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Welcome all those of you looking for a girls soccer preview. Now that the FCIAC season is over we can begin to explore options for both the Mustangs and Falcons, and handicap the rest of the FCIAC playoffs.

WARDE GIRLS SOCCER

Final Record, Seed: 7-3-5, seventh

First round opponent: at No. 2 New Canaan, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Odds of winning FCIAC: 20-1

Breakdown: The Mustangs crept into the FCIAC playoffs with its win over Bridgeport Central on Thursday, 5-0. That win coupled with Darien’s loss and Staples’ loss gives Warde the No. 7 seed. Warde enters the tournament on a nice little streak, going 4-1-3 in its last eight FCIAC games. Earning the No. 7 seed brings the Mustangs a date with New Canaan, whom the Mustangs tied 0-0 on Sept. 30. The Rams probably should have won at least 1-0, but Warde had some help from a goal post or two and goalkeeper Ali Rocchi. The Mustangs should be able to compete with New Canaan, but who knows what the story is if the two get to overtime or a shootout.

Prediction: Loses tomorrow to New Canaan.

LUDLOWE GIRLS SOCCER

Final Record, Seed: 8-5-2, sixth

First round opponent: at No. 3 Westhill, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Odds of winning FCIAC: 18-1

Breakdown: Ludlowe struggled in its 2-0 loss to Westhill on Oct. 19, that game really should have been more like 3-0 or 4-0. The Falcons have been an enigma all year, with inconsistent play coupled with strikes of brilliance. Ludlowe has lost to Darien and Staples, yet handed Ridgefield its only loss of the season. The sky is the limit for the Falcons, but the floor could be Saturday in the quarterfinals.

Prediction: Loses in quarterfinals to Westhill.

FCIAC Girls Soccer prediction

Ridgefield is the No. 1 seed and Ludlowe was the only team that beat the Tigers all year. I think that the Tigers roll past Staples and into the quarters where they’ll take on Greenwich. Ridgefield beat Greenwich 4-3 in their meeting earlier in the year. I think Ridgefield settles down and wins.

New Canaan and Westhill will be the other semifinal. Neither squad played the other this year, which will make for an interesting matchup. I think Westhill comes out victorious.

In the final, I think Ridgefield deals Westhill its first loss since the Tigers defeated the Vikings on Sept. 18. I predict that Ridgefield will be your 2009 FCIAC Girls Soccer champion.

Football Picks

St. Joseph (5-1) at Warde (4-2), tonight, 7 p.m. Tetreau/Davis Field: The Cadets/Hogs are not happy after their loss to New Canaan on Saturday and will come out hungry. Expect St. Joes to have a feast. Pick: St. Joseph 45, Warde 7.

Staples (6-0) at Ludlowe (3-3), tonight, 7 p.m. Taft Field: This game was an 8-7 game last year. This year should be a different story. The Wreckers are the No. 4 ranked team in the CSWA poll and despite Ludlowe’s most recent hot stretch, the Falcons probably won’t have the horses to keep up with Staples. Pick: Staples 35, Ludlowe 13.

Hamden (5-1) at Prep (0-6), tonight, 6 p.m., Alumni Field: Talk about a feast. The Green Dragons fell to Xavier a week ago, which bounced them from the CSWA poll. Hamden will be looking for revenge and will likely dominate a severely overmatched Jesuit team. There could be a suspension after this one. Pick: Hamden 50, Prep 7.

Bethel (5-1) at ND (1-5), tomorrow, 1 p.m., McCarty Stadium: Brody Brandstatter and his squad will put up a fight, but Bethel is a very good team. They should win handily. Pick: Bethel 33, ND 14.

Odds and Ends

The Yankees should be extremely pleased with the way AJ Burnett last night. I believe that Pedro Martinez awoke a sleeping giant with his words and actions. Expect the Yankees to win game 3… Also expect Nick Swisher to return to the Yankee lineup for game 3. Jerry Hairston Jr. had a nice game last night, but with the elimination of the DH the Yankees will need all the bats they can get… Philly vs. New York is the theme of the weekend. The Giants play the Eagles on Sunday and the Knicks take on the Sixers on Saturday night. No hockey duals between the towns though… This isn’t a must-win game for the Giants, but they need to win. Losing three straight would be bad, but losing three straight and the division lead would be worse. That would leave the Giants open to (gasp) miss the playoffs… Lost in the MLB and NFL talk is that the Southeast Conference officiating missed a call again in the Mississippi State game with Florida on Saturday night. The
SEC had to issue an apology in Florida’s game the week prior.

You can always follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pickensfcsports. As always, take good care.

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Week six of High School football is already upon us. Warde takes on Trinity Catholic and Ludlowe will take on McMahon. Fairfield Prep will visit slumping Shelton and Notre Dame will take on Brookfield. All games will take place on Friday night.

Trinity Catholic (1-4) at Fairfield Warde (3-2), Tetreau/Davis Field, 7 p.m.

If Warde doesn’t win this game, it could be staring at a lengthy losing streak. Quarterback Eric Burns has practiced all week and will start for the Mustangs. This will move Will Halliday back to safety which will make the Mustangs’ pass defense that much better. I think Warde should be able to run the ball as well, and use the passing game to set up the run. Pick: Warde 21, Trinity Catholic 7.

Brien McMahon (2-3) at Fairfield Ludlowe (2-3), Taft Field, 7 p.m.

Ludlowe has won two straight, and should be able to keep that up against a struggling Brien McMahon squad. Quarterback Rob Ferrara has found a go-to option in Nate Ryan, and the way that the Falcons’ defense has played, Ludlowe should be able to get to .500 for when Staples comes calling next Friday. Pick: Ludlowe 20, McMahon 6.

Fairfield Prep (0-5) at Shelton (2-3), Shelton High School Stadium, 7 p.m.

If one went by the transitive property (which clearly doesn’t work in sports) this game would be a blowout. The only common opponent between Prep and Shelton was Law. Prep lost to Law 33-7 and Shelton is coming off of a 52-19 win over the Lawmen. It still may be a blowout. Prep has lost each of its five games by 20 points or more. Shelton started the year in the CSWA top-10, but has fallen out after a killer schedule. Prep could be walking into a lions’ den. Pick: Shelton 40, Prep, 14.

ND (1-4) at Brookfield (1-4), BHS Stadium Field, 7 p.m.

Brookfield is widely known for its stellar football program. However, it has been a down year for the Bobcats. ND has been able to compete with a number of the good teams in the SWC this year. I think they’ll compete with Brookfield. But the Lancers will fall short again. Pick: Brookfield 21, ND 18.

Farina returns for Ludlowe football

Fairfield Ludlowe got senior captain Dan Farina back from a broken foot and sprained ankle several weeks earlier than expected. Farina was supposed to miss almost the entire season with the injury he suffered in the Wilton Jamboree on Sept. 5.

Farina is the Falcons’ starting middle linebacker and fullback. He rushed for 18 yards in the Falcons’ 13-9 win over Norwalk, but Ludlowe head coach Matt McCloskey loves that running the ball is not part of Farina’s offensive game.
“He doesn’t want the ball, he wants to block,” McCloskey said. “That’s unheard of. He plays unselfish football.”

McCloskey also appreciates what intangibles Farina brings to the Falcons. Farina will see an increased load on defense in tonight’s game with Brien McMahon.

“He is the heart and soul of this team,” McCloskey said. “He is a monster.”

Ludlowe’s boys soccer looking good for FCIACs

The Falcons controlled the play for the majority of the game and the second half especially. Ludlowe looked quite good, and Warde was fortunate to escape with a tie. The point was very important for Ludlowe, as they are on a bid to reach the FCIAC playoffs. If Ludlowe can win out, it will make the FCIAC playoffs with 27 points. If Ludlowe goes 2-0-1 in its final three, they’ll still likely reach the playoffs, with 25 points.

Winning out is not unlikely for the Falcons as they close with Wilton, Thursday, Harding, Friday and Westhill on Monday. The FCIAC playoffs will start Friday, with Ludlowe likely starting on the road.

Warde girls soccer gets big win

The Mustangs 1-0 win over ninth-place Wilton on senior night was huge in their goal of reaching the FCIAC playoffs. The Mustangs Maggie Allen tallied the lone goal in the game.

Warde will close with Westhill and Central. Westhill has been on fire, but as Ludlowe proved in its 1-0 upset of previously undefeated Ridgefield, anything in the FCIAC is possible.

A 1-1 finish in Warde’s final two games is probable and should get the Mustangs in the FCIACs. If Warde has realistic dreams of advancing beyond the first round, it should beat Westhill.

FCIAC schedule for next week

The county cross country race is happening right now. The FCIAC schedules were released this week. Boys soccer and field hockey will be Friday at the site of the higher seed. Girls soccer will be on Saturday at the site of the higher seed. Check “The Fair Field” for more info on your team’s schedule when it gets released. Also check the Citizen on Wednesday and Friday for updated schedules.

As always you can follow all things Fairfield sports on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pickensfcsports. Take good care.

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Three out of the four football games in town went as expected this weekend. The only real shocker was the Warde vs. Wilton result. Let’s explore each game.

Wilton 21, Warde 13

Warde may have suffered from a hangover effect from the Mustangs’ 35-13 loss to New Canaan a week earlier. What Warde likely felt more was  the loss of quarterback Eric Burns, who was sidelined with an ankle injury. Will Halliday did throw for two touchdowns, but not having its starting quarterback was undoubtedly detrimental to the Warde effort.

Matt Reyes-Guerradunn lit up the Mustangs to the tune of three touchdowns from quarterback Jackson Wilbur. Wilton also played a ball control offense that kept the Mustangs’ offense off the field.

The Mustangs should be able to take care of business on their homecoming night Friday night against Trinity Catholic. Warde better win, as it will need some momentum entering its showdown on Oct. 30 against St. Joseph.

Ludlowe 13, Norwalk 9

The Falcons’ defense took control of the game, holding the Bears’ offense to 137 yards. Ludlowe’s defense held Norwalk to just one touchdown and also found a way to force a Norwalk fumble on first-and-goal from the Ludlowe 1-yard line.

Rob Ferrara ran for a touchdown and also threw for one to receiver Nate Ryan which was the game-winning score. Ryan also played a solid defensive game against Norwalk receiver Devin Thomas. Tom Lipp and Tom Nagy terrorized Norwalk quarterback Andrew Krasnavage, knocking him from the game on the game’s final drive.

Ludlowe will take on Brien McMahon on Friday night with the chance to get back to .500.

Stratford 20, ND 15

The Lancers fought back from 12-0 down to take a 15-12 lead in the third quarter. But the Red Devils went on a game-winning drive with 7:58.

ND’s Brody Brandstatter had 143 yards rushing in the loss.

Hillhouse 36, Fairfield Prep 15

Prep is just too young to compete in the SCC. Hillhouse’s running game killed the Jesuits as Prep is now 0-5.

Other weekend high school results

Norwalk and Fairfield Warde field hockey tied on Saturday afternoon, 2-2 to improve to 8-2-1-1. The Mustangs will play again tomorrow against Ridgefield.

Ludlowe field hockey fell to undefeated New Canaan, 3-0 on Friday. The Falcons will take on Norwalk tonight at 7 p.m.

Ludlowe girls volleyball continued to roll. The Falcons beat McMahon, 3-0, on Friday to move to 12-1. Ludlowe should be 15-1 when Darien comes calling next Monday afternoon.

Warde girls volleyball has won two straight and could make that three in a row when the Mustangs take on Harding today.

Odds and Ends

The Giants needn’t take heart in a loss to the Saints. New Orleans is playing like the best team in the NFC. Things could be different in the playoffs… Whenever Tom Brady has a “record day”, you know it is something special… Jet fans need to realize that this is what they signed up for when Mark Sanchez was named the starter, it was a Maddenesque game for him… The Yankees are sitting pretty after Saturday night’s win in Game 2. They should be able to get to the World Series now, especially if they win today.

As always, for updates on Fairfield sports and more, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pickensfcsports. As always, take good care.

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The girls soccer game between Warde and Ludlowe was, in fact, played last night despite the most adverse of conditions for the month of October. Walking from the parking lot to the field, snow was falling, then as the night progressed, the snow changed to sleet and then cold rain. Either way, the conditions were not ideal for soccer.

I only stayed for the first half, I saw Sarah Duffy’s goal but missed the highlight reel tally for Ludlowe freshman Katie Coyle’s goal in the second half. The Falcons and Mustangs now have the same amount of FCIAC points.

The Post’s Mike Cardillo was at the game and wrote a story for it. It can be found here. http://www.connpost.com/sports/ci_13572580.

Our Todd Kalif was at the game and got some quotes. Without further ado.

Ludlowe head coach Tony Samuelian:

on his team: Our team has shown its character in the last two games. We were down against… a very strong New Canaan team and I think our second half is more indicative of what we can do.

on the weather: The conditions were absolutely atrocious. It’s a wonder that these kids played as well as they did.

Warde head coach Tom Cunningham:

on clinching a state playoff berth with the tie: It’s a point that we qualify for states with, but it could’ve been a different result.

on goalkeeper Ali Rocchi in the wet conditions: It’s a tough night for a goalkeeper. Everything’s slick, everything is bouncing. She did a great job back there of preventing anything from happening.

Warde’s Sarah Duffy

on her goal: I got the ball from their midfielder and saw an opportunity and went for it and took it hard to the goal.

Ludlowe’s Chrissy Lozier

on forcing a tie in the Warde game: It’s a town rivalry, so that definitely came into play in the second half. We didn’t want to lose [to Warde] in our senior year.

Both teams will play again Monday, Warde will play Ridgefield and Ludlowe will take on Westhill. Both teams will be at home.

Football Picks

Warde will take on Wilton and Ludlowe will go to Norwalk. Prep plays Hillhouse tomorrow and ND will play at Stratford tonight. Picks:

Warde 34, Wilton 7. Tommy McNamara should run wild.

Ludlowe 20, Norwalk 12. The Falcons really need to win this game. I think they find a way.

Hillhouse 26, Prep 7. Prep is far too young to compete against the Academics’ speed.

Stratford 21, ND 20. Stratford has lost a number of close games, I think they turn the tables on the Lancers. It could go either way though.

Odds and Ends

The Yankees should have a real home field advantage given the conditions in the Northeast this weekend. The Angels haven’t faced a nor’easter, to my knowledge, in quite some time… The Giants game with New Orleans should be a classic. Certainly not one worth missing. Although, I do think the Saints’ homefield and special teams will be the difference… The Red Sox have some serious questions that they need answered. They’ll have a long offseason to think about these things… The Jets should be able to get off the shnide when they take on Buffalo this weekend. Although, the Jets do often have trouble with the Bills at home. The Jets need to win this game.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, feel free to leave a comment. Hope you’ve all had good weeks. Take good care.

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Week four of Connecticut High School football is now over, and we learned an awful lot about the Fairfield teams. Let’s recap.

Warde outclassed by New Canaan

The Mustangs had opportunities to capitalize, especially early. Warde had the ball 1st and 10 on the New Canaan 25-yard line in a scoreless game. Warde’s defense also forced a key fumble on the goal line in a 6-0 game.

But Warde head coach Duncan DellaVolpe admitted that his squad didn’t come out prepared to play. When you’re playing the No. 1 team in the state, you need breaks to go your way, and you need to capitalize when you have opportunities. The Mustangs put points up in the second half.

New Canaan scored three TDs in the second quarter, and both Rams quarterbacks played major roles in the 35-13 win. Turner Baty looks like a college football player, and Willie Oulette sure is a dangerous weapon when the Rams want to run double-reverse pass.

It is nothing for Warde to hang its head about. New Canaan does this to everyone. But the Mustangs must not, and judging by their attitude have not, lose sight of the goal. Warde still stands a reasonable shot at eight wins and a trip to states. The Mustangs can’t get hung up on this first loss and let it carry over.

What should be interesting is Warde’s health. Mustangs’ punter and safety David Wolff was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons after an vicious hit from a New Canaan player on a kickoff return. Burns also left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury, being replaced by backup Will Halliday.

Youth, Schedule haunts Fairfield Prep

The Jesuits have not come close to even playing a close game in Billy Pinto’s first year, starting 0-4. Prep was down 21-0 before it could even blink against Amity on Friday night, and fell with a 49-20 loss to the 1-3 Spartans.

Nothing will get easier for Prep as Hillhouse’s speed will come calling on Friday night at Alumni Field.

Notre Dame puts up a fight against Masuk

The Lancers have fallen to 1-3, but it was nice to see Notre Dame scrap against the dominant and CSWA fifth-ranked Masuk team that had pummeled its previous three opponents. Masuk came out victorious with a 21-13 win over ND.

Brody Brandstatter had a big day for the Lancers, rushing for 187 yards and a TD. ND’s three losses have come by a combined 28 points, so it isn’t unreasonable to think that the Lancers could compete with fellow 1-3 Stratford on Friday night.

Ludlowe gets a win

Rob Ferrara returned to the lineup at quarterback and provided in a big way, throwing for two TDs and rushing for one as Ludlowe got its first win of the year, a 28-6 rout over Warren Harding on Saturday.

Falcons’ head coach Matt McCloskey told me that the first win is big for Ludlowe and I believe him. Two of the Falcons’ first three games were competitive and all three were against stellar competition. Ludlowe’s schedule lightens a bit as the Falcons will play Norwalk on Friday night and then McMahon next Friday. The Falcons could win those two and setup a date with Staples on Oct. 30.

Quotes

Duncan DellaVolpe on his performance against New Canaan

“I’m disappointed in myself from the beginning. We got off our game plan a bit. We just weren’t ready from the beginning… it’s too tough of a place not to be ready from the start.”

Warde QB Eric Burns on his ankle injury

“I did something to my ankle. I was ready to go, but I guess they were saving me for next week.”

Burns on the Mustangs goals for the rest of the year

“We have so much potential with this team. There is so much we can do. We have complete faith that we can do this with one team.”

Ludlowe QB Rob Ferrara on his return to the lineup

“Felt good to be back. It’s tough watching from the sidelines. I’m glad to be back and glad to get one in the win column.”

Ludlowe running back Kyle Finnegan on Ferrara’s return

“Biggest thing ever. The last two weeks without him have been huge.”

Finnegan on Ludlowe’s goals for the rest of the season

“We want to win out.”

You can follow the Citizen’s Sports on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pickensfcsports. As always, take good care.

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In what may have been the most bizarre game in the state on Friday night, Fairfield Warde grinded out a 19-6 win over Bassick. The Mustangs scored three fourth quarter TDs to cinch the victory and Tommy McNamara ran for 144 yards.

The game featured a number of storylines, one more strange than the next. Some around me said that if Bassick had won the game, it would’ve been the Lions’ biggest win in 20 years. There was the fight that took place in the fourth quarter between the Bassick team and its fans. Then there is the fact that Warde is now 3-0 and going to take on the No. 1 team in the state on Friday night. Let’s tackle these issues one at a time.

Bassick might not actually be that bad

It might be blasphemy to say, but the Lions had some athletes on Friday night. Quarterback Rodney Lanham made some plays and kept Warde off balance. Davonte Franklin and Jacquii Tuck also made some plays and Ronnie Hamilton caught a 35 yard pass from Lanham that gave the Lions their score.

They still made all of the same mistakes that they always do (penalties, botched snaps, botched extra points, etc.) but if a team walks into the Lions complacent or overlooking them, they could be in for a fight. Speaking of which…

Bassick fights fans

It was hard to see what happened exactly, since I was on the other side of the field. But it wasn’t hard to see that something happened. I got the full story as I was exiting Kennedy Stadium. According to an eye witness,  Bassick’s Daniel Lopez was exiting the field and got angry and either cursed or threw equipment or both. Bassick’s coach Frank Marcuccio sent Lopez to the locker room and Lopez proceeded there.

As there are, fans at Kennedy Stadium started to yell and deride Lopez from the stands, and Lopez jumped into the stands after them. A few members of the Bassick sideline went in to aid Lopez, including Lanham and Franklin, who were on the field lined up for a kickoff return, when this all went down. Police arrested at least one. I haven’t heard if there will be any disciplinary actions taken against the team, but FCIAC Football Blog expert, Tim Parry, made this seem like a fairly regular occurence. Lopez will likely be disciplined by the school, but who knows if or whether the others will be punished.

From a Fairfield perspective, Warde coach Duncan DellaVolpe was unhappy that it all shook down the way it did. “It’s an unfortunate situation. Bassick is playing its heart out and there is a distraction in the stands that has nothing to do with football.”

Warde is 3-0

Lost in the sloppiness of the game, and the fight is the fact that Warde is 3-0 for the first time since the school re-opened. Warde’s opening night win against Darien continues to look better because Darien put up a fight with St. Joseph on Saturday, before losing 21-10.

Warde has the biggest game in  its brief history coming up on Friday night when the Mustangs will take on state No. 1 New Canaan on Friday night. Warde will travel with the band, fan bus and booster club all in attendance at Friday’s game.

Quarterback Eric Burns is pumped. “It’s the perfect opportunity for Fairfield football, to show that we can compete.”

For those that will not be at the game, or for those that want updates from Fairfield sports can follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/pickensfcsports.

Odds and Ends

Fairfield Ludlowe girls volleyball got a tremendous win by beating Greenwich, 3-1. Greenwich upset Darien a year ago. The Falcons are 6-1 and have Warde tonight. Ludlowe will take on Staples on Friday afternoon in Westport. It should be a fun little match… Ludlowe football is now 0-3 after taking three very good teams. The schedule lightens now as Ludlowe will take on Harding, Norwalk and McMahon. The Falcons should win two of those, although McMahon is not bad…  My coverage schedule for the week is as follows: today Ludlowe at Staples, girls soccer. Tomorrow: Warde at Darien, boys soccer. Wednesday: Bridgeport Central at Ludlowe girls soccer. Friday: Warde at New Canaan, football. Saturday: Ludlowe at Harding, football.

Professional odds and ends

Giants continue to look good, in spite of their opponents. Steve Smith is a godsend for all of us Giant fans that own him in fantasy… Tom Brady needs to stop crying and play football. He’s starting to earn a reputation… Mark Sanchez is going to have days like this, Jet fans. They’ll be few and far between, but in the long run he’ll be ok. No reason to panic. A 14-point loss on the road against arguably the best team in the NFC, when your “d” holds their “o” to just 10 points? Things are still ok in Jet land… Yankee fans should be pulling for the Twins tomorrow. Can you imagine how much fun it would be seeing Carl Pavano on the mound in a must-win game for Minnesota against the Yankees?

As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to do so. You can also e-mail me at ppickens@bcnnew.com. Take good care…