Comments(4)

|

E-mail

|

Print

“One of the best matchups of the season so far turned out to be not much of a matchup at all.”

That was Naples Daily News PrepZone host Alex Adeyanju describing Naples, Fla.’s 41-6 victory over Palmetto Ridge last Friday night in Week 2 of the Florida high school football season. (Newsflash: They’ll be in Week 3 when we start on Friday).

Apparently, Palmetto Ridge is a pretty good small school in the Florida HS football scene, but was given no chance of toppling mighty Naples. Of course, Palmetto took the David vs. Goliath approach, evoking a recent and well-known upset to get them believing.

It didn’t work.

“They just came out talking about Appalachian State and stuff, and we just came out and showed them its not that way all the time,” said Antwain Harvey, who intercepted three passes as the Golden Eagles’ defense held poor Palmetto Ridge to just 150 total yards in this destruction.

Harvey and Adeyanju say all of this on the Naples Daily News’ incredible online feature “FanZone,” which has all the other comments and commentary, not to mention video highlights of Naples in action at this link: Naples News: Fanzone Week 2

Continue reading →

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

I know this has become kind of a football blog, but it’s not the only sport being played out there this fall.

Believe me, since the season starts in just a few days and because I’ve got a soccer coach for a roommate, I’m hearing all about that.

So here are some primers to whet the ol’ appetite:

Continue reading →

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

Shelton has 14 starters returning, including one of the state’s best players in Geoff Schultz, who’s probably the program’s best player since Joe Czarnecki.

But what other strengths will make the Gaels a team to beat in the 2007 season?

Staff writer Mike Pignataro takes a look at the Gaels today:

Day 2: Shelton football to be a Gael force

And, of course, our Elite 8′s No. 7 team just happens to be the Gaels opponent on opening night.

Yes Shelton lost to Ansonia in the varsity portion of Friday’s scrimmage, but let’s be honest. It was a scrimmage. Take nothing from it except that yes, Ansonia can match up, and match up well against the LL schools.

SPB

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

Oh, and by the way, I’ll be a member of a large panel discussing high school football early, early, early tomorrow morning on WELI-AM 960 in New Haven with “The Coach” George DeMaio, along with other media mavens from across the county.

So, if you’re up at 7 a.m., are in the New Haven area and want to hear us discuss, tune in. Otherwise, it might get posted under the “Saturday Morning Sports Show” podcasts on the Coach’s page on the WELI website.

It’ll be mostly talk about the SCC, but we’ll throw a few other teams in there. I’ve been doing it for three years and, though the panel gets larger every year and it’s harder to be heard, its a blast.

SPB

Comments(1)

|

E-mail

|

Print

…Courtesy of Mr. Alex Thomas, Ansonia’s two-time all-state tailback.

The quick setup: He had already scored on a 1-yard run in the two quarters of “full go” between Shelton and Ansonia in front of a nice crowd at Jarvis Field.

After Shelton went for and failed to convert a fourth down play around the Ansonia 30 with 50 or so seconds left to go in the half, it used up its time outs trying to get the ball back for one more crack at tying the score before halftime…

Continue reading →

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

Coaches: The deadline to return your high school football prospectuses is today.

As of 1 p.m. Friday, without getting today’s mail at the office yet, here’s who we don’t have:

SCC: Derby/O’Brien Tech, Law, West Haven, Hillhouse, Wilbur Cross

SWC: Masuk, Notre Dame-Ffld, Stratford, Pomperaug.

FCIAC: Bassick, McMahon, Norwalk, New Canaan, Wilton

For coaches reading this who have not filled out their form or sent it, please fill out the form you received and follow the instructions on the sheet. If you didn’t get a sheet, please email or call me at (230) 494-2862

For players, reading this, tell your coaches to please get it in if you want your name spelled right in the preview.

Thanks

SPB

Comments(1)

|

E-mail

|

Print

More primer from elsewhere in the state. This one, from the Day of New London’s Mike DiMauro, is about the ECC and its annually perplexing divisional makeup.

Fitch-NL: A rivalry that should be preserved

Continue reading →

Comments(1)

|

E-mail

|

Print

Whew. It’s been a looooong, loooong day. Collected and wrote more football team previews this morning, wrote a column, went to a scrimmage, did a sit-down interview for almost two hours, got back to the office for more previews….

Now, safe back home here at the midnight hour and I’m Finally getting a chance to read my email and… boy, judging by all the football fans dying for info, it seems to me that we’re starving to get this season started, huh?

I look forward to the High School Football season. When will the
Preview be Published this year?
Thanks

SPB,

When does your football preview come out?? 13 or 14th??

Continue reading →

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

“Hey, did you see Naples won their first game, 33-6?” asked Staples assistant coach Jack McFarland during team picture day at Staples field.

“Jack, I’ve been so busy I forgot all about it,” was my reply.

So I did a quick search and grabbed this from the Naples Daily News website: No. 4 Naples cruises over Pace, 33-6.

Continue reading →

Comments(2)

|

E-mail

|

Print

Usually, Masuk takes a drive down I-95 down for this annual scrimmage and gets hammered.

Not this time. In fact, with a relatively strong effort against the defending Class LL champs, Masuk proved it is going to be tough to beat in the SWC this season.

Both teams were nowhere near full strength, injured players dotted both lineups and the JV players went off to scrimmage by themselves. But, overall it was a pretty entertaining.

Yes, Greenwich won 21-14. But pound-for-pound, play-for-play, these two teams took turns whupping the other for a while.

Continue reading →