Archive for the ‘SWC’ Category

‘About last night…’ Week 4: Blowout City

Saturday, October 6, 2012 by:Sean Patrick Bowley
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Fairfield Prep's Strecker Backe looks to pass during a 42-3 victory over Shelton Friday night.


Jeez, kids. What got into your pregame pasta dinners this week?

As the scores rolled across our ticker Friday night, it was blowout, after blowout, after blowout.

“Look at all these points being scored,” WELI’s George DeMaio cooed as the night’s action was read to him on his Friday night broadcast. “Unbelievable.”

They came in all shapes in sizes. They developed in a variety of ways.

You had supernovas, like Hillhouse scoring 27 points in the first quarter in a 47-0 win over Law, or Masuk hammering Bunnell with a 28-point second quarter in its 63-14 victory.

You had rolling thunderstorms like Barlow’s 40-6 win over Stratford, in which the Falcons hammered away with three-consecutive 20-point quarters.

You shootout blowouts, like Amity’s 61-43 victory over Guilford, where the teams trade scores until one of them finally asserts its offensive dominance.

You had see-saw blowouts, like Greenwich’s 62-31 victory over Trumbull. The Cards took a 42-0 lead in the first half. Then Trumbull went into blowout mode, outscoring Greenwich 25-7 to make it a 48-25 game in the third quarter before Greenwich turned on the jets again in a 62-31 win.

And there were shocking blowouts, like Fairfield Prep’s 42-3 victory over Shelton. Well, that one was shocking to everybody who isn’t a Fairfield Prep fan.  Yes, we know you believe Prep is good. But I think that result really jarred the rest of us. Now we’re convinced. Welcome back.

Bassick's Vochan Fowler hands off during Friday night's 29-28 loss to Fairfield Warde.

Anyway, blowouts, blowouts, blowouts ruled in Week 4.

Except in Fairfield where Warde defeated Bassick in a contentious and controversial 29-28 victory. Connor McGuinness kicked a 20-yard field goal with 4 seconds left to give the Mustangs the victory.

But was it legit? Reports say Warde was tackled in-bounds with approximately 7 seconds remaining and no timeouts. Apparently the clock didn’t run, which allowed the Mustangs to set up for McGuinness’ field goal.

Bassick coach Derrick Lewis said late Saturday he would protest the result to the FCIAC and CIAC on Monday. “My kids are crushed,” he said in a text message. “That game was ours.”

Here are the results and links from Friday night’s regional games:

* Games summaries included in Friday night’s high school football roundup.

Light schedule for Saturday. Check here for the statewide scores and Saturday’s results.

That’s a Wrap: Week 3

Monday, October 1, 2012 by:Sean Patrick Bowley
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A weekly look back at the who said and did what during the high school football season. Compiled by the Hearst CT Sports Staff: Mike Cardillo, Sean Patrick Bowley, Dave Ruden, Pat Pickens, Cam Martin and Doug Bonjour.

Bulldozers

Barlow QB Jack Shaban cuts through the pack during a football game against Notre Dame-Fairfield. Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012 Photo: Scott Mullin

  • Niko DeRosa, Foran: 168 yards and two TDs on 15 carries as Lions won their first game, 26-7 over Sheehan.
  • Joe Pacheco, New Fairfield: 23 carries, 336 yards and 4 touchdowns in 41-24 rout of Bunnell.
  • Nick Kelly, Staples: Senior running back had touchdown runs of 17, 1 and 9 yards in Wreckers’ 55-14 rout of Brien McMahon on Friday
  • John Shannon, Bullard-Havens: Ran for 188 yards – including a 55-yard touchdown run – in a 46-12 win over Abbott Tech.
  • Billy Wilson, Jack Shaban, Barlow: Duo combined for 263 yards and five touchdowns in a 55-12 win over ND-Fairfield.
  • Frank Bacarella, Masuk: Scored on runs of two, four and 26 yards in the Panthers easy 53-8 over Immaculate.
  • Mufasha Abdul Basir, St. Joseph: Ran for 135 yards on 19 carries and scored the winning touchdown in overtime vs. Darien.

Gunslingers

  • Jake Kasuba, Foran: 120 yards rushing and 135 yards through the air on 11 of 17 passing in Foran’s 26-7 win over Sheehan.
  • Nick Roberts Trumbull: The junior quarterback threw for 376 yards and five touchdowns (20, 44, 51, 36, 49)‑ three to Mike Williams‑ in the Eagles’ 35-7 win over Ludlowe.
  • Mike Conlan, Seymour: Threw for 161 yards with three scores as the Wildcats routed Kennedy 42-14.
  • Mark Piccirillo, Shelton: Threw for 217 yards and a pair of touchdowns and ran for another 61 yards with a score in the Gaels 34-28 win vs. Amity.

Tyler Hassett looks to pass for Weston in last week's 22-21 win over Pomperaug. Photo: Christian Abraham

Gamebreakers

  • Frank Cognetta, New Canaan: Sophomore, in his first significant playing time, had 17 carries for 113 yards and one score and a 64-yard touchdown reception in a 35-6 win over Fairfield Warde.
  • Sam Gravitte, Ridgefield: Running back had a combined 151 yards running and receiving, plus a touchdown and field goal in a 24-7 win over Stamford.
  • Andrew Matos, Ansonia: Ran for 91 yards and two scores, caught a 43-yard touchdown pass to lead Ansonia in 48-7 win over Derby.
  • Dan Hebert, Newtown: Ran back the opening kickoff vs. Stratford en route to three touchdowns along with 77 yards rushing and 79 yards receiving in a 43-14 Nighthawks’ victory.
  • Tyler Hassett, Weston: Completed 10 of 14 passes for 131 yards and two TDs, rushed for 89 yards and threw two 2-point conversion passes, including the game-winner, in a 22-21 win over Pomperaug that kept the Trojans unbeaten. He also intercepted a pass on defense.
  • Mike Williams, Trumbull: Caught three touchdown passes and piled up 178 yards in a win over Fairfield Ludlowe.
  • Yves Cassamajor, Westhill: Hauled in a pair of touchdown catches from Ryan Coppolla in the Vikings 13-0 win against Norwalk. It was Westhill’s second straight win.
  • Ed Groth, Shelton: Kicked field goals of 34 and 41 yards in the Gaels’ come from behind 34-28 win vs. Amity.
  • Boeing Brown, Brookfield: Senior caught six passes for 66 yards and kicked a 32-yard field goal in the Bobcats 24-0 shutout win over New Milford.

Brick Walls

  • Shaq Rowe, Bullard-Havens: Made 12 tackles in a win over Abbott Tech.
  • Brennan Diaz, Oxford: Ran back a fumble 29 yards for the go-ahead score in the Wolverinese 40-26 win over Bethel. He also threw for 216 yards and three touchdowns.
  • Austin Gomar, Weston: Senior defensive lineman had a sack and blocked a field goal in the Trojans’ 22-21 win over Pomperaug on Friday.
  • Matt D’Andrea, Darien: Made 10 tackles and had an interception to set up a touchdown in the Blue Wave’s loss to St. Joseph.
  • Davell Cotterell, Westhill: With his team clinging to a 7-0 lead over Norwalk, Cotterell picked off Norwalk quarterback Andy Lovo with 8:37 left. On offense he rushed for 71 yards in the Vikings’ 13-0 win.

Valiant in defeat

  • Cameran Tucker, Notre Dame-WH: Ran for 326 yards in the Green Knights’ 34-13 loss to West Haven.
  • John Moten, Fairfield Prep: Sophomore running back had two touchdown receptions and 81 all-purpose yards in the Jesuits’ 35-14 loss to Xavier.
  • Cameron Webb, Stamford: Rushed for 127 yards on 19 carries and a 21-yard reception in a 24-7 loss to Ridgefield.
  • David Attolino, Amity: Ran for three touchdowns in a 34-28 loss to Shelton.
  • Tajik Baley, ND-Fairfield: Ran back a kickoff 70 yards for a score in the Lancers’ loss to Barlow.
  • Darius Smith, Immaculate: Scored on a 67-yard touchdown run in the Mustangs loss to Masuk.
  • Peter Serencsics, Bethel: Had 21 tackles in Bethel’s loss to Oxford.

“Newsome didn’t need his carries tonight. Matos took over.”

Ansonia's Andrew Matos, left, looks to dodge a tackle by Derby's #7 Dillon McMahon, during football action in Ansonia, Conn. on Thursday September 27, 2012. Photo: Christian Abraham / Connecticut Post

–Derby coach George French after his team fell to Ansonia 48-7

“We didn’t make excuses. We just said, ‘We’re going to find a way.’ And the kids did.

–Weston coach Joe Lato on his team’s 22-21 victory over Pomperaug, the Trojan’s first since 1990.

“This is probably the biggest (win) in our history.”

–Weston quarterback Tyler Hassett.

“I don’t want to make a mockery of the game. …I think that taking a knee and falling down is a heck of a lot more embarrassing than just playing. So we played and everything worked out fine.”

–Staples coach Marce Petroccio on his team’s 55-14 victory over McMahon.

“These players will never stop fighting.”

–St. Joseph sophomore back Mufasha Abdul Basir on his team’s 35-28 2OT victory over Darien.

“This whole season’s been a wake-up call.”

–Trumbull coach Bob Maffei on Ludlowe taking a 7-0 against the Eagles. Trumbull went on to win 35-7 for Maffei’s 100th career victory and its first win of the season.

“I think we played 46 minutes of good football. But the first two minutes we had stars in our eyes.”

Ridgefield's Samuel Gravitte carries the ball during Friday's football game against Stamford at Ridgefield High School on September 28, 2012. Photo: Lindsay Niegelberg / Stamford Advocate

–Fairfield Prep coach Tom Shea on his team’s 35-14 loss to Xavier, in which the Jesuits surrendered two touchdowns to D’Angelo Berry in the game’s first 1 minute, 46 seconds.

“We were down our starting quarterback and it didn’t change anything.”

–Ridgefield RB Sam Gravitte (right) on the Tigers’ 24-7 win over Stamford.

“This is a really good football team and that’s what people don’t realize.”

Westhill coach Frank Marcucio after his team’s 13-0 win over Norwalk, putting the Vikings at 2-1

“Every one’s a big one when you’re Barlow High School. There are no small ones.”

Barlow coach Rob Tynan on his team’s 3-0 start.

“We wanted to show everyone in the SWC that we’re not just some small New Fairfield team that gets run over by big schools.”

–New Fairfield back Joe Pacheco, who ran for 336 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-24 win over Bunnell

SWC

  • Brookfield (3-0) at Newtown (3-0), Friday, 7 – One is an established power with three big wins under its belt. The other is a once-established power attempting to reclaim its crown. This is the SWC’s Game of the Year, Mark I.
  • Masuk (3-0) at Bunnell (1-2), Friday, 7 – Just how far apart is Masuk from the rest of the SWC? We’ll find out. Bunnell’s 41-24 loss to New Fairfield isn’t encouraging.

CSC

  • Bullard-Havens (3-0) at Cheney Tech (2-1), Friday, 6 — Bullard-Havens looks one of the two teams to beat in the CSC. They have to knock off one of last year’s champs to really grab hold.

FCIAC

  • Wilton (2-1) at Ridgefield (2-1), Friday, 7 — These teams do not like each other. Hate might not be a strong enough word, actually. Yet, Ridgefield has owned this rivalry for 18 years running.
  • McMahon (2-1) at New Canaan (2-1), Friday, 7 – The Senators don’t want you to believe they were as bad as they showed vs. Staples. Here’s a chance to make amends and stay in the FCIAC race. For New Canaan, a chance to keep Saturday’s good karma going.
  • Stamford (2-1) at St. Joseph (2-1), Saturday, 2:30 — Last week’s big win over Darien means nothing without following it up. Stamford’s speed has always caused problems for the Hogs. This is no gimme game for either team.

NVL

  • Ansonia (3-0) at Holy Cross (2-1), Friday, 7 – What happened last week Holy Cross? If I’m Ansonia, I smell blood.

SCC

  • Shelton (2-1) at Fairfield Prep (2-1), Friday, 6 – The Jesuits should be feeling good about themselves despite losing at Palmer Field. They played Xavier relatively tough. Toppling Shelton would all but end the Gaels’ state aspirations, and give theirs a boost. Big game.
  • North Haven (2-1) at New London (3-0), Friday, 7 — An intriguing matchup of non-league powers. North Haven needs to win this one to stay in the thick of Class L playoff race and set up a showdown with Harold Cooper and Hillhouse.

Sunday Crunch: Mufasha, St. Joseph states their case

Sunday, September 30, 2012 by:Sean Patrick Bowley
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St. Joseph's Mufasha Abdul Basir busts loose during St. Joseph's 35-28 2OT win over Darien on Saturday.

They call him the ‘Lion King,’ an endearing reference to his name, “Mufasha,” and the namesake of the titular character from the popular Disney franchise.

Like his namesake, Mufasha Abdul Basir grew up before our eyes Saturday at Darien High School. Called upon to make the biggest play of the young season, Abdul Basir, his legs pumping, his shoulders churning, squeezed through the Darien defensive front and fell — just barely — over the goal line to write himself into St. Joseph’s 2012 season highlight reel and lift the Hogs into contender status.

Of course, St. Joseph’s defense had to do some work to secure the exhilarating 35-28 victory. But it was Mufasha’s hard yards in double overtime, necessary after St. Joseph had shanked what would have been the winning chip-shot field goal in OT 1, that secured St. Joseph’s contender status.

“If you don’t want to play this game, you can’t play this game,” he said. “This is a hard-hitting game and you have to want to be great to play this game. And our team wanted to be great, I wanted to be great. I came in with a mindset that I wasn’t going to go down, no matter what. I’m going to keep my feet moving and whoever dares run toward me, I gotta go get it.”

His clutch, 1-yard plunge was reminiscent of the team’s last great running back, Tyler Matakevich, who helped St. Joseph win back-to-back state championships only two years ago. (Aside: Matakevich probably would have leaped over the pile, though).

With a week off from Temple, Matakevich was on the sidelines to watch his former teammates earn their biggest win since he played in the 2010 Class S championship over Ansonia. Mufasha was just an eight-grader then, but the presence of his idol had an effect.

“He’s a great guy and a great inspiration,” Abdul Basir said. “He works hella hard. I kinda wanted to win for him.”

Darien #35 Tommy DiMauro draws the defense as Darien High School hosts St. Joseph High School in varsity football in Darien, CT on Sept. 29, 2012. Photo: Shelley Cryan

The Blue Wave fell to 2-1 and coach Rob Trifone lamented his team playing without star back Peter Gesualdi for the second time and attributed its ineffectiveness during St. Joseph’s comeback to the limited availability of standout lineman Matt D’Andrea. “Put simply, it killed us,” he said. “He’s the best offensive and defensive player we have and when he got tired, it made it difficult.”

But he took some positives out of the close loss.

“…Playing the way we did without Peter Gesualdi, who will be back next week, shows we can play with anybody,” Trifone said.

And so St. Joseph-Darien lived up to its billing. It added St. Joseph, which went 4-6 a year ago, to a crowded house of early FCIAC contenders alongside Darien, Greenwich (2-0) Trinity Catholic (3-0), New Canaan (2-1), Ridgefield (2-1), Stamford (2-1), Westhill (2-1), Wilton (2-1) and Danbury (1-1, 2-1 overall). Staples (3-0) remains the hunted team. And, based on Week 4′s schedule, it doesn’t seem as if there will be much change as we head into midseason.

Same goes for the SWC, which saw little change from last week’s surprises. Barlow, Oxford, Masuk and Newtown won big. Brookfield beat New Milford to set up its grudge match with Newtown on Friday. Masuk at Bunnell is another game to watch.

In the SCC, Fairfield Prep earned some stripes by hanging tough with No. 1 Xavier despite allowing D’Angelo Berry to score two touchdowns on his first two touches of the day. It had the earmarks of a blowout, but Fairfield Prep kept the margin within two touchdowns until the fourth quarter.

“Maybe we had stars in our eyes,” coach Tom Shea said. “But we have to learn that games are 48 minutes long, not 46, unfortunately.”

Though they eventually lost 35-14, Fairfield Prep suddenly doesn’t look like it will be a pushover against some of the other squads on its schedule. The Jesuits don’t play Hand, get West Haven late. Hmm…

Shelton beat back a strong challenge from David Attolino and Amity to earn a critical 34-28 victory.

One of the league’s most surprising results from Friday was West Haven’s 34-13 victory over Notre Dame-West Haven. The score wasn’t surprising, but ND back Cameran Tucker’s performance was downright shocking. He blasted off for 323 yards and Notre Dame only scored 13 points. However it happened, Notre Dame is 1-2 and West Haven is 3-0.

And, finally, in the NVL, the only result of note was Torrington’s big, 24-21 upset victory over Holy Cross. The Crusaders will not be 3-0 heading into Friday’s game vs. Ansonia. Has the luster faded on the last great NVL hope?

EXTRA POINTS: Congratulations to Trumbull coach Bob Maffei for getting win No. 100 in Trumbull’s 35-7 win over Ludlowe. The Eagles snapped a 9-game losing streak dating back a week before program patriarch Jerry McDougall died. …Central quarterback Xavier Hardison suffered a concussion and was carted off the field during his team’s wild, 36-30, loss to Danbury. He was up and about Tweeting on Sunday morning that he was OK. His return to the field is doubtful for next week vs. Westhill.

Saturday’s Regional Roundup

ALSO: Ned Griffen of The Day has your Weekend ‘Polecat’ roundup for statewide news.

Week 3 Primer and live updates: Rain, postponements galore (updated)

Friday, September 28, 2012 by:Sean Patrick Bowley
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Weston's #4 Erik Dammen-Brower crosses into the endzone for a touchdown, during football action against Pomperaug in Southbury, Conn. on Friday September 28, 2012. Photo: Christian Abraham / Connecticut Post


Week 3 began as a mess with rain, rain and more rain fudging with the schedules.

But there was football played Friday night and there were a few intriguing results, especially up north, where nary a drop fell after kickoff.

Along Route I-84, Tyler Hassett and Weston hit a landmark victory when they rallied back to defeat Pomperaug for the first time in school history.

Ridgefield suspended quarterback Connor Rowe, but still defeated Stamford 24-7.

Staples had no trouble with McMahon 55-14.

Meanwhile, in the underwater league (aka, SCC): West Haven defeated Notre Dame-WH. Hand handled Cheshire. Foran defeated Sheehan. Guilford hammered Lyman Hall. Hillhouse took care of Branford.

FRIDAY’S RESULTS/POSTPONEMENTS

  • CSC: Putnam/Tourtellotte/Ellis Tech at Platt Tech, Saturday, 4:30
  • FCIAC: Ridgefield 24, Stamford 7 | Wilton at Bassick, ppd Saturday, 10:30 | Danbury at Central, ppd Saturday, 11 | Staples 55, McMahon 14 | Fairfield Ludlowe at Trumbull, ppd Saturday, 10
  • NVL: Wolcott at Crosby | Holy Cross at Torrington, ppd. Saturday, 10 a.m. | St. Paul Catholic at Naugatuck, ppd Saturday, 7:30
  • SCC: Hand 35, Cheshire 7 | West Haven 34, ND-West Haven 13 | Amity at Shelton, ppd. Saturday, 1:30 | Fairfield Prep at Xavier, ppd Saturday, 7 | Foran 26, Sheehan 7 | Hillhouse 32, Branford 18 | Guilford 56, Lyman Hall 7 | Law at Hamden, Saturday, noon
  • SWC: ND-Fairfield at Barlow, ppd. Saturday, 4 | Bunnell at New Fairfield, ppd. Monday, 6 | Immaculate at Masuk, ppd. Saturday, 7 | Newtown vs. Stratford at Bunnell HS, ppd. Saturday, 10 | Oxford at Bethel, ppd. Saturday, 7 | Weston 21, Pomperaug 20

For a full schedule that updates automatically, check the CIAC here.

Plenty of games Saturday, follow the live blog for more.

Live Blog

SPB’s Elite 8: Week 3

Tuesday, September 25, 2012 by:Sean Patrick Bowley
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We’re all shook up heading into Week 3 of the high school football season. Some surprising local results have us scratching our heads and thinking about what’s what. What to do with teams like Trinity Catholic, Stamford and Westhill. What do do with Brookfield, Weston and Barlow? Only so many spots, so many teams to consider.

It’s been trendy to pump up the underdogs who barked so loudly around here last week.

But we’re going slightly conservative on this week’s EE.

For now, we’ll give the establishment the benefit of the doubt while waiting to see what some of those hot-button teams do next before we frantically start pushing them.

So, here we go:

GREENWICH (2-0; Up next: bye); DARIEN (2-0; Up next: Saturday vs. St. Joseph); MASUK (2-0; Up Next: Friday vs. Immaculate) — For the most part, all three teams mopped the floor with their Week 2 opponents. Greenwich handled Bassick, Darien beat Warde and Masuk beat New Milford.

All of them have moved up mostly because West Haven has moved down (we’ll get to that). Masuk takes the biggest jump into the No. 5 slot. Tough call between Masuk and Darien right now.

ST. JOSEPH (1-1; Up Next: at Darien, Saturday) – The Hogs make their debut in the Elite 8 thanks to their dismantling of Wilton. Caught them in person and here’s what sticks out: They’re huge (QB Jordan Vazzano would be a tackle on practically every other high school football team in Connecticut) and they play tough defense.

Yeah, they’re 1-1, but we give them credit for making Staples sweat in Week 1.

Now comes the tough part: Staying here. They travel to Darien in the region’s biggest and best Saturday encounter.

TRINITY CATHOLIC (2-0; Up Next: Harding, Saturday); BROOKFIELD (2-0, Up Next: at New Milford, Saturday); BARLOW (2-0; Up Next: vs. Notre Dame-Fairfield); STAMFORD (2-0; Up Next: at Ridgefield, Friday) — These teams made the most noise in Week 3. Trinity, of course, nipped New Canaan. Brookfield blitzed Bunnell. Barlow hammered Bethel; Stamford crushed Norwalk.

Intriguing. But now here comes the Big Question: Are these teams for real? Maybe, but it’s not enough to leap them into the Elite 8 just yet. We have our eyes wide open.

Yes, Westhill is not on this list. They lost convincingly to Trinity Catholic in Week 1 and beat a Trumbull squad that hasn’t won since program patriarch Jerry McDougall died last October. It’s going to take a little more.

We also considered Derby or Weston among the missed. But we think Derby will have to beat Ansonia or, failing that, win a few more NVL games. Ditto Weston. We’ll just say they’re all close.

WEST HAVEN (2-0; Up Next: at Notre Dame-WH, Friday) – Think of this as a slap on the wrist. After giving our due respect to Guilford, which manned-up and didn’t back down to the big, bad Westies of SCC Division I, we were a little disappointed that West Haven found itself down 14-0. That kind of behavior is not befitting a Top 8 squad, boys.

You have been warned. Notre Dame won’t be so forgiving.

NEW CANAAN (1-1; Up Next: at Fairfield Warde, Saturday) — Trinity Catholic’s 31-28 upset might be the first legitimate crack in New Canaan’s armor we’ve seen since… 2004? The Rams, who drop from No. 8 into the ‘Missed,’ have some work to do if they want to reclaim their mojo.

BUNNELL, WILTON, NORWALK have all dropped out of the ‘Missed.’ Now they’re just missing.

STAPLES (2-0; Up Next: vs. McMahon, Friday): Just crushed Central. Wow.

ANSONIA (2-0; Up Next: vs. Derby, Friday): Just crushed Woodland. Wow.

FAIRFIELD PREP (2-0; Up Next: at Xavier): We love Fairfield Prep’s spirit after winning its first two games. Well done. This next game is an entirely different story, altogether.

“It’s an entirely different story.”

That was an ‘Airplane!’ joke.

RIDGEFIELD (1-1; Up Next: vs. Stamford): Ridgefield won their first game, handily taking care of Ludlowe. Now the Tigers get Stamford in what suddenly looks like a big test against Stamford. Can’t slip up now, guys.

SHELTON (1-1; Up Next: vs. Amity): See above. Insert ‘Foran’ for Ludlowe and ‘Amity’ for Stamford.

Vote now! What’s Week 3′s Game of the Week?

Tuesday, September 25, 2012 by:Sean Patrick Bowley
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Trinity Catholic-New Canaan was overwhelmingly voted Week 2′s ‘Game of the Week’ by you, the ever wise high school football fans, players and coaches.

That turned out to be the correct response. (Though it might have got a few write-in votes, we didn’t include Westhill-Trumbull as an option. Silly us. But, based purely on meaning as well as excitement, we still think TC-NC was the big winner).

Anyway, so you picked that one right. Hooray.

Let’s see how smart you guys are now.

What’s the game of the week for Week 3? Not as many choices this time, but there are some good candidates.

Whaddyagot for us, knaves?

That’s a wrap Week 2

Monday, September 24, 2012 by:Gary Rogo
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A look back at the who did and said what in Week 2 of the 2012 high school football season.

Compiled by Gary Rogo, Executive Sports Editor of Hearst CT Newspapers, and the Hearst CT Staff.

Bulldozers

  • Trinity Catholic's Shaquan Howsie carries the ball during Saturday's game against New Canaan at Trinity Catholic High School on September 22, 2012. (Lindsay Niegelberg)

    John Shannon, Bullard-Havens: Ran for 163 yards and three TDs on just five carries in 47-0 shutout of Wolcott.

  • Joe Pacheco, New Fairfield: Rushed for 223 yards and two TDs in a 49-0 shutout of Immaculate.
  • James Semonella, Amity: Rushed for 172 yards and two TDs in 58-14 rout of Sheehan. Teammates Dave Attolonio (122 yards, 2 TDs) and Corey Ricks (108 yards 2 TDs) also contributed on the ground.
  • Sam Gravitte, Ridgefield: Rushed for three TDs (8, 4 and 3 yards) and caught a 58-yard scoring pass from Connor Rowe in a 41-14 victory over Fairfield Ludlowe.
  • Kyle Jordan and Trevon Forney McMahon: Jordan, a senior, rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries in the Senators’ 41-14 dismantling of Harding. Forney, a junior, added touchdown runs of 53 and 21 yards.
  • Alex Lockwood, Barlow: Ran for 224 yards and scored on all four of his carries, from 75, 6, 64 and 80 yards, in a 48-20 dismantling of Bethel.
  • Cooper Gold, Newtown: Rushed 118 yards and two TDs on 14 carries and caught a pass for another score in a 42-7 rout of Pomperaug.
  • Cameron Webb, Stamford: Carried 16 times for 146 yards and two TDs and added a 28-yard TD reception as Black Knights routed Norwalk 48-7.
  • Jack Massie and Nick Kelly, Staples: Kelly, who missed the opener with concussion-like symptoms, rushed for two scores and 66 yards on six carries as the Wreckers ran past Central 49-6. Massie ran for scores of 57 and 5 yards.
  • Shaquan Howsie, Trinity Catholic: Finished with 139 yards and two TDs on 22 carries in the Crusaders’ 31-28 upset of New Canaan in overtime.
  • Sam Breiner, Stratford: Ran for 97 yards in less than three quarters of work in Stratford’s 37-14 win over ND-Fairfield.
  • Kory Brown, Brookfield: Ran for a pair of touchdowns in a 33-18 win over Bunnell.

Gunslingers

Jordan Vazzano celebrates after scoring on a 72-yard touchdown run vs. Wilton Saturday. Photo by Autumn Driscoll

  • Jose Melo, Greenwich: Junior completed 13-of-18 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns in Greenwich’s 48-2 win over Bassick.

  • Henry Baldwin, Darien: Threw four TD passes (26, 59 yards, 61 and 67 yards) in 44-21 rout of Warde.
  • Jordan Vazzano, St. Joseph: Completed 11 of 18 passes for 181 yards and two TDs and ran 72 yards for another score in 34-0 blanking of Wilton.
  • Brad Westmark, Brookfield: Junior lit up Bunnell for 391 yards and two scores on 25-of-35 passing in a decisive 33-18 victory
  • Jai’Quan McKnight, Ansonia: Sophomore connected with senior Andrew Matos on three TDs (79, 43 and 24 yards) and ran for a score in a 47-16 victory over Woodland.
  • Mark Piccirillo, Shelton: In his first varsity start, completed 14 of 28 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-8 victory over Foran
  • Malik Cummings, Masuk: Threw for 289 yards and two TDs in a 41-21 defeat of New Milford.

Gamebreakers

  • Tyler Hassett, Weston: Returned an interception 76 yards for a TD; on offense ran 26 yards for a score and threw a 27-yard TD pass in a 32-14 defeat of Oxford.
  • Noah Provo, Stratford: Ran 10 yards for the game’s first score, then returned an interception 99 yards for a TD in a 37-14 beating of Notre Dame-Fairfield.
  • Thomas Milone, Masuk: Rushed for 103 yards and four TDs and caught five passes for 82 yards and a fifth TD in a 41-21 defeat of New Milford.
  • Davell Cotterell, Westhill: 193 yards rushing on 27 carries and 2 TDs, 3 receptions for 34 yards and a TD, and a 62-yard kickoff return in a 37-30 overtime victory over Trumbull. Finished with 339 all-purpose yards. The victory ended a 20-game losing streak and a 39-year winless streak against Trumbull.
  • Nick Lombardo, Darien: Caught three passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns in Darien’s rout of Fairfield Warde.
  • Nick Biasetti and Boeing Brown, Brookfield: Biasetti, a junior, caught 8 passes for 143 yards, and Brown, a converted quarterback, chipped in with seven catches for 121 yards and one score in the victory over Bunnell.
  • Joe Kelly, Greenwich: Senior tight end had three receptions for 86 yards, including touchdown catches of 40 and 41 yards for the Cardinals, who beat Bassick, 48-2
  • John Benalcazer, Trinity Catholic: Kicked a game-winning 21-yard in the Crusaders’ upset of New Canaan, 28 years to the day of Trinity’s last victory over the Rams.

Brick Walls

  • Malik Whittaker, McMahon: Junior cornerback scored on a 36-yard interception return in a 41-14 rout of Harding. On offense he carried five times for 57 yards and a touchdown.
  • Austin Gomar, Weston: Keep Oxford off-stride with two second-half sacks, forcing a fumble in a 32-14 victory.
  • Sergio Colon, Stratford: Had two interceptions in the Red Devils’ win over ND-Fairfield.
  • Tyrae Small, Derby: Blocked an extra-point kick to help preserve Red Raiders’ 21-20 victory over Naugatuck. Also intercepted a pass.
  • Casey Burdick, Brookfield — Intercepted two passes in Brookfield’s 33-18 win over bunnell.

Valiant in defeat

  • Jack Barfuss, New Canaan: Caught TD passes of 28, 29 and 18 yards in 31-28 overtime loss to Trinity Catholic.
  • Quentin Brunetti, Trumbull: Quarterback completed 17 of 37 passes for 227 yards and 2 TDs in 37-30 overtime loss to Westhill.
  • Andrew Calzone, Bunnell – Caught a pair of touchdown passes in Bunnell’s loss to Brookfield
  • Joe Piantik, Bethel – Ran for a 50-yard score and threw for two more in a 48-20 loss to Barlow.

“…There are ghosts here. Maybe we stirred them a little bit.”

Trinity Catholic coach Peter Stokes on beating New Canaan 31-28 in overtime.

“If words could explain it I would tell you…”

Shaquan Howsie on the feeling of beating New Canaan for first time in 28 years.

“I learned a long time ago that you have to go to your players, not your playbook. So we came in with a good game plan: Give the ball to No. 7.”

Westhill coach Frank Marcucio on his team’s 37-30 OT win over Trumbull, and tailback Dave Cotterell

Stamford's Cameron Webb carries the ball during Friday's game against Norwalk High School at Stamford High School on September 21, 2012. Photo: Lindsay Niegelberg / Stamford Advocate

“Everything just clicked together. I dedicate my performance to Marcus.”

–Stamford back Cameron Webb on his team’s 47-7 rout of Norwalk.

“That was an old-fashioned there boys.”

Norwalk coach Sean Ireland, omitting a few words in describing his team’s loss to Stamford.

“The kid can sling it, huh?”

Brookfield coach Rich Angarano on quarterback Brad Westmark, who was 25-of-35 for 391 yards and three touchdowns in an eye-opening win over Bunnell

“This means we’re back.”

Brookfield captain Tom Salvatore on a 33-18 win over Bunnell

“This isn’t the old Abbott Tech anymore. We’re a good team and we’re looking for Ws.”

Abbott Tech quarterback Greg Ramos after a 28-26 overtime loss to 2011 playoff team Cheney Tech

“I feel I’m starting to get the hang of it. I just felt comfortable back there. Making the proper reads and making the proper passes.”

Ansonia quarterback Jai’Quan Knight in an understatement after torching Woodland on 8-of-9 passing for 216 yards and three touchdowns in a 47-16 victory.

FCIAC

  • Stamford at Ridgefield, Friday, 7 – So Stamford wants to be a player, huh? Maybe they should beat up on someone of their caliber? Seriously, suddenly this is a big game.
  • St. Joseph at Darien, Saturday, 1:30 – If St. Joseph really is legit, it can muddle the FCIAC championship race with a victory here. Darien has mowed down two Fairfield teams and the Hogs flexed their biceps by dismantling Wilton. Get your tickets now.
  • McMahon at Staples, Friday, 7 — Both teams are 2-0, but just how far apart are they? This was a barn-burner last season. McMahon’s two-headed running attack of Trey Forney and Kyle Jordan vs. the Staples chimera: Frusciante, Kelly, Zelkowitz and Massie (among others).

SWC

  • Newtown at Stratford, Friday, 7 – Newtown found its new tailback and seems to have rounded into form with a dominant victory over Pomperaug. Now the Hawks just need to get Danny Hebert involved. Stratford wants to prove it’s for real.
  • Weston at Pomperaug, Friday, 7 – Pomperaug’s struggles aside, this would be a pretty big win for Weston, especially when you think of how far it’ll go in getting the Trojans a state playoff berth. Pomperaug would love to build beyond a foundation.

SCC

  • Fairfield Prep at Xavier, Friday, 7 – Fairfield Prep’s BACK! …Or is it? It’s more likely the Jesuits will be found flat on their backs at Palmer Field. But who knows for sure…?
  • Amity at Shelton, Friday, 7 – These old Housatonic League rivals face off in a “reclamation project” game. They both lost their opening games and then dominated in Week 2. The winner gets to feel a heckuva lot better at 2-1.
  • Cheshire at Hand, Friday, 7 – Cheshire’s Don Drust is undefeated as head coach. OK, so he’s only 2-0. But the underdog Rams can go a long way in removing that “interim” tag.
  • West Haven at Notre Dame-West Haven, Friday, 7 – The Westies were down 14-0 against Guilford and moved up in the state polls? The Green Knights would love to prove that was a mistake in the annual Battle of West Haven. (We’re sure the West Haven coaches hate having to play at Veterans Field for a second-straight year).

NVL

  • Derby at Ansonia, Friday, 7 — Derby is 2-0 and looking good after their solid 21-20 victory over Naugatuck. Asking them to go 3-0 might be a bit too much against their hated rivals, especially the way Ansonia’s playing right now. This will be the 90th meeting between the two schools. Ansonia leads the series 53-28-8.

CSC

  • Abbott Tech at Bullard-Havens, Saturday, noon –Abbott Tech’s playing well despite losing in double-overtime to Cheney Tech. Bullard-Havens, meanwhile, looks unstoppable in the CSC.

State Polls Week 3: Masuk, Darien, West Haven make poll debuts

Monday, September 24, 2012 by:Sean Patrick Bowley
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The earth moved under our feet after a pretty wild week 2.

Among the wreckage affecting the Top 10 vote: Hillhouse lost to Hand in a battle of Top 10 teams. New Canaan was nipped by Trinity Catholic in overtime. New London crushed Montville. Brookfield shocked Bunnell. Ansonia blitzed Woodland.

Hillhouse and New Canaan were the biggest casualties. As it is, they have been voted off the Top 10 island for now. Berlin, which spent two weeks in the Top 10 and hasn’t lost yet, has nevertheless been supplanted as well.

Leaping into the vacuum are three regional teams. Masuk, Darien and West Haven entered the fray for the first time.

In the media poll, little has changed in the Top 6. The usual suspects are all in attendance, in order.

In the coaches poll, Masuk and West Haven join as co-No. 6. Hand and Staples are tied at No. 3.

NHR State Media Top 10

Dropped Out: Hillhouse (7), New Canaan (8), Berlin (10).
Other teams receiving votes: Berlin (2-0), 267; Glastonbury (2-0), 216; Southington (2-0), 211; New London (2-0), 160; Hillhouse (1-1), 136; Newtown (2-0), 114; North Branford (2-0), 113; Cheshire (2-0), 89; Holy Cross (2-0), 73; Manchester (2-0), 39; Cromwell (2-0), 28; Norwich Free Academy (2-0), 25; Middletown (2-0), 24; Farmington (2-0), 17; New Canaan (1-1), 14; Wolcott (2-0), 12; St. Joseph (1-1), 9; Fairfield Prep (2-0), North Haven (1-1) and Trinity Catholic (2-0), 7.
The following voted: Marc Allard, Norwich Bulletin; Bob Barton, New Haven Register; Bill Bloxsom, Hersam-Acorn; Sean Patrick Bowley, Connecticut Post; Don Boyle, Sporting News CT; Jim Bransfield, Middletown Press; Kyle Brennan, Waterbury Republican-American; Chris Brodeur, Danbury News-Times; Bryant Carpenter, Meriden-Record Journal; George DeMaio, WELI; Mike DiMauro, The Day of New London; Matt Doran, MSG Varsity; Tom Evans, Norwalk Hour; Noah Finz, WTNH-8; Ned Griffen, The Day of New London; John Holt, WFSB-3; Mark Jaffee, Waterbury Republican-American; Ken Lipshez, West Hartford News/New Britain City Journal; Mike Madera, Elm City Newspapers; Joe Morelli, New Haven Register; Dave Phillips, Shore Line Newspapers; Mike Pucci, New Haven Register; Dave Ruden, Stamford Advocate; Tom Yantz, Hartford Courant; Mike Wollschlager, New Haven Register; Jimmy Zanor, Shore Line Newspapers.

Day Coaches Top 10

Dropped out: New Canaan (8).
Also receiving votes: Ledyard (2-0), 108 points; Darien (2-0), 94; New London (2-0), 75; Middletown (2-0), 62; Holy Cross-Waterbury (2-0), 55; Southington (2-0), 54; Tie, Hillhouse-New Haven (1-1) and Norwich Free Academy (2-0), 52; Newtown (2-0), 48; Cheshire (2-0), 42; St. Joseph-Trumbull (1-1), 18; Tie, Cromwell (2-0) and Fairfield Prep (2-0), 16; Tie, New Canaan (1-1) and North Branford (2-0), 12; Tie, Brookfield (2-0) and Derby (2-0), 11; Tie, Avon (2-0) and Hartford Capital/Classical/Achievement (2-0), 7.
The following coaches voted: Tom Brockett, Ansonia; Jim Buonocore, Ledyard; Craig Bruno, Bunnell-Stratford; Steve Filippone, Hand-Madison; Rob Fleeting, Windsor; Tanner Grove, Montville; Jude Kelly, St. Paul-Bristol; Tim King, Valley Regional-Deep River; Sean Marinan, Xavier-Middletown; John Murphy, Masuk-Monroe; Marce Petroccio, Staples-Westport; Bob Zito, Maloney-Meriden.

WTNH: Friday night Week 2 highlights

Monday, September 24, 2012 by:Sean Patrick Bowley
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You saw the roundup, now watch the highlights via WTNH of the Week 2 Friday games. Noah Finz mostly has the goods on the SCC — including How Guilford built a shocking 14-0 lead on West Haven, and the Top 10 battle at Bowen Field between Hand and Hillhouse.

WTNH also threw the SWC a bone with some Bunnell-Brookfield in from the CPTV broadcast. You can see the full highlights from CPTV Sports here.

Still, some good footage of Shelton-Foran, Cheshire-Branford as well.

Watch the WTNH Friday Night highlight reel here:

CPTV Sports highlights: Brookfield squashes Bunnell

Monday, September 24, 2012 by:Sean Patrick Bowley
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There were plenty of insane results from Week 2′s games, not the least of which was Brookfield’s dismantling of Bunnell Friday night in an SWC game.

As we’ve mentioned, it was a coming out party for junior quarterback Brad Westmark and new-look Brookfield, which was practically unstoppable on offense and tough on defense.

The Bobcats play New Millford on Saturday. They get Newtown after that. Buckle your chinstraps.

Watch the highlights from CPTV Sports below.

We’ll have more from this game later.

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