Guilford’s record entering this past week didn’t quite reflect how talented and competitive the Indians could be.

Guilford suffered losses to North Haven and West Haven, two of the better teams in the Southern Connecticut Conference, during the first two weeks of this season.

But the Indians finally had reason to celebrate after a 56-7 Southern Connecticut Conference Division II West victory over Lyman Hall last Friday.

“It feels great,” Guilford coach Tom Unger said. “It was a D2 West win, and it was a good feeling for our guys to get in the win column.”

LION PRIDE

Foran, like Guilford, posted its first win of the season after earning a 26-7 victory over Sheehan last Friday. The Lions had lost to Hillhouse and Shelton to the year.

“We’ve got a young team, so we needed to play well and get a win,” Foran coach Jeff Bevino said. “I kept telling them they can do it, and now they know they can.”

Bevino credits his defensive coordinator, Jim Esposito, for preparing the Lions for Sheehan’s explosive offensive attack.

Sheehan scored on its opening possession, but was shut out the remainder of the game.  

“Our kids were extremely well-prepared,” Bevino said.

READ MORE OF TUESDAY'S NOTEBOOK

HIGHLIGHTS

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF WEEK

♦Hillhouse Jr. RB Harold Cooper: Rushed for four touchdowns in a 32-18 win over Branford on Friday.

♦Notre Dame-West Haven Sr. RB Cameran Tucker: Rushed 44 times for 323 yards and two scores in a 34-13 loss to West Haven on Friday.


DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Cheney Tech Sr. CB Andre Rose: Made three interceptions, including one he returned 40 yards for a touchdown, in a 36-19 win over Wilcox Tech on Saturday. Rose also scored on an 83-yard kickoff return.

♦Glastonbury Sr. LB Nick Karp: Made 15 tackles and returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown in a 35-6 win over Conard on Saturday.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

♦Newtown Sr. Dan Hebert: Scored on an 85-yard kickoff return in a 43-14 win over Stratford on Saturday. Hebert also had touchdown runs of 13 and six yards.

♦Shelton Sr. Ed Groth: Kicked field goals of 34 and 41 yards in a 34-28 win over Amity on Saturday.

TEAMS OF THE WEEK

♦Nonnewaug: T.J. Meyer blocked a field goal as time expired in an 8-7 win over East Hampton/Vinal Tech on Saturday. The victory was the first varsity win for the Chiefs since 2008.

♦Sacred Heart: Jaquan Overbey rushed 13 times for 203 yards and three touchdowns in a 50-30 win over Whitney Tech on Friday. The win marked the first for Cortez Johnson as the Hearts’ head coach.

MORE HIGHLIGHTS


Xavier, Staples, Hand remain 1-2-3 in Register Top 10 Poll

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

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


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

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

No. 9 West Haven thrashes Notre Dame-West Haven

By Mike Madera, Special to the Register

Ervin Philips (left) of West Haven runs for a touchdown in the first quarter against Notre Dame on 9/28/2012. Photo by Arnold Gold/New Haven Register AG0464B

WEST HAVEN — The West Haven football team has had plenty of time to think about its last visit to Veterans Stadium. The contest, which resulted in a West Haven loss, was one of the reasons the Westies failed to qualify for the postseason last year.

Fast forward to Friday night and the Westies have new — and better — memories. Behind a powerful running game which accumulated 330 rushing yards, the Westies defeated Notre Dame-West Haven 34-13 in a Southern Connecticut Conference Division I East game.

“This is a real big win for us,” West Haven’s Ervin Philips said. “We worked hard in practice all week. We wanted to get a win here. We knew we needed a good showing on offense. We are just taking it a week at a time.”

No. 3 Hand cruises past Cheshire

By Dave Phillips, Special to the Register

MADISON — Steve Filippone called it a one-time only deal. But maybe the way Hand played Friday night, he ought to reconsider.

With the Tigers’ usual home at the Surf Club under water from the afternoon heavy rain, third-ranked Hand played for the first time at its high school turf field and was extremely impressive, dominating Cheshire, 35-7.

“I didn’t like it at all,” said a soaked Filippone after Hand upped its record to 3-0. “There’s nothing like the Surf Club, but we got this done tonight. We’re never going to play on this field again. This will be retired undefeated with Hand football.”

Hand, which runs out of the spread offense, rushed for over 280 yards a week ago in a 37-19 victory at Hillhouse. On Friday, the Tigers did most of their damage on the ground again.


ROUNDUP

Harold Cooper ran for four touchdowns and JaVaughn Moore ran for a 63-yard score as Hillhouse downed Branford 32-18 in Branford on Friday.

Cooper had touchdown runs of 78, 27, 27 and 13 in the win for the Academics (2-1).

Alex Borkowski had two rushing touchdowns and 116 rushing yards for the Hornets (1-2).


Hillhouse's Harold Cooper and Notre Dame's Cameran Tucker have been nominated for FRIDAY'S STAR

Here is Friday's schedule, with postponement information as of 4:22 p.m.



CCC DIV. II EAST
Fermi at Wethersfield, 7 p.m.
CCC DIV. II WEST
Bristol Eastern at Windsor, ppd. to Saturday, 7 p.m.
Farmington at Bristol Central, ppd. to Saturday, noon
Maloney at Middletown, 7 p.m.
CCC DIV. III EAST
Plainville at Platt, 6:30 p.m.
CCC DIV. III WEST
Rocky Hill at East Catholic, 7 p.m.
CCC INTER
Weaver at Rockville, 6:30 p.m.
East Hartford at New Britain, ppd. to Saturday, 1 p.m.
Manchester at Simsbury, 7 p.m.
CSC
Putnam/Tourtellotte/Ellis Tech at Platt Tech, ppd. to Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
ECC MEDIUM
Bacon Academy at Montville, 6:30 p.m.
Ledyard at Windham, 6:30 p.m.
ECC SMALL
Griswold at St. Bernard/Norwich Tech, 6:30 p.m.
ECC INTER
Plainfield at Waterford, ppd. to Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
Woodstock Academy at Stonington, 6:30 p.m.
FCIAC CENTRAL
Stamford at Ridgefield, 7 p.m.
FCIAC EAST
Wilton at Bassick, ppd. to Saturday, noon at Wilton
FCIAC WEST
Danbury at Bridgeport Central, ppd. to Saturday, 11 a.m.
FCIAC INTER
McMahon at Staples, 7 p.m.
Fairfield Ludlowe at Trumbull, ppd. to  Saturday, 10 a.m.
NVL BRASS
Wolcott at Crosby, ppd. to Saturday, 3 p.m.
NVL COPPER
Holy Cross at Torrington, ppd. to Saturday, 10 a.m.
St. Paul at Naugatuck, ppd. to Saturday, 7 p.m.
PEQUOT SASSACUS
Haddam-Killingworth at Cromwell, ppd. to Saturday, 1:45 p.m.
Morgan at North Branford, ppd. to Saturday, noon
PEQUOT UNCAS
Avon at SMSA/University, ppd. to  Monday, 5:30 p.m.
Enfield at Stafford/East Windsor, 6:30 p.m.
Canton at Housatonic/Wamogo, ppd. to Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
SCC DIVISION I EAST
Cheshire at Hand, 7 p.m. ON BUT MOVED TO HAND HIGH
West Haven at Notre Dame-West Haven, 7 p.m.
SCC DIVISION I WEST
Amity at Shelton, ppd. to Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Fairfield Prep at Xavier, ppd. to Saturday, 7 p.m.
SCC DIVISION II EAST
Foran at Sheehan, 7 p.m.
SCC DIVISION II WEST
Hillhouse at Branford, 7 p.m.
Lyman Hall at Guilford, 7 p.m.
SCC INTER
Law at Hamden, ppd. to Saturday, Noon
SWC YANKEE
Bunnell at New Fairfield, ppd. to Monday, 6 p.m.
SWC INTER
Immaculate at Masuk, ppd. to Saturday, 7 p.m.
Newtown at Stratford, ppd. to Saturday, 10 a.m.
Oxford at Bethel, ppd. to Saturday, 7 p.m.
Weston at Pomperaug, 7 p.m.
Notre Dame-Fairfield at Barlow, ppd. to Saturday, 4 p.m.
Non-league
Whitney Tech at Sacred Heart, 7 p.m.

DERBY VS. NO. 4 ANSONIA 

When: Thursday, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Nolan Field, Ansonia
Team records: Derby 2-0; Ansonia 2-0
Players to watch: Derby — Dillon McMahon, Sr., WR/DB; Tyrae Small, Jr., RB/LB; Duane Jones, Sr., OL/DL; Ansonia — Arkeel Newsome, Jr., RB/DB; Andrew Matos, Sr., WR/LB; Jh’Mel Trammell, Sr., OL/DL.
You should know: This game marks the 90th meeting between these two storied programs. Ansonia holds a 53-28-8 series lead. The Chargers have won the last five meetings (2002-2003, 2009-2011). The teams did not play from 2004-2008. Derby’s last win was a 14-12 victory in 2001. The last time the Red Raiders won the first two games in a season was in 1999. This contest is the first Naugatuck Valley League Brass Division title of the season for each team. Derby earned a hard-fought 21-20 victory over Naugatuck last week. Naugatuck scored late in the fourth quarter but Small blocked the extra point attempt and the Red Raiders survived. Derby’s defense was stingy, allowing just two touchdowns. The Greyhounds scored on a kickoff return on the game’s opening play. The Red Raiders will need to play nearly flawlessly to pull the upset here. Emotions should be high, and in a rivalry game, anything can happen. Ansonia, though, might be too skilled for Derby to contain for four quarters and is favored here.
Register’s pick: Ansonia.

OTHER GAMES

CSC
Prince Tech at O'Brien Tech, 7:00 p.m. Pick: Prince Tech

NVL BRASS
Watertown at Wilby, 6:00 p.m. Pick: Watertown

SCC DIVISION II EAST
East Haven at North Haven, 7:00 p.m. Pick: North Haven

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.