By Register Citizen Staff
Torrington has offically offered the football head coaching position to former Sheehan High School offensive coordinator Gaitan Rodriguez.

“I was chosen,” said Rodriguez. “I am very excited and extremely excited to come home.”

He played at Torrington High School in the 90’s and was an All-NVL selection; he also began his coaching career with the Raiders.

Torrington Athletic Director Mike McKenna said they were looking for a coach who would be able to do more for the program than just coach on the field.

“We were looking for someone who’s going to develop young men academically and socially. Football is not the big thing that people are going to learn. What they get out of sports is way beyond what they learn on the field,” said McKenna. “I think Gaitan Rodriguez is the guy who can do that. I’ve known him since he was a freshman in high school. He’s absolutely what we were looking for.”


In other coaching news, Doug Cotto was hired at Bunnell and Rich Holmes was named head coach at Abbott Tech.

Craig Bruno, who coached Bunnell to state titles in 2006 and 2007, has been named the next coach at Naugatuck. The news was first reported by the CT POST on Thursday.

From the POST article:

Bruno, 44, played at Bunnell in the 1980s and was elevated to head coach in 2001 to replace his mentor, Bob Mastroni.

Bruno will leave as its most decorated after 12 years, four state playoff appearances and two state championships.

Bruno, who is also the athletic director at Bassick, takes over at Naugatuck after a tumultuous 2012, which saw the school embroiled in a recruiting scandal involving former coach Rob Plasky and Sacred Heart receiver David Coggins. Plasky resigned in August. The Greyhounds went 6-4 under interim coach Shawn Kuczenski.

Tickets for the Stratford vs. Bunnell game on Nov. 21 are on sale at both high schools in the athletic and main offices.
Tickets are also on sale at Hilltop Food Market (across from Eli Whitney School) on Huntington Road in Stratford.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Bunnell.
Tickets are $3 for students and senior citizens and $5 for adults when purchased in advance.
All tickets are $5 for students and senior citizens and $7 for adults at the gate. No passes will be accepted.
For additional information, contact Bunnell athletic director Dave Johnson at (203) 385-4260 or Stratford athletic director Robert Baird at (203) 385-4240.
Foran-Law Tickets
Tickets for the Foran-Law Thanksgiving day football game went on sale at both schools on Tuesday. Tickets purchased before Thanksgiving are $5 and all tickets purchased on Thanksgiving Day will be $7.

Fairfield Prep blitzes Shelton 

By Mary Albl, Register Staff
malbl@journalregister.com / Twitter: @MaryAlbl

Shelton's Mark Piccirillo looks for room through the Fairfield Prep's defense during the first quarter of Prep's 42-3 win. Photo Peter Casolino/New Haven Register.

FAIRFIELD — All season long Fairfield Prep football head coach Tom Shea has preached the message of beating an elite opponent. Last Saturday, the Jesuits hopes of doing that were crushed in a 35-14 loss to top-ranked Xavier.

Friday night at Alumni Field, Prep answered the call with a dominant 42-3 Southern Connecticut Conference victory over Shelton to move to 3-1.

“Listen, they’re (Shelton) an outstanding program with a great tradition,” Shea said. “You cannot be a good team unless you’re able to play with, compete with and beat a team like that. For us, we hope it’s a step forward.”

Masuk runs wild over Bunnell

STRATFORD — At tradition-rich programs like Masuk, where there’s usually an abundance of talent, most players must wait their turn until they’re seniors to play full-time.

 Andy Fredeen is one of those players. Fredeen played sparingly last season when the Panthers advanced to the Class L state semifinals.

Fredeen returned the game’s opening kickoff 65 yards for a touchdown against rival Bunnell, helping the Panthers cruise to a 63-14 South-West Conference victory Friday.

“He’s a senior who’s been waiting for his time,” Masuk coach John Murphy said. “He stepped up tonight when we needed him. (Had a) big one on the opening kickoff to get us going. I thought Andy had a great game.”

PHOTOS: Masuk runs past Bunnell

ROUNDUP: Hillhouse shuts out Law

Andre Anderson ran for 135 yards, scored three touchdowns, had an interception and eight tackles and JeVaughn Moore ran for 85 yards one seven carries and a touchdown as the Hillhouse football team routed Law 47-0 in New Haven on Friday afternoon in a Southern Connecticut Conference Division II game.

Cheshire 48, Notre Dame-West Haven 13: Vin Sansone threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more amassing 175 total yards and Sam Pascale had two rushing touchdowns as Cheshire won the SCC Division I East game.

Jack Cunningham had five tackles, two interceptions, a blocked PAT and on offense, six rushes for 69 yards for Cheshire (3-1) in the win over Notre Dame-West Haven (1-3).

No. 3 Hand 49, Wilbur Cross 14: Seven different players scored for Hand in a SCC Division I East game at New Haven.


Hillhouse's Andre Anderson and North Haven's Jalon White have been nominated for FRIDAY'S STAR. VOTE!

Senior Frank Bacarella rushed 14 times for 132 yards and four touchdowns for visiting Masuk in this South-West Conference victory Friday at Stratford.

Thomas Milone rushed 11 times for 79 yards and caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from Malik Cummings for the Panthers (4-0), who are ranked No. 7 in the Register Top 10 Poll.

Andy Fredeen returned the game's opening kickoff 65-yards for a touchdown for Masuk. Fredeen also caught two passes for 11 yards and made two interceptions.

Nolan Aurelia scored on an 8-yard run and Bryan Castelot tossed a 73-yard touchdown pass to Justin Townsend for Bunnell (1-3).

All you need to know about high school football in this state this year is right here.

Below are links from the Register's 2012 preview.


Xavier lands at No. 1 in Preseason Top 10 Poll

Ervin Philips, Harold Cooper and Arkeel Newsome ready to run all over area defenses

Nutmeg Nuggets: Top 30 Players to Watch 

Sean Merrill, Sheehan thinking big this season

Haddam-Killingworth quarterback Alex DiMauro-D'Amico will miss senior season

Whitney Tech set to embark on first varsity season

Bob Barton: Many high school nicknames need a name change,  Everything you needed to know about nicknames

Hand's Pete Gerson, Matt Walsh lead tenacious Tigers 'D'


North Branford favored to win Pequot Conference

Xavier takes aim at a hat trick

Staples chases another championship season

Fairfield Prep focused on taking another step forward

Bryan Castelot, Bunnell hope to have foes on the run

Condors developing O'Brien Tech pride in program's second year

CAP THIS

CCC Capsules

ECC Capsules

FCIAC Capsules

NVL Capsules

Pequot Capsules

Preps Capsules

SCC Capsules

SWC Capsules

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Bryan Castelot, Bunnell hope to have foes on the run

By Henry Chisholm, Register Staff
hchisholm@nhregister.com / Twitter: @NHRHenryC

Bunnell High School quarterback Bryan Castelot, left, and football coach Craig Bruno at a recent practice. Peter Hvizdak / Register

STRATFORD — Prior to the 2009 regular-season finale against rival Stratford High, Bunnell coach Craig Bruno said he asked then freshman quarterback Bryan Castelot if he was ready to go.

“He didn’t say anything,’ Bruno said. “He just smiled at me.”

Castelot went out and threw his first two passes for touchdowns in that game.

Now a senior, the hefty quarterback has been ready to go since day one.

Well, really since day seven.

“It took me about a week (to learn the playbook),” Castelot said about his freshman year.

And it didn’t take Castelot long to master the Bulldogs’ fast break, run-and-gun, no-huddle offense, either.


 

Via press release.

NEW HAVEN, CT (August 31, 2012) –MyTV9’s High School Football Game of the Week, returns on Saturday nights this fall. The fifth season of MyTV9’s High School Football Game of the Week will feature some of the best of this year’s football match-ups from 10 different locations around the state. 

If you can’t make it to the football field, you still have two chances to watch your favorite teams in action. The High School Football Game of the Week will be streamed live each week on wtnh.com. It will then be broadcast on Saturday night, at 7pm on MyTV9. Keep up with the latest news about the High School Football Game of the Week on wtnh.com.

Date/Time                                          Teams                                                     TV Date/Time
Sept. 14, 7 p.m.                              Hamden at West Haven                               Sept. 15, 7 p.m.
Sept. 21, 7 p.m.                              Foran at Shelton                                          Sept. 22, 7 p.m.
Sept. 28, 7 p.m.                              Derby at Ansonia                                        Sept. 29, 7 p.m.
Oct. 5, 7 p.m.                                 Masuk at Bunnell                                         Oct. 6, 7 p.m.
Oct. 12, 7 p.m.                               Hillhouse at North Haven                             Oct. 13, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19, 7 p.m.                               West Haven at Hand                                    Oct. 20, 7 p.m.
Oct. 26, 6 p.m.                               Branford at Guilford                                     Oct. 27, 7 p.m.
Nov. 2, 7 p.m.                                 Fitch at New London                                   Nov. 3, 7 p.m.
Nov. 9, 7 p.m.                                 Wilbur Cross at Amity                                 Nov. 10, 7 p.m.
Nov. 21, 6 p.m.                               Berlin at New Britain                                    Nov. 24, 7 p.m.

Fairfield County erased a 13-point second half deficit and scored 23 unanswered points to defeat New Haven County in the 16th Hall of Fame Classic before 1,849 fans Saturday at West Haven's Ken Strong Stadium.

HIGHLIGHTS

FAIRFIELD COUNTY

Bunnell's J.J. Bivona returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the third quarter.
Bunnell's Jawad Chisholm caught eight passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

NEW HAVEN COUNTY

Cheshire's Kyle Pulek kicked field goals of 27 and 42 yards.
Sheehan's Brodie Corless caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Amity's Tyler Vallie.

MVPs

Fairfield County

Offensive: Chisholm
Defensive: Bivona

New Haven County

Offensive: Pulek
Defensive: Ansonia's Jake LaRovera (blocked punt)

Windsor's Aaron Berardino caught two touchdown passes from Xavier's Pat D'Amato as Connecticut escaped with a 14-8 victory over Rhode Island in the 14th Governors' Cup game before an estimated 3,000 Saturday at Rentschler Field.

Berardino (five catches, 87 yards) caught TD passes of 34 and 13 yards from D'Amato and was named CT's offensive MVP.

New London's Jevan Elmore made three interceptions and was named CT's defensive MVP. Bunnell's Jawad Chisholm also had an INT.

Connecticut has won 10 straight meetings and leads the series 11-3.

Junior quarterback Bryan Castelot completed 7-of-11 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns to lead the host Bulldogs to this SWC victory in a game where both teams entered unbeaten.

Senior Jawad Chisholm caught four passes for 177 yards, including TD catches of 80 and 82 yards, for Bunnell (5-0).

J.J. Bivona had a 2-yard TD run and Jared Vasquez caught an 8-yard TD pass for the Bulldogs.

Andrew Reel caught two touchdown passes for the Panthers (4-1).

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

For the first time since 2007, the Fairfield Prep football team has won three of its first four games.

The Jesuits’ reward? A date with No. 1 Xavier on Friday in Fairfield.

Still, Fairfield Prep’s quick start is a refreshing change from several lean seasons recently.

“We haven’t been (in this position) in a while,” Jesuits coach Tom Shea said. “It’s new to the kids. It’s exciting, but now we got a real tough test coming up (against Xavier).”

In Shea’s first season last year, Fairfield Prep went 3-7.

The year before, the Jesuits didn’t win a game and were 3-7 in 2008.

In 2007, Fairfield Prep won three of its first four contests, finished 8-2, but failed to qualify for the state playoffs.

The last time the Jesuits advanced to the postseason was in 2006 when Fairfield Prep won its first three games. It lost to Greenwich in the state semifinals.

Read the rest of the football notebook here.

WEEK 4 HIGHLIGHTS

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦ Ansonia So. RB Arkeel Newsome: Rushed for 387 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-13 victory over previously unbeaten Holy Cross. Ansonia is 4-0.

♦ Bethel Sr. QB Brandon Schmidt: Had 346 yards of total offense, including a pair of rushing touchdowns, in a 54-41 win over Oxford.

♦ Foran Sr. RB Andrew Sileo: Had 16 carries for 218 yards and three TDs in a 41-20 win over East Haven.

♦ Hillhouse So. RB Harold Cooper: Finished with 322 rushing yards and four touchdowns and added a 59-yard TD reception to help the Academics beat Lyman Hall 46-7.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦ Cheney Tech Sr. DE Mike Majewski: Had 10 tackles, three assists and an interception in a 22-6 win over Platt Tech.

♦ Hand Sr. LB Edward O’Neill: Had an interception and forced a fumble in a 31-14 win over Cheshire.

♦ Notre Dame-West Haven Sr. DB Malik Tinney: Made two interceptions in a 28-15 victory over previously unbeaten West Haven.

♦ Windsor Jr. DE Cole Ormsby: Made five sacks in a 46-0 win over Hartford Public. The total is tied for second in state history for sacks in a game.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦ Naugatuck So. KR Nate Franklin: Returned a kickoff 72 yards for a touchdown in a 34-29 win over Sacred Heart.

♦ Sheehan So. KR Jeremy Gannon: Returned a kickoff 83 yards in a 41-7 loss to North Haven.

♦ Wilby Sr. KR JayLen Mahan: Returned the game’s opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown in a 38-28 victory over Derby. Mahan also ran for two touchdowns, made three two-point conversions and returned an interception 65 yards for another score.

♦ Windsor Sr. PR Aaron Berardino: Returned a punt 79 yards in a 46-0 victory over Hartford Public. He also made seven catches for 126 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a another score.

TEAMS OF THE WEEK

♦ Foran: The Lions defeated East Haven 41-20 to win their first game of the season.

♦ Harding: Torri Voss scored the game’s only touchdown on a 1-yard run in the third quarter as the Presidents won 6-0 to capture their first victory of the season and second in a row over Fairfield Ludlowe.

♦ Notre Dame-West Haven: Knocked off rival, and previously unbeaten, West Haven 28-15.

♦ Stratford: Defeated South-West Conference foe Notre Dame-Fairfield 41-38 for their first win.

ON THE AIR/WEB

♦ Guilford at Shelton, Friday, 7 p.m.: 960-WELI AM.

GET OUT AND GO

♦ Pomperaug (4-0) at No. 10 Bunnell (4-0): Both teams won hard-fought contests in Week 4. Bunnell rallied from a 7-0 halftime deficit by scoring 22 points in the third quarter to remain unbeaten after a 28-7 victory. In another defensive affair, Pomperaug returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a 16-9 win over previously unbeaten Newtown. Both Bunnell and Pomperaug are explosive offensively but were mostly contained last week. Will defense be key again, or will it be a high-scoring South-West Conference affair?

Check out the latest Top 10 Poll here.

Should St. Joseph (Class S) and Trumbull (Class LL) both win championships this weekend, it'll
mark just the second time since the inception of the CIAC playoffs in 1976 that two schools from the same town have won titles in the same year.

Wallingford schools Lyman Hall and Sheehan accomplished that feat in 1985. In 1981, St Joseph won in Class S-I, but Trumbull was defeated in Class L-I.

Stratford (Bunnell and Stratford High) had two teams make the final in 2006 but only Bunnell emerged victorious, which was the last time two schools from the same city reached the final.

"The (Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference) is one of the best leagues," St. Joseph running back Tyler Matakevich said. "Both of us are both very talented football teams. It really does say a lot, not only about the league, but about (the city of) Trumbull."

Trumbull rallied for a 38-27 victory over St. Joseph on Thanksgiving Eve.

St. Joseph (9-3) plays Ansonia (11-1) for the Class S title on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Trumbull (11-2) squares off against Xavier (12-0) in the Class LL title game on Friday at 7 p.m.

Bunnell 55, Barlow 19: Quarterback Bryan Castelot threw three touchdown passes and Kevin Hernandez added a 59-yard touchdown run to lead Bunnell to its SWC interdivision win at Stratford.
Castelot completed 11-of-15 passes for 225 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Camille, 11-yard touchdown pass to Josh Diaz and 17-yard touchdown pass to Jibril Chisholm.

Woodland 21, Kennedy 6: Jack DeBiase ran for 153 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and also intercepted two passes for Woodland in its NVL victory.

Shelton 38, Sheehan 11: Shaq Holman scored a pair of touchdowns, including a 99-yard kickoff return, and Jonathan Groth threw for a pair of scores to lead the victory in Shelton.

Amity 44, East Haven 6: Kyle Kalanta rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns as Amity gained 447 yards of total offense in the rout at Amity.

Notre Dame of West Haven 52, Branford 20: Ahmir Vess rushed for 206 yards and two touchdowns as Notre Dame crushed Branford.

North Haven 13, Hamden 2: Joe Schwab rushed 25 times for 151 yards for the visiting Indians in this SCC interdivision contest at Hamden.

Valley Regional/Old Lyme 40, Lewis Mills 0: Quarterback Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn had touchdown runs of 74, 13 and 43 yards and added a touchdown pass to lead the Warriors to their Pequot Sassacus win in Deep River.

Haddam-Killingworth 36, Old Saybrook 3: At Haddam, Dan Milardo ran for 113 yards on seven carries, including a 73-yard touchdown, to lead H-K to its victory.

Sacred Heart 38, Derby 19: Ray Kreiger passed for two touchdowns and ran for another in Derby’s NVL home loss.

Chris Turner ran for a 65-yard touchdown and Harold Cooper scored on a 17-yard run as the Hillhouse football team defeated North Haven 12-0 Friday night in Southern Connecticut Conference interdivision play at North Haven.

The first half was played Thursday before lightning and heavy rain postponed the second half to Friday.

Ansonia 41, Woodland 36: Elliot Chudwick threw for three touchdowns and Montrell Dobbs rushed for three touchdowns as the Chargers edged the Hawks in Naugatuck Valley League play at Beacon Falls.

Dobbs rushed for 213 yards on 35 carries. Chudwick threw for 138 yards for Ansonia (1-0). Jack DeBiase threw for 146 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns for Woodland (0-1).

Cheshire 27, Hamden 0: Quarterback Max Slade rushed for two touchdowns and added a touchdown pass to lead the visiting Rams, ranked seventh in the Register Top 10 poll, to their SCC Division I win at Hamden.

Bunnell 54, Bethel 27: Quarterback Brian Castelot completed 22 for 32 passes for 408 yards and four touchdowns to lead host Bunnell to its South-West Conference win at Stratford.

Sheehan 37, Law 30: Sheehan quarterback Bill Gannon rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown and threw for two more scores to help Sheehan hold off Law in a SCC Division II interdivision game at Wallingford.

Oxford 41, Barlow 26: Nick Donofrio scored five touchdowns to lead the Wolverines to their SWC Patriot win in Redding.

Lyman Hall 39, Platt Tech 0: Zac Falconeri rushed for 74 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries for Lyman Hall in a non-conference win at Wallingford.

Below is our list of the Top 10 must-see scrimmages.
Times and dates are as listed on the CIAC website, and are subject to change.

1. Ansonia at Shelton, Sept. 11, 7 p.m.
This has the intensity of a regular season game, and it’s treated as such.
There may not be a bigger hotbed for high school football in the state than the Valley, so players, coaches and fans highly anticipate this preseason meeting. It’s the perfect way to kickoff the year.

As usual, both teams should field competitive teams. Ansonia, which is a member of the Naugatuck Valley League, lost a bunch to graduation, and junior running back Montrell Dobbs will be called upon to carry most of the offensive load.

Shelton, out of the Southern Connecticut Conference, returns quarterback Ray Pendegast, who saw spot duty last season, running back Joel Youd and Paul Piccirillo, who can play four positions.

2. Bunnell at Staples, Sept. 2, 4 p.m.
Two of the state’s best coaches, Bunnell’s Craig Bruno and Staples’ Marce Petroccio, square off here.

Bunnell, out of the South-West Conference, lost All-State quarterback Chris Sloat to graduation, in addition to several other talented starters from last season, when the Bulldogs went 9-2 but failed to qualify for a third straight playoff berth. It may be a rebuilding year for Bunnell.

Staples, from the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, also failed to make the postseason. Bunnell defeated Staples for the Class L title in 2006, and again in the Class L semifinals in 2007.

The Wreckers, however, should improve on last season’s 6-5 mark, as the team had a large junior class.

3. Hyde at Hamden, Sept. 11. 6 p.m.
Hyde has only a short ride up Dixwell Ave. for this contest with the Green Dragons, out of the SCC.

The Howling Wolves, from the Pequot Conference, return senior quarterback Kendell Groom and wide receiver/linebacker DeShawn Murphy. Hyde went 9-3, and advanced to the Class S semifinals a year ago.

Hamden also advanced to the state semifinals, before losing to Cheshire in Class LL. The Green Dragons might return the most talent of any team in the state, including quarterback Jason Lassiter and two-way lineman Jo-Von Ladson.

4. Masuk at Darien, Sept. 11, 4:30 p.m.
The biggest off-season transaction was Casey Cochran transferring to Masuk.

Cochran, a sophomore quarterback, led New London to the Class SS state title last season after taking over the starting duties for the injured Jordan Reed at mid-season. Cochran is the son of former New London coach Jack Cochran, who was fired in the spring.

The Panthers are usually contenders in the South-West Conference, but with Casey Cochran’s arrival, Masuk may just repeat as Class L champions.

Darien went to the Class MM final before losing to fellow FCIAC member New Canaan. The Blue Wave suffered heavy graduation losses, but veteran coach Rob Trifone should have Darien in the mix again.

5. Ansonia at West Haven, Sept. 4, 6:30 p.m.
As mentioned above, Ansonia lost most of its skill players to graduation, but the Chargers should contend for the NVL title and a Class S playoff berth.

As with the Shelton scrimmage, this annual preseason tilt is usually just as exciting and competitive as a regular season game.

Fiery West Haven coach Ed McCarthy is an entertaining sideshow. The Westies have some talent returning, and should improve on last season’s 6-4 record.

6. Ridgefield at Ledyard, Sept. 12, 3 p.m.
This is a battle between two of the state’s most consistent programs.

Ledyard went 10-3 and advanced to the Class M state final in coach Jim Buonocore’s first season with the team. The Colonels lost quarterback J.J. Jablonski to graduation, but Ledyard should rebuild nicely.

Ridgefield, an FCIAC member, went 8-3 and just missed a playoff berth in 2008. The Tigers lost plenty of skill players, but coach Kevin Callahan and his staff have put together consistently good seasons recently despite a usually brutal schedule.

7. Cheshire at Windsor, Sept. 11, 7 p.m.
Cheshire must adjust to life without quarterback/defensive back Billy Ragone, the 2008 Register All-Area MVP.

But the Rams do return running back Dan Sweeney and wide receivers Brian Havlicek and Brian Debisschop, who should keep Cheshire’s spread offense chugging along.

The Rob Fleeting era begins at Windsor. Fleeting previously led Weaver to five playoff appearances in 10 seasons. The 1999 edition won the Class M state title.

Quarterback Pierre Narcisse, who threw for over 1,500 yards last year, returns for his senior season for the Warriors.

8. Stamford at Holy Cross, Sept. 5, 10 a.m.
The main reason to attend this scrimmage is to see Stamford linebacker Khairi Fortt in action. The 6-foot-3, 220 pound Fortt is the state’s top recruit on the website Rivals.com, and ranks No. 26 nationwide.

Among the interested schools are Georgia, Penn. State, North Carolina, Tennessee, Michigan and USC.

Stamford, from the FCIAC, is looking to be better than last’s season 6-5 record.

Holy Cross, from the NVL, went 5-6 last year, but first-year coach Mike Giampetruzzi thinks the Crusaders could be one of the top five teams in the league. Senior running back Pat Cronin will lead the offense.

9. Seymour at Branford, Sept. 11, tba
Both teams have new coaches.

Mike Tracy takes over for Gary Gravina at Branford. Gravina led the Hornets to the 2005 Class MM title.

Branford went 7-4 last season, and returns a solid nucleus this year. Senior quarterback Andrew Luzzi is a threat to both run and pass the ball. He threw for 17 touchdowns and ran for 10 last season.

Tom Lennon inherits the Seymour reigns from legendary coach Paul Sponheimer, who retired with four state titles and over 200 victories.

Lennon was left in good hands. Quarterback Connor Shugrue, running back Taylor Searles and two-way lineman Jacob Drozd, who may be the best returning player in the NVL, return. The Wildcats are a legitimate contender for the NVL and Class SS titles.

10. Cromwell at Berlin, Sept. 11, 4 p.m.
Berlin moves from the Nutmeg League to the powerful Central Connecticut Conference. The Red Coats have qualified for the state playoffs in five of the last six years. They lost to Ledyard in the 2007 Class M final.

Berlin returns a solid nucleus from a young team that went 6-4 last year. However, a tough schedule that includes games with Weaver, Bristol Eastern and New Britain, will be challenging.

Cromwell is coming off a 12-1 record, which included winning the Class S state title, the school’s first. The Panthers, however, were a senior-laden team, but still look for Cromwell to compete in the Pequot Conference.


Which scrimmage are you looking forward too? Leave a comment below.

This week's installment of the Top 10 football topics is all about rivalries. Some are the greatest in state history, others made the list because of longevity, and some appear because of recent memorable moments in the series.

Tell us what is your favorite.

1. New London vs. Norwich Free Academy
The annual Thanksgiving Day game between the two schools is the oldest high school football rivalry in the COUNTRY. The teams will meet for the 148th time on Nov. 26 at 10 a.m. in Norwich.

The longevity of this series makes it the state’s best rivalry. At times, however, football from the Eastern part of the state doesn’t get as much recognition as teams from the south-western sections do.

But this one, between a program (New London) that has a long history of success on the gridiron, and one (NFA) that has been one of the state’s most consistent teams in recent years, is reminiscent of rivalries down in the Valley, in Southern Connecticut and in Central Connecticut.

Both programs are passionate about the sport, and the fans are as crazed as any in the state.
New London has won four of the last seven meetings, including a 21-7 victory last season before the Whalers went on to win the Class SS state title for the program’s fifth championship.

2. Greenwich vs. Staples
While there are several other big games down in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference — New Canaan vs. Staples, New Canaan vs. Greenwich, St. Joseph vs. Trumbull, Darien vs. New Canaan — this one, in recent years, usually has major implications on the state playoff ratings.

Since 2005, this contest has been played on Thanksgiving, and it’s one of the most highly anticipated games of the year. In 2007, Greenwich defeated the Wreckers, 37-0, and also captured the FCIAC title in the process. Both teams earned playoff berths that year.
The winning team in the last four games in this series has won by shutout (Staples in 2005 and 2006, and Greenwich in 2007 and 2008).

This year’s meeting is set for Nov. 26 at 10 a.m. in Westport. It’s been the MSG game of the week the past several seasons.

3. Ansonia vs. Seymour
The Valley has produced several notable rivalries. Ansonia vs. Naugatuck, Ansonia vs. Derby and Shelton vs. Derby immediately come to mind.

But in recent years, Ansonia vs. Seymour might be the most intense, and important, one in this football-rich section of the state.

Ansonia is a founding member of the Naugatuck Valley League, while Seymour joined the NVL in 1994. The teams sometimes played a non-league contest against each other in years when the schedule allowed for an 11th game.

In 2007, the teams were put in the Brass Division of the NVL, with the division winner, which has been Ansonia the past two years, moving on to the NVL championship. This has only heightened the rivalry, although since 1994, Ansonia holds a 12-3 series lead against its neighbors.

This year’s contest is set for Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. in Seymour.

To read last season's game story click here.

4. New Britain vs. Southington
This rivalry has become so big, in fact, that last year’s game was played at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, home to the University of Connecticut.

The game will be contested at that site again this year on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.

Last year, New Britain snapped a three-game losing streak to the Blue Knights with a 3-0 victory.

It is, arguably, the central part of the state’s wildest rivalry. Despite last year’s result, both teams are have a penchant for putting points on the board. The teams combined to score 35 or more points every year from 2003-2007.

5. Bunnell vs. Masuk
It’s what Masuk wasn’t able to do, until last year, that made this rivalry the best in the South-West Conference.

When Masuk defeated the Bulldogs, 42-20, last season, it snapped the Panthers’ five-game losing skid to Bunnell. Masuk had lost six of the last seven to their rivals, including in the 2006 and 2007 SWC championship, and in the 2007 Class L state final.

Masuk’s victory last season snapped Bunnell’s 21-game winning streak dating back to 2006.
This year’s contest is scheduled for Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. in Monroe.

Last season's game story can be found here.

6. Hand vs. West Haven
Two of the Southern Connecticut Conference most prominent programs have played several memorable games recently.

Last year, Hand won 38-20, in the series most lopsided game in four seasons.

In 2007, West Haven scored with 22 seconds remaining to take a 40-34 lead. However, Hand, on just two plays, scored with time winding down. A successful extra point kick by Joe Robichaud gave the Tigers a 41-40 victory and kept Hand’s perfect season in tact.

West Haven emerged with a 14-11 victory in 2006, and a 21-19 decision in 2005.

The teams have split the last six contests. This year’s game is set for Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. in West Haven.

7. Fairfield Prep vs. Shelton
Another one from the SCC that’s just as intense, and rowdy.

Although Shelton has won four of the last five meetings, the last four in this series have been highly competitive.

The rivalry was intensified in 2007 when Prep player Ryan Nolan was quoted as saying that "Shelton should be afraid of us." Shelton came back to win that contest 26-21. Prep emerged with a 14-9 win in 2006.

This year’s game is Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. at Finn Stadium in Shelton.

8. Hillhouse vs. Wilbur Cross
These two New Haven schools first played in 1920. The series then began on Thanksgiving morning in 1984, and was called the Elm City Bowl.

Despite Hillhouse holding a 51-30-6 overall series lead, there have been several close games recently.

Last season, Hillhouse emerged with a 26-20 victory to cap an unbeaten regular season. The Academics trailed 20-12 at halftime, but Brandyn Wright’s 4-yard touchdown run in overtime lifted Hillhouse to victory.

Hillhouse has won the last four in the series, which includes a 7-0 victory in 2007, a 6-0 win in 2006 and a 21-12 victory in 2005. Cross last won in 2004, a 23-21 win.

Last year’s game was the first Elm City Bowl to be played at Wilbur Cross. The game returns to Bowen Field this year on Nov. 26 at 10:30 a.m.

To read last season's game story on the Elm City Bowl, click here.

9. Cromwell vs. Hyde
This rivalry is just eight games old, but it is, arguably, the biggest one in the Pequot Conference.
Cromwell earned two victories over the Howling Wolves last season — a 17-14 win in the regular season, and a 34-9 victory in the Class S state semifinals.

Cromwell leads the series 5-3. Hyde defeated the Panthers in the 2004 Class S championship.

If the first eight games are any indication, this rivalry has the potential to be one of the biggest in the state in the years to come.

The Class S semifinal game story could be found here.
The regular season game story is here.

10. Hartford Public vs. Weaver
This rivalry spans 85 games. Hartford Public leads the series over its fellow city school 43-38-4.

Basketball is usually the sport of choice in Hartford, but city schools have enjoyed success on the gridiron over the last 15 years. Hartford Public won the Class LL title in 1994 after a victory over Southington.

Weaver won the Class L title in 1996, and captured Class M crowns in 1997 and 1999. Weaver has advanced to the postseason in five of the last 10 seasons.

Over the next 10 weeks, I will present a Top 10 list for a variety of topics pertaining to high school football, leading up to the preseason Top 10 poll Sept. 16.

The kickoff starts this week with the Top 10 Games to Watch.

It’s never too early to start talking high school football, and we want to hear from you. So feel free to send us games you're looking forward to watching, or any questions you have regarding high school football and I will do my best to answer.

Check back every Tuesday for the latest Top 10 topics.

1. Hamden at Hand, Sept. 17., 7 p.m.
Hamden, which went 9-3 and advanced to the state playoffs for the first time since 1998 last season, could potentially enter this season as the No. 1 team in the Register preseason poll.

Quarterback Jason Lassiter, wide receivers Geoff Kiarie and Tevin Moye, and defensive lineman Jo-Von Ladson return, so the Green Dragons will be dangerous in several key positions. However, earning a victory at the Surf Club is never an easy task.

Hand should improve on last season’s 7-4 record, and the Tigers should find themselves again in the hunt for a Class MM playoff berth. Senior Nick Merullo will be one of the state’s best quarterbacks.

2. Ansonia vs. Hillhouse, Sept. 18, 6 p.m. at Southern Connecticut’s Jess Dow Field
The game that everyone wanted to see — last season. Last year, both teams qualified for the state playoffs, and a meeting in 2008 could’ve been a classic.

But, finally, the Naugatuck Valley League decided to allow out-of-conference games this year. Smart move. Although Ansonia and Hillhouse, who are second and third, respectively, in career victories in the state, both suffered heavy graduation losses, this one should be competitive, and played in front of a playoff-like atmosphere.

3. Greenwich at Stamford, Sept. 25, 6 p.m.
It’s expected that Stamford will be better than its 6-5 record from a year ago. The Black Knights have perhaps the state’s best returning player in outside linebacker Khairi Fortt, a 6-foot-3, 225 pound senior who’s being recruited by Boston College, Notre Dame and Penn. St., among others. Senior Jalen Holmes will likely takeover the quarterback duties this season, and Holmes is already being touted as a top prospect.

However, if Stamford anticipates to move into the upper echelon of the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, it will need to defeat teams such as Greenwich, which is traditionally one of the league’s most dominant programs.

4. New Britain at Southington, Oct. 9, 7 p.m.
This contest could determine the Central Connecticut Conference Division I title. The CCC still consists of four divisions, mainly based on school size after the addition of several teams from the now-defunct Nutmeg League.

Although Southington lost some talent to graduation, the Blue Knights have been one of the state’s most consistent teams the past several seasons. New Britain has strength in the receiving corps with the return of seniors Tebucky Jones and Tarik Hightower.

5. Wilbur Cross at Ridgefield, Oct. 9. 7 p.m.
An intriguing non-conference match up. Ridgefield went 8-3 last season, and just missed a playoff berth. The Tigers are traditionally strong in the FCIAC, and this year should be no exception.

Wilbur Cross, out of the Southern Connecticut Conference, has several skill players returning, including quarterback Dontay Long, running back James Ward and receiver Maurice Morrison.

6. New Canaan at Seymour, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.
Another interesting non-conference tilt between teams that have combined to win 11 CIAC state titles. New Canaan, from the FCIAC, finished last season ranked No. 1 in the final Register Poll.

The Rams lost a bunch to graduation, but should still be one of the top teams in the league. Seymour begins life without veteran coach Paul Sponheimer, who retired. Tom Lennon takes over the reigns for the Wildcats, who should contend in the NVL.

7. Xavier at Hamden, Oct. 23, 7 p.m.
Xavier handed Hamden its first loss, 21-14, on Oct. 24 last season. The Falcons return running back/defensive back Julian Hayes, who was a Register All-Area selection as a junior, and quarterback Alex Pace.

This one, a SCC Division I West contest, should be one of the league’s more competitive games this season.

8. Ansonia at Derby/O’Brien Tech, Oct. 30, 7 p.m.
This rivalry, which was once one of the state’s best, especially during the 1970s and 1980s, resumes after a five-year absence. Ansonia won the last meeting, 48-0, in 2003. Derby begins play in the NVL, after moving over from the SCC.

The Red Raiders will struggle with numbers again, and it still remains to be seen if Derby will fare any better in a new league. Ansonia, depsite graduation losses, will still be one of the league’s best.

9. Bunnell at Masuk, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.
Masuk is the defending Class L champion. Bunnell was the 2006 and 2007 champion. Both belong to the South-West Conference.

Despite graduation not being too kind to either, this game has been one of the most anticipated in the state the last several seasons. If you like offense, do not miss this one.

10. North Branford at Hyde, Nov. 26, 10:30 a.m.
Although this rivalry hasn’t existed as long as others in the state, this game is usually highly competitive, and often decides the Pequot Conference champion. Usually played on Wednesday night, this game will be contested on Thanksgiving morning this year.

For a complete schedule of this year's games click here.