Here's how I voted for the 2013 New Haven Register Top 10 Football Poll after Week 1.

The Poll will be posted on-line later tonight and appear in Tuesday's print editions.

1. Ansonia
2. Xavier
3. New Canaan
4. NFA
5. Newtown
6. Middletown
7. Southington
8. St. Joseph
9. Greenwich
10. Shelton
11. New London
12. Masuk
13. Darien
14. Fairfield Prep
15. West Haven

Here's how I voted for the 2013 New Haven Register Preseason Top 10 Football Poll.

Each voter is asked to rank their Top 15 teams. The Preseason Poll will be posted on-line later tonight and appear in Tuesday's print editions.

I'm sure my ranking will change after Week 1 and throughout the year, but here goes.



1. Ansonia
2. Xavier
3. NFA
4. West Haven
5. New Canaan
6. Newtown
7. Southington
8. Middletown
9. St. Joseph
10.Greenwich
11. Glastonbury
12. Shelton
13. New London
14. Masuk
15. Hand

Here's my ballot for the final Register Top 10 Poll of 2012. The poll will be released later today on-line and in Tuesday's print editions.

State Champions

Class LL: Xavier (12-1) def. NFA (12-1)
Class L: Hand (13-0) def. Windsor (11-1)
Class M: Hillhouse (11-2) def. Berlin (11-2)
Class S: Ansonia (14-0) def. North Branford (12-1)


It wasn't a difficult decision this year. Hand, which has been No. 1 since defeating then No. 1 Xavier on Oct. 12, earned my vote. The Tigers defeated Class LL champion Xavier, Class M champion Hillhouse, Class LL quarterfinalist West Haven and a tough North Haven (7-3) team during the regular season. Then Hand beat Platt (8-3), Masuk (10-2) and previously unbeaten Windsor in the Class L playoffs to win the title.

While picking a No. 1 was easy, selecting No. 2 and No. 3 was more difficult. Xavier and Ansonia both made a strong case.

Xavier lost only to Hand during the regular season and defeated West Haven, Hillhouse and Class L quarterfinalist Middletown. The Falcons then knocked off FCIAC runner-up Greenwich, Glastonbury and previously unbeaten NFA in the postseason.

Ansonia earned wins over Class M quarterfinalist Wolcott and Class S semifinalist Woodland (twice) during the regular season. Wins over Prince Tech, Hyde and previously unbeaten North Branford followed in the Class S playoffs.


In my final ballot, Xavier edges Ansonia for the No. 2 top. I believe Xavier might have played the best football of any team in the state, including Hand, during the season's second half. But head-to-head competition matters, and Hand did defeat Xavier on the field, so it's Hand No. 1 and Xavier No. 2.



My Ballot
1. Hand
2. Xavier
3. Ansonia
4. Windsor
5. Norwich Free Academy
6. Staples
7. Hillhouse
8. Glastonbury
9. Southington
10. Greenwich
11. North Branford
12. Newtown
13. West Haven
14. North Haven
15. Berlin

Here is the ballot I submitted for the New Haven Register Top 10 football poll after Week 11. Voters are asked to vote for 15 teams. Points on tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.

The poll should be up later tonight on the Register's website and will appear in Tuesday's print editions.
My Top 10 ballot stays the same from last week.

1. Hand
2. Staples
3. Ansonia
4. Xavier
5. Windsor
6. Newtown
7. Southington
8. Norwich Free Academy
9. Greenwich
10. Masuk
11. Hillhouse
12. West Haven
13. North Branford
14. Glastonbury
15. St. Joseph

Here is the ballot I submitted for the New Haven Register Top 10 football poll after Week 10. Voters are asked to vote for 15 teams. Points on tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.

The poll should be up later tonight on the Register's website and will appear in Tuesday's print editions.
My Top 10 ballot stays the same from last week.

1. Hand
2. Staples
3. Ansonia
4. Xavier
5. Windsor
6. Greenwich
7. Newtown
8. Masuk
9. Southington
10. Norwich Free Academy
11. Hillhouse
12. West Haven
13. North Branford
14. Glastonbury
15. Middletown

Here is the ballot I submitted for the New Haven Register Top 10 football poll after Week 9. Voters are asked to vote for 15 teams. Points on tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.

The poll should be up later tonight on the Register's website and will appear in Wednesday's print editions.


1. Hand
2. Staples
3. Ansonia
4. Xavier
5. Windsor
6. Greenwich
7. Newtown
8. Masuk
9. Southington
10. Norwich Free Academy
11. Hillhouse
12. West Haven
13. North Branford
14. Glastonbury
15. Middletown

Here is the ballot I submitted for the New Haven Register Top 10 football poll after Week 8. Voters are asked to vote for 15 teams. Points on tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.

The poll should be up later tonight on the Register's website and will appear in Tuesday's print editions.


1. Hand
2. Staples
3. Ansonia
4. West Haven
5. Xavier
6. Windsor
7. Greenwich
8. Newtown
9. Masuk
10. Southington
11. North Branford
12. Norwich Free Academy
13. Glastonbury
14. Hillhouse
15. Middletown

Here is the ballot I submitted for the New Haven Register Top 10 football poll after Week 7. Voters are asked to vote for 15 teams. Points on tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.

The poll should be up later tonight on the Register's website and will appear in Tuesday's print editions.


1. Hand
2. Staples
3. Ansonia
4. West Haven
5. Xavier
6. Windsor
7. Greenwich
8. Newtown
9. Masuk
10. Southington
11. Berlin
12. North Branford
13. Norwich Free Academy
14. Glastonbury
 15. Hillhouse

Here is the ballot I submitted for the New Haven Register Top 10 football poll after Week 6. Voters are asked to vote for 15 teams. Points on tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.

The poll should be up later tonight on the Register's website and will appear in Tuesday's print editions.


Some interesting games last week:

No. 1 Hand survived against No. 8 West Haven
No. 10 Southington edged No. 9 Glastonbury
No. 5 Windsor rallied past previously unbeaten Middletown

With that being said, this week's ballot:

1. Hand
2. Staples
3. Ansonia
4. West Haven
5. Xavier
6. Windsor
7. Greenwich
8. Newtown
9. Masuk
10. Southington
11. Berlin
12. North Branford
13. Norwich Free Academy
14. Fairfield Prep
15. Glastonbury

Here is the ballot I submitted for the New Haven Register Top 10 football poll after Week 5. Voters are asked to vote for 15 teams. Points on tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.

The poll should be up later tonight on the Register's website and will appear in Tuesday's print editions.


Last week's No. 1 Xavier lost to Hand, 40-20, snapping the Falcons' 30-game winning streak.

I decided to go with Hand as the new No. 1 team, jumping the Tigers over Staples from last week's ballot. Staples, Ansonia and Windsor are all worthy candidates for No. 1, but Hand's domination over Xavier in the second half impressed me enough to give Hand the nod (for now).

1. Hand
2. Staples
3. Ansonia
4. Windsor
5. Xavier
6. Greenwich
7. Newtown
8. West Haven
9. Masuk
10. Berlin
11. Southington
12. Glastonbury
13. Norwich Free Academy
14. North Branford
15. Fairfield Prep

Here is the ballot I submitted for the New Haven Register Top 10 football poll after Week 4. Voters are asked to vote for 15 teams. Points on tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.

The poll should be up later tonight on the Register's website and will appear in Tuesday's print editions.


One team from my previous ballot lost (New London), so I dropped it out and added a new team.

1. Xavier
2. Staples
3. Hand
4. Windsor
5. Ansonia
6. Greenwich
7. Newtown
8. West Haven
9. Masuk
10. Berlin
11. Southington
12. Glastonbury
13. Norwich Free Academy
14. North Branford
15. North Haven

Here is the ballot I submitted for the New Haven Register Top 10 football poll after Week 3. Voters are asked to vote for 15 teams. Points on tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.

The poll should be up later tonight on the Register's website and will appear in Tuesday's print editions.


Two teams from my previous ballot lost (Darien and Ledyard), so I dropped them out and added two new teams.

1. Xavier
2. Staples
3. Hand
4. Windsor
5. Ansonia
6. Greenwich
7. Newtown
8. West Haven
9. Masuk
10. Berlin
11. Southington
12. Glastonbury
13. New London
14. Norwich Free Academy
15. North Branford

Here is the ballot I submitted for the New Haven Register Top 10 football poll after Week 2. Voters are asked to vote for 15 teams. Points on tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.

The poll should be up later tonight on the Register's website and will appear in Tuesday's print editions.


Two teams from my previous ballot lost (Hillhouse and New Canaan), so I dropped them out and added two new teams.

1. Xavier
2. Staples
3. Hand
4. Windsor
5. Ansonia
6. Greenwich
7. Newtown
8. Darien
9. West Haven
10. Ledyard
11. Masuk
12. Berlin
13. Southington
14. Glastonbury
15. New London

Here is the ballot I submitted for the New Haven Register Top 10 football poll after Week 1. Voters are asked to vote for 15 teams. Points on tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.

The poll should be up later tonight on the Register's website and will appear in Tuesday's print editions.


Since none of the teams from my preseason ballot lost, I will go with the same 15 teams.

1. Xavier
2. Staples
3. Hand
4. Windsor
5. Ansonia
6. Hillhouse
7. Greenwich
8. Newtown
9. Darien
10. West Haven
11. Ledyard
12. Masuk
13. Berlin
14. New Canaan
15. Southington

Here is the ballot I submitted for the New Haven Register Preseason Top 10 football poll. Voters are asked to vote for 15 teams. Points on tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.

The poll should be up later tonight on the Register's website and will appear in Wednesday's print editions.


1. Xavier
2. Staples
3. Hand
4. Windsor
5. Ansonia
6. Hillhouse
7. Greenwich
8. Newtown
9. Darien
10. West Haven
11. Ledyard
12. Masuk
13. Berlin
14. New Canaan
15. Southington