FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Hyde returns to Class S state playoffs

Last season’s subpar 4-6 finish might seem like a distant memory for the Hyde football team.

But the Howling Wolves, especially the seniors, never forgot how it felt to miss out on a state playoff berth.

Since becoming a varsity program in 1998, Hyde has qualified for the postseason eight times and won Class S titles in 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2009.

After a year’s absence, the Howling Wolves are back in the Class S field.

“We’re glad to be back,” Hyde coach Melvin Wells said. “We’re glad to be in the mix again. The kids have done a real nice job of sticking to the ground stone. This (reaching the playoffs) was their plan for the start.”

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WEEK 10 HIGHLIGHTS

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Coventry/Windham Tech/Bolton Sr. RB Kyle Wing: Carried 18 times for a school-record 361 yards and six touchdowns in a 57-28 win over Granby on Saturday.

♦Guilford Jr. RB David Knapp: Rushed 13 times for 212 yards and two touchdowns in a 47-13 win over Foran on Wednesday. Knapp also returned an interception 81 yards for a touchdown.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Ansonia Sr. LB Hezekiah Duncan: Scored on a 35-yard interception return in a 56-26 win over Woodland on Thursday.

♦Oxford Jr. DB Kyle Chudoba: Made two interceptions, including one he returned 23 yards for a touchdown, in a 35-12 win over Bunnell on Saturday.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Ansonia Sr. LB Hezekiah Duncan: Scored on a 35-yard interception return in a 56-26 win over Woodland on Thursday.

♦Oxford Jr. DB Kyle Chudoba: Made two interceptions, including one he returned 23 yards for a touchdown, in a 35-12 win over Bunnell on Saturday.

TEAMS OF THE WEEK

♦Ansonia: Junior running back Arkeel Newsome rushed 23 times for 222 yards and three touchdowns and he also had a touchdown reception in a 56-26 victory over Woodland on Thursday in the Naugatuck Valley League championship game.

♦Barlow: Alex Lockwood had 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 29-22 victory over Brookfield on Thursday.

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Latest CIAC Pairings
Hand, Staples, Ansonia remain the top 3 teams in the latest Register Top 10 Poll

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

NOTEBOOK: North Branford putting it all together





North Branford coach Mark Basil knew he had the goods entering this season, and the Thunderbirds have certainly lived up to expectations.

With games remaining against Nonnewaug (1-6), Lewis Mills (0-7) and Hyde (8-0), North Branford (7-0) is all but certain to qualify for the Class S state playoffs, where they will be considered one of the favorites in that division.

“Obviously I knew going in what we had,” Basil said. “We were confident. I don’t normally say too much about what I have, but this is the best team, position by position, that I’ve had in a long time.”

Basil’s offense, led by his son, senior quarterback Brandan Basil, senior receiver Joe DeLucia and senior tailback Dale Hausman, has clicked on all cylinders. But the most impressive cog in the machine has been the offensive line.

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HAND, STAPLES, ANSONIA remain 1-2-3 in Register Top 10 POLL

HIGHLIGHTS

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Ansonia junior RB Arkeel Newsome: Newsome carried 33 times for 250 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-12 win over Wolcott on Friday.

♦Hamden Hall junior WR Mike Whalen: Whalen caught seven passes for 136 yards and three touchdowns in a 69-37 win over Kingswood-Oxford on Saturday.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Guilford junior Ford Linell: Linell scored on a 35-yard fumble recovery in a 48-0 win over Law on Saturday.

♦West Haven senior Kadialy Toure: Toure returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown in a 47-12 victory over Wilbur Cross on Saturday.

TEAMS OF THE WEEK

♦Ansonia: Senior Andrew Matos caught two touchdown passes, scored on a rushing touchdown and had an interception in a 41-12 victory over Wolcott on Friday that clinched the Naugatuck Valley League Brass Division title.

♦Fitch: The Falcons rallied from a 20-7 deficit and emerged with a 39-27 victory over New London on Saturday. Fitch improved to 6-1 and stayed alive in the Class L state playoff race.

MORE HIGHLIGHTS

HAND remains No. 1 in Top 10 Poll




FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: New offense helping Old Saybrook co-op program


Entering his second year as coach at Old Saybrook/Westbrook, Rudy Bagos stressed to his players the need to perform better against the better teams in the Pequot Conference.

It’s something the Rams struggled with last season. The co-op, which finished 5-5, suffered losses to Valley Regional/Old Lyme, North Branford, Coginchaug, Cromwell and Haddam-Killingworth. All but Coginchaug qualified for the Class S state playoffs.

In those games, the Rams were shut out three times and combined to score just 12 points. Old Saybrook/Westbrook, though, did defeat perennial league power Hyde, which had a subpar year in 2011.

So there was cause for celebration this past week when the Rams knocked off Coginchaug, earning a hard-fought 22-14 victory at home on Saturday. Coginchaug had allowed just 13 points in its four previous games.

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CIAC PLAYOFF RATINGS
Tuesday Morning Quarterback: Week 6 Highlights
POLL: Who will win Xavier-Hillhouse game? VOTE NOW

NOTES: Hand-Xavier lived up to big billing



On a weekend when several streaks were snapped, the most noteworthy was Hand’s 40-20 victory over Xavier on Friday that ended the Falcons’ 30-game winning streak.

The meeting between Xavier and the Tigers at Palmer Field in Middletown, then ranked No. 1 and No. 3, respectively in the Register Top 10 Poll, certainly lived up to the hype.

It’s not always the case. Sometimes a game billed as a future classic can fall short of expectations. Not this one.

From the crowd — estimated at 4,500 and featuring a raucous student section — two top-notch bands and, of course, the action on the field, the atmosphere was electric.



HAND takes over No. 1 spot in Register Top 10 Poll


CIAC Playoff RATINGS

Who will win Friday's HAND-WEST HAVEN game. VOTE!

WEEK 5 HIGHLIGHTS

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦ Cromwell Sr. RB Derrick Villard: Ran for 215 yards and three touchdowns, had a touchdown reception and scored on a kickoff return in a 52-6 win over Nonnewaug on Saturday.

♦ Hamden Hall Jr. QB T.J. Linta: Completed 25 of 38 passes for 408 yards and four touchdowns in a 55-32 loss to Hackley on Saturday.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦ Branford Jr. DB Charlie Boyd: Returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown in a 47-13 win over Sheehan on Friday.

♦ Hyde Sr. FS Ezekiel Nixon: Returned an interception 73 yards for a touchdown in a 28-13 win over Valley Regional/Old Lyme on Friday.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦ Capital Prep/Classical Magnet/Achievement First Sr. Daquan Clarke: Returned a kickoff 65 yards for a score in a 42-0 win over Whitney Tech on Saturday. Clarke also caught a touchdown reception.

♦ Foran Jr. Zachary White: Scored on a punt return of 70 yards and a kickoff return of 81 yards in a 51-12 victory over Lyman Hall on Friday.

ON THE AIR

♦ West Haven at Hand, Friday, 7 p.m.: 960-WELI, 960WELI.com, iheart radio

GET OUT AND GO

♦ No. 8 West Haven (5-0) at No. 1 Hand (5-0), Friday, 7 p.m.: Westies will try to snap Hand’s 18-game winning streak.

♦ No. 5 Windsor (4-0) at Middletown (5-0), Friday, 7 p.m.: This is a much-anticipated Central Connecticut Conference Division II West showdown.

♦ No. 9 Glastonbury (5-0) at No. 10 Southington (5-0), Saturday, 7 p.m.: Southington has allowed just 28 points, while the Tomahawks have surrendered only 55. This should be a defensive struggle. 

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FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Platt Tech off to 3-0 start for first time

With a talented and experienced group returning this season, Platt Tech expected to be competitive.

The Panthers did last year, too, but the team fell short of their goals and finished at 4-6.

“Last year, on paper, we had some talent and expected to win six to eight games,” Platt Tech coach Vin Camera said. “But we had some injuries, and kids who didn’t come out that we were expecting to, and we won just four games.”

This year the Panthers took a different approach in managing expectations.

RUSH HOUR

North Haven senior Jalon White has certainly made the case that he is perhaps the state’s best running back.

The numbers speak for themselves.

Despite losing to top-ranked Xavier 49-12 on Sept. 21, White rushed 23 times for 235 yards. He scored on runs of 51 and 78 yards in the fourth quarter while the Falcons’ starters were still in the game.

This past week, the Indians earned an impressive 34-20 victory over previously unbeaten New London. White carried 36 times for 354 yards and all five touchdowns.

“It was a huge night for him,” North Haven coach Anthony Sagnella said. “He’s at a different speed right now. He was certainly a good player the first two years, but he’s also in a different role now. He’s taking on the role where he’s the guy now, and that’s great.”


HAND-XAVIER POLL

Who do you think will win Friday night’s contest between No. 3 Hand and No. 1 Xavier?

You can cast your vote right now at www.nhregister.com/sports/high_school. The poll will be open until just before game time.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Palmer Field in Middletown. Both teams are 4-0.


XAVIER, STAPLES, HAND lead Top 10 POLL 

WEEK 4 HIGHLIGHTS

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Hamden Hall Jr. WR Mike Breuler: Made seven catches for 197 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-20 win over Fieldston (N.Y.) on Saturday.

♦Haddam-Killingworth Sr. RB Nate Cruz: Rushed 26 times for 205 yards and four touchdowns in a ♦Hopkins Jr. RB Jim Martino: Rushed 16 times for 229 yards and six touchdowns in a 40-8 win over Rye (N.Y.) on Friday.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Cheshire So. DB Jack Cunningham: Had five tackles, two interceptions and blocked an extra-point attempt in a 48-13 win over Notre Dame-West Haven on Friday. Cunningham also rushed six times for 69 yards.

♦Hillhouse Sr. DB Andre Anderson: Made eight tackles and an interception in a 47-0 win over Law on Friday. Anderson also ran for 153 yards and three touchdowns.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Amity Jr. Lyle Luth: Kicked two field goals and seven extra points in a 61-43 win over Guilford on Friday.  

♦Coginchaug Jr. Jack Granger: Returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown in a 40-0 win over Lewis Mills on Saturday. Granger also scored on a 15-yard run.

ON THE AIR

♦Seymour at Ansonia, Thursday, 6:30 p.m.: 960-WELI, 960WELI.com, iheart radio

♦Hand at Xavier, Friday, 7 p.m.: 960-WELI, 960WELI.com, iheart radio


MORE HIGHLIGHTS

Law, Westhill snap losing skids

Despite falling short in a Week 1 loss to Sheehan, Law had reason to be optimistic.

The Lawmen’s attitude was different than in past seasons. More importantly, maybe, the players were buying into what Mark Robinson and his coaching staff was teaching despite being mired in a 12-game losing streak.

So it wasn’t really surprising that Law emerged victorious this past week. It seemed like it was bound to happen sooner or later.

The Lawmen earned a 28-12 victory over Wilbur Cross at home for Law’s first win since defeating Prince Tech on Nov. 18, 2010. The Lawmen lost a seesaw battle to Sheehan, 45-42, in Week 1.

Read more of Tuesday's NOTEBOOK

XAVIER remains No. 1 in Top 10 POLL

WEEK 2 HIGHLIGHTS

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Avon Sr. RB Colin Moore: Carried 25 times for 293 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-15 win over Coventry/Windham Tech/Bolton on Saturday.

♦Brookfield Jr. QB Brad Westmark: Completed 25-of-35 passes for 391 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-18 win over Bunnell on Friday.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Hyde Sr. DL William Burroughs: Made eight tackles and two sacks in a 41-10 win over Morgan on Saturday.

♦Valley Regional/Old Lyme So. DB Dan Figuenick: Returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown in a 49-0 win over Nonnewaug on Friday.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Glastonbury Sr. Ben Berey: Set a school record with a 99-yard kickoff return in a 63-28 victory over Newington on Friday. Berey also had a touchdown reception and an interception.

♦Hartford Public Sr. Kwame Kitson: Kicked field goals of 32 and 36 yards and three extra points in a 39-6 win over RHAM on Saturday.

TEAMS OF THE WEEK
♦Bulkeley: Joshua Hudson had two sacks, blocked a punt and forced a fumble in a 22-6 win over Fermi on Friday.


 MORE HIGHLIGHTS

Xavier remain No. 1 in Register Top 10 Poll

HIGHLIGHTS

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Berlin Jr. QB Mitch Williams: Completed 16-of-18 passes for 320 yards and six touchdowns in a 49-6 win over East Catholic on Saturday.

♦Bunnell Sr. QB Bryan Castelot: Completed 22-of-42 passes for 380 yards and three scores in a 44-35 win over Bethel on Friday.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Derby Sr. DB Dillon McMahon: Scored on an 96-yard interception return in a 55-26 win over St. Paul. McMahon also had two rushing touchdowns and scored on a 70-yard punt return.

♦North Haven Jr. DB Carlos Martinez: Made two interceptions in a 28-0 win over Guilford on Friday.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Amity Jr. David Buono: Returned a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown in a 35-13 loss to Hand on Friday.

♦Bacon Academy Sr. Trey Geisman: Kicked two field goals and two extra points in a 28-20 loss to Plainfield on Friday.

TEAMS OF WEEK

♦Cheshire: Defeated Shelton 30-23 in the head coaching debut for Don Drust.

♦East Haven: Defeated Lyman Hall 28-27 to win its season opener for the first time since 2006.

MORE HIGHLIGHTS

NOTEBOOK: East Haven starts strong