Both Hand and Xaiver have lengthy win streaks heading into their showdown on Friday (7 p.m. at Palmer Field, Middletown).

• Xavier has won 30 straight games. Its last lost came against Staples in the Class LL state semifinals in 2009. The Falcons’ last regular season defeat was to Wilbur Cross in the season opener that year. 

•  Hand has won 17 in a row. This is the team’s first meeting since the Tigers emerged with a 31-16 victory in 2007.

Below is a list of the state's longest winning streaks:

MOST CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITHOUT A LOSS

School Games Years
Cheshire 49 1992-96
Ansonia 36 1975-78
Bloomfield 35 1996-2000
Ansonia 35 2005-08
Stamford (33-0-2) 35 1911-14
Derby (33-0-1) 34 1966-70
New Canaan 34 1967-70
Xavier-Middletown 34 1970-1973
Fitch-Groton 34 1999-2001
Southington (32-0-1) 33 1962-66
St. Joseph-Trumbull 30 1981-84
Xavier 30 2010-2012

On Nov. 10, 1973, West Haven stopped Xavier's 34-game winning streak, emerging with a 25-20 victory.

The CIAC released 2012 football schedules on Thursday. Here are some interesting non-league games worth checking out. Times, dates and sites subject to change.

Week 2
Sept. 21
Hamden at Danbury, 7 p.m.: Hamden won just one game last season.

Week 3
Sept. 28
Whitney Tech at Sacred Heart, 7 p.m.: Whitney Tech fields first varsity team this fall.

Week 4
Oct. 5
North Haven at New London, 6:30 p.m.: Both teams qualified for state playoffs last season. 

Week 6
Oct. 20
Stamford at Norwich Free Academy, 1 p.m.: Stamford makes the long journey east to take on the Wildcats, one of the most consistent programs in the ECC.

Week 10
Nov. 15
Plainfield vs. Law at Sheehan, 6 p.m.:Law didn't win a game in 2011.

The Register will present its annual Football Preview in Wednesday's editions.
Included in the preview will be team capsules, schedules and the Preseason Top 10 Poll.

The cover story will feature 10 quarterbacks from around the state. The theme of the story is how coaches select which player will be their quarterback. Is it based on talent, arm strength, speed, heart, guts, etc?? Is it because they're the best leader? Or the best athlete?
The players will discuss why they became a quarterback, and also talk about their progression from when they first started under center.

For the first time in many years, we ran feature stories in the days leading up to the preview section. You can find links to those stories below.

Derby determined to turn things around.
Bob Barton's road trip column
Lennon era begins at Seymour
Wilbur Cross standout Maurice Morrison
Expectations high for Hamden
Storming the Fortt

We hope you enjoy the preview, and the feature stories that ran this week.

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.

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.