North Branford lost to SMSA/University 22-6 on Saturday, in a game where the majority of North Branford's varsity members were serving a one-game suspension after being involved in a bench-clearing brawl against Lewis Mills on Oct. 30.

About 10 or 11 current football players were eligible for North Branford on Saturday. Around 25, comprised of former players who decided to join the team again and suit up, and a few from the freshmen and junior varsity squads, were listed on the North Branford roster handed out by school officials.

Here is some reaction from Saturday's contest.

North Branford running back Dale Hausman:

"We didn't come out with anyone really that knew how to play that much. We all pulled together and did the best we could. I'm proud of them. We would've liked to have won, obviously. But I'm happy with it. We did really good."

North Branford coach Mark Basil on limiting injuries.

"That's what I said to my team (I didn't want anyone to get hurt). The main thing I wanted was a good effort and nobody to get hurt. That's what we walked away from here. We got everything we wanted. We came up short on the 'W', and that's fine, but as long as the kids weren't put in harm's way and everybody walked away healthy, that's what was most important."

Basil said the team that took the field Saturday wasn't deep with skill guys.

"We ran about 10 of our runs and about 8 of our passes. We shuttled them in and out. We simplified it big time."

ND topples Cheshire 46-36. Read the game story here.

Chris Matteis had 25 carries for 196 yards, including touchdown runs of 40, 4 and 54 yards, to lead North Haven to a 48-20 Southern Connecticut Conference Division II East win over Foran Friday in Milford.
The Indians (7-1) clinched the division title with the victory.

Derby/O’Brien Tech 42, Wilby 20: Quarterback Ray Kreiger completed 14 of 16 passes for 216 yards and four touchdowns and added 19-yard touchdown run to lead Derby/O’Brien Tech (4-4) to its Naugatuck Valley League Brass Division win in Derby.

Guilford 67, Law 53: Matt Hoey scored on touchdown runs of 43 and 3 yards and caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Curry to lead the Indians to their SCC Division II West win in Milford. The 120 points broke the SCC record of 117 points set on Sept. 18, 1999 when Derby defeated Wilbur Cross 62-55.

Hillhouse 49, Branford 6: Harold Cooper rushed for 114 yards and three touchdowns on seven carries to lead the Academics to their SCC Division II West win at Bowen Field.

Valley Regional/Old Lyme 48, Old Saybrook/Westybrook 0: Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn rushed for 117 yards and three touchdowns to pace the undefeated Warriors to the Pequot Sassacus win at Deep River.

Hand 44, East Haven 12: Taivarr Pierce rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown for East Haven, which suffered the loss in the SCC interdivision game at home.

Shelton 34, Fairfield Prep 13: Frank Camerino, making his first start at quarterback, had 22 carries for 137 yards and completed 9 of 10 passes for 126 yards, including three for touchdowns, to lead the Gaels (5-3) to their SCC Division I West win in Fairfield.

Bunnell 51, Immaculate 20: At Straford, Bryan Castelot threw a school-record seven touchdown passes to lead the Bulldogs to the South-West Conference win.
Castelot was 11-of-17 passing for 354 yards. He threw four of his touchdown passes to Jawad Chisholm.

Wolcott 25, Seymour 13: At Seymour, Wolcott got a pair of touchdown runs from DeVante Bonvillain to win the NVL game.

Ansonis 54, St. Paul 25: Montrell Dobbs rushed for 340 yards and five touchdowns and added a 88-yard kickoff return for another score as sixth-ranked Chargers won the NVL interdivision game at Bristol.

Sean Goldrich completed 13 of 17 passes for 310 yards and six touchdowns to lead Notre Dame to this SCC Division I East win at Cheshire.

Tirrell-Young Williams caught six passes for 185 yards and four touchdowns for the Green Knights (5-3, 3-1), who led 20-14 at halftime.

Michael Ecke completed 15 of 24 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns for Cheshire (3-5, 0-4), which led 36-33 entering the fourth quarter.

Manchester coach Marco Pizzoferrato thinks Southington did.

It happened on Oct. 22 when Southington defeated Manchester 28-14.

Why does Pizzoferrato think so?

Well, Manchester wide receiver Marquis Jimenez lost his armband that had his team's plays on it, coded by color and number, late in the second quarter.

This is what Pizzoferrato had to say, as quoted in the Hartford Courant.

"Southington somehow got it and used it," Pizzoferrato said Thursday. "When our quarterback [Seth DeValve] called the play, D.J. looked down at his clipboard at the arm band, said the play into his headset and then their defensive coaches yelled what was coming to their defense. You can see it on the game films."

Manchester could file a protest with the CIAC. It says Manchester is exploring that option. Southington denies the accusation.

Read Tom Yantz's story here.

Read Dave Solomon's column on North Branford, which plays SMSA/University on Saturday at 3 p.m., a week after the Thunderbirds and Lewis Mills had to forfeit their contest after a bench-clearing brawl.

Several former players, who decided not to play football this year, will suit up again.

To view the story, click here.

The North Branford vs. SMSA/University game, originally scheduled for Friday night at 6:30 in North Branford, is now Saturday with a time to be announced, according to North Branford athletic director Chris Webster.

My picks for this week are in bold. Times and dates are weather permitting.

THURSDAY
SCC DIVISION I EAST
West Haven at Wilbur Cross, 6:30 p.m. (at East Haven HS)

FRIDAY
NVL BRASS
Wilby at Derby/O'Brien Tech, 7:00 p.m.
Wolcott at Seymour, 7:00 p.m.

NVL COPPER
Woodland at Naugatuck, 7:00 p.m.

NVL INTER
Ansonia at St. Paul Catholic, 7:00 p.m.

PEQUOT SASSACUS
Coginchaug at Morgan, 6:30 p.m.
Old Saybrook/Westbrook at Valley Regional/Old Lyme, 6:30 p.m.

PEQUOT INTER
SMSA/University at North Branford, 6:30 p.m.

SCC DIVISION I EAST
Notre Dame-West Haven at Cheshire, 7:00 p.m.

SCC DIVISION I WEST
Shelton at Fairfield Prep, 6:00 p.m.
Hamden at Xavier, 7:00 p.m.

SCC DIVISION II EAST
North Haven at Foran, 7:00 p.m.

SCC DIVISION II WEST
Branford at Hillhouse, 2:30 p.m.
Guilford at Law, 7:00 p.m.

SCC INTER
Amity at Lyman Hall, 7:00 p.m.
Hand at East Haven, 7:00 p.m.

SWC INTER
Immaculate at Bunnell, 7:00 p.m.
Oxford at Masuk, 7:00 p.m.

OTHERS
Fairfield Ludlowe at Sheehan, 6:00 p.m.

SATURDAY

CSC
Putnam/Tourtellotte/Ellis Tech at Platt Tech, 6:00 p.m.

SWC PATRIOT
Stratford at Weston, 2:00 p.m.

Click here to view video of the brawl that took place between the North Branford and Lewis Mills football teams last Saturday.

Fight begins around :46 seconds. Looks like fight was broken up pretty quickly.
North Branford is in white; Lewis Mills in blue.

is now included with the Register's story that was posted earlier. Check it out here.

Lewis Mills athletic director Dan Tanner just told me that Lewis Mills will be forced to forfeit this week's game against Haddam-Killingworth.

As part of the ruling handed down by the CIAC Tuesday following a brawl during the third quarter of last Saturday's Lewis Mills vs. North Branford game, every player on both Lewis Mills and North Branford was suspended for one game.

Lewis Mills, a first-year varsity program, will be unable to field a team for this week.

“I don’t really have a comment other than to say we think the ruling is a correct one,” Tanner said. “They applied the rules in a manner that they should be.”

Just in from the CIAC.

Saturday's North Branford-Lewis Mills football game, which was stopped following a bench-clearing fight with 11:24 left in the third period, is a double-forfeit with a loss being charged to each team. This has been confirmed following consultation with the game officials at the contest, the state football rules interpreter, and staff/football committee members from the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS). The CIAC follows NFHS rules in the sport of football.

In addition all players ejected from Saturday's game will be required to miss their school's next game at that level before they are eligible to return to action. That penalty is required for any game ejection from any contest in any sport under rule 4.7.A (2) in the CIAC Bylaws.

can be found here.

The outcome of a brawl that took place between the North Branford and Lewis Mills football teams was still unresolved Monday, according to Matt Fischer, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference’s director of information.

Fischer said in Monday's Register that a decision would be made Monday, but the CIAC is still reviewing the case.

The Pequot Conference Sassacus Division game, held at Muzzy Field in Bristol on Saturday, was halted on the third play of the third quarter by the Central Connecticut Association of Football Officials. North Branford was leading 42-7 at halftime.

“We (the CIAC) did receive a report from the officials and it is still in the process of being reviewed,” Fischer said. “There’s no decision to announce at this point.”

Fischer says it’s likely a decision will be made sometime Tuesday morning.
“We’ll announce something when there is something to announce,” Fischer said.

As reported in Sunday’s Register, North Branford coach Mark Basil said that players from both teams came off the bench and that the head official awarded the game to North Branford by forfeit.

The CIAC does not have the power to overturn the officials’ decision, whatever it may be.

Rule 1-1, Article 6 of the 2010 National Federation of High Schools rules book, by which CIAC schools play, states: “The referee has the authority to rule promptly and in the spirit of good sportsmanship on any situation not specifically covered in the rules. The referee’s decisions are final in all matters pertaining to the game.”

Article 10 states: “The referee’s decision to forfeit a game is final.”

North Branford (4-2) is in the thick of the Class S state playoff race. If a double forfeit is awarded, it will likely end the Thunderbirds’ chances at qualifying for the postseason. The top eight teams in each of the four classes (LL, L, M, S) qualify. North Branford is currently ranked eighth. Lewis Mills is 1-4.

Hopkins defeated Hamden Hall 28-21 in prep school action on Saturday.
Read the game story here.