2, vs. Naugatuck — according to our math, there’s a statistical chance Prince Tech, which plays only nine games, could outpoint Ansonia, 124.44 max average to Ansonia’s 123.0 minimum best average… but it’s not nearly probable to be taken seriously).

That’s about it.

The full scenarios… will not be shown until all of the Week 9 games are completed today.

Sorry to keep you in suspense.

It’s the question that’s been on the mind of every fan, coach and player this weekend following Central’s 42-7 beating of New Canaan Friday night.

Who’s No. 1 now?

Is it QB Sean McQuillan and Glastonbury (9-0), which now holds the state’s longest win streak at 22 games, including last year’s Class LL championship and a team that has outscored its opponents 308-151 (avg. score 34-17)

Is it Ben Crick and Pomperaug (9-0)? Winners of 10-straight dating back to last year. A team that had crushed its SWC opponents by an average score of 41-10?

Is it Masuk (9-0), another dominant SWC team which is on a 17-game win streak, has averaged 40 points per game this season and has one of the state’s best QB’s in sophomore Casey Cochran and one of its best all-around players in Alex Trump?

Is it Brandon Rankowitz, Jake Santora and Staples (9-0), which boasts statistically the best defense in the state: Just 25 points allowed (that’s under 3-points a game) all season, including five shutouts in 9 games?

Is it Conard (9-0), which has allowed just 53 points all year and, with its ground ‘em out game led by Jon Esposito, outscores its opponents by an average of 37-6?

What about one of the state’s other unbeaten teams? Vinal Tech/Coginchaug (9-0), defending Class SS champion New London (8-0) winners of 11 straight? Bloomfield (9-0)? Ross McDonald and Avon (9-0)?

Now, you could argue there’s a one-loss team out there that may merit consideration. But the simple fact is, they lost — many to teams ahead of them. So let’s put that talk aside unless there are no unbeaten teams left on Championship Saturday.

That said, here’s a list of all these teams. Now it’s your turn to decide.

Who’s No. 1 now?

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I wasn’t going to do this, but seeing as I will be going to Ken Strong Stadium today, might as well give everybody updates on the progress of Xavier in their game against West Haven. (We may have some Bethel-Stratford updates as well).

As you all may know, Xavier is right now third in the Class LL playoff race, which is suddenly down to five with Hamden’s loss yesterday.

If the top four teams, Glastonbury, Staples, Xavier and Cheshire win out, Central and Ridgefield are cooked.

If Staples, Xavier or Cheshire lose one of their final games, Central can get in with a win over Harding.

If two of those teams lose, then Ridgefield can join them by beating Danbury.

Two-loss teams like Greenwich and Hamden would need most, if not all, of the 1-loss schools to lose a second game to have any kind of shot… and that’s not happening.

So keep us on in the background while you’re watching the Jets today. We’ll keep you posted.

Yawn… Is it Saturday afternoon already?

Welcome back to the live scoring blog for Saturday, Week 9. It’s still rainy, rainy, rainy out there. We already have one postponement before kicking off this afternoon’s games. Xavier at West Haven, a crucial Class LL game which was supposed to go off at 7, is now Sunday at 2.

Check all the results on our live blog below (most of the games will start to trickle in toward the late afternoon, early evening). Then click here for the CIAC’s football playoff standings page to see how the results have impacted your team.

You can also check out other postponements and schedules on the CIAC’s scoreboard page here

By the way: The FCIAC has announced that its championship game will be played at Trumbull, and not Wilton, next Friday.

Central's #51 Ernest Wiggins, left, picks up a fumbled New Canaan snap, and gets it close to the endzone, during game action in Bridgeport, CT on Friday Nov. 20, 2009.

We’re taught in journalism school that the shorter, succinct lead typically is the best way to emphasize your story’s point.

Try this one on for size:

Central 42, New Canaan 7

Foof.

This was not your typical upset of a No. 1-ranked team.

This was a bludgeoning… a brutal, big city beat0down the likes of which haven’t been seen by an urban school this side of New Haven in a good while.

This just doesn’t happen in the FCIAC, doubly so against one of the big three (New Canaan, Greenwich, Staples). Yeah, Central’s done this before. In the 2004 state playoff season, the upstart Hilltoppers walloped New Canaan 24-0 at Dunning Stadium to signal their arrival into the league’s upper echelon.

I was at that game. This made that one look as pedestrian and insignificant as any one of Central’s victories before and since.

This time, the Hilltoppers met the top-ranked, defending FCIAC and three-time defending Class MM  state champion New Canaan and just basted, seasoned and stuffed the Rams and their once-vaunted 24-game win streak.

Jeez. And we’re still a good two weeks from Thanksgiving.

Week 6’s 14-13 victory over Greenwich was big. No doubt.

But this?

“This was bigger than Greenwich,” said quarterback Christon Gill, Central’s best player who did a lot of cheering from the backfield as his boys, Shabashe McIntosh, Dominick Luckey and Lucas DeSouza ran around, over and through New Canaan for what must have been close to 400 yards on the ground. Central converted two huge fourth downs on its first scoring drive.

We had ignition and liftoff.

Central offense tries to make a path for #27 Lucas Desouza, during game action against New Canaan in Bridgeport, CT on Friday Nov. 20, 2009.

And the defense, don’t get us started. All week, Central watched quarterback Turner Baty and the Rams fly unfettered up and down the field against the likes of St. Joseph and Greenwich. Yeah, we thought, Central might be able to score against New Canaan’s D — which showed some signs that it was susceptible to a ground game. But what about stopping Baty, Cody Newton, Kevin Macari and, sheesh, just about everyone else?

Earnest Wiggans, Christian Bish, Damien Francis, Axel Lee, David Rhodes, Gill, DeSouza…heck, everyone in a red-and-black uniform for that matter, just pinned their ears back and let ‘er rip with hit after brain-rattling hit.

Whenever Baty (who was just off all night after throwing for over 300 yards in each of his last three starts) delivered a ball in the vicinity of his receivers, a Central back was there to deliver a bone-crushing hit. Baty didn’t crack 100 yards passing. He threw a pick and lost one big fumble. They laid into Tim Robustelli on New Canaan’s first series. He never returned. Perhaps the others started hearing footsteps, too.

For the first time in forever, it seems, New Canaan looked bad. In fact, there was talk among media present that if, somehow, if the Rams managed to edge Central for the second FCIAC championship game berth — and, for a good hour after afterward, it looked very likely until Stamford rallied to beat Trinity Catholic and Greenwich held off St. Joseph — New Canaan coach Lou Marinelli should forfeit his team’s spot to the Hilltoppers, anyway.

“They were the most athletic team we’ve faced all year,” New Canaan coach Lou Marinelli said.

This wasn’t New Canaan. Was it the weather? Maybe. Was it the inevitable emotional letdown after such a huge win against New Canaan the week before? Perhaps. Or was it that the program on the other side of the field has finally arrived?

“We expect you do do this,” Central coach Dave Cadelina told his troops three weeks ago after their thrilling 14-13 victory over Greenwich, a win that touched off a wild celebration and drew tears from boys and men alike.

Aside of giving their coach a victory ride to the center of Kennedy Stadium for the post-game handshakes, this time there were no crazy celebrations with students and fans all across the turf. There certainly weren’t any tears flowing, either.

They expect it now.

Said one FCIAC coach just the day before, “That Greenwich win gave them confidence. You give a city school confidence, they believe they can do anything.”

I’d say.

Beating Greenwich.

Crushing New Canaan.

What’s next?

Staples?