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

With renovations still not complete at the Surf Club in Madison, Hand, the defending Class L champion, will now travel to New Canaan for its season opener on Sept. 11. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

The game was originally scheduled for Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. at the Surf Club. The home-away series between Hand and New Canaan as part of the SCC-FCIAC challenge will continue next season, but with the game at the Surf Club in 2014.

"The field (Surf Club) is not ready," Hand athletic director Craig Semple said. "We thought it would be a well-attended game, so we wanted to have the best situation for the safety and security of the players and fans."

After visiting New Canaan, the Tigers visit Hillhouse on Sept. 20. Semple said the Surf Club will be ready for Hand's home opener against Wilbur Cross on Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. 

Semple added that bleachers on the home side still need to be installed, which will "take a week to assemble". The new bleachers will accommodate 2,000 fans. 

Other renovations at the Surf Club include an artificial turf playing surface. 

 

Updated SCC-FCIAC Challenge Schedule

Wednesday, Sept. 11

Law at Harding – 6 p.m.

Staples at Xavier – 6:30 p.m.

Hand at New Canaan – 6:30 p.m.

Warde at Foran – 7 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 12

Hillhouse at Darien – 4 p.m.

Bassick at East Haven – 6 p.m.

Cheshire at Ridgefield – 6 p.m.

Ludlowe at Lyman Hall – 6 p.m.

North Haven at Bridgeport Central – 6 p.m.

West Haven at Greenwich – 6 p.m.

Danbury at Hamden – 7 p.m.

Fairfield Prep at Stamford – 7 p.m.

Trumbull at Shelton – 7 p.m.

Wilbur Cross at McMahon – 7 p.m.

Wilton at Guilford – 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 13

Trinity Catholic at Sheehan – 6 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 14

Notre Dame at St. Joseph – 1:30 p.m.

Guilford High School will host a six-team weight lifting competition featuring teams from the SCC. Guilford football coach Tom Unger billed it as "the Shoreline/SCC Meet".

The event will feature Guilford, Branford, Lyman Hall, Hand, North Haven and West Haven, and is expected to begin at 3 p.m. on Friday March 8.

This is the fifth year that Unger has run the competition at the school and he hopes to expand the event in the future.

Due to the small space in the Guilford weight room, viewing by the public may be limited, although there is no admission fee.

Below is a list of players who have decided on their college destination.




Andre Anderson Hillhouse Univ. of New Haven
Andrew Barton Ridgefield Bryant
Ben Berey Glastonbury Tufts
Brendan Bilcheck Hand Bowdoin
Tim Boyle Xavier UConn
Caleb Camacho New London Sacred Heart
Chris Devaney Newtown Bryant
Jonah Dorsey Xavier Stonehill
Quinn Fleeting Windsor Central Conn. State
James Frusciante Staples Princeton
Pete Gerson Hand Yale
Peter Gesualdi Darien Hobart
Chris Golger Fairfield Prep Tufts
Pieter Hoets Staples Trinity
Darryn Horner Hillhouse Stonehill
Andrew Isaacs Manchester Maryland
Cory Jasudowich Cheshire Academy UConn
Andrew Kalach Watertown Sacred Heart
Kevin Kearney Staples Bowdoin
Nick Kelly Staples Amherst College
Mike Lasala Wilton Washington & Lee
Marcus Little Manchester Boston College
Kris Luster Xavier Wesleyan
Andrew Matos Ansonia Rhode Island
Sean Merrill Sheehan Sacred Heart
Tom Milone Masuk UConn (baseball)
Colin Moore Avon Furman (lacrosse)
Je’Vaughn Moore Hillhouse Monmouth
Ryheime Moore Windsor AIC
Ryan Murtha Montville Sacred Heart
Tommy Myers Coventry/Windham Tech UConn
Liam O’Neil Greenwich Tufts
Darick Orange Windham Tech Central Conn. State
Cole Ormsby Windsor UConn
Lance Ormsby Windsor Central Conn. State
Brandon Robertson Montville Sacred Heart
Hector Rodriguez Berlin Dean
Patsy Romero Wilton Plymouth State
Connor Rowe Ridgefield Bryant
Max Schumann Xavier Univ. of Chicago
George Smith Holy Cross Bryant
Max Tylki Xavier Brown
Kyle Vaughn Staples Fordham
Matt Walsh Hand UConn
Hal Chapman Wingo Avon Georgetown

VIA PRESS RELEASE

Ansonia junior running back Arkeel Newsome was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year at the annual Breakfast of Champions on Saturday.

Newsome, who rushed for 2,245 yards and 38 touchdowns for the Class S state champion Chargers, won the award for the second straight season.  Other finalists included: Xavier senior quarterback Tim Boyle and Hand senior linebacker Matt Walsh.

The Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by NFP Sports, was presented to the family of the late Jack Hunt, former head coach at Ansonia High School who won seven state titles during his 19 seasons (193-26 record).

Hand, the Class L champion and state’s top-ranked team with a perfect 13-0 record, was honored along with the three other state champions – Xavier (Class LL, 12-1 overall record), Hillhouse (Class M, 11-2 overall record) and Ansonia (Class S, 14-0 overall record).

The state’s Coach of the Year award, presented by Stadium System, was shared by two coaches from the Southern Connecticut Conference whose teams won state titles in 2012 - Steve Filippone (Hand) and Tom Dyer (Hillhouse).  The other finalist was Tom Brockett (Ansonia). 

2012 WALTER CAMP ALL-CONNECTICUT TEAM

OFFENSE
QB: Tim Boyle (Xavier)
RB: Arkeel Newsome (Ansonia), Harold Cooper (Hillhouse)
WR: Andrew Matos (Ansonia), Kris Luster (Xavier)
TE: Andrew Isaacs (Manchester)
OL: Hector Rodriguez (Berlin), Jacob Basilica (Montville), Kyle Vaughn (Staples), Michael LaSala (Wilton), Max Schumann (Xavier)

DEFENSE
LB: Mike Jones (Capital Prep), Matt Walsh (Daniel Hand), Marquis Little (Manchester), Max Tylki (Xavier)
DB: Andre Anderson (Hillhouse), Joey Paparelli (Norwich Free Academy), Justin Potts (Platt), James Frusciante (Staples)
DL: Peter Gerson (Daniel Hand), Kyle Wilson (Ledyard), Tuzar Skipper (Norwich Free Academy), Cole Ormsby (Windsor)

SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker: Ed Groth (Shelton)
Punter:  Michael Nichol (Wolcott)
Returner:  Thomas Milone (Masuk) 

VIA PRESS RELEASE

New Haven, Conn. – As part of its 46th annual Weekend festivities, the Walter Camp Football Foundation will host a High School “Breakfast of Champions” on Saturday, January 12 at Anthony’s Ocean View in New Haven.  The sixth annual event will begin at 9 a.m. and be broadcast live at www.sportingnewsct.com.

 Hand, the Class L champion and state’s top-ranked team, will be honored along with the three other state champions – Xavier (Class LL), Hillhouse (Class M) and Ansonia (Class S).   In addition, the announcement of the 2012 Walter Camp All-Connecticut Team, presented by Achieve Athletics, will be made as will the presentations of four awards.

The state Coach of the Year award will be presented by Stadium System.  The three finalists include: Tom Brockett (Ansonia), Tom Dyer (Hillhouse), and Steve Filippone (Daniel Hand).

The three finalists for the state Player of the Year include:  Xavier senior quarterback Tim Boyle, Ansonia junior running back Arkeel Newsome and Daniel Hand senior linebacker/fullback Matt Walsh.

The Lifetime Achievement Award, which is presented by NFP Sports, will be presented to the family of the late Jack Hunt, the former head coach at Ansonia High School who won 88 percent of his games and seven state championships during his 19 seasons (193-26 record).

Walter Camp Award Winners

Joseph W. Kelly Award: Daniel Hand (Madison) High School
Connecticut Player of the Year: Bjoern Werner, defensive end (Florida State University/The Salisbury School)
Alumnus of the Year: Derrick Brooks (Florida State University)
Man of the Year: Herm Edwards (San Diego State)
Distinguished American:Tom Osborne (Hastings College/University of Nebraska)
Coach of the Year: Brian Kelly (University of Notre Dame)
Player of the Year: Manti Te’o, linebacker (University of Notre Dame)

EVENT SCHEDULE

Thursday, January 10

10 a.m. – STAY IN SCHOOL RALLY – Floyd Little Athletic Center – 480 Sherman Parkway

1 p.m. – CONNECTICUT CHILDREN’S CENTER VISIT – Hartford, CT

Friday, January 11

11 a.m. – MEDIA CONFERENCE/ALUMNI BRUNCH – Omni Hotel, Temple Street, New Haven, CT

1 p.m. – HOSPITAL VISITS – Easter Seals Goodwill Rehabilitation Center (New Haven), Feroletto Development Center  (Bridgeport), Gaylord (Wallingford), Veteran’s Administration (West Haven), and Yale-New Haven (New Haven)

4 – 7:30 p.m. – WALTER CAMP FAN FEST CLINIC & CARNIVAL
Floyd Little Athletic Center - 480 Sherman Parkway - Tickets: $10.00

Saturday, January 12

9 a.m. – High School “Breakfast of Champions” - Anthony’s Ocean View – New Haven

5 p.m. – 46th ANNUAL NATIONAL AWARDS DINNER***

Yale University Commons (New Haven) - DINNER is SOLD OUT.
The National Awards Dinner will be broadcast on ESPN3.

VIA PRESS RELEASE

Hand, the consensus No. 1 team in the state high school football season-ending polls, 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 third time that Hand has earned the Kelly Award (1997 and 2004). It is also the fourth consecutive year a team from the Southern Connecticut Conference has won the honor (Notre Dame of West Haven, 2009, Xavier, 2010 and 2011).

“Navigating through a competitive regular-season schedule in the SCC and then the state playoffs, Daniel Hand distinguished itself as the top high school team in the state of Connecticut,” said Walter Camp Football Foundation President John Marks. “We salute Coach Steve Filippone, his staff and players on another tremendous season.”
 
Hand (13-0) captured the SCC Division I East title on its way to a perfect 10-0 regular-season record. During the regular-season, the Tigers had victories over three state playoff opponents, including wins over eventual state champions (Xavier, Class LL) and Hillhouse (Class M). In the state playoffs, the Tigers combined a potent offense and stellar defense to capture their second straight Class L title. The Tigers outscored its three playoff opponents, 120-49.

In the quarterfinals, Hand defeated Platt, 55-26, and then defeated Masuk, 42-23, in the semifinals. In the Class L championship game on December 9 at Rentschler Field, the Tigers overcame a 6-3 halftime deficit to defeat Windsor, 23-6. Daniel Hand currently holds a 26-game winning streak.

It is the 10th time since the SCC was founded in 1994 that one of its league teams has captured the Kelly Award (Hand, 1997, 2004 and 2012; Xavier 2005, 2010 and 2011; Cheshire 1994 and 1995; West Haven 2002; and Notre Dame 2009).

Coach Filippone and the Hand team, along with members of the 2012 Walter Camp All-America team, will be honored at the organization’s national awards banquet on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven. In addition, the Foundation will recognize three individuals – former Nebraska coach and athletic director Tom Osborne, former NFL player/coach Herm Edwards and All-Pro Derrick Brooks – with major awards. The Foundation is offering a "Holiday Ticket Promotion" for the National Awards Dinner. Buy two tickets for $400 (you save $150) before December 31. Please call (203) 288-CAMP (288-2267).

Also on January 12, Hand along with the three other state football champions – Xavier (Class LL), Hillhouse (Class M) and Ansonia (Class S) – will be recognized at the Walter Camp Breakfast of Champions, which will be held at Anthony’s Ocean View. That morning, the Walter Camp All-Connecticut Team, High School Player and Coach of the Year will also be announced.

Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goal and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.


Walter Camp “Joseph W. Kelly Award”
Connecticut High School Champions

2012 – Daniel Hand (Madison)
2011 – Xavier (Middletown)
2010 – Xavier (Middletown)
2009 – Notre Dame (West Haven)
2008 – New Canaan
2007 – Ansonia
2006 – Ansonia
2005 – Xavier (Middletown)
2004 – Daniel Hand (Madison)
2003 – New Britain
2002 – West Haven
2001 – New Britain
2000 – Fitch (Groton)
1999 – Bloomfield
1998 – Bloomfield
1997 – Daniel Hand (Madison)
1996 – Weaver (Hartford)
1995 – Cheshire
1994 – Cheshire
1993 – Cheshire
1992 – Cheshire
1991 – Notre Dame (West Haven)
1990 – Derby
1989 – Ansonia
1988 – Stratford
1987 – East Catholic (Manchester)
1986 – Trumbull
1985 – Hillhouse (New Haven)
1984 – Middletown
1983 – Ansonia
1982 – St. Joseph’s (Trumbull)
1981 – Naugatuck
1980 – Trumbull
1979 – Newington
1978 – Amity (Woodbridge)
1977 – Trumbull
1976 – Fitch (Groton)

Class L champion Hand finished as the No. 1 team in the final Top 10 Poll.

Hand (13-0), which has won a school-best 26 straight games, is No. 1 for the third time (also in 1997 and 2004).

The Tigers took over in the top spot following a Week 5 victory over then No. 1 Xavier on Oct. 12. Hand emerged with a 40-20 win in that contest.

The Tigers defeated several of the state's top teams to maintain the top spot and finish the season unbeaten. Hand defeated West Haven and North Haven in successive weeks after Xavier, and then rolled past Platt, Masuk and Windsor to capture its second straight Class L title. The Tigers also defeated Class M champion Hillhouse earlier this season. Xavier went on to capture the Class LL title.

"I think there was a lot of pressure on us, as coaches, because we knew teams were going to play their best game against us and we knew one stumble is all it takes and you're done," Hand coach Steve Filippone said. "You might still go on to win a state championship; you might go on to be a Top 10 team, which is tremendous, but you're probably not going to go on and be the No. 1 team."

While the goal was to win another state championship, finishing at No. 1 is rewarding to the Hand players.

"It's pretty meaningful," Hand senior Pete Gerson said. "Our goal was a state championship; we did that. We knew with our schedule and all the teams that we played, if we went all the way, didn't fall down anywhere, won all our games - I'm not going to say guaranteed - but, most likely, we're going to come out on top. It means a lot for us and the team to have that ranking and go out as the top team in Connecticut. We couldn't be anymore happy with it."

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

Xavier (Class LL), Hand (Class L), Hillhouse (Class M) and Ansonia (Class S) are your 2012 state champions. Below are stories from this weekend's championship games.

FOOTBALL: Hillhouse runs away from Berlin for Class M title

A DAY IN THE LIFE: Hillhouse state champion Andre Anderson

 FOOTBALL: Hand whips Windsor to win back-to-back Class L titles

 FOOTBALL: Ansonia dominates North Branford to win Class S title

 

NOTEBOOK: Ansonia's defense stiffens when it mattered most

 

PHOTO GALLERY

PHOTOS: Check out the scenes from Rentschler Field as No. 1 Hand wins the Class L title.

PHOTOS: Check out some photos from Andre Anderson's day on Saturday.

PHOTOS: Check out the scenes from Rentschler Field as Hillhouse wins the Class M title.

PHOTOS: Check out the scenes from Ansonia's Class S state championship victory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIVISION I

OFFENSE

OL-Dennis Flanagan, Sr., Amity
OL-John Thomas, Sr., Hamden
OL-Zack Creeron, Sr., Xavier
OL-Greg Purcell, Sr., Amity
K-Ed Groth, Sr., Shelton
WR-Kris Luster, Sr., Xavier
WR-Chris Perry, Sr., ND-WH
WR-Kyle Drost, Jr., Shelton
WR-Kyle Anderson, Sr., Hand
RB-DeAngelo Berry, Sr., Xavier
RB-Ervin Philips, Jr., West Haven
RB-Cameran Tucker, Jr., ND-WH
RB-David Attolino, Sr., Amity
QB-Tim Boyle, Sr., Xavier
QB-Brendan Bilcheck, Sr., Hand

DEFENSE

DL-Alex Chow-Yen, Sr., Cross
DL-Peter Gerson, Sr., Hand
DL-Eddy Williams, Sr., West Haven
DL-Anthony Palazzolo, So., Fairfield Prep
LB-Nick Crowle, Jr., Fairfield Prep
LB-Matt Walsh, Sr., Hand
LB-Max Tylki, Sr., Xavier
LB-Kadialy Toure, Sr., West Haven
LB-Chris Golger, Sr., Fairfield Prep
DB-Alex Tuccero, Sr., Hand
DB-Jack Cunningham, So., Cheshire
DB-Sam Pascale, Sr., Cheshire
DB-Amore Gee, Sr., West Haven
DB-Vincent Sansone, Sr., Cheshire
P-Ysaan Frazier, Sr., Wilbur Cross

DIVISION II

OFFENSE

OL-Matt Marcarelli, Sr., North Haven
OL-Zach Hubler, Jr., Foran
OL-Nick Casagrande, Jr., Law
OL-George Knoth, Sr., Law
OL-Sean Merrill, Sr., Sheehan
OL-Colton Schilling, Sr., Guilford
WR-Nick Weissauer, Jr., Foran
WR-Ryan Bohne, Sr., Lyman Hall
RB-Harold Cooper, Jr., Hillhouse
RB-Jalon White, Sr., North Haven
QB-Jake Kasuba, So., Foran
QB-Joe Nault, Jr., Guilford
UT-K.C. Horton, Jr., Guilford

DEFENSE
DL-Andrew Klarman, Sr., Branford
DL-Mark Spadacenta, Sr., East Haven
DL-Anthony Jones, Sr., Branford
DL-Teno Simpson, Sr., Hillhouse
LB-Mike Halloran, Jr., North Haven
LB-Ford Linell, Jr., Guilford
LB-Alex Borkowski, Sr., Branford
LB-Terrell Fairweather, Sr., Hillhouse
LB-Quincy Pecora, Sr., North Haven
DB-Je'Vaughn Moore, Sr., Hillhouse
DB-Kyle Paolella, Sr., Sheehan
DB-Darryn Horner, Sr., Hillhouse
DB-Andre Anderson, Sr., Hillhouse

ALL GAMES AT RENTSCHLER FIELD, EAST HARTFORD

FRIDAY

CLASS LL

 No. 5 Norwich Free Academy (12-0) vs. No. 3 Xavier (11-1), 7:05 p.m.

SATURDAY

CLASS S

No. 3 North Branford (12-0) vs. No. 1 Ansonia (13-0)

CLASS M

No. 4 Hillhouse (10-2) vs. No. 2 Berlin (11-1)

CLASS L

No. 2 Windsor (11-0) vs. No. 1 Hand (12-0)

No. 1 Hand cruises past Masuk into Class L final

WEST HAVEN — It has been one year since the Hand football team defeated Masuk in the Class L state semifinals, snapping Masuk’s 24-game winning streak.

Knowing the Panthers would like nothing more than to return the favor and also end Hand’s 24-game win streak, Hand quickly sent a message.

Quarterback Brendan Bilcheck hit Caleb Ewald with a 74-yard touchdown pass on the game’s first play and Hand never slowed down in a 42-23 victory over Masuk in this year’s Class L semifinals at Ken Strong Stadium Sunday evening.

PHOTOS: Hand tops Masuk

Hand (12-0), the top-ranked team in the Register Top 10 poll and the No. 1 seed in Class L, will play No. 2 Windsor in the championship game at Rentschler Field Friday or Saturday at a time and day to be determined. The win, Hand’s 25th in a row, also marked the 200th victory for coach Steve Filippone at Hand.


READ MORE

Arkeel Newsome sets career TD record as Ansonia downs Hyde

MIDDLETOWN — Arkeel Newsome made sure the state record for career rushing touchdowns stayed in the proud Ansonia program. In the process, the junior running back helped lead the Chargers to yet another state championship game appearance.

Newsome rushed 15 times for 207 yards and four touchdowns as top-seeded Ansonia dismantled No. 5 Hyde 41-13 Sunday in the Class S state semifinals at Rosek-Skubel Stadium.

Ansonia (13-0), which has won 27 straight games, will face No. 3 North Branford for the title either Friday or Saturday at Rentschler Field. The Chargers are seeking their CIAC-best 18th title.

On the first play of the third quarter, Newsome scampered 69 yards for a touchdown, his third of the game, and the 115th of his career, breaking the record previously held by former Ansonia standout Alex Thomas.

“It means a lot,” Newsome said. “He was a good back. For me to break that, I think it’s awesome and a great accomplishment.”

PHOTOS: Ansonia triumphs over Hyde

READ MORE

Hillhouse routs Montville to reach title game

MIDDLETOWN — Hillhouse expected to have a speed advantage entering its Class M state semifinal contest against Montville, and it turned out the Academics had too many weapons, namely Harold Cooper and Je’Vaughn Moore.

That duo were each part of three touchdowns for fourth-seeded Hillhouse in a 48-26 victory over No. 8 Montville at Rosek-Skubel Stadium. The Academics (10-2) advanced to the championship game and will face No. 2 Berlin either Friday or Saturday.

Cooper rushed 12 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a touchdown pass from Moore to lead Hillhouse to its second final in three years. The Academics won this class in 2010.

“As a whole, we knew our speed was going to be very, very important,” said Cooper, a junior. “We knew coming into this game that they were a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger, so our coaches told us ‘hey, we just got to use our speed’ and that’s what we did.”

READ MORE

North Branford back in championship game
for first time since 2001 after win over Woodland

MERIDEN — For the first time since 2001, North Branford will play for a state football championship.

The unbeaten Thunderbirds (12-0) took advantage of four Woodland fumbles in the first half and five in the game to knock off the Hawks 62-27 at Falcon Field in a CIAC Class S semifinal game on Sunday.

Third-seeded North Branford will play top-seeded Ansonia (13-0) for the title at Rentschler Field in East Hartford either Friday night or Saturday. Woodland finished 8-4.

PHOTOS: North Branford runs past Woodland

READ MORE 

Xavier beats Glastonbury to reach Class LL final
for third straight year

CHESHIRE — For a brief moment late Sunday afternoon, Tim Boyle let a smile creep across his face.

Despite all sorts of pressure, question marks and injuries — even an unfamiliar regular-season loss — his Falcons were headed back to the state finals.

“It’s tremendous,” the senior quarterback grinned. “We’re very blessed.”

Boyle threw a pair of touchdown passes, DeAngelo Berry rushed for two more and the third-seeded Falcons punched their ticket to the Class LL state football championship game for the third straight year in a 30-13 win against No. 7 Glastonbury in the semifinals at Cheshire High’s Alumni Field.

READ MORE

SUNDAY'S CIAC FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: NFA upsets second-ranked Staples

VIA PRESS RELEASE

Five of the eight CIAC Football Tournament semi-final games taking place Sunday will be broadcast live on various platforms.

The CIAC Network will be broadcasting three games live on-line at www.CIAC.tv while two of those games will also be available live on Connecticut Public Television. MSGVarsity.com will also have live broadcasts of two games.

The semi-final round of the tournament will feature a total of eight games at four sites with three sites hosting two games and single games at two other sites. The full schedule, along with links to the CIAC.tv contests can be found on the CIAC Tournament Central website at http://content.ciacsports.com/tournamentcentral.shtml.

The full schedule of games being carried live is as follows:

Sunday
Class LL semi-final, #5 NFA vs. #1 Staples, 12:30 p.m. (MSG Varsity.com)
Class L semi-final, #4 Masuk vs. #1 Hand, 5 p.m. (CIAC Network)
Class L semi-final, #6 New Canaan vs. #2 Windsor, 12:30 p.m.
(MSGvarsity.com)
Class M semi-final, #4 Hillhouse vs. #8 Montville, 5 p.m. (CIAC Network)
Class S semi-final, #5 Hyde vs. #1 Ansonia, 12:30 p.m. (CIAC
Network and CPTV)

Viewers can consult www.cptvsports.org for re-air schedules for the games as well. All live broadcasts on the CIAC network will also be available on-demand following the conclusion of the matches, and DVDs of all broadcasts are available for purchase at www.CIAC.tv.

This fall marks the first full season of the partnership between the CIAC and PlayOn Sports which provides live broadcast coverage of regular season and CIAC Tournament contests.

 

FOOTBALL: Hand smacks Platt, sets up rematch with Masuk

MADISON — Last year’s CIAC Class L Game of the Century is now this year’s semifinal rematch.

Top-seeded Hand assured itself of a spot in Sunday’s rematch with Masuk with a 55-26 blowout of eighth-seeded Platt Wednesday night at the Surf Club.

“It’s a good matchup for us and for them,” said Hand coach Steve Filippone, whose Tigers beat Masuk, 35-14, last December in the Class L semifinals. “It’s two teams that do basically the same exact thing.”

PHOTOS: Check out Wednesday's action from the Surf Club.


READ MORE

Basils, North Branford break playoff losing skid
with win over Trinity Catholic

GUILFORD — Brandan Basil called it the curse.

In the 11 seasons that Mark Basil, Brandan’s father, has been the football coach at North Branford, the Thunderbirds have failed to win a state playoff game.

But buoyed by Brandan’s efforts, the curse has been broken.

Basil, a senior quarterback, tossed three touchdown passes — all to fellow senior Joe DeLucia — and third-seeded North Branford remained unbeaten after withstanding a challenge from No. 6 Trinity Catholic, winning 49-28 in the Class S state quarterfinals Wednesday in a game played at Guilford High.

The Thunderbirds (11-0) will face No. 7 Woodland in Sunday’s semifinals.

North Branford hadn’t won a playoff game since 2001, before Basil’s tenure began. Under Basil, the Thunderbirds lost in the semifinals in 2005, 2006 and 2008, and in the quarterfinals last season.

READ MORE 

Arkeel Newsome, Ansonia run all over Prince Tech

ANSONIA — Running back Arkeel Newsome set the tone early for the Ansonia football team against Prince Tech in the Class S quarterfinal game at Jarvis Stadium on Wednesday.

Newsome, who only played in the first half, scored on the Chargers’ first possession of the game and ended up with five touchdowns to lead No. 1 Ansonia to a 53-16 win over No. 8 Prince Tech. The Chargers will play No. 5 Hyde in the semifinals on Sunday at a site and time to be announced. Hyde defeated No. 4 Rocky Hill 15-14 in a quarterfinal game played on Tuesday.

Newsome ended up rushing for 81 yards on 11 carries.

READ MORE

Xavier blows out Greenwich to reach Class LL semifinals,
will face Glastonbury for third straight year

MIDDLETOWN — The Xavier offense is frightening.

Greenwich, losers only to undefeated and second-ranked Staples, became the latest team to get run over by the Falcons.

Led by another brilliant passing performance from Tim Boyle (16-for-22, 263 yards), third-seeded Xavier piled up 505 yards of total offense in blasting No. 6 Greenwich 55-14 in front of 1,000 at Palmer Field Wednesday night in the Class LL quarterfinals.

The Falcons will play seventh-seeded Glastonbury, a 23-14 winner over No. 2 Southington, in the semifinals Sunday at a time and site to be announced. It will be the third consecutive year the two teams have met in the LL semis.

READ MORE 



FOOTBALL: OTHER QUARTERFINAL RESULTS AND BOX SCORES


FOOTBALL: Sites, times announced for semifinal contests

ALL GAMES ON SUNDAY

Class LL

No. 1 Staples vs. No. 5 NFA at West Haven, 12:30 p.m.
No. 3 Xavier at No. 7 Glastonbury at Cheshire, 12:30 p.m.

CLASS L

No. 1 Hand vs. No. 4 Masuk at West Haven, 5 p.m.
No. 2 Windsor vs. No. 6 New Canaan at Bunnell (Stratford), 12:30 p.m.

CLASS M

No. 4 Hillhouse vs. No. 8 Montville at Middletown, 5 p.m.
No. 2 Berlin vs. No. 6 Weston at Bunnell (Stratford), 5 p.m.

CLASS S

No. 1 Ansonia vs. No. 5 Hyde at Middletown, 12:30 p.m.
No. 3 North Branford vs. No. 7 Woodland at Falcon Field, Meriden, 12:30 p.m .

The two-year agreement between the Southern Connecticut Conference and the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference has been finalized, according to SCC commissioner Al Carbone:


Here are the Week 1 matchups for both the 2013 and 2014 seasons:
Staples vs. Xavier
New Canaan vs. Hand
Darien vs. Hillhouse
Ridgefield vs. Cheshire
Greenwich vs. West Haven
St. Joseph vs. Notre Dame-West Haven
Bridgeport Central vs. North Haven
Trumbull vs. Shelton
Stamford vs. Fairfield Prep
Danbury vs. Hamden
Wilton vs. Guilford
Fairfield Warde vs. Foran
Trinity Catholic vs. Sheehan
McMahon vs. Wilbur Cross
Fairfield Ludlowe vs. Lyman Hall
Bassick vs. East Haven
Harding vs. Law

Westhill vs. Norwalk

There are also additional bye weeks that were filled with SCC-FCIAC matchups over the next two seasons:
Week 2: St. Joseph vs. Fairfield Prep
Week 3: Wilton vs. Branford
Week 4: Ridgefield vs. Notre Dame-West Haven
Week 5: Trinity Catholic vs. Foran
Week 8: Fairfield Warde vs. Sheehan
Week 9: Fairfield Ludlowe vs. East Haven
Week 10: Darien vs. North Haven

check back at here and at www.nhregister.com later this evening for more on this challenge and updates on all of the CIAC state quarterfinals.

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

NOTEBOOK: Notre Dame-West Haven comes of age with win over Fairfield Prep

Notre Dame-West Haven finally earned a signature victory after rallying past Fairfield Prep this past Friday in Fairfield.

The Green Knights led 13-0 at halftime before the Jesuits responded with 14 points in the third quarter.

In the final period, senior Chris Perry caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from junior Blake Rice and then Perry and Rice hooked up for the successful two-point conversion pass to lift Notre Dame to a 21-14 victory.

The loss all but ended Fairfield Prep’s playoff hopes, while the Green Knights celebrated a victory over one of the Southern Connecticut Conference’s more competitive teams.

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WEEK 9 HIGHLIGHTS

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Derby Jr. RB Tyrae Small: Carried 15 times for 182 yards and five touchdowns in a 46-6 win over Crosby on Saturday. Small also made eight tackles and an interception.

Foran So. QB Jake Kasuba: Threw for 357 yards and six touchdown passes in a 46-6 win over Branford on Friday.



DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Cheshire So. LB Andrew Yamin: Made eight tackles, a sack and an interception in a 33-0 win over Hamden on Saturday.

Derby Sr. DL John Piazza: Had six tackles, caused a fumble and recovered another in a 46-6 win over Crosby on Saturday.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Derby Sr. Dillon McMahon: Scored on an 80-yard kickoff return in a 46-6 win over Crosby on Saturday.

Hartford Public Sr. Kwame Kitson: Kicked a 45-yard field goal in a 35-10 loss to Middletown on Saturday.

TEAMS OF THE WEEK

Darien: Nick Lombardo caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Henry Baldwin with 7 seconds remaining in regulation in a 26-20 victory over previously unbeaten Trinity Catholic on Saturday.

Derby: Defeated Crosby 46-6 on Saturday to clinch its first winning season since 1996. The Red Raiders are 6-3.

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HAND remains No. 1 in Register Top 10 Poll