NORTH BRANFORD
Coach: Mark Basil
Last season: 6-4
Top players
Cory Onofrio (6-0, 185, Sr., SE/DB)
Damoy Hunter (6-0, 305, Sr., OL/DL)
Anthony Franco (5-9, 165, Sr., OL/LB)
Christian Perrotti (5-9, 165, Sr., OL/LB)
Strengths
Talented skill players, winning tradition, solid junior class.
Weaknesses
Graduated 19 seniors, graduated nine of 11 offensive starters, need to rebuild offensive line.
Outlook
Graduation indeed took its toll on the Thunderbirds. But North Branford is a solid program, one that usually contends for the Pequot Conference Sassacus Division title and a state playoff berth every year. 2011 should be no exception, even with the inexperience at some positions.
Note
The Thunderbirds open the season against defending Pequot Conference champion and Class S semifinalist Valley Regional/Old Lyme.

By David Borges, Register Staff
dborges@nhregister.com / Twitter: @DaveBorges

Sports_Derby Quarterback, Ray Krieger, at practice. Melanie Stengel/Register

DERBY — From the time they were 8-year-olds playing Pop Warner football, Ray Kreiger and Jake Tomczak have formed a lethal pass-catching duo.

Kreiger’s first high school varsity touchdown pass, as a freshman coming into a game in the second half against Wilbur Cross, was caught by Tomczak. About 20 more followed over the ensuing 2½ seasons.

Unfortunately, the two have already combined for their last scoring hook-up. During a preseason camp workout a few weeks ago, Tomczak tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He underwent surgery on Aug. 30, but he will be out for the entirety of this, his senior season.

Read the full story here.

By Jim Fuller, Register Staff
jfuller@nhregister.com
@NHRJimFuller

Hand H.S. of Madison High School football player Joe Demichele during practice 9/3/11. Photo by Peter Hvizdak / New Haven Register September 3, 2011 ph2356 Connecticut

MADISON — In the tradition-rich world of Hand High School football, the wait for playing time can seemingly last an eternity.

Gifted prodigies have been known to wait three years just to get a chance to shine for one season for the Tigers. As for freshmen, well they are usually little more than just sideline observers during Hand varsity games on Friday nights or Saturday afternoons during the fall.

So it would be a rather substantial overstatement to say that Joe Demichele is in some pretty select company.

“He is only the second or third in the 40 years of the program (to start as a freshman) which speaks to his athletic ability,” Hand coach Steve Filippone said. “He is obviously a very big, a very physically strong kid with great athletic ability. I think he will be in my opinion, he should be promoted as one of the top players in Connecticut, there is no question. He is kind of kid that when he gets (to college) and gets to play (one position) every day instead of having to play offense, defense, punt, kickoff and all the other things that we make him do, I think he will blossom into an extraordinary football player.”

Read the full story here.

FORAN
Coach: Jeff Bevino
Last season: 5-5
Top players
Matt Aspinwall (6-0, 170, Sr., QB/P)
Dave Yerxa (6-1, 215, Sr., FB/LB)
Chris Silvestri (5-10, 175, Sr., WR/FS)
Matt White (6-0, 235, Sr., OL/DL)
Strengths
Running backs, special teams (Aspinwall was a Class L coaches all-state selection at punter in 2010), talented skill players
Weaknesses
Not deep in its second or third units. Staying healthy will be key this season.
Outlook
Bevino thinks if the Lions can stay healthy they will be a good football team. Aspinwall will take over under center this year after filling in when last year’s starter, Tucker Schumitz, missed time with injury. In four and a half games, Aspinwall threw for 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns.
Note
Bevino won a Class L state title as head coach of the Foran softball team this past spring.

By Joe Morelli, Schools Sports Editor
jmorelli@nhregister.com / Twitter: @nhrjoemorelli

West Haven native and former SCSU football standout Derrick Lewis at his first head football coaching job at Bassick High School in Bridgeport. Photo by Peter Hvizdak/New Haven Register August 31, 2011 ph2353 Connecticut

BRIDGEPORT — He’s nearly a half-dozen years from his football playing days at Southern Connecticut State University, but Derrick Lewis is still very much involved in the sport.

The former West Haven and SCSU standout offensive lineman has one of the most daunting tasks on the state football landscape — try to bring Bassick back into prominence.

Bassick was a respected program in the 1970s and 1980s. To say the program has fallen on hard times since is a vast understatement. The Bridgeport school holds the state’s longest losing streak at 62 games, which ended in 2007.

Read the complete story here.

There will be a pregame ceremony prior to O'Brien Tech's game with Seymour (Sept. 14, 6 p.m., DeFilippo Field, Derby).

The game is the first varsity contest in O'Brien Tech's history, and the only game on the schedule that night.

Beginning at 5:45 p.m., O'Brien Tech will present a plaque to the Derby football program as a "goodbye gift", according to O'Brien Tech athletic director Dan Nemergut.

O'Brien Tech and Derby played as part of a co-op last year. Nemergut said current Derby coach George French, former coach Carmen DiCenso and Derby athletic director Joe Orazietti are expected to attend.

The second part of the short ceremony will include acknowledgments to the "difference makers" to the O'Brien Tech sports programs. Patricia A. Ciccone, the superintendent of the state's technical school systems, is expected to attend. Nemergut said he invited Governor Dannel Malloy and is awaiting a response.

There are 14 CT players on the Milford Academy roster. Milford Academy is a prep school located in New Berlin, N.Y. Milford Academy has opened the season with three straight wins.

Aug. 20 vs. Atlanta Sports Prep W 34-28
Aug. 27 vs. Hudson Valley W 50-0
Sept. 4 at Lehigh W 26-21
The next game is Sunday at Wagner at 4 p.m.

Most notable on the roster is former Ansonia standout Montrell Dobbs, the 2010 Register state player of the year. In the first game, Dobbs rushed for 97 yards on 14 carries and caught two passes for 47 yards. In Game 2, he rushed four times for 14 yards and one touchdown. In Game 3, he had 10 carries for 45 yards.

"He works real hard," Milford Academy coach Bill Chaplick said. "He reminds me of (former Milford Academy player) Graig Cooper, who played at the University of Miami and is now at the (Philadelphia) Eagles camp. He (Dobbs) is a north-south downhill runner. So far he's been really good."

Another Ansonia product, defensive end Bobby Kinnebrew, is also on the roster. Kinnebrew took a year off from school and football but has been impressive, Chaplick said.

"He's been a surprise," Chaplick said. "He's been out of school and football but he's trying to get a scholarship."

Former Morgan quarterback Erich Berzinskas led the team on a 96-yard drive that covered 56 seconds and capped it with a 15-yard touchdown pass with six seconds remaining in the victory over Lehigh, which was Chaplick's 100th victory with the school. In 12 years, Chaplick is 100-31.

Berzinskas is expected to make an official visit to Iowa soon.

North Haven's Ed Glenn, a defensive lineman, linebacker Tyler Matakevich, out of St. Joseph, Naugatuck offensive lineman Aaron Echevarria and wide receiver Marc Desruisseaux of Stratford have also contributed.

Chaplick said Glennn has positioned himself to be a Division I player.

"When they see the film of him (Glenn)," Chaplick said, "they're going to be all over him. He has a great body, works hard and is totally coachable."


The CT players are:
Ruben Berger, DB, Naugatuck
Erich Berzinskas, QB, Morgan
Lucas DeSouza, LB/K, Bridgeport Central
Marc Desruisseaux, WR, Stratford
Montrell Dobbs, RB, Ansonia
Aaron Echevarria, OL, Naugatuck
Frank Gaines, WR, Trumbull
John Galloway, LB, Middletown
Tyler Girard-Floyd, RB, Montville
Ed Glenn, DL, North Haven
Bobby Kinnebrew, DE, Ansonia
Tyler Matakevich, LB, St. Joseph
Jaron Russell, TE, Norwich Free Academy
Glenn Taylor, TE/DL, Masuk

HAND
Coach: Steve Filippone
Last season: 10-2 (Class L semifinalists)
Top players
Joe Demichele (6-1, 290, Sr., DL)
Kevin Frey (5-11, 175, Sr., TB)
Nick Vitale (5-9, 175, Sr., WR)
Henry Foye (6-2, 180, Sr., QB)
Strengths
Talented skill players, a Division I prospect in Demichele, strong program tradition.
Weaknesses
Have to replace skill players such as QB Zach Miller, RB Casey Dowd and WR Alec Pacelli.
Outlook
The Tigers have the talent to compete for the SCC Division I East title as well as a return trip to the Class L playoffs. Foye will have to adjust to being the team's full-time starter under center.
Note
Hand plays the same schedule as last season. The Tigers must endure a brutal October schedule which includes games at Cheshire (10/6), home against Notre Dame-W.H. (10/14), at Wilbur Cross (10/22) and home against West Haven (10/28). The Tigers went 3-1 during that stretch last season, losing only to ND.

That remains to be seen, but check out a preview story on Xavier, the defending Class LL champions who finished No. 1 in the final Register Top 10 Poll in 2010, in Wednesday's Register.