Gridiron Glory

Super Bowl Predictions

2012-02-03T21:59:00.003-05:00

State coaches make their picks for Super Bowl XLVI.

Jeff Roy, Shelton
Patriots, 28-24: Giants beat them the last two times. Pats will be motivated for revenge. Belichick and Brady will not lose to the Giants again.

Chris Eckert, Cromwell
Giants, 27-24.

Tom Parr, Hopkins
Giants, 28-27. The team with the best record during the regular season doesn’t always win. Hottest team at the end of the year usually does.

Chris Mascolo, Abbott Tech
Giants, 35-31. The Giants’ “big play” offense and pass rush is perfect for (the) Patriots’ poor pass defense and inconsistent pass protection.

Joe Stochmal, Oxford
Giants, 27-17. Giants win the match up at the line of scrimmage, shutting down Brady and the Pats.

A.J. Albano, McMahon
Patriots, 31-28. Brady and Belichick will make sure they won’t lose a second time.

Rudy Bagos, Old Saybrook
Patriots, 31-28. I don’t think the same team can beat a Tom Brady/Bill Belichick team twice in a Super Bowl. I think the 2007 loss is motivation enough for the Pats to pull this one out. I’m a Cowboys fan, and it’s natural for me to not like the Giants.

Anthony Sagnella, North Haven
Giants, 24-17. They are playing great defense and are finding ways to win the tough games.

Michael Bullock, South Windsor
Giants, 24-17. They have the stronger defense that can put pressure on Tom Brady, and Eli Manning has put himself in the elite quarterback class after where he has brought the team (in) the second half of the season.

Dan Dunaj, Torrington
Giants, 27-24. Defense wins championships.

Jason Bruenn, Platt
Patriots, 35-14. As a Jets fan, my season was over awhile ago. The Patriots have too many offensive weapons and find a way to play just good enough defense to win. The Giants would have to run the ball a bunch to keep Brady off the field, much like a lot of high school teams are doing against all the spread teams.

Mark Ecke, Cheshire
Giants, 34-21. I am a lifetime Giants fan, so of course I am picking them. The Giants are on a roll, Eli Manning has been tremendous under pressure and the Giants defense has been great in the playoffs.

Duncan DellaVolpe, Fairfield Warde
Giants, 31-28. N.Y. offense out duels Tom Brady and Co. with a long field goal at the end; a high-scoring second half.

Mike Tracy, Branford
Giants 24, Patriots 20.

Jeff Bevino, Foran
Giants 35, Patriots 24: Giants are healthy, confident and on a roll, plus Eli the ELIminator.

Tom Unger, Guilford
Patriots 34, Giants 24: I have to go with the Patriots. The best book I have read in a long time was (“The Education of a Coach”) about Bill Belichick and his progression as a football coach. His ability to be creative and his drynesss/sense of humor is hilarious to me. I love how he fits people into his system and players buy into the Patriot way. Also, how can you not love big Vince Wilfork?

Bryan Pinabell, Immaculate
Patriots 24-21. I grew up in Boston. (It) will be a great game between two great tactical coaches.

Mike Veronneau, Watertown
Patriots 38, Giants 27. Gronkowski and Hernandez will cause havoc on the Giants secondary.

Tom Lennon, Seymour
Giants 27, Patriots 24. G-Men’s D-Line too much for Brady and the Pats.

Signing Day In Review

2012-02-02T09:17:00.002-05:00

Hillhouse's Rennick Bryan signs with UConn (video)

National Signing Day List

UCONN FOOTBALL: Casey Cochran heads recruting class (video)

Golden among four from Cheshire Academy to sign with colleges

Hillhouse's Rennick Bryan signs with UConn (video)

2012-02-01T18:19:00.001-05:00

Updated Signing Day List

2012-01-30T08:36:00.017-05:00

The Register will again run a list of state athletes who will play at the next level.

Coaches are encouraged to e-mail me at mpucci@nhregister.com with updated information.

Please e-mail Name of athlete, high school, position and college choice.

The current list:
(bold indicates recent addition to the list)

Mike Antonio, WR/DB, Cromwell, Southern Conn. State
Aaron Berardino, WR/DB, Windsor, Central Conn. State
Erich Berzinskas, QB, Morgan, Purdue
Rennick Bryan, OL/DL, Hillhouse, UConn
Austin Calitro, FB/LB, Danbury, Villanova
David Camille, RB/DB, Bunnell, St. Anselm
Casey Cochran, QB, Masuk, UConn
Brandon Cusmano, WR, Masuk, Central Conn. State
Pat D’Amato, QB, Xavier, Stonybrook
Joe Demichele, DL, Hand, Central Conn. State
Aaron Dixon, RB/SS, Danbury, Bryant
Montrell Dobbs, RB, Ansonia/Milford Academy/Temple
Ian Duggar, WR, Hall, Trinity
Will Ellery, QB/FS, Haddam-Killingworth, Curry
Jevon Elmore, RB, New London, Army
Henry Foye, QB, Hand, Trinity
Vance Giarratana, DB, Hand, Trinity
Eddie Glenn, LB, North Haven/Milford Academy, Southern Conn. State
Harrison Goodkind, DB, Branford/Choate, Middlebury
Ryan Jacobucci, WR/CB, Xavier, New Haven
Bobby Kinnebrew, RB/LB, Ansonia/Milford Academy, Stevenson
Sebastian Little, RB/LB, Cheshire, Yale
Tyler Matakevich, LB, St. Joseph/Milford Academy, Temple
Michael Money, OL, Fairfield Warde, Central Conn.
Mac Morlock, OL/DL, Newtown, Bryant
Cre’Shon Morrison, RB, Capital Prep/Classical Magnet, Central Conn. State
Ryan Murphy, TE/DB, Xavier, Southern Conn. State
Kyle Nolan, QB, Branford/Choate, Georgetown
Joe Ortoli, LB, Shelton, Norwich University
Marko Piedmont, OL/DL, Wilton, Bryant
Kyle Pulek, K/P, Cheshire, Trinity
Jovan Santos-Knox, TE/DL, Xavier, UMass
Adrian Sahinovic, K, New Fairfield, Cornell
Devin Silverman, K, Berlin, Southern Conn. State
Chris Smith, P/K, Darien, Elon
Ty Soobitsky, OL/DE, Haddam-Killingworth, Merchant Marine Academy at King’s Point
John Turner, RB/LB, Ridgefield, Holy Cross
Tommy Undercuffler, DB, Berlin, Yale
Nick Vitale, WR, Hand, Stonybrook
James Ward Jr. RB/DB, Wilbur Cross/Williston Northampton Prep, Assumption
Jon Ware, FB/DL, RHAM, Maine Maritime
Chuck Watson, LB, Middletown/Dean College, Central Conn. State
Billy Weyrauch, RB/LB, Cheshire, Stonehill
Austin Wezenski, OL/DL, Xavier, Central Conn. State

Cheshire Academy signees

2012-01-27T22:06:00.000-05:00

From Cheshire Academy coach Dan O'Dea.

Malik Golden – WR/DB – 6’1” – 190lbs – Penn State University

Michael Villapiano – QB – 6’2” – 215lbs – Brown University

AJ Zuttah – DL/OL – 6’2” – 290lbs – Dartmouth College

Connor Caponegro – H-Back/LB – 6’2” – 230lbs – University of Rhode Island

Doug Warrick – TE/DE – 6’6” – 225lbs – Elon University

*Leif Colberg – WR/DB – 6’0” – 195lbs – The College of the Holy Cross

*Greg Goff – RB/DB – 5’10” – 185lbs – Tufts University

*means that choice is still to be determined, but should be definite by Wednesday.

Association to roast West Haven's McCarthy

2012-01-27T16:47:00.004-05:00

From the Milford-Orange Bulletin

The West Haven Football Alumni Association will host “A Roast of Coach Ed McCarthy” Friday, March 2, at 6:30 p.m. at West Haven IA Club, 85 Chase Lane.

The WHFAA will roast the longtime West Haven football coach which should prove to be an entertaining evening. Tickets are $35 ($30 for members) and includes ziti dinner, beer, wine and soda and can be obtained by calling Tinker Blake at 203-934-3820 or Bert Siclari 203-934-0051.

Read the story here.

Derby to hold banquet Feb. 12

2012-01-26T15:17:00.001-05:00

The Derby Football Club will honor members of the Derby football team and its coaching staff at the 53rd annual Albarella Awards Banquet on Sunday, Feb. 12, at 1 p.m. The banquet will take place at John J. Sullivan’s in Ansonia.

Parents are urged to make reservations by calling Bill at (203) 735-2821. Tables of 10 can also be reserved at that time.

The deadline for reservations is Thursday, Feb. 9.

Signing Day is Feb. 1

2012-01-24T16:21:00.006-05:00

Ansonia's Vano given Ewen Award

2012-01-18T11:41:00.002-05:00

Via press release.

Ansonia senior lineman Dylan Vano was presented with the Richard E. Ewen Jr. at Ansonia's annual awards banquet this past Monday.

Vano was a Register All-State and All-Area selection, and a coaches all-state pick. He helped lead the Chargers to a 14-0 record, the NVL title and the Class M state championship.

Vano is interested in the University of New Haven or Monmouth University. He is looking to focus on Forensic Science or Pre-Med.

Richard “Richie” E. Ewen, Jr. attended Ansonia High School between 1974 and 1977. Excelling both on the field and in the classroom he exemplified how athletics and education can make a difference in a small town football player’s life.

His honors included All-State, All Valley, All Naugatuck Valley, as well as being selected as the Valley representative to the Boys’ State program. He also represented Ansonia as a Walter Camp Scholar Athlete. To round out his high school career he was named to the National Football Leagues, New Haven County Chapter, and Hall of Fame.

He attended Tufts University, on a four year scholarship, where he lettered every year as a four year starter ultimately being named to the All-New England team at guard. Sadly, on January 3^rd, 2008, a fatal heart attack took him from us at only 49 years of age.

This award is presented each year to an offensive lineman of the Ansonia High School football team that shares the same qualities that Richie had during his time at Ansonia and best represents the scholarship winner’s contribution to the team’s success, as well as for an athlete’s performance not only on the field but in the classroom.

Newsome, Filippone win Walter Camp honors

2012-01-14T12:16:00.002-05:00

Press release from the Walter Camp Football Foundation

Ansonia sophomore running back Arkeel Newsome was named the state Player of the Year at the High School “Breakfast of Champions” Saturday morning as part of the 45th annual Walter Camp Football Foundation weekend festivities.

Newsome rushed for 3,763 yards and 58 touchdowns and led the Chargers to the Class M state championship.

Newsome, the Register State Player of the Year, was nominated along with Masuk senior QB Casey Cochran and Hand senior WR Nick Vitale.

Hand's Steve Filippone was named the state Coach of the Year. Xavier's Sean Marinan and Ansonia's Tom Brockett were also nominated.

Filippone led the Tigers to a 13-0 record and the Class L title.

The 2011 Walter Camp All-Connecticut Team was also announced.

OFFENSE

QB: Casey Cochran (Masuk)

RB: Arkeel Newsome (Ansonia), Alex Manwaring (Ledyard)

WR: Aaron Berardino (Windsor), Nick Vitale (Daniel Hand)

TE: Ryan Murphy (Xavier)

OL: Rennick Bryan (Hillhouse) Hakeem Martin (Ansonia), Michael Money (Fairfield Warde), Dylan Vano (Ansonia). Austin Wezenski (Xavier)

DEFENSE

DL: Joe Demichele (Daniel Hand), Sean Marinan (Xavier), Cole Ormsby (Windsor), Ludovic Richardson (Notre Dame)

LB: Shane Nastahowski (Greenwich), Matt Walsh (Daniel Hand), Tyler Wood (Ansonia), Mark Zurlis (North Haven)

DB: Jawad Chisholm (Bunnell), Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn (Valley Regional), Brenden Lytton (Torrington). Ryan Jacobucci (Xavier)

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker: Matt Paola (Pomperaug)

Punter: Jon Heil (Staples)

Returner: Kyle McKinnon (New London), Thomas Milone (Masuk)

Ansonia's Dobbs headed to Temple

2012-01-11T19:12:00.000-05:00

Several Milford Academy football players, including former Ansonia standout Montrell Dobbs, recently decided on their college destinations.

Dobbs, a running back and the 2010 Register All-State player of the year, will attend Temple, Milford Academy coach Bill Chaplick confirmed Wednesday.

In his one season with the Falcons, Dobbs, finished the year with a team leading 20 touchdowns and 1,366 yards and became the school’s second leader rusher all-time.

Dobbs originally planned to attend UConn but did not meet the academic requirements. Dobbs then briefly considered playing at Marshall.

Temple is coached by former Cheshire High coach Steve Addazio.

“Playing for coach Addazio is going to be great for him (Dobbs),” Chaplick said.

Dobbs will enroll at the Philadelphia school on Tuesday.

Former Milford Academy running back Matt Brown will be a senior at Temple in the fall.
Running back Bernard Pierce recently decided to forego his senior season with the Owls to enter the NFL draft.

“It’s a perfect situation for (Dobbs),” Chaplick said. “By the time he settles in down there, he’ll have the chance to be the man.”

Former St. Joseph standout Tyler Matakevich, a linebacker and Dobbs’ roommate at Milford Academy, has also committed to play at Temple.

“They both had a great year with me,” Chaplick said. “All their hard work has really paid off.”

Three other Milford Academy players from this area also made their choice.

Quarterback Erich Berzinskas, a former standout at Morgan, reported this past Sunday to Purdue, while North Haven’s Eddie Glenn and Naugatuck’s Aaron Echevarria will both play at Southern Connecticut State.

McKeehan steps down at Lyman Hall

2012-01-11T19:11:00.003-05:00

It's been reported that Chip McKeehan has recently announced his retirement as head coach at Lyman Hall.

McKeehan’s been the head man for the past 12 seasons and a member of the Trojans’ staff for 26 years.

Lyman Hall went 4-6 this season, a year after the Trojans finished 8-3 and advanced to the Class M state quarterfinals. McKeehan had a career record of 54-69-1.

Awaiting a call back from McKeehan. This post will be updated.

Register All-Area fall teams

2012-01-11T16:38:00.000-05:00

will appear in Thursday's editions.

Milford Academy players make college choice

2012-01-09T20:26:00.002-05:00

Info. from Milford Academy coach Bill Chaplick.

Quarterback Erich Berzinskas, a former standout at Morgan, reported Sunday to Purdue University. Erich led the Falcons to its first undefeated football season, orchestrating fourth quarter come-from-behind wins against Lehigh University and Army Prep.

Tyler Matakevich, a former Register All-State selection at St. Joseph, reports next week to Temple University. Tyler was the Falcons leading tackler and team captain, amassing 104 tackles, 48 solo tackles, 21 TFLs, 2 INTs, 1 Pass Deflection and 6 Sacks. Tyler will be playing for Coach Steve Addazio, former Head Coach at Cheshire High School and Offensive Coordinator for the University of Florida Gators.

North Haven's Eddie Glenn and Naugatuck's Aaron Echevarria both report to Southern Connecticut University within the next weeks. Eddie and Aaron were both consistent starters for the Falcons.

--

80th All-State Team

2012-01-06T15:07:00.000-05:00

will be presented in Sunday's New Haven Register.

13 players on offense, 13 on defense make up the First Team, including the Player of the Year

Selections for Second and Third Team, as well as the Honorable Mention list will also be included.

Former Xavier standout Stewart scores in Florida win

2012-01-03T16:22:00.001-05:00

From the Middletown Press:

Florida linebacker and 2011 Xavier graduate Graham Stewart scooped up a blocked punt and ran it back 14 yards for a touchdown in Florida’s 24-17 win against Ohio State in the Gator Bowl Monday. It was the first TD of his collegiate career.

Ansonia banquet planned

2011-12-21T12:09:00.001-05:00

The 36th annual Fred Jecusco’s Sports Banquet for the Ansonia football players, coaches, cheerleaders and dance team will take place Jan. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Holy Rosary Church.

The Church is located at 10 Father Salemi Dr. in Ansonia. The Ansonia Gridiron Club will present their club awards at the dinner. A ziti and meatball dinner will be served. Tickets are $7 per person. For ticket information reservations, contact Lou Macero at 203-736-9848, Carmen Pitney at 203-735-6882 or Geri Southard at 203-736-5060 ext. 303.

Athlete of the Week: Kevin Frey

2011-12-15T09:02:00.001-05:00

Kevin Frey
Hand football
Senior rushed for 214 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries to help the Tigers beat New Canaan 34-10 and claim the Class L state championship.

Xavier to receive Kelly award

2011-12-14T17:41:00.002-05:00

Via press release:

Xavier, the consensus No. 1 team in the Register Top 10 poll, is the Walter Camp Football Foundation’s choice to receive the Joseph W. Kelly Award, which is awarded annually to Connecticut’s top high school football team.

It is the second straight year and third time overall that Xavier has earned the award. It is also the third consecutive year a team from the Southern Connecticut Conference has won the honor (Notre Dame-W.H, 2009). The Falcons are also the fourth team to repeat as Kelly Award recipients, joining Ansonia (2006-07), Bloomfield (1998-99) and four-time winner Cheshire (2002-05).

Xavier (13-0) captured the SCC Division I West title on its way to a perfect 10-0 regular-season record. In the state playoffs, the Falcons outscored its three playoff opponents 131-27.

Xavier was the first SCC team to score 500 points in a season, averaging 42.6 points game. The Falcons’ defense allowed just 103 points in 13 games (7.9 points a game). Xavier currently holds a 26-game winning streak.

It is the ninth time since the SCC was founded in 1994 that one of its league teams has captured the Kelly Award (Xavier 2005, 2010 and 2011; Cheshire 1994 and 1995; Hand 1997 and 2004; West Haven 2002; and Notre Dame 2009).

Coach Sean Marinan and the Xavier team, along with members of the 2011 Walter Camp All-America team, will be honored at the organization’s national awards banquet on Saturday, January 14, 2012 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.

Xavier is No. 1

2011-12-13T08:53:00.002-05:00

By Mike Pucci, Register Staff
mpucci@nhregister.com
@MikePucciNHR

It’s unanimous.

Xavier is the No. 1 team in the final Register Top 10 football poll.

The Falcons (13-0), the Class LL state champions, received all 25 first-place votes from the panel of sportswriters and finished with 750 points.

It marked the second straight year, and fourth time overall, that Xavier topped the poll. It’s also the first unanimous selection since the Falcons finished No. 1 in 2005. Xavier defeated Staples 42-7 in this year’s Class LL final.

“This is something we worked so hard for, something that we really wanted to get,” Xavier senior running back Mike Mastroianni said. “Since freshman (year), we knew what our goals were. We wanted to win it all, to go undefeated and to win states. Last year was an amazing feeling. To do it again is something unbelievable, and something very few people can say they have done.”

Class L champion, and fellow Southern Connecticut Conference member, Hand (13-0) was second with 698 points. Class M champ Ansonia (14-0) was third (652), Staples (11-1) was fourth (564) and Masuk (11-1) was fifth (530).

My final Top 10 ballot

2011-12-12T11:28:00.003-05:00

Here is the ballot I submitted for the final New Haven Register Top 10 Poll.
The poll will be released at http://www.nhregister.com/ at 5 p.m. Monday.

1. Xavier
2. Hand
3. Ansonia
4. Staples
5. Masuk
6. New Canaan
7. Windsor
8. New London
9. Notre Dame (W.H.)
10. Greenwich
11. Newtown
12. North Haven
13. Holy Cross
14. Hall
15. Cromwell

Championship Recap

2011-12-11T08:54:00.004-05:00

Three state titles were decided on Saturday. Here's the recap.

Class LL: Xavier wins second straight title, tops Staples 42-7

Class L: Hand wins 10th title after 34-10 win over New Canaan

Class M: Ansonia shuts out Ledyard 38-0

VOTE for Saturday's STAR. Nominees include Ansonia running back Arkeel Newsome and Hand running back Kevin Frey.

Super Saturday Preview

2011-12-10T07:18:00.003-05:00

Holy Cross defeated Cromwell 34-27 to win the Class S title on Friday.
Three more champions will be crowned today. Below is a preview of those games.

Class M: Ansonia's offensive line one of the state's best
Class L: Hand, New Canaan to meet again
Class LL: Xavier, Staples to vie for title

State Championship Preview Capsules

State Championship Scoreboard. Follow the action here.

Scout Team: The Register football show

Veteran offensive line hopes to lead Ansonia to Class M title

2011-12-09T17:30:00.005-05:00

Ansonia's senior-dominated offensive line might be the most talented unit in the state. It's allowed the Chargers to rush for than 4,700 yards and 67 touchdowns heading into Saturday’s title game against third-seeded Ledyard (11-1). Kickoff is set for 10:30 a.m. at Rentschler Field.

Hakeem Martin, a 5-foot-10, 263 pound left guard, is one of four Ansonia captains. Surrounding him on the line is left tackle Dylan Vano (6-5, 265), tight tackle Tyler Williams (6-2, 255), right guard Matt Hall (6-0, 230) and center Arek Kaszuba (5-8, 205).

The line has allowed sophomore Arkeel Newsome to rush for 3,399 yards and 55 touchdowns. Newsome, who already holds state record for points (370) and touchdowns (59), needs 198 yards to break former Ansonia standout Alex Thomas’ state record for rushing yards in a season. Thomas gained 3,596 yards in 2007.

Last year, Montrell Dobbs rushed for 3,445 yards and 45 scores. Both Dobbs and Newsome ran behind fullback Dennis Danley, who’s deceptively strong despite being listed at 5-4, 162. Tight ends Jake LaRovera (6-5, 200) and Sean Rowley (5-10, 180) have also been outstanding blockers.

"I think compared to last year, we've matured a lot," Danley said. "We take a lot more pride in blocking. We love to block. Every play we hope it's a run play and we just get to drive block down the field. We love when Arkeel just breaks one and scores."

Top-seeded Ansonia (13-0) is seeking its 17th state title.

Scout Team: Playoff edition

2011-12-09T08:33:00.003-05:00

Mike Wollschlager and Mike Pucci are back for The Scout Team's Playoff Edition as four state champions will be crowned this weekend. This edition features interviews with Xavier coach Sean Marinan and receiver/defensive back Ryan Jacobucci, Hand coach Steve Filippone and lineman Joe Demichele, and Ansonia coach Tom Brockett, fullback Dennis Danley and lineman Dylan Vano. Check it out:

Class LL: Xavier earns rematch with Staples
Class S: Championship Day Capsule

Ledyard rap video

2011-12-08T17:59:00.001-05:00

Priceless

Xavier on the verge of repeating in Class LL

2011-12-08T16:11:00.002-05:00

Top-seeded Xavier (12-0), the No. 1 team in the Register Top 10 Poll, will seek its second straight Class LL state title when it faces No. 2 Staples (11-0) on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Rentschler Field.

The Falcons have won 25 straight games since losing to the Wreckers in the 2009 semifinals.

"We had no idea we would make the playoffs (in 2009)," Xavier senior Ryan Jacobucci said. "We ended up losing, which was the worst feeling ever."

Last year, the Falcons defeated Trumbull in the state title game.

"Winning it was just amazing," Jacobucci said. "A high school kid could never ask for anything more than that."

In the regular season, Xavier defeated Notre Dame-West Haven, a Class L quarterfinalist, Shelton (8-2), West Haven (7-3), Hillhouse (7-3) and Cheshire, a team much better than its 5-5 record indicated.

The Falcons then knocked off Glastonbury in the quarterfinals and Norwalk in the semifinals.

"To make it back again, we knew we had the potential to make it back here again especially with the seniors we have this year," Jacobucci said. "Our coaches pushed us. All of the seniors, even the juniors and the sophomores, we've been feeding off each other's energy and realized we can do it again.
"So far this season we've been proving not only to those that watch the games, but to ourselves, that we have the potential of winning a second straight championship."

Hand, New Canaan to vie for Class L title

2011-12-08T14:42:00.003-05:00

By Mike Pucci, Register Staff
mpucci@nhregister.com / Twitter: @MikePucciNHR

EAST HARTFORD — Two of the state’s most revered programs, and their legendary coaches, will square off to determine the Class L football champion.

The contest was set up in dramatic fashion.

Collin Shapiro kicked a 33-yard field goal with four seconds remaining as Lou Marinelli’s New Canaan team derailed Windsor’s unbeaten season with a 27-24 victory in the semifinals.

In the other semifinal, Steve Filippone’s Hand squad knocked off previously unbeaten Masuk 35-14, shutting out the Panthers in the second half. The result ended Masuk’s 24-game winning streak and the chance to defend its state title.

According to Marinelli, Hand’s victory changed the whole dynamic of the Class L tournament.

“All of a sudden, when (Hand) did that, we became the hunted instead of the hunter,” Marinelli said.

You see, there’s a bit of a history between the Rams and Tigers.

Click here to read more.

CIAC on scheduling of state final times

2011-12-07T13:45:00.004-05:00

I was too busy at the CIAC finals luncheon on Tuesday to get a chance to talk to Paul Hoey, the Associate Executive Director CAS-CIAC, and ask him what the CIAC's process is when scheduling state championship game days and times.

He did, however, respond to an e-mail I sent him on the subject. Below is his reply.

"The (football) committee looks at many factors when deciding which games are played when - one of which is travel/traffic on Friday evening. The committee realizes that Fairfield County traffic on Friday makes it difficult for students, families and fans to get to a 6:30 (p.m) or 7 (p.m.) game in the Hartford area. If there are two teams that are closer to the Rent they most likely will be scheduled for Friday evening."

Holy Cross and Cromwell will square off for the Class S title on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday's schedule
Class M: Ansonia vs. Ledyard, 10:30 a.m.
Class L: Hand vs. New Canaan, 2 p.m.
Class LL: Xavier vs. Staples, 5:30 p.m.

Ledyard will try to stop Newsome, Ansonia in Class M final

2011-12-07T08:29:00.002-05:00

By Mike Pucci, Register Staff
mpucci@nhregister.com / Twitter: @MikePucciNHR

EAST HARTFORD — How do you stop Ansonia running back Arkeel Newsome and the rest of the unbeaten Chargers?

Ledyard coach Jim Buonocore has a simple strategy.

“First thing we have to try to do is have someone take out the Ansonia bus on the way to the Rent,” Buonocore laughed. “Or at least make sure Arkeel doesn’t make the bus.”

The Colonels will certainly have their hands full with Newsome, a sophomore who’s rushed for 3,399 yards and 55 touchdowns, during Saturday’s Class M state championship game.

Kickoff between top-seeded Ansonia (13-0) and No. 3 Ledyard (11-1) is set for 10:30 a.m. at Rentschler Field.

Buonocore talked more strategy at the CIAC football luncheon honoring the eight state finalists Tuesday at the Club Room at Rentschler Field.

CIAC Finals Luncheon

2011-12-06T19:05:00.007-05:00

The eight teams that advanced to the state championship games were honored at a luncheon Tuesday in the Club Room at Rentschler Field.

Among the highlights:

Ledyard coach Jim Buonocore on how to stop Ansonia, which the Colonels will face for the Class M title (Saturday, 10:30 a.m.):

"First thing we have to do is have someone take out the Ansonia bus on the way to the Rent, or at least make sure Arkeel (Newsome) doesn't make the bus."

Ansonia sophomore running back Arkeel Newsome has rushed for 3,399 yards and 55 touchdowns.

New Canaan coach Lou Marinelli on how the Rams were able to defeat Hand, which New Canaan will compete with for the Class L title (Saturday, 2 p.m.), three straight times:

"We were lucky".

Xavier senior WR/DB Ryan Jacobucci and the rest of the Falcons are well-aware there's a target on their backs by being the state's No. 1 team. Xavier (12-0) has won 25 straight games and is the defending Class LL champion. The Falcons will face Staples (11-0) on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

"At Xavier, we're from all over," Jacobucci said. "A lot of the kids have friends back on the schools that we play, and we hear all the time that the teams that we play go so much harder, and they take it much more personally when they play Xavier. Not only do we have to play our 'A' game, but we have to practice so much harder. That keeps us on edge, and that's what keeps the whole team going. We have to keep the train going and keep getting the 'W'."

Class S finalist Cromwell will take on Holy Cross on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Cromwell coach Chris Eckert, in his first year with the Panthers, knew Cromwell had plenty of talent returning, including senior quarterback Anthony Morales and senior receivers Mike Antonio and Brett Director.

"Hearing from other coaches from around the league," Eckert said, "they let me know that we had a great group of seniors coming back and a great group of juniors coming up. The thing we needed to do as a staff was make sure they bought into our style of coaching and bought into our scheme early enough to make sure we were successful on the field. If they didn't buy into it, we had no shot. That was our major focus coming into spring camp and into the fall season."

SCC Playoff News and Notes

2011-12-05T18:19:00.004-05:00

From the Commish: Al Carbone

Two SCC teams – Xavier (Class LL) and Hand (Class L) – have earned a spot in their respective CIAC state championship games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.

Xavier (12-0), who has defeated Glastonbury (34-6) and Norwalk (55-14) so far in the 2011 playoffs, will meet Staples (11-0) in the Class LL final on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Xavier last met Staples in the 2009 Class LL semifinals – a 31-28 Wreckers’ victory. That is the Falcons’ last loss – a winning streak of 25 games.

Hand (12-0), who defeated Coventry/Windham Tech (35-12) and Masuk (35-14) so far in the 2011 playoffs, will face New Canaan (11-1) in the Class L final at 2 p.m. The Tigers lost to New Canaan, 35-21, in the 2010 Class L semifinals.

Xavier and Hand are attempting to become the third and fourth SCC teams to ever win 13 games in a season (Hand, 13-0 in 1997; Xavier, 13-0 in 2010).

It is the third straight season two SCC teams will play in their respective championship games.

2009 – Cheshire (LL) and Notre Dame (L) – both won state titles

2010 – Xavier (LL) and Hillhouse (M) – both won state titles

It is the ninth time in the 18 years of the league that at least two SCC teams have reached the championship round. Overall, SCC teams are 21-8 in state championship games, and that includes two All-SCC matchups (Hand vs. Hillhouse in Class M, 2005; Cheshire vs. Hamden in Class LL, 1996).

History of Success:

Since the league’s inception in 1994, SCC teams have won 21 state titles. Cheshire (5) has the most state titles, followed by Hand (4) and Shelton (3), Hillhouse (3). In those 17 seasons, league teams have combined to win two or more state titles, seven times including each of the last two seasons.

Give them a Hand:

Hand is making its seventh championship appearance since joining the SCC in 1994… The Tigers won the 1997 (Class L), 2003 (Class M), 2004 (Class M) and 2005 (Class M) titles…. Hand’s last championship game appearance came against New Canaan in the 2007 Class MM final, a 34-30 Rams victory at Trumbull HS.

The Tigers won the SCC Division I East title (4-0) in 2011 – arguably the state’s toughest division with Class L playoff participant Notre Dame, high-scoring West Haven and perennial Class LL power Cheshire. All three teams averaged over 30 points a game in 2011 - and Hand allowed just 42 points in those three victories.

Hand enters the Class L title game averaging 36.3 points a game, while allowing just 9.8.

The X-Men Are Back AGAIN:

Under the direction of head coach Sean Marinan, Xavier (12-0) is looking for its second straight Class LL state title. Last season, the Falcons defeated SCC-rival West Haven, Glastonbury and Trumbull and earned the state’s consensus #1 ranking. The Falcons also won the 2005 Class LL title.

During the 2011 regular-season, Xavier won the Division I West title for the third straight season (4-0) allowing just 14 points in four games.

Xavier is the first SCC team to score 500 points in a season... The Falcons have 512 points through 12 games (42.7 ppg). The previous record was held by Notre Dame (468 points in 12 games in 2009). Defensively, Xavier is allowing just 8.0 points a contest.

All-SCC Honorees:

Both teams had ample representation on the recently-released All-SCC Division I football team.

Xavier had seven honorees: WR Ryan Jacobucci, TE Ryan Murphy, OL Austin Wezenski, RB Mike Mastiroanni, QB Pat D’Amato, DL Sean Marinan, Jr. and LB Jovan Santos-Knox.

Hand had four players recognized, including WR Nick Vitale, DL Joe Demichele, LB Matt Walsh and DB Vance Giarratana.

Best in the State:

The SCC has proved, once again, it is one of the most competitive and balanced football leagues in the state of the Connecticut. Ten of the 19 football-playing schools won at least five games in 2010 with seven recording winning seasons.

Since 2004, twelve different SCC teams have qualified for the state playoffs, and six different teams have won a total of nine state titles during that span. Only the FCIAC has more (10) titles, but won by only four teams.

All-SCC Selections

2011-12-05T13:38:00.003-05:00

Division I Offense
WR: Nick Vitale (Hand), Tahir Manning (West Haven), Ryan Jacobucci (Xavier)
TE: Ryan Murphy (Xavier)
OL: Serge Jean-Baptiste (Fairfield Prep), Austin Wezenski (Xavier), Joe Ortoli (Shelton), Dennis
Flanagan (Amity)
QB: Tyler Vallie (Amity), Pat D’Amato (Xavier), Michael Ecke (Cheshire)
RB: Ervin Philips (West Haven), Javon Grey (Notre Dame), Mike Mastrioanni (Xavier), Frank
Camerino (Shelton)

Division I Defense
DL: Joe Demichele (Hand), Ludovic Richardson (Notre Dame), Sean Marinan, Jr. (Xavier), Tom
Spencer (West Haven), Josh Dellacruz (Wilbur Cross)
LB: Billy Weyrauch (Cheshire), Robert Rose (Shelton), Anthony Masucci (Notre Dame), Jovan
Santos-Knox (Xavier), Matt Walsh (Hand)
DB: Vance Giarrantana (Hand), Tim Dube (Hamden), Brandon Martin (Notre Dame)
P: Xavier Frey (Fairfield Prep)

Division II Offense
WR: Connor Falaguerra (Jonathan Law)
OL: Derrick Bryan (Hillhouse), Sean Merrill (Sheehan), Derrin Gelston (Guilford), Jake Mikos (North
Haven), Mike McInnis (North Haven), Khamil Rangolam (Hillhouse)
QB: Billy Gannon (Sheehan), Joe Schwab (North Haven)
RB: Harold Cooper (Hillhouse), Matt Hoey (Guilford), Joe DeSandre (Lyman Hall)
PK: Brodie Corless (Sheehan)

Division II Defense
DL: Andrew Savenelli (North Haven), Mark Williams (Branford), Conor Riordan (Lyman Hall),
Derrick Gilliam (Hillhouse)
LB: Mark Zurlis (North Haven), Dave Yerxa (Foran), Anthony Georgetti (Foran), Joe Costanzo (East Haven)
DB: Andre Anderson (Hillhouse), A.J. Pascuzzo (Sheehan), Curtis Sutherland (Branford), Niko
Fiorillo (East Haven)
P: Matt Aspinwall (Foran)

State Championship Game Schedule

2011-12-04T20:50:00.002-05:00

at Rentschler Field

Friday

Class S

No. 2 Holy Cross vs. No. 8 Cromwell, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday

Class M

No. 1 Ansonia vs. No. 3 Ledyard, 10:30 a.m.

Class L

No. 2 Hand vs. No. 5 New Canaan, 2 p.m.

Class LL

No. 1 Xavier vs. No. 2 Staples, 5:30 p.m.

State Semifinals Recap

2011-12-04T08:57:00.002-05:00

VIDEO: Recap of Class LL: Xavier vs. Norwalk

Class LL: No. 1 Xavier stuffs No. 5 Norwalk

Class L: No. 2 Hand ends No. 3 Masuk's 24-game winning streak

Class M: Newsome, Ansonia roll past Berlin

Class S: Valley Regional falls short against Holy Cross

Class LL: Massie leads Staples over Newtown

Class S: Cromwell rallies past NW Catholic

Class L: New Canaan edges Windsor

Class M: Ledyard shutouts Wolcott

Class L: Hand 35, Masuk 14

2011-12-03T21:39:00.002-05:00

No. 2 Hand ended No. 3 Masuk's 24-game winning streak after this Class L semifinal victory at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven before an estimated 4,000 fans.

The game was tied at 14 at halftime.

Matt Walsh scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter to give the Tigers (12-0) the lead for good.

Kyle Anderson and Nick Vitale (12 receptions, 148 yards) had touchdown passes from Henry Foye in the fourth quarter for Hand.

Foye completed 23-of-31 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. Kevin Frey ran 27 times for 153 yards and one score for the Tigers.

Casey Cochran completed 35-of-61 passes for 277 yards with one TD and two interceptions for the Panthers (11-1), the No. 2 team in the Register Top 10 Poll. Cochran connected with Jason Pointkowski on an 8-yard TD pass in the first quarter. Colin Markus had a rushing touchdown for Masuk.

Class LL: Xavier 55, Masuk 14

2011-12-03T16:54:00.006-05:00

WEST HAVEN - Seven different players scored for top-seeded Xavier in this Class LL state semifinal victory over No. 5 Norwalk at Ken Strong Stadium.

The Falcons will face No. 2 Staples in the championship game next weekend. Xavier is the defending champion and has won 25 straight games. Its last loss came to Staples in the 2009 semifinals.

Ryan Murphy ran for a 6-yard touchdown and caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Pat D'Amato for the Falcons (12-0), who led 34-14 at halftime.

Xavier rushed 50 times for 388 yards and six touchdowns. Pat D'Amato led the way with 98 yards on nine carries and one score, DeAngelo Berry added 97 yards on 12 carries and one touchdown and Ryan Jacobucci rushed three times for 51 yards and one score.

Tim Boyle and Mike Mastroianni also scored rushing touchdowns. Boyle also threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Charlton Ortega.

Norwalk (9-2) scored on a 72-yard pass from Delshawn Wilson to Andy St. Fleur, and on a 12-yard interception return by Derek Edwards.

State Semifinals Preview

2011-12-03T09:26:00.002-05:00

Hand, Masuk set to clash in Class L

Preview capsules with predictions

Follow the action on our Semifinal Scoreboard

Hand, Masuk set to clash in Class L semifinals

2011-12-02T17:47:00.003-05:00

Despite a 28-14 loss to Masuk in the Class L state quarterfinals this past Tuesday, North Haven constructed a 17-play, 80-yard drive, capped by Joe Schwab's 1-yard TD run. The drive lasted almost nine minutes. The Indians held the ball for all but 90 seconds in that third quarter.

North Haven then recovered an on-sides kick and later scored to tie the game at 14 before Masuk pulled away and earned the victory.

Now it's Hand's turn to stop the Masuk express. The Panthers have scored a state-best 575 points this season. Both teams enter Saturday's contest unbeaten. Kickoff between the No. 2 seed Hand and No. 3 Masuk is set for 7 p.m. at West Haven's Ken Strong Stadium.

"Our game is like their (Mausk) game," Hand coach Steve Filippone said. "Our game is a balanced attack of short passing mixed in with a few runs."

Both Masuk and Hand operate out of a spread offensive attack, and Filippone expects both teams' offenses to do what they do best, which is passing the ball.

Masuk senior QB Casey Cochran is the best at the position in the state, and he has targets in seniors Jason Piontkowski and Brandon Cusmano and junior Thomas Milone.

Hand counters with senior quarterback Henry Foye and senior receiver Nick Vitale, among other weapons.

"I'd love to say, yes, we're going to do what North Haven did, that we're going to put our hand on the ground and we're going to use our big backs and rip at them and be happy to have a 15-play drive," Filippone said. "That's not going to happen; that's just not the way we play anymore here. We're going to play the way we play.

"No one's going to stop them (Masuk). Are we going to shut out Masuk? If I were a betting man, I would bet the house we're not getting a shut out. If we're fortunate enough to hold them to four touchdowns, we have a shot at winning the game."

Local Milford Academy players make college choice

2011-12-02T11:43:00.003-05:00

Ansonia native Bill Chaplick finished his 12th season as head coach at Milford Academy at 12-0, bringing his career record to 109 wins and 31 losses for a .779 winning percentage.

Local kids receiving scholarships so far include:

Dean Tsopanides (Torrington) - University of Iowa

Montrell Dobbs (Ansonia) - Marshall University

Bobby Kinnebrew (Ansonia) - Stevenson University

Eddie Glenn (North Haven) - University of Akron

Tyler Matakevich (Stratford) - Temple University

Dobbs finished the season with a team-leading 20 touchdowns and 1,366 yards. Dobbs is now the 2nd all-time rushing leader in Milford Academy history, and fell just 88 yards shy of the first place mark.
Kinnebrew tied the all-time sack record held by Antonio Dixon now playing defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles with 13.5 sacks.
Dobbs originally committed to UConn but did not meet the academic requirements to attend.

Masuk's Cochran repeats as CTs Gatorade Player of Year

2011-12-01T12:59:00.002-05:00

Masuk Sr. QB Casey Cochran was chosen as the Gatorade State Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.

The 6-foot-2, 205- pound Cochran, who is headed to UConn next fall, has led the Panthers to an 11-0 record and a berth in the Class L state semifinals, where the Panthers will face Hand on Saturday at 7 p.m. at West Haven's Ken Strong Stadium.

Cochran has passed for 2,801 yards and 36 TDs through 11 games. In the classroom, Cochran has maintained a 3.92 GPA, won the Masuk High Book Award for Introduction to Engineering and Algebra I and Geometry, and has volunteered at area food banks, as a youth football coach and as a peer tutor.

State Quarterfinals Recap

2011-11-30T08:57:00.004-05:00

State Semifinal Schedule

Classs M: Newsome, Ansonia run past Bethel
Class M: NW Catholic holds off North Branford
Class LL: No. 1 Xavier advances
Class L: Masuk pulls away late from North Haven
Class L: Windsor survives against ND
Class L: Hand's defense big in win over Coventry/Windham Tech
Class S: Valley Regional/Old Lyme edges Rocky Hill
Class S: Holy Cross eliminates H-K
Quarterfinal Boxscores

State Semifinals Schedule

2011-11-30T08:37:00.003-05:00

CLASS LL
No. 1 Xavier (11-0) vs. No. 5 Norwalk (9-1) at West Haven, 2 p.m.
No. 2 Staples (10-0) vs. No. 6 Newtown (9-2) at Bunnell, 2 p.m.

CLASS L
No. 1 Windsor (11-0) vs. No. 5 New Canaan (10-1) at East Haven, 2 p.m.
No. 2 Daniel Hand (11-0) vs. No. 3 Masuk (11-0) at West Haven, 7 p.m.

CLASS M
No. 1 Ansonia (11-0) vs. No. 4 Berlin (10-1) at Sheehan, 2 p.m.
No. 7 Wolcott (8-3) vs. N0. 3 Ledyard (10-1) at Middletown, 2 p.m.

CLASS S
No. 8 Cromwell (9-2) vs. No. 5 Northwest Catholic (9-2) at Cheshire, 2 p.m.
No. 2 Holy Cross (10-1) vs. No. 3 Valley Regional/Old Lyme (10-1) at Falcon
Field, Meriden, 2 p.m.

Class M QTRS: Ansonia 35, Bethel 6

2011-11-29T21:15:00.002-05:00

Sophomore Arkeel Newsome rushed 26 times for 291 yards and three touchdowns as top-seeded Ansonia rolled to a Class M state quarterfinal victory over No. 8 Bethel Tuesday at Jarvis Stadium.

Newsome scored on touchdown runs of 4, 87 and 5 yards, all in the first half, for the Chargers (12-0).

Jake LaRovera caught a 10-yard TD pass from Elliot Chudwick and Tyler Lester scored on a 9-yard run for Ansonia, which led 35-0 at halftime.

Brian Birdsell scored on a 9-yard run in the fourth quarter for Bethel (7-4). Birdsell rushed 18 times for 103 yards. Brandon Schmidt added 60 yards on 15 carries for the Wildcats, who turned the ball over three times.

State Quarterfinal Previews

2011-11-28T20:51:00.002-05:00

State football quarterfinal games get under way Tuesday.
Below are links to capsules on all 16 games.

Class LL

Class L

Class M

Class S

Latest Top 10 Poll

2011-11-28T16:15:00.002-05:00

Xavier, Masuk still 1-2 in latest Top 10 Poll.

Click here to see the complete poll.

Levi Jackson team announced

2011-11-26T09:37:00.001-05:00

Playoff-bound North Haven High has placed the most players --- five ---on the 24-man Levi Jackson All-Star Team, chosen by area football coaches to be honored by the New Haven Gridiron Club.

The Jackson team is named for a former Hillhouse High and Yale football captain who became a Ford Motor Co. executive and died in December 2000. The athletes will be guests at the Gridiron Club’s annual honors night Dec. 8 at the Cascade Banquet Facility, 480 Sherman Ave., Hamden.

North Haven’s selections all play both offense and defense but were chosen in these roles: Jake Mikos, offensive line; Andrew Savenelli, defensive line; Mark Zurlis, linebacker; Jalon White, running back; and Joe Schwab, defensive back.

Also named to the squad were:

Offensive line – Rennick Bryan, Hillhouse; Kortney Leftridge, Hamden; Greg Purcell, Amity of Woodbridge; Shawn Tarnawa, East Haven.

Receivers – Tahir Manning, West Haven; Mike Washington, Hillhouse.

Quarterback – Tyler Vallie, Amity.

Running backs – Amihr Bess, Notre Dame of West Haven; Harold Cooper, Hillhouse; Ervin Phillips, West Haven.

Defensive line – Josh Delacruz, Wilbur Cross; Ludovic Richardson, Notre Dame; Tom Spencer, West Haven.

Linebackers – Mike Last, West Haven; Anthony Masucci, Notre Dame; Romaine White, Cross.

Defensive backs – Codey Ellison, Amity; Mike Shaw, Hillhouse; Malik Tinney, Notre Dame.

Selections are made from Southern Connecticut Conference teams in New Haven and adjoining communities.

East Haven receiver and linebacker Michael Vessicchio was named winner of the Gridiron Club’s Floyd Little Scholarship.

The dinner on Dec. 8, which also will honor outstanding area college players, is scheduled for 7 p.m. with a social hour at 6. Tickets, at $40 each, should be ordered by Dec. 1 by sending checks to New Haven Gridiron Club, PO Box 32, New Haven 065011. No tickets will be sold at the door.

Official CIAC playoff pairings

2011-11-25T10:13:00.002-05:00

ALL QUARTERFINALS TUESDAY AT 6:30 p.m.

CLASS LL

No. 8 Glastonbury (8-2) at No. 1 Xavier (10-0) (Palmer Field)

No. 7 Ridgefield (8-2) vs. No. 2 Staples (9-0) (at WILTON)

No. 6 Newtown (8-2) at No. 3 Hall (9-1)

No. 5 Norwalk (8-1) at No. 4 Conard (9-1)

CLASS L

No. 8 Notre Dame-West Haven (8-2) at No. 1 Windsor (10-0)

No. 7 Coventry/Windham Tech (9-1) at No. 2 Hand (10-0) (SURF CLUB)

No. 6 North Haven (9-1) at No. 3 Masuk (10-0) (at TRUMBULL)

No. 5 New Cannan (9-1) at No. 4 New London (9-1)

CLASS M

No. 8 Bethel (7-3) at No. 1 Ansonia (11-0) (at NOLAN FIELD)

No. 7 Wolcott (7-3) at No. 2 Ellington/Somers (10-0)

No. 6 Waterford (7-3) at No. 3 Ledyard (9-1)

No. 5 Cheney Tech (9-1) at No. 4 Berlin (9-1) (at SAGE PARK)

CLASS S

No. 8 Cromwell (8-2) at No. 1 Capital Prep/Classical Magnet (10-0) (at Dillon Stadium)

No. 7 Haddam-Killingworth (8-2) at No. 2 Holy Cross (9-2) (at Municipal Stadium)

No. 6 Rocky Hill (8-2) at No. 3 Valley Regional/Old Lyme (9-1)

No. 5 Northwest Catholic (8-2) at No. 4 North Branford (9-1)

Thanksgiving Day Games Slideshow

2011-11-25T10:10:00.001-05:00

Turkey Day Recap

2011-11-25T08:54:00.004-05:00

CIAC Playoff Pairings

Grenn Bowl: Notre Dam reaches Class L playoffs after win over Hamden

Elm City Bowl: Cooper leads Hillhouse past Cross

Ansonia-Naugatuck: Newsome breaks state record as Ansonia rolls

North Haven-Amity: Schwab scores three times to lead Indians into playoffs

Shelton-Derby: Gaels hold off Red Raiders

Xavier-Middletown: No. 1 Falcons roll

Apple Valley Classic: Ecke key in Cheshire's win over Southington

West Haven-Prep: Nieves, Manning rally Westies

Carini Bowl: DeSandre leads Lyman Hall past Sheehan

Branford-East Haven: Karlins propels Hornets to victory

Foran-Law: Lions end season on high note

Bunnell topples Stratford

Playoff pairings

2011-11-24T15:46:00.001-05:00

The unofficial CIAC football playoff ratings. The CIAC will finalize Friday morning.

Class LL

No. 8 Glastonbury (8-2) at No. 1 Xavier (10-0)

No. 7 Ridgefield (8-2) at No. 2 Staples (9-0)

No. 6 Newtown (8-2) at No. 3 Hall (9-1)

No. 5 Norwalk (8-1) at No. 4 Conard (9-1)

CLASS L

No. 8 Notre Dame-West Haven (8-2) at No. 1 Windsor (10-0)

No. 7 Coventry/Windham Tech (9-1) at No. 2 Hand (10-0)

No. 6 North Haven (9-1) at No. 3 Masuk (10-0)

No. 5 New Cannan (9-1) at No. 4 New London (9-1)

CLASS M

No. 8 Bethel (7-3) at No. 1 Ansonia (11-0)

No. 7 Wolcott (7-3) at No. 2 Ellington/Somers (10-0)

No. 6 Waterford (7-3) at No. 3 Ledyard (9-1)

No. 5 Cheney Tech (9-1) at No. 4 Berlin (9-1)

CLASS S

No. 8 Cromwell (8-2) at No. 1 Capital Prep/Capital Magnet (10-0)

No. 7 Haddam-Killingworth (8-2) at No. 2 Holy Cross (9-2)

No. 6 Rocky Hill (8-2) at No. 3 Valley Regional/Old Lyme (9-1)

No. 5 Northwest Catholic (8-2) at No. 4 North Branford (9-1)

Cooper, Hillhouse run past Wilbur Cross

2011-11-24T15:45:00.000-05:00

NEW HAVEN — Sophomore Harold Cooper rushed 13 times for 179 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Hillhouse football team to a 48-12 victory over rival Wilbur Cross Thursday at Bowen Field.

The Academics (7-3), though, fell short of qualifying for a Class M state playoff berth. Hillhouse, the defending champion in that class, finished at No. 10 in the playoff rankings. The top 8 teams advanced to the quarterfinals.

Cooper scored on touchdowns runs of 12, 54, 30 and 65 yards, and was named his team’s offensive most valuable player.

Andre Anderson finished with 86 yards on six carries and one touchdown for the Academics.

Jaylin Fuller caught a 29-yard touchdown pass from A.J. Consiglio for the Governors (1-9), while Joshua Dellacruz scored on a 1-yard run.

Athlete of the Week: Seth Karlins

2011-11-24T08:47:00.001-05:00

Seth Karlins, Branford, football: Senior rushed for one touchdown, threw for another and intercepted a pass for a third touchdown for the Hornets in a 28-21 loss to Ledyard last Thursday.

Honor roll
Arkeel Newsome, Ansonia, football: Sophomore rushed for 293 yards and five touchdowns to help Ansonia beat Holy Cross 33-0 and capture the NVL championship last Thursday.

Wednesday's recap

2011-11-24T08:41:00.002-05:00

North Branford gets past Hyde, eyes postseason

No. 3 Hand rolls past Guilford

H-K knocks off Valley Regional

Woodland sinks Seymour

Old Saybrook/Westbrook rallies past Morgan

Follow the action on our football scoreboard

Tuesday's recap

2011-11-23T09:53:00.002-05:00

Check out The Scout Team, the Register's weekly football show.

The Scout Team, Mike Wollschlager and Mike Pucci, are back with a Thanksgiving special. They preview the big Thanksgiving rivalry games and look ahead to the upcoming playoffs. The latest installment includes interviews with players and coaches from Xavier, Hand, Notre Dame-West Haven, North Haven and North Branford. Check it out, and Happy Thanksgiving.

Follow the game action on our Football Scoreboard.

Platt Tech runs over rival O'Brien Tech

Matt Paola leads Pomperaug past Oxford

Platt Tech 48, O'Brien Tech 8

2011-11-22T21:24:00.002-05:00

Harrison Hudson rushed 18 times for 137 yards and four touchdowns for the visiting Panthers in this CSC win over the Condors at Shelton's Finn Stadium.

Anton Graham rushed 14 times for 166 yards and a score for Platt Tech (4-6).

Tom Buckles scored on a 21-yard run for O'Brien Tech (3-7).

Postseason Information

2011-11-21T11:31:00.001-05:00

Info. from the CIAC

All 16 quarterfinals will be played on Tuesday Nov. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the home site of the higher seed (assuming the site meets the minimum qualifications). If the higher seed's facility does not meet those standards they are responsible for securing a facility which does.

All eight semifinals will be held on Saturday, December 3. The sites and times are as follows (the listing of which specific game is in which slot will be posted by noon on Wednesday, November 30 assuming all quarterfinals are completed on Tuesday):

- Middletown HS (one game at 2:00)
- Cheshire HS (one game at 2:00)
- Bunnell HS (one game at 2:00)
- Sheehan HS (one game at 2:00)
- East Haven HS (one game at 2:00)
- Falcon Field, Meriden (one game at 2:00)
- West Haven HS (two games at 2:00 and 7:00)

All four finals will be held at Rentschler Field
Friday, December 9th
One game at 6:30
Saturday, December 10th
Games at 10:30, 1:30 and 4:30

No. 4 Ansonia 33, Holy Cross 0

2011-11-17T21:49:00.002-05:00

Sophomore Arkeel Newsome rushed 36 times for 293 yards and five touchdowns to lead Ansonia to a 33-0 victory over Holy Cross in the NVL championship at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury.

Newsome scored on TD runs of 57, 14, 5, 1 and 3 yards.

Newsome scored on the Chargers' first play from scrimmage and then added another touchdown in the first quarter.

The teams played to a scoreless second quarter, and Ansonia led just 14-0 at halftime.

Athlete of the Week: Matt Aspinwall

2011-11-17T14:19:00.001-05:00

Matt Aspinwall, Foran, football: Senior rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown and threw for 206 yards and another TD for the Lions in a 47-41 double-overtime win over Guilford Thursday.

Ansonia, Holy Cross to tangle for NVL title

2011-11-17T09:02:00.002-05:00

By Mike Pucci, Register Staff
mpucci@nhregister.com / Twitter: @MikePucciNHR

Despite a convincing win over Holy Cross in Week 4, Ansonia football coach Tom Brockett is well-aware how dangerous the Crusaders can be.

Holy Cross scored first in that contest on Oct. 7 before the Chargers settled down and rolled to a 45-13 victory.

The teams meet again Thursday night to decide the Naugatuck Valley League champion. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury.

Like Ansonia (9-0), the Crusaders (8-1) have a plethora of skill players, and both teams thrive running the ball.

Senior Dave DiGiorgi is Holy Cross’ best overall player, while fellow running back Adrian Brown, a junior, and freshman sensation Isaiah Wright are also dangerous in the open field.

“Obviously they’re a very talented football team,” Brockett said. “They have great skill players. Every time you go against that you worry about the speed and how those kids can score on you on one play.”

Read the full story here.

Week 10 Predictions

Foran edged by Stonington

Green Bowl advance tickets sale

2011-11-16T15:30:00.002-05:00

From the Notre Dame athletic office.

Tickets for the Notre Dame vs. Hamden "Green Bowl" game on Thanksgiving morning at 10:30 am at Hamden will be sold at both schools next week.

This year marks the 61st anniversary of this rivalry, which dates back to 1951.

Please see below for dates and times.

Notre Dame

Tickets will be available from Friday Nov.18 at thru Tuesday Nov 22.

Hamden

Tickets will be available from Monday Nov 21 through Wednesday Nov 23.

The ticket prices are as follows:

Pre-Sale

General Admission $5.00

Children under 12 years old $3.00

All General Admission tickets at the game will be $6.00!

Fans of both teams are encouraged to purchase discounted tickets in advance to avoid waiting in line at the game.

Week 9 Recap

2011-11-15T09:03:00.003-05:00

Healthy again, Foran roaring back to life

Latest Top 10 Poll

Latest CIAC playoff Ratings

Latest Top 10 Poll

2011-11-14T16:22:00.000-05:00

Xavier, Masuk still No. 1-2 in latest Top 10 Poll.

Click here to view the complete Top 10.

Saturday's recap

2011-11-13T09:30:00.003-05:00

Valley Regional/Old Lyme stays unbeaten with win over Cromwell

Hopkins tops Hamden Hall in overtime

Hopkins 21, Hamden Hall 14 (OT)

2011-11-12T15:55:00.001-05:00

Keith Smith caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Greg Volpe in overtime to lift Hopkins to this prep school win over rival Hamden Hall.

The win marked No. 200 for Hopkins coach Tom Parr. The Hilltoppers finish the season at 4-3. Volpe also made two interceptions on defense.

Sophomore Jim Martino rushed 16 times for 73 yards and two touchdowns for Hopkins. The game was scoreless at halftime.

T.J. Linta scored on a 1-yard run and threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Mike Whalen for the Hornets (3-4). Curtis Antrum rushed 18 times for 158 yards for Hamden Hall.

Friday's recap

2011-11-12T09:14:00.002-05:00

Roundup and box scores

Notre Dame-West Haven beats Fairfield Prep, stays in playoff race

No. 1 Xavier tops West Haven

See the highlights below:

No. 1 Xavier 47, West Haven 22

2011-11-11T22:19:00.002-05:00

Senior Mike Mastroianni rushed 13 times for 137 yards and four touchdowns, all in the first half, to lead the visiting Falcons to this SCC interdivision win at Ken Strong Stadium.

Pat D'Amato scored on a 3-yard run and threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Murphy in the first half as No. 1 Xavier (9-0) built a 40-6 lead at halftime.

Matt Craig (13 carries, 89 yards) scored on a 14-yard run in the second half for the Falcons.

Nick Nieves threw touchdown passes of 7 and 12 yards to Tahir Manning, while Nieves and Duane Gary connected on a 23-yard TD pass for the Westies (6-3).

Week 9 Preview

2011-11-11T08:59:00.002-05:00

Check out The Scout Team, the Register's football show

Hamden Hall, Hopkins to square off in prep school clash on Saturday

Week 9 Predictions

Follow the action with our Week 9 Scoreboard

Prep school rivals Hamden Hall and Hopkins to clash Saturday

2011-11-10T16:38:00.002-05:00

Both Hamden Hall and Hopkins enter Saturday's prep school contest with identical 3-3 records.

Hamden Hall, coach by NFL agent Joe Linta, is balanced offensively. The Hornets pass and ran fairly equally.

The Hornets are led by sophomore quarterback T.J. Linta, the coach's son, who has thrown for 10 touchdowns. Senior running back Curtis Antrum has rushed for 915 yards and eight scores, while senior fullback Marc Cafasso has gained valuable yardage as well.

"We have our work cut out for us," Hopkins coach Tom Parr said. "The Linta boy is a great QB, but they also have Antrum and Cafasso. They have a lot of weapons. Doing the spread that they do, it's always hard to defend."

Hopkins is led by senior quarterback Greg Volpe and running backs Jashon DeSenna and Jim Martino.

"They're well-coached," Joe Linta said. "Tom is a real pro, he does a very nice job. They're a grind-it-out type team. They do a very good job of controlling the offense. I think we're pretty even on paper."

Kickoff is set for noon at Hopkins in New Haven. Hamden Hall has not defeated Hopkins since 2001.

Read more about Hamden Hall in Friday's Register and on-line at www.nhregister.com.

Athlete of the Week: Brandon Basil

2011-11-10T12:01:00.000-05:00

Brandon Basil, North Branford, football: Junior completed 20-of-35 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns in a 19-16 win over Coginchaug.

HONOR ROLL

Dillon McMahon, Derby, football: Junior caught seven passes for three touchdowns and a school-record 202 yards in a 54-27 win over Seymour. He also holds the Derby school record for receptions in a season (44) and receiving yards (812). McMahon also had two interceptions.

Week 8 Recap

2011-11-09T08:27:00.001-05:00

Xavier remains No. 1 in latest Top 10 Poll

Hopkins gears up for big game against Hamden Hall

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Ansonia So. RB Arkeel Newsome: Ran for 221 yards and five touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass in a 48-14 win over Wolcott.

Derby Sr. QB Ray Kreiger: Ran for 102 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 321 yards and four touchdowns in a 54-27 win over Seymour.

Masuk Sr. RB Colin Markus: Rushed 19 times for 202 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-3 win over Pomperaug.

North Branford Jr. QB Brandon Basil: Completed 20-of-35 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns in a 19-16 win over Coginchaug.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Cheney Tech Sr. CB D.J. Dawkins: Recovered a fumble and had an interception in a 41-0 win over Wolcott Tech. Dawkins also rushed for 109 yards and scored twice.

Hyde Jr. LB Akeem Berry: Had nine tackles and two sacks in a 32-6 victory over East Hampton/Vinal Tech.

Notre Dame-West Haven Sr. LB Mike Palmieri: Scored on a 75-yard fumble recovery and had a sack in a 28-7 win over Cheshire.

North Haven Sr. LB Joe Schwab: Scored on a 53-yard interception return in a 49-20 win over Foran. Schwab also ran for two touchdowns and threw one touchdown pass.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Hillhouse So. Harold Cooper: Scored on an 80-yard kickoff return in a 41-20 win over Branford. Cooper also rushed 11 times for 144 yards and one touchdown.

Law Sr. Connor Falaguerra: Scored on an 80-yard kickoff return in a 42-17 loss to Guilford.

Shelton Jr. K Ed Groth: Kicked field goals of 27 and 37 yards in a 20-13 win over Fairfield Prep.

Pomperaug Sr. K Matt Paola: Kicked a 48-yard field goal in a 49-3 loss to Masuk.

TEAMS OF THE WEEK

Ledyard: Defeated Waterford 15-7 to capture the Eastern Connecticut Conference Medium Division title.

Masuk: Defeated Pomperaug 49-3 to earn its third straight berth in the South-West Conference title game.

O’Brien Tech: Defeated Wilcox Tech 44-30 to earn its second win of the season.

Stamford: Defeated previously unbeaten New Canaan 36-29 to earn its first win over the Rams since 1977.

ON THE AIR

Xavier at West Haven, Friday, 7 p.m.: 960-WELI

GET OUT AND GO

Hamden Hall (3-3) at Hopkins (3-3), Saturday, noon: No. 1 Xavier at West Haven is arguably the state’s best game on tap Friday night, but this prep school clash between area teams could be just as exciting on Saturday. Hamden Hall, led by coach, and NFL agent, Joe Linta, has an explosive player in senior running back Curtis Antrum. Hopkins counters with senior Jashon DeSenna and quarterback Greg Volpe, whose father, Greg, is the head coach at East Haven.

Milford Academy ends season unbeaten

2011-11-07T19:21:00.003-05:00

Info. from Milford Academy coach Bill Chaplick

UCONN commit Montrell Dobbs (Ansonia) finished the season with a team leading 20 touchdowns and 1,366 yards. Dobbs is now the 2nd all-time rushing leader in school history overtaking New York Jets running back Shonn Greene, Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy and University of Miami running back Graig Cooper.

Dobbs finished 88 yards shy of topping the mark set by Fred Russell.

Bobby Kinnebrew (Ansonia) tied the all-time sack record of 13.5 held by Antonio Dixon, now playing defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Falcons have won 22 of the last 23 games. This year marked the first undefeated season in under Chaplick, now in his 12th year. The Falcons are now 108 wins with 31 losses for a .780 winning percentage under Chaplick.

Week 8 in pictures, videos

2011-11-06T08:19:00.002-05:00

Friday's recap

2011-11-05T09:33:00.003-04:00

Wilbur Cross at West Haven VIDEO RECAP

Read how West Haven survived against Cross here

No. 10 Notre Dame-West Haven defeats Cheshire

North Branford rallies past Coginchaug

Roundup and linescores

Check out how the Register Top 10 Fared

ND-WH, Cheshire notes

2011-11-04T23:10:00.003-04:00

No. 10 Notre Dame-West Haven defeated Cheshire 28-7.

Of note:

Cheshire junior running back left the game in the first half with an ankle injury and did not return. Pascale gained 24 yards on eight carries before exiting.

"Sam's really developed into our play maker," Cheshire coach Mark Ecke said. "He's a heck of a running back."

Senior Billy Weyrauch gained 44 yards on 10 carries in Pascale's place.

Notre Dame senior Amihr Bess returned after missing last week's contest with an ankle injury.
Bess still wasn't at 100 percent and played sparingly. Bess carried six times for 25 yards in the first half. He did not carry the ball at all during the final two quarters.

No. 10 Notre Dame-West Haven 28, Cheshire 7

2011-11-04T21:48:00.001-04:00

Senior Javon Grey rushed 24 times for 173 yards and three touchdowns for the Green Knights in this SCC Division I East victory over Cheshire at Veteran's Stadium in West Haven.

Grey scored on runs of 1, 21 and 4 yards all in the first half as Notre Dame led 21-7 at halftime.

Mike Palmieri had a sack and returned a fumble 75 yards for a touchdown for the Green Knights (6-2).

Mike Ecke (17 carries, 128 yards) scored on a 65-yard run for the Rams (4-4).

Week 8 Preview

2011-11-04T08:54:00.002-04:00

Notre Dame-West Haven still has shot at playoffs.

Check out THE SCOUT TEAM, the Register's weekly football show.

Check out my Predictions for Week 8.

West Haven coach Ed McCarthy to return to sideline after heart procedure.

N.D-West Haven still has shot at playoffs

2011-11-03T15:28:00.003-04:00

With three games remaining, Notre Dame (5-2) is currently ranked No. 11 in Class L. The top 8 teams advance to the quarterfinals.

Despite two losses, Notre Dame, if it wins out, can still reach the postseason. The Green Knights have lost to No. 1 Xavier and No. 3 Hand but have defeated North Haven (6-1), Shelton (5-2) and West Haven (5-2).

Notre Dame plays Cheshire (4-3) on Friday (7 p.m. at Veteran's Field in West Haven) in a SCC Division I East contest.

Last year the Green Knights went 7-3 but failed to qualify for the postseason. In 2009, Notre Dame won the Class L state title and was ranked No. 1 in the final Register Top 10 Poll.

"We've been working so hard in the preseason trying to get from Point A to Point B," Notre Dame senior captain Davante Mallard said. "The work ethic has been really strong. We wish we can be better than (5-2), but all we can do is keep going. (The goal) has always been to keep on pushing and keep on moving forward."

The Notre Dame defense is allowing just 15 points per contest this season despite the tough schedule. Still, the Green Knights believe they can play even better.

"I don't think we're ever going to be content," Notre Dame captain Anthony Masucci said. "There's always room for improvement. As far as what (the coaches) expect from us on the defensive side of the ball, I think we're giving our best effort and it shows. Day after day we come out here, work hard, do the same drills over and over, and it's paid off."

After Cheshire, Notre Dame has games remaining with Fairfield Prep and Hamden. The Green Knights will likely have to win their remaining three games, and may even need some help, to reach the postseason.

"From Aug. 17 ( the first day of practice), actually from when we were lifting during the summer," Masucci said, "all we talked about was getting another ring, getting another shot at it. It would be a dream come true if we can get back there (to the playoffs)."

Start of CIAC tournament postponed

2011-11-03T15:07:00.001-04:00

Just in from the CIAC:

The CIAC fall tournaments in soccer, field hockey, volleyball and swimming were originally scheduled to begin on Monday, November 7th. Maintaining this schedule would require that many student-athletes would enter tournament competition after numerous days without practice or game play. After a thorough review of the calendar, discussion with tournament directors, and communication with potential host sites, the CIAC has developed a revised schedule for tournaments for the previously mentioned four sports. (Cross-country is already following a revised schedule for the remaining state class races and the State Open race).

"We are aware that many schools will not reopen until next week and that interscholastic athletic programs across the state have been seriously disrupted," commented CIAC Executive Director Dr. Karissa Niehoff. "As it became obvious that the delays and impact from the storm were going to be longer then and more widespread then originally anticipated we determined that delaying the start of the state tournaments was the appropriate course of action to take."

According to the revised schedule, the last day to count for the regular season will be Tuesday, November 8th. We will allow schools to schedule contests on Sunday, November 6th, provided that those contests occur after 12:30 p.m. Tournament competition will begin on Thursday, November 10th. Championship contests for volleyball and field hockey will be played the weekend of November 18-19; finals for girls and boys soccer on the weekend of November 25-26. We intentionally did not schedule tournament play for the three school days prior to Thanksgiving in consideration of the many events that occur in schools during that abbreviated week, to allow for rescheduling of semi-final matches if there is inclement weather, and because school fields are being used by football teams preparing for Thanksgiving Day games.

Tournament pairings for Fall sports will be announced on Wednesday, November 9 by 11:00 a.m. The following is the revised competition schedule:

BOYS SOCCER
* First Round - LL, L, M, S -- November 11
* Second Round - LL, L, M, S -- November 14
* Quarter-Finals - LL, L, M, S -- November 16
* Semi-Finals - LL, L, M, S -- November 19
* Finals - LL, L, M, S -- November 25-26

GIRLS SOCCER
* First Round - LL, L, M, S -- November 10
* Second Round - LL, L, M, S -- November 12
* Quarter-Finals - LL, L, M, S -- November 15
* Semi-Finals - LL, L, M, S -- November 18
* Finals - LL, L, M, S -- November 25-26

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
* First Round Thursday, November 10
* Second Round - Saturday, November 12
* Quarter-Finals - M & S Monday, November 14
* Quarter Finals - L & LL Tuesday, November 15
* Semi-Finals - M & S Wednesday, November 16
* Semi-Finals - L & LL Thursday, November 17
* Finals S -- 7:00 p.m. Friday, November 18
* Finals M-- 1:00 / L -- 4:00 / LL - 7:00 p.m. Saturday, November 19

FIELD HOCKEY
* Qualifying Round - S Wednesday, November 9
* Qualifying Round - M, L Thursday, November 10
* First Round - S Thursday, November 10
* First Round - M, L Friday, November 11
* Quarter-finals - S Saturday, November 12
* Quarter-finals - M, L Monday, November 14
* Semi-finals - S Tuesday, November 15
* Semi-finals - M, L Wednesday, November 16
* Finals - All Divisions, Times TBA -- Saturday, November 19

GIRLS SWIMMING
* Diving trials and finals for classes L and M will be postponed from Wednesday, November 9 to either Friday, November 11 or Monday, November 14
* The remainder of the swimming schedule will remain as originally announced

Week 8 Schedule

2011-11-03T13:30:00.004-04:00

Here is the Week 8 schedule with the latest postponement information.

THURSDAY
NVL COPPER
St. Paul Catholic at Sacred Heart, 6:00 p.m.

FRIDAY
CCC DIV. II EAST
Hartford Public at Bulkeley, 7:00 p.m.
RHAM at Wethersfield, 7:00 p.m.
CCC DIV. II WEST
Farmington at Middletown (Ppd. to date TBA)
Maloney at Windsor (Ppd. to date TBA)
CCC DIV. III EAST
Berlin at Platt, 6:30 p.m.
CCC INTER
Northwest Catholic at Bristol Eastern, 7:00 p.m.
CSC
Platt Tech at Putnam/Tourtellotte/Ellis Tech, 6:30 p.m.
ECC LARGE
Norwich Free Academy at Fitch, 6:30 p.m.
ECC MEDIUM
Bacon Academy at Windham, 6:30 p.m.
Waterford at Ledyard, 6:30 p.m.
ECC SMALL
Griswold at Stonington, 6:30 p.m.
St. Bernard/Norwich Tech at Killingly, 6:30 p.m.
ECC INTER
New London at Montville, 6:30 p.m.
FCIAC WEST
Bridgeport Central at Trumbull, 7:00 p.m.
FCIAC INTER
Fairfield Ludlowe at Danbury, 6:00 p.m.
NVL BRASS
Ansonia at Wolcott, 7:00 p.m.
Seymour at Derby, 7:00 p.m.
Wilby at Crosby, 7:00 p.m.
NVL INTER
Naugatuck at Watertown, 7:00 p.m.
PEQUOT SASSACUS
Coginchaug at North Branford, 7:00 p.m.
SCC DIVISION I EAST
Cheshire at Notre Dame-West Haven, 7:00 p.m.
Wilbur Cross at West Haven, 7:00 p.m.
SCC DIVISION I WEST
Fairfield Prep at Shelton, 7:00 p.m.
SCC DIVISION II EAST
Foran at North Haven, 7:00 p.m.
SCC DIVISION II WEST
Hillhouse at Branford, 7:00 p.m.
Jonathan Law at Guilford, 7:00 p.m.
SCC INTER
East Haven at Daniel Hand, 7:00 p.m.
SWC COLONIAL
Bethel at Newtown, 7:00 p.m.
SWC PATRIOT
Oxford at New Fairfield, 7:00 p.m.

SATURDAY
CCC DIV. I EAST
Glastonbury at South Windsor (Ppd. to date TBA)
CCC DIV. II EAST
Fermi at E.O. Smith (Ppd. to date TBA)
CCC DIV. III WEST
Weaver at Bloomfield, 2:00 p.m.
CSC
Bullard Havens Tech at Abbott Tech, 1:00 p.m.
Wolcott Tech at Cheney Tech, 3:00 p.m.
Wilcox Tech at O'Brien Tech, 6:00 p.m.
ECC LARGE
East Lyme at Woodstock Academy, 2:00 p.m.
FCIAC CENTRAL
Ridgefield at Harding, 3:00 p.m.
FCIAC EAST
Bassick at St. Joseph, 2:00 p.m.
Trinity Catholic at Darien, 2:00 p.m.
FCIAC INTER
Brien McMahon at Greenwich, 2:00 p.m.
Fairfield Warde at Staples, 2:00 p.m.
Westhill at Wilton, 2:00 p.m.
New Canaan at Stamford, 5:00 p.m.
NVL COPPER
Kennedy at Torrington, 1 p.m. at Kennedy Stadium, Bridgeport
PEQUOT SASSACUS
Old Saybrook/Westbrook at Cromwell, 1:00 p.m.
East Hampton/Vinal Tech at Hyde Leadership, 2:00 p.m.
PEQUOT UNCAS
Granby Memorial at Gilbert/NW Regional, 1:00 p.m.
Housatonic/Wamogo at Coventry/Windham Tech, 2:15 p.m.
Enfield at Avon (Ppd. to date TBA)
Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby at SMSA/University, 6:30 p.m.
SCC DIVISION I WEST
Xavier at Hamden, 3:00 p.m.
SCC INTER
Lyman Hall at Amity, 2:00 p.m.
SWC COLONIAL
Masuk at Pomperaug, 7:00 p.m.
SWC PATRIOT
Weston at Notre Dame-Fairfield, 2:30 p.m.
SWC INTER
Brookfield at Immaculate, 2:30 p.m.
Stratford at New Milford, 7:00 p.m.
OTHERS
Stamford Academy at Capital Prep/Classical Magnet, 11:00 a.m.

SUNDAY
NON-LEAGUE
Plainfield at Prince Tech, 2:00 p.m.

MONDAY
CCC INTER
Hall at Newington, 6:00 p.m.
NVL COPPER
Woodland at Holy Cross, 7:00 p.m.
PEQUOT SASSACUS
Lewis Mills at Valley Regional/Old Lyme, 5:30 p.m.
Nonnewaug at Morgan, 6:30 p.m.
SWC INTER
Bunnell at Joel Barlow, TBA

TUESDAY
CCC INTER
East Hartford at Conard, 1:30 p.m.
PEQUOT UNCAS
Stafford/East Windsor at Canton, 3:00 p.m.

Week 7 recap

2011-11-01T08:36:00.002-04:00

Guilford, Torrington highlight Tuesday's notebook

WEEK 7 HIGHLIGHTS

Top offensive players of the week

Cromwell Jr. RB Derrick Villard: Accounted for all five touchdowns in a 41-33 loss to North Branford. Villard rushed 25 times for 129 yards and four scores, and returned an interception 54 yards for another touchdown.

Hand Sr. WR Nick Vitale: Caught eight passes for 117 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-14 win over West Haven.

Notre Dame-West Haven Sr. RB Javon Grey: Rushed 27 times for 204 yards and four touchdowns in a 27-12 win over Wilbur Cross.

Valley Regional/Old Lyme Sr. RB Jordan Saintil: Rushed 18 times for 254 yards and three touchdowns in a 32-0 win over previously unbeaten Coginchaug.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Haddam-Killingworth Jr. LB Nate Cruz: Returned a fumble 32 yards for a touchdown in a 40-6 victory over Morgan. Cruz also scored two rushing touchdowns.

Hillhouse Jr. DB Andre Anderson: Scored on a 100-yard interception return in a 35-7 loss to No. 1 Xavier.

North Haven Sr. LB Jason Cancel: Made 10 tackles and a sack in a 53-28 win over Bridgeport Central.

Shelton So. DB Eddie Kochiss: Returned an interception 66 yards for a touchdown in a 28-17 win over Amity.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Pomperaug Sr. Matt Paola: Kicked a 54-yard field goal, which tied a state-record, in a 58-20 win over Notre Dame-Fairfield. Current Notre Dame-Fairfield coach Rico Brogna, and Fermi’s Tyler Timion, each kicked a field goal from that distance in 1987.

Ridgefield So. Griffin Jones: Kicked two extra points, including the eventual game-winner in the fourth quarter, in a 14-13 win over McMahon.

Sheehan So. Jeremy Gannon: Scored on an 81-yard kickoff return in a 37-12 win over East Haven.

Stamford Sr. Jake Demetros: Returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown in a 45-0 win over Fairfield Ludlowe.

TEAMS OF THE WEEK

Bethel: Defeated previously unbeaten, and then No. 9, Bunnell 56-46.

Fitch: Defeated then No. 6, and previously unbeaten, New London 14-0 to earn its first win over the Whalers since 2001.

Kennedy: Defeated St. Paul 29-14 to earn its first win of the season.

North Branford: Defeated previously unbeaten Cromwell 41-33 to improve to 5-1.

GET OUT AND GO

Fairfield Prep (5-2) at Shelton (5-2), Friday, 7 p.m.: These two teams are likely playing for second place in the Southern Connecticut Conference Division I West. Division leader Xavier plays Hamden on the same night and a victory by the Falcons would clinch the division. Still, Fairfield Prep and Shelton can continue successful seasons with a victory here.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST TOP 10 POLL

Paola kicks record-tying field goal

2011-10-31T13:26:00.002-04:00

Pomperaug senior Matt Paola kicked a 54-yard field goal that tied a state-record in a 58-20 win over Notre Dame-Fairfield on Friday.

Current Notre Dame-Fairfield coach Rico Brogna, and Fermi’s Tyler Timion, each kicked a field goal from that distance in 1987. Brogna and Paola posed for a photo after the game.

Milford Academy wins 10th straight game

2011-10-30T20:44:00.003-04:00

Info. from Milford Academy coach Bill Chaplick

Milford Academy rolled to its 10th straight win after a 40-27 victory over Erie Community College Sunday in Buffalo, N.Y. to remain unbeaten for the year.

UCONN commit Montrell Dobbs led the team with 38 carries for 206 yards and one touchdown. Dobbs leads all rushers with 18 touchdowns and 1,200 yards.

The Falcons have won 21 of the last 22 games. Milford Academy plays Globe Institute of Technology on Nov. 5th at 3 p.m. in New York City.

Week 7 in pictures and video

2011-10-29T21:17:00.002-04:00

Friday's recap

2011-10-29T08:29:00.003-04:00

No. 4 Hand stays unbeaten, defeats West Haven

North Branford knocks off Cromwell

No. 1 Xavier rolls past Hillhouse

Torrington runs past Derby

Valley Regional/Old Lyme shuts out Coginchaug

Roundup/Box Scores

DeLucia, Hausman lead North Branford past Cromwell

2011-10-28T21:48:00.000-04:00

Junior Dale Hausman rushed 21 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a 28-yard TD pass from Brandon Basil, while junior Joe DeLucia rushed three times for 64 yards and two scores and caught a 24-yard TD pass from Basil, as North Branford knocked off previously unbeaten Cromwell 41-33 in a Pequot Conference Sassacus Division contest at Colafati Field.

North Branford (5-1) scored the game's first two touchdowns before Cromwell scored three straight times to take a 19-14 lead. The Thunderbirds, on the Basil to DeLucia TD pass, took a 21-19 lead at halftime.

North Branford led 35-19 at one point in the third quarter before Cromwell (6-1) cut the deficit to 35-33.

Derrick Villard rushed 25 times for 129 yards for Cromwell. He also returned an interception 54 yards for another score.

Week 7 Preview

2011-10-28T08:52:00.002-04:00

North Branford takes on unbeaten Cromwell. Read it here.

Week 7 Predictions

Check out The Scout Team, the Register's weekly football show.

Wilson, Seymour run past Wilby.

Standings through six weeks.

North Branford ready for unbeaten Cromwell

2011-10-27T14:38:00.004-04:00

North Branford (4-1) hosts unbeaten Cromwell (6-0) on Friday night at 6:30 in a key Pequot Conference Sassacus Division contest.

After graduating 19 seniors, including nine starters on the offensive side, the Thunderbirds are off to a quick start. North Branford has won four straight games since losing to Valley Regional/Old Lyme in the season opener.

"We still had high expectations," North Branford senior captain Anthony Franco said. "We have a lot of juniors who played a lot their sophomore year and did pretty well. We still expected to have high hopes. We hope to make it to the playoffs."

After Cromwell, North Branford has games remaining with Coginchaug (Nov. 4), Nonnewaug (Nov. 12), Lewis Mills (Nov. 17) and Hyde (Nov. 23). Only Coginchaug has a winning record at this point.

North Branford is currently rated seventh in the Class S state playoff race. The Top 8 teams qualify for the quarterfinals.

North Branford finished 6-4 and just missed a playoff berth by finishing 10th in the Class S standings in 2010. Last year, the Thunderbirds were forced to forfeit its contest with Lewis Mills after a bench-clearing brawled ensued. The majority of North Branford's starters were suspended for the team's next game, a loss to SMSA/University.

The current North Branford seniors have used last season's result as motivation.

"We had a real close connection (to last year's seniors)," North Branford captain Christian Perrotti said. "We played with most of them growing up and we wanted to continue what they were doing. We wanted to see if we can make it back to the playoffs because last year I like to think of it as us being cheated out of it, although not everyone does. I want to see if we can make up for it."

Explosive Cromwell, which is averaging nearly 50 points per game, is one obstacle North Branford will have to navigate in order to reach the postseason for the first time since 2008.

"We have a pretty good shot at the playoffs if we can get past this pretty big challenge we have in front of us," North Branford senior captain Damoy Hunter said.

Read more about North Branford in Friday's Register and on-line at www.nhregister.com.

Check out this video clip featuring North Branford captain Anthony Franco.

Athlete of the Week: Mike Vessicchio

2011-10-27T08:40:00.001-04:00

Mike Vessicchio , East Haven, football: Senior caught a 70-yard touchdown pass, threw for an 85-yard score, had an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown and had two interceptions in 34-25 win over Platt Tech.

HONOR ROLL

Michael Andranovich, Foran, soccer: Senior goalkeeper helped the Lions to a 3-0 week by posting three shutouts versus Platt Tech, Law, and Hamden. He also had 20 saves versus Hamden.

Gary Ormond, Hamden, football: Junior had nine receptions for 220 yards and four touchdowns and added a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown in Hamden’s win over Branford.

Week 6 Recap

2011-10-25T13:16:00.002-04:00

Here's a look as some of the top performances from around the state this past week in high school football:

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦ Hamden Jr. WR Gary Ormond: Had nine receptions for 220 yards and four touchdowns and added a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown in a 48-41 win over Branford.

♦ Hopkins QB Greg Volpe: Rushed for 118 yards and scored on all three carries he attempted to lead the Hilltoppers to a 31-14 win over Kingswood-Oxford. Volpe also made two interceptions on defense.

♦ Lyman Hall Sr. RB Joe DeSandre: Rushed 28 times for 230 yards and five touchdowns in a 34-21 win over Law. DeSandre also had two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

♦ Rocky Hill So. RB Chris Young: Rushed 26 times for a school-record 264 yards and scored four times in a 42-39 win over Bloomfield.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦ Glastonbury Sr. DB Nick Latty: Intercepted a pass with 25 seconds left in regulation to seal a 19-16 victory over Southington.

♦ Hopkins So. S Brian Keller: Had two interceptions and recovered a fumble in a 31-14 win over Kingswood-Oxford.

♦ Stafford/East Windsor Sr. DB Tim Artruc: Made 18 tackles and a sack in a 32-22 victory over SMSA/University.

♦ Xavier Sr. DB Ryan Jacobucci: Scored on an 8-yard interception return in a 27-0 win over Shelton. Jacobucci also caught a touchdown pass in the win.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦ East Haven Sr. Mike Vessichio: Had an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown in a 34-25 win over Platt Tech. He also caught a 70-yard touchdown pass, threw for an 85-yard score, and had two interceptions.

♦ Hillhouse Jr. Andre Anderson: Returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown in a 40-0 win over Guilford. Anderson also scored on a 37-yard run.

♦ Maloney Sr. Karim St. Luce: Returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown in a 53-21 win over Bristol Central. He also ran 18 times for 126 yards and a touchdown.

♦ Wolcott Sr. Pat Byrne: Returned a kickoff 55 yards in a 36-20 win over Derby.

TEAMS OF THE WEEK

♦ East Haven: Defeated non-conference opponent Platt Tech 34-25 to win its first game of the season.

♦ Hamden: Defeated Branford 48-41 to snap a 17-game losing streak.

♦ New Canaan: Defeated St. Joseph 43-14 to remain unbeaten. The victory also marked coach Lou Marinelli’s 250th win with the Rams. Marinelli has a career record of 269-91-7.

♦ Notre Dame-West Haven: Defeated previously unbeaten North Haven 27-12.

GET OUT AND GO

♦ Coginchaug (5-0) at Valley Regional/Old Lyme (5-0), Friday, 6:30 p.m.: This is a showdown between unbeatens in the Pequot Conference. Both teams are a half-game behind fellow unbeaten Cromwell in the Sassacus Division standings. There’s plenty at stake here, especially positioning for a Class S state playoff berth. Coginchaug is currently ranked No. 2 in that class, while the Warriors are rated fifth. While both offenses are effective, this game could be decided on the defensivce side. The co-op has allowed 61 points this season, while the Blue Devils have surrendered just 21. The Warriors, though, present Coginchaug with its toughest challenge yet, though.

Read Tuesday's notebook here.

The latest Playoff Ratings

Xavier remains No. 1 in Top 10 Poll

Latest Top 10 Poll

2011-10-24T20:48:00.000-04:00

Team Points Last Class

1. Xavier (6-0) (13) 726 1 LL

2. Masuk (6-0) (12) 722 2 L

3. Ansonia (6-0) 596 3 M

4. Hand (6-0) 584 4 L

5. New Canaan (6-0) 532 5 L

6. New London (5-0) 506 6 L

7. Staples (5-0) 447 7 LL

8. Windsor (6-0) 445 8 L

9. Bunnell (6-0) 368 9 L

10. Darien (6-0) 276 NR L

Dropped out: North Haven (10).

First-place votes in parentheses.

Others receiving votes: Conard (6-0), 228; West Haven (5-1), 160; Norwich Free Academy (5-0), 151; Greenwich (5-1), 142; Notre Dame-West Haven (4-2), 110; Cromwell (6-0), 106; Pomperaug (5-1), 72; Valley Regional/Old Lyme (5-0), 60; Norwalk (5-1), 49; North Haven (5-1), 38; Northwest Catholic (5-1), 28; Ledyard (4-1), 8; Berlin (5-1), Farmington (6-0) and Hall (5-1), 7.

The following voted: Marc Allard, Norwich Bulletin; Bob Barton, New Haven Register; Sean Patrick Bowley, Connecticut Post; Don Boyle, Sporting News CT; Jim Bransfield, Middletown Press; Bryant Carpenter, Meriden-Record Journal; George DeMaio, WELI; Mike DiMauro, The Day of New London; Matt Doran, MSG Varsity; Kevin Duffy, Danbury News-Times; Tom Evans, Norwalk Hour; Noah Finz, WTNH-8; Ned Griffen, The Day of New London; John Holt, WFSB-3; Mark Jaffee, Waterbury Republican-American; Ken Lipshez, Patch/West Hartford News; Mike Madera, Elm City Newspapers; Joe Morelli, New Haven Register; Dave Phillips, Shore Line Newspapers; Mike Pucci, New Haven Register; Dave Ruden, Stamford Advocate; Mike Suppe, Hersam-Acorn; Tom Yantz, Hartford Courant; Mike Wollschlager, New Haven Register; Jimmy Zanor, Shore Line Newspapers.

— Poll compiled by Mike Pucci.

Saturday's recap

2011-10-23T09:20:00.003-04:00

Roundup and linescores

HOW THE REGISTER TOP 10 FARED

Team — This Week — Next Game

1. Xavier (6-0) — Defeated Shelton 27-0 — Friday vs. Hillhouse, 7 p.m.

2. Masuk (5-0) — Defeated Immaculate 56-8 — Friday at New Milford, 7 p.m.

3. Ansonia (6-0) — Defeated Watertown 51-14 — Friday vs. Crosby, 7 p.m.

4. Hand (6-0) — Defeated Wilbur Cross 36-0 — Friday vs. West Haven, 7 p.m.

5. New Canaan (5-0) — Defeated St. Joseph 43-14 — Friday at Wilton, 7 p.m.

6. New London (5-0) — Defeated Windham 49-13 — Friday at Fitch, 6:30 p.m.

7. Staples (5-0) — Defeated Trumbull 38-16 — Friday vs. Danbury, 7 p.m.

8. Windsor (6-0) — Defeated Middletown 41-13 — Friday at Farmington, 7 p.m.

9. Bunnell (6-0) — Defeated Brookfield 32-26 — Friday at Bethel, 7 p.m.

10. North Haven (5-1) — Lost to Notre Dame-West Haven 27-12 — Friday vs. Bridgeport Central, 7 p.m.

VOTE for the TEAM of the WEEK

Week 6 videos, slideshows

2011-10-22T09:51:00.003-04:00

North Haven at Notre Dame-West Haven. Green Knights knock off the No. 1 Indians 27-12.

No. 1 Xavier pulls away from Shelton in second half to win 27-0.

No. 4 Hand rolls past Wilbur Cross

Friday's recap/Saturday's schedule

2011-10-22T09:24:00.002-04:00

No. 1 Xavier remains unbeaten after a 27-0 win over Shelton

Notre Dame-West Haven knocks off No. 10 North Haven. See the video recap.

No. 4 Hand rolls over Wilbur Cross.

Cromwell moves to 6-0.

Roundup and box scores

SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE

CCC DIV. I WEST
Simsbury at Hall, 2:00 p.m.

CCC DIV. II EAST
Bulkeley at E.O. Smith, 1:00 p.m.
RHAM at Fermi, 2:00 p.m.

CCC DIV. III EAST
Platt at Tolland, 1:00 p.m.

CCC DIV. III WEST
East Catholic at Weaver, 12:00 p.m.

CCC INTER
Plainville at Northwest Catholic, 10:30 a.m.

CSC
Prince Tech at Wolcott Tech, 1:00 p.m.

ECC MEDIUM
Ledyard at Bacon Academy, 2:00 p.m.

ECC INTER
St. Bernard/Norwich Tech at Woodstock Academy, 2:00 p.m.

FCIAC CENTRAL
Brien McMahon at Fairfield Ludlowe, 2:00 p.m.

FCIAC EAST
St. Joseph at New Canaan, 2:00 p.m.
Wilton at Darien, 2:00 p.m.

FCIAC WEST
Danbury at Westhill, 2:00 p.m.

FCIAC INTER
Harding at Bassick, 2:00 p.m.

NVL INTER
Wilby at St. Paul Catholic, 1:30 p.m.

PEQUOT SASSACUS
Haddam-Killingworth at Nonnewaug, 10:00 a.m.
Lewis Mills at Hyde Leadership, 1:00 p.m.
Old Saybrook/Westbrook at Coginchaug, 1:00 p.m.

PEQUOT UNCAS
Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby at Ellington/Somers, 1:00 p.m.
Granby Memorial at Avon, 7:00 p.m.

SWC PATRIOT
Oxford at Weston, 1:00 p.m.

SWC INTER
Masuk at Immaculate, 1:00 p.m.
New Milford at Notre Dame-Fairfield, 2:30 p.m.

Shelton set to face No. 1 Xavier

2011-10-21T10:13:00.001-04:00

By Mike Pucci, Register Staff
mpucci@nhregister.com / Twitter: @MikePucciNHR

SHELTON — After being shut out by Notre Dame-West Haven on Sept. 30, Shelton football coach Jeff Roy decided the Gaels’ offense needed a new approach.

The Shelton offense wasn’t exactly anemic in two victories to open the season, in which the Gaels averaged 25.5 points, but Roy wasn’t completely satisfied with that unit’s performance.

“We needed a spark offensively,” Roy said. “The offense really wasn’t moving the ball well so we thought we needed a spark, especially throwing the ball.”

Entering Shelton’s contest with Hamden on Oct. 6, Roy decided to insert junior Ed Groth under center and move former starter Frank Camerino to tailback. Camerino, though, still sees time at quarterback.

Read the full story here.

Week 6 Predictions

Check out the Scout Team, the Register's Weekly Football Show.

Shelton 4-1 despite struggles

2011-10-20T14:35:00.004-04:00

Shelton coach Jeff Roy couldn't exactly pinpoint why his team's been rather inconsistent this season. Still, the Gaels are 4-1 heading into Friday's key SCC Division I West showdown with No. 1 Xavier (5-0). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Shelton's Finn Stadium.

"We've been kind of up and down this year," Roy said. "I've been unhappy in a few of the games the way we've played. We've been making a lot of mistakes. When we don't make mistakes, and play the way we're supposed to play, we're a pretty good football team. Hopefully we'll fix most of those mistakes this week in practice and not make them against Xavier."

Shelton earned two straight victories to open the year, against Wilbur Cross (27-18) on Sept. 17 and against Sheehan (24-17) on Sept. 23, before being shutout against Notre Dame-West Haven, 28-0, on Sept. 30. The Gaels have since defeated Hamden and Guilford.

Despite winning four of five games, Shelton's struggled with finding a consistent rhythm offensively.

"No one's consistently stopped us," Roy said. "We've stopped ourselves at times. We'll drive the ball down the field and then get a holding penalty or turn the ball over. It seems like we're making mistakes at bad times. But the positive is, we've overcome those mistakes and we're 4-1. You're going to make mistakes, they're high school kids, but we've been able to overcome them and win some games."

Senior Frank Camerino and junior Ed Groth have split time at quarterback since the Hamden game. Camerino lines up at tailback when Groth is under center. Roy also praised the play of his veteran offensive line. Seniors Connor O'Brien (running back) and Scott Zebendon (tight end/defensive end) have also contributed after not playing last season.

Read more about Shelton in Friday's print edition and on-line.

Milford Academy still rolling

2011-10-18T17:31:00.003-04:00

Info. from Milford Academy coach Bill Chaplick.

Milford Academy rolled to its 8th straight win after a 44-0 victory over Delaware Valley College Monday in Doylestown, PA.

UCONN commit Montrell Dobbs led the team with 231 yards rushing and five touchdowns on 21 carries, including a 97-yard jaunt in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.

Dobbs has rushed for 14 touchdowns and 845 yards this season.

Syracuse recruit quarterback, Ashton Broyld threw a 14-yard touchdown to Marshall recruit Lavern Jacobs, and added a pair of extra point conversions—one through the air and one on a run.

The Falcons have won 19 of the last 20 games. Milford Academy plays Wagner College this Sunday at 1pm in Staten Island, NY.

Latest Top 10 Poll

2011-10-18T09:02:00.000-04:00

Team Points Last Class

1. Xavier (5-0) (14) 728 1 LL

2. Masuk (5-0) (11) 720 2 L

3. Ansonia (5-0) 596 3 M

4. Hand (5-0) 576 4 L

5. New Canaan (5-0) 506 5 L

6. New London (4-0) 497 6 L

7. Staples (4-0) 441 7 LL

8. Windsor (5-0) 431 8 L

9. Bunnell (5-0) 385 9 L

10. North Haven (5-0) 315 10 L

Dropped out: None.

First-place votes in parentheses after last season’s record. Does not include Monday’s games.

Others receiving votes: Darien (5-0), 279; Conard (4-0), 175; Greenwich (4-1), 133; Norwich Free Academy (4-0), 122; West Haven (4-1), 117; Cromwell (5-0) and Valley Regional/Old Lyme (5-0), 83; Pomperaug (4-1), 52; Northwest Catholic (4-1), 46; Cheshire (3-2), 34; Notre Dame-West Haven (3-2), 28; Berlin (4-1), Middletown (4-1), Norwalk (4-1) and Ridgefield (4-1), 7.

The following voted: Marc Allard, Norwich Bulletin; Bob Barton, New Haven Register; Sean Patrick Bowley, Connecticut Post; Don Boyle, Sporting News CT; Jim Bransfield, Middletown Press; Bryant Carpenter, Meriden-Record Journal; George DeMaio, WELI; Mike DiMauro, The Day of New London; Matt Doran, MSG Varsity; Kevin Duffy, Danbury News-Times; Tom Evans, Norwalk Hour; Noah Finz, WTNH-8; Ned Griffen, The Day of New London; John Holt, WFSB-3; Mark Jaffee, Waterbury Republican-American; Ken Lipshez, Patch/West Hartford News; Mike Madera, Elm City Newspapers; Joe Morelli, New Haven Register; Dave Phillips, Shore Line Newspapers; Mike Pucci, New Haven Register; Dave Ruden, Stamford Advocate; Mike Suppe, Hersam-Acorn; Tom Yantz, Hartford Courant; Mike Wollschlager, New Haven Register; Jimmy Zanor, Shore Line Newspapers.

— Poll compiled by Mike Pucci.

Football Foundation meeting planned

2011-10-17T15:20:00.001-04:00

The next meeting of the New Haven Chapter of the National Football Foundation will be on Thursday October 20 at the Knights of St. Patrick, 1533 State St. New Haven, beginning at 6:30PM. Attending will be UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni, Offensive Coordinator, George DeLeone, Yale coach Tom Williams and University of New Haven coach Peter Rossomando. In addition several chapter high school coaches will also be speaking. Tickets can be purchased at the door. The cost is $15 for chapter member schools and $20 for non members.

Valley Regional/Old Lyme topples Hyde

2011-10-16T18:32:00.003-04:00

Valley Regional/Old Lyme remained unbeaten after a 41-7 victory over Hyde on Saturday.
Check out the highlights below:

In other Week 5 games, Hillhouse defeated Law 46-7.

And, Shelton survived against Guilford 17-12.