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The winter season is upon us, and the public school boys and girls basketball teams are a combined 0-8. Yikes.

However, there is reason for hope, at least on the boys side. Fairfield Ludlowe’s boys team competed with a very good Brien McMahon team (one without a penchant for free throw shooting). Brian Silvestro’s opening night loss was a moral victory for the team who lost its final 12 games in 2009-10.

“We’re excited to play again on Friday night,” Silvestro told me after the game.

For Warde, it can take solace in the fact that it can’t play worse than it did on opening night. The Mustangs were blasted by Stamford, 59-28 after shooting just 3-16 in the first quarter. The Mustangs probably had some opening night jitters and some nerves playing their first game under new head coach Ryan Swaller.

The private boys basketball teams both got wins in their openers, and a congratulations is owed to Prep coach Leo Redgate, who got his first win as a varsity basketball coach in a 65-53 win over Cheshire. Redgate told me before the year, that this has been a year of mixed emotions, however, if his team keeps winning games, it’ll probably get easier for him.

From the coach’s mouth

“It was very different sitting in the stands during the JV game. I couldn’t wait for the game to start.” -Ludlowe boys basketball head coach Brian Silvestro. Silvestro was the Falcons’ junior varsity coach for the past five years.

For more updates and random quips, follow me on Twitter. Have a fun weekend, all.

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Sorry this is coming in so late. I was off Monday and in production yesterday.

I closed the year 3-0. I was glad to see that Notre Dame finished the year with two wins.

Without further ado, let’s wrap up the football season for Fairfield.

Notre Dame 34, Immaculate 28. The Lancers took a big lead, and held on, as Notre Dame closed with a two-game win streak. Kudos to the kids there and credit goes to the ND running attack, which got all of the Lancers TDs. This run game was led by three scores by Frank Zumbo, and one apiece from Nigel Beckford and Daquan Coleman.

Warde 21, Ludlowe 16. The Mustangs overcame some egregious errors, including a near fumble on their final drive to take home the Gallagher-Banyas Trophy for the first time since 2007. Craig Lowery had a great game, taking home Warde MVP for the game. Not bad for a kid who was injured for the game a year ago. Ryan Moore took home MVP honors for Ludlowe, who finished its year 1-9. I feel bad for Ludlowe’s seniors, who experienced some highs in their careers, but more lows this year.  That’s a tough way to go out.

West Haven 32, Prep 13. The Blue Devils were fighting for a state playoff berth. Unfortunately for West Haven, it lost to top-seeded Xavier in Class LL. This was an OK year for Tom Shea. Three wins is alright, given the turmoil that was 2009 and the tough SCC schedule. Look for more next year.

Because of the lateness of this post, the Bill Gonillo-5 is not included. Look for my final BG-5, coming next Monday.

Last week: 3-0; Year-to-Date: 29-11.

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Before we embark upon our final football week of the year in Fairfield, let us remember what is important. Sportsmanship, honor and dignity, as well as, the ability to be thankful and grateful for what we have.

Now that that is out of the way, let’s get to the football picks!

Ludlowe (1-8) at Warde (4-5), Thursday, 10 a.m., Tetreau/Davis Field- I went in depth with this game in my Nov. 24 column. For all the details, click here. , and I truly believe that Warde is the better team. The only way the Falcons win is if they run the football with Tom Hammons and Nate Ryan, force turnovers and catch a few breaks. Will that happen? No. Pick: Warde 21, Ludlowe 13.

Prep (3-6) at West Haven (7-2), Thursday, 10 a.m., Ken Strong Stadium- West Haven still has a shot at the Class LL state playoffs with a win, and don’t think that is lost on the Blue Devils. The Jesuits would love to spoil that, but don’t bet on them doing so. It’s been a nice first year for Tom Shea, but unfortunately it closes with back-to-back Ls. Pick: West Haven 41, Prep 12.

Notre Dame (1-8) at Immaculate (0-9), Thursday, 10 a.m.,- Good to see that the Lancers get a win, and it will be nice to see them get two this year. Pick: ND 33, Immaculate 20.

Happy Thanksgiving every one!

Last week: 1-0; Year-to-Date: 26-11.

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A 2-2 week, where three of the four schools from Fairfield got wins. I give credit to both ND and Ludlowe for getting their first wins of the season. Congratulations. I should’ve listened to the commenter who said that ND would beat New Milford. Well stated, sir.

Without further ado:

ND-West Haven 35, Fairfield Prep 13. I think the Jesuits will have to be content with three wins. There is no way Prep beats West Haven on Thanksgiving. I give credit to Prep though, as this game was 13-13 at halftime. ND-West Haven was taking out some frustration on the Jesuits, I’m sure.

Ludlowe 26, Westhill 20. The Falcons rushed for more than 400 yards, led by Nate Ryan’s 299 yards. The Falcons will only go as far as their running game will carry them. Ludlowe needs to be more disciplined, as it took three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties after the same play. If the Falcons can keep it all together, they can beat Warde on Thanksgiving.

ND 44, New Milford 34. Credit goes to the Lancers. They’ve quietly competed, but haven’t been able to get their first win. Now they can move on and try to get their second on Thanksgiving at Immaculate. I think they probably will too.

Warde 21, Danbury 13. The Hatters sounded spent after a miserable week. My heart goes out to them. Warde did show some heart though, scoring two second half touchdowns after trailing 13-7 at halftime.

My Bill Gonillo-5

Every week I vote for the Bill Gonillo-5 as part of Tim Parry’s FCIAC Football Blog. For more on that blog and the poll, click here

1. Masuk (9-0). The Panthers have rolled over their competition all year. It should be interesting to see how one-loss Newtown fares against Masuk. I don’t think that’ll be a contest. Masuk vs. New Canaan could be a Class L quarterfinal state playoff game.

2. Darien (9-0). If you had Darien in the FCIAC Championship game and you weren’t using a dartboard, then you’re either clairvoyant or a Blue Wave homer…

3. Trumbull (8-1). …See #2, insert Trumbull and Eagles. I give Trumbull a ton of credit beating Staples on its home field. The fact that Trumbull beat Ridgefield and Staples in back-to-back weeks leads me to believe that the Eagles belong in the championship game.

4. New Canaan (8-1). Proof that the CIAC still has a long way to go in getting its playoff football format right. The Rams could beat Darien on Thanksgiving and still MISS the Class L state playoffs. If the Rams lose to the Blue Wave, they’ll definitely miss the state playoffs. That’s not right.

5. Staples (8-1). The Wreckers loss to Trumbull put its Class LL playoff hopes in jeopardy. Staples needs to win against Greenwich to make the tournament. Xavier vs. Staples could be a Class LL quarterfinal. That’d be interesting.

6. St. Joseph (7-2). You Cadet loyalists can lay off me now. I have your beloved team in my rankings. They’re clearly a different unit with Tyler Matakevich. Thanksgiving Eve versus Trumbull should be epic.

As always if you like or dislike what you read here, feel free to comment. If you’d like to follow me on Twitter, feel free to do so as well. Hope you all have a wonderful week.

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Here we go folks, another week to chew on.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the passing of Robert “Bo” Williams, a Danbury football coach, which postponed the Warde vs. Danbury game from Friday until Saturday. I’m sorry for your loss, and may he rest in peace.

Notre Dame-West Haven (5-3) at Fairfield Prep (3-5), Friday, Alumni Field, 6 p.m.- Three losses has to be considered a down year for the Green Knights, who were ranked in the CSWA top-10 in the beginning of the year. ND has been competitive in all of its losses, including a 28-27 loss to West Haven and a 20-17 shocking defeat at North Haven. ND has scored 101 points in its last two games. Expect that number to go up. Pick: ND 43, Prep 14.

Westhill (1-7) at Ludlowe (0-8), Friday, Taft Field, 7 p.m. Here it is Ludlowe faithful, your last chance to win a game. If everything goes the way it should (which it hasn’t at all for the Falcons this year), Ludlowe should be able to get the job done. I don’t think it’ll be pretty, but I think it will happen. Ludlowe 14, Westhill 6.

ND-Fairfield (0-8) at New Milford (1-7), Friday, 7 p.m. ND has the opportunity to win its final two games this year, and salvage an otherwise lost season. The Lancers have been surprisingly competitive in each of their last two games, but I think they’ll lose again. Pick: New Milford 21, ND 14.

Danbury (3-5) at Warde (3-5), Saturday, Tetreau/Davis Field, 10 a.m. This game has been moved until Saturday and the Hatters will undoubtedly be playing with heavy hearts. Warde does not have a signature win this year, and Danbury does, when it beat McMahon, 15-6, on opening night. I think Danbury gets the job done. Pick: Danbury 21, Warde 13.

Last week: 1-3; Year-to-Date: 23-9.

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I went 4-0 in week 7, so naturally I was due for a miserable week 8.

One could ask what I was thinking picking three of the Fairfield teams to win, naturally I am wondering what I was thinking now. Without further ado, let’s re-hash week 8.

Sheehan 27, Ludlowe 21. I was surprised to hear this, and was more surprised to hear that six Ludlowe players were benched for the first quarter of action for an “in-school incident.” I don’t know what exactly happened, and if anyone could fill me in on what the violation was, I’d appreciate it, since Ludlowe has been very tight-lipped about it. I do know that whatever the infraction was, cost the Falcons their first win of the season. I think Ludlowe’s lone chance at a win is coming Friday against Westhill.

Shelton 34, Prep 13. Wow. I saw this and that was my reaction. Evidently, Shelton was running single wing and the Jesuits had no way to stop it. I know Prep is young, but if the Jesuits can’t stop Shelton’s offense, how is it going to beat ND-West Haven or West Haven?

Stamford 19, Warde 7. This was just an ugly, ugly game. Seems like neither side wanted to win this one. The Mustangs seemed hellbent on throwing the ball early, and never established a run game. The Black Knights, on the other hand, did establish a run game and ran it early and often with Guarien Horton. The Mustangs have Danbury and Ludlowe to close the year and can still finish .500

New Fairfield 28, ND 14. I honestly can’t tell you a thing about this game besides the score. The Lancers are 0-8. Blech.

This week: 1-3; Year-to-date: 23-9.

My Bill Gonillo-5

Tim Parry’s FCIAC Football Blog features “The Bill Gonillo 5″, a weekly poll that allows local sportswriters to vote and pick the top-five teams in the area. For more on the FCIAC Football Blog, click here.

1. Masuk (8-0). They’ve been No. 1 all along and scored 69 on Saturday. No one is beating Masuk this year.

2. Staples (8-0). Took care of business in a trap game at Wilton. Saturday’s  game with Trumbull is a defacto FCIAC semifinal game.

3. Darien (8-0). If the Blue Wave beat Norwalk, it’ll play for the FCIAC title.

4. New Canaan (7-1). I’m sorry, but if this team isn’t “FCIAC team of the week” something is wrong. The Rams BLEW OUT Greenwich on Friday night. They’re hoping for one of the two above them to falter.

5. Trumbull (7-1). The Eagles came up big when they had to, taking down Ridgefield. Trumbull can throw a monkey wrench into the Darien/Staples FCIAC championship, if it can beat Staples on Saturday in Westport.

6. Brookfield (7-1). The Bobcats’ only loss is to Masuk, and they beat up Pomperaug this past weekend. Let the McMahon and St. Joseph lovers complaints start here.

As always you can follow me on Twitter for updates on all of the Fairfield contests. Hope all of you have a good week of state playoff action.

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Four games to pick, so let’s get it started

Shelton (4-3) at Prep (3-4), Alumni Field, Friday, 6 p.m., The Jesuits and Gaels square off in what should be a tremendously competitive game at blustery Alumni Field tonight. I think the Jesuits run game, coming off a huge game at Hamden, is confident. I think these teams are evenly matched, and when in doubt I’ll take the home team. Pick: Prep 15, Shelton 14.

Ludlowe (0-7) at Sheehan (1-6), Riccitelli Field, Friday, 7 p.m., Here it is Ludlowe folks, your chance to win a game this year. The Falcons have this week and next to get a W, or else risk going winless this year. I heard through the grapevine that Sheehan is down to about 25 kids. I know Ludlowe has more than that. Look for a steady diet of Wildcat and Nate Ryan (if he’s healthy). I think Ludlowe gets win No. 1 tonight. Pick: Ludlowe 14, Sheehan 12.

Stamford (4-3) at Warde (3-4), Tetreau/Davis Field, Friday, 7 p.m., Duncan Della Volpe told me after his team’s loss to St. Joseph on Saturday, that the moral victories are over. The Mustangs need to beat a good team, rather than just being competitive. Here is Warde’s shot. The Mustangs still have the opportunity to finish 6-4, and don’t think that Della Volpe hasn’t told his guys that. A win over Stamford would throw another wrinkle into the FCIAC this year. Why not? Pick: Warde 24, Stamford 21.

New Fairfield (2-5) at ND (0-7), Campus Field, Saturday, 7 p.m., This could be one of Notre Dame’s two chances at victory this year as well. The Lancers kept things close with Bunnell for a while on Saturday night, before falling 40-20. I don’t think Notre Dame is going to win a game this year. But I think this could be a closer one than the others have been. Pick: New Fairfield 22, ND 14.

Last week: 4-0; Year-to-date: 22-6.

For updates on Warde and Stamford, follow me on Twitter. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

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My first undefeated week! Woo hoo!

Unfortunately, that came at the expense of three of our teams. Ludlowe and Warde both battled, but found ways to shoot themselves in the foot. ND is terrible and so is Hamden.

Let’s look back on the week that was, Week 7 in Fairfield.

Prep 33, Hamden 6. Big ups to the Jesuits who ran the ball all over Hamden. However, the Green Dragons are abysmal. Penalties galore, and missed tackles. There was a near fight in the game. However, Kyle Vignone ran wild for three scores and Joe McBride scored twice.

Staples 35, Ludlowe 10. It sounded like Ludlowe was hosed, but if the Falcons are going to turn the ball over eight times in a game, they aren’t going to win too many FCIAC games, especially against 7-0 teams. However, the Falcons defense did fight for three quarters. This may be the week Ludlowe gets a win.

St. Joseph 34, Warde 21. I can’t believe that I’m going to say that Warde should have won this game. But if the Mustangs don’t make the kinds of mistakes (read: red zone turnovers) they beat St. Joes. I think Warde is certainly better than its 3-4 record, it just needs to find ways to win games. Scrappy Stamford comes in on Friday in what could be a really interesting game.

Bunnell 40, ND 20. The Lancers actually led 14-12 in this game, but the Bulldogs then rattled off 28 of the next 34 points to snap a two-game losing streak. I don’t think ND will win a game this year. The Lancers’ best chance will come on Thanksgiving in a battle of winless teams against Immaculate. Enjoy that game.

My Bill-Gonillo 5

Tim Parry’s FCIAC football blog allows local media to vote for its “Bill Gonillo 5.” I am lucky enough to have a vote in this poll. For the actual poll, click here.

1. Masuk (7-0). I’ve been voting them No. 1 all year. Looks pretty good, eh? No reason to stop now.

2. Staples (7-0). The Wreckers win an ugly one, but are still undefeated.

3. Darien (7-0). Tough to put this team anywhere but third. Like it or not, the Blue Wave is still lossless.

4. New Canaan (6-1). The Rams are the best of the one-loss teams.

5. Trumbull (6-1). The Eagles rebounded from their first loss with a 50-15 win over Danbury.

6. Pomperaug (6-1). Flying below the radar in the SWC. The Panthers’ only loss is to Masuk.

As always, you can follow me on Twitter. Hope you all have a wonderful week.