SCC football - back on top

There were a lot of people involved with the Notre Dame and Cheshire football programs who had a good weekend, but it's probably safe to say no one had a better one than the Bowman family. Ring a bell? Steve Bowman, Phil Bowman? (There was also Mike, Joe, Pete, and John in that immediate family) Both Steve and Phil played big parts in Cheshire state titles in the mid 90s.
But cousin Rob decided to break from tradition and attend Notre Dame in 2006. He had gone to St. Bridget in Cheshire and decided he want to continue in Catholic school, even though his dad and six uncles all played football for Cheshire High.
Well, three years later, on a snowy Saturday afternoon in Shelton, a now 6-foot-5, 275 pound Bowman was able to raise a state championship trophy for the Green and Gold when ND stopped Pomperaug, 28-21.
A day later, Bowman and his letterman jacket were on the Ken Strong Stadium turf celebrating again even though his green and gold didn't match red, as the Bowman tradition continued. Rob's cousin Shaun is a sophomore for Cheshire, and when they prevailed by the same 28-21 score (it was in overtime, though) over previously unbeaten Staples, the Bowman family had a new twist in a long line of football success: two championships in the same weekend.
Even better, Ed Bowman - now in his 80s - was there to see both of his grandsons win titles. When asked about the nasty weather Saturday, Ed said, "I go to every game, doesn't matter what the weather is."
He added: "I've been to too many games to count, and not just football, softball, too, and other sports. This was a really good weekend."
It was a really good weekend for the SCC as well, which broke a three-year run of not winning a state title. Since 2001, Notre Dame and Cheshire became the seventh and eighth conference teams to win a state championship (Hillhouse, Branford, Hand, West Haven, Xavier, and Shelton are the others) - three more than any other conference. How did they get there? Let's find out, running diary style, of course:
Saturday
1:15 p.m. - On a raw and just nasty December afternoon at Finn Stadium, I arrive to a cramped press box. The state finals brings people who don't usually deal with high school sports and Register columnist Dave Solomon can't understand why there is no seat for him and is telling Shelton AD John Niski so, even though the CSTN crew (led by pals Don Boyle and Steve Kirck) take up half the downstairs with PA announcer Steve Arena (filling in for the injured Nick Aprea, and whose youngest daughter plays for my club soccer team) and the WAVZ crew (with legendary George Demaio and his son Matt) have most of the upstairs. One of the great things about covering high school sports is being so close to the action, and today it looks like I'm going to have to suck it up and stand on the ND sidelines. Actually, wouldn't want it any other way, notes and extremities be damned.
1:25 - Feel bad for Niski, not sure Shelton was the CIAC's first, second, or fifth choice, but at least they stepped up to the plate. Shame on SCSU for not hosting games. I call Sean Patrick Bowley of the Post over in West Haven, and he's got his feet up in their well-heated press box and people delivering him food (presumably caviar). The seats are filling fairly fast, though, despite the weather.
1:40 - Snow flurries in the air already. Great.
2:08 - Notre Dame is not exactly owning the line of scrimmage, but puts together a pretty good drive, until it stalls. There will be a little defense in this game, at least.
2:15 - It looks like the ND defense will hold, but on 4th-and-long (can't read the frozen, wet page) Andrew Clements finds Wade McNamara for a 25-yard gain and a first down. Three plays later, Kevin Maxen is in from 2 yards out and it's 7-0 Pomperaug after a quarter.
2:23 - Not going well for the Knights. Sean Goldrich is pummeled by Nick Fiore, and the Panthers appear to be going in again until ...
2:25 - The play of the game, really. Out of the single wing from the ND 7, Pomperaug tries to fool the Knights with a pass, but it backfires in a big way. Clements underthrows it out in the flat, and when Tirrell Young-Williams grabs it, there is nothing but green turf in front of him. Young-Williams is a speedster anyway, but it's a game-changing 93-yard "pick six" and ND has tied the game at 7-7.
2:27 - Clements is a big kid and is also on the kick return team. Unfortunately for him, he has to line up right in front of the ND student section, who brings out its hockey best, "It's all your fault, it's all your fault". The kick comes right to an angry Clements, who doesn't bother to try to break any tackles, but runs through a few would-be tacklers before going down on the 38.
2:28 - Clements can feel better now, because Ben Crick - anonymous up to now - just ran 62 yards on the first play for a touchdown. 14-7 Pomperaug midway through the second quarter.
2:32 - Here are the offensive fireworks. Off play-action, Goldrich's pass is underthrown, but Young-Williams has so much of a cushion, it doesn't matter, and he speeds away for a 71-yard touchdown reception and a 14-14 tie.
2:35 - I'm tired from going up and down on the sidelines, and Young-Williams tries to catch a break as he sits alone on the ND bench. But his break might be short-lived, as Crick returns the ensuing kickoff all the way down the Notre Dame 18. Where did those defenses go?
2:40 - But just as I say it, the ND defense makes a big stand, combined with penalties and the Panthers are forced to punt on 4th-and-30 at the 38. Ouch.
2:44 - The Panthers defense contines to control the line of scrimmage and forces a punt with 2 minutes left in the half, but - inexplicably - they don't try to field it and it rolls all the way to their own 30-yard line. Things continue to spiral downward for Pomperaug when they try a screen pass, but Clements overthrows his intended target and Thomas Perry makes a diving interception to set his team up.
2:51 - Six plays later, Goldrich sneaks in from a yard out and ND has its first lead, 21-14 at the half, despite being outgained. But turnovers are killers, and Pomperaug had two real killers.
3:01 - To the press box for some warmth. Somehow Solomon is still there, must have won his argument. Kirck asks, "How are we winning this game?" and I remind him that you had a 93 yard interception return for a touchdown. That can cure plenty of ills. I'd like to call him a worry wart, but about a month ago he sent me a 21-part plan that could see ND finish as the No. 1 team in the state. The plan is six quarters from coming to fruition.
3:22 - But still a half to play, and anything can happen. The third quarter features the defense, especially Pomperaug's as the large ND line appears to have finally met its match.
3:38 - ND has 4th-and-7 from midfield, but punter Phillip Bentley takes off, and he's got acres of space in front of him, a 28-yard run and a first down. Tom Marcucci called a fake punt? I'm stunned. And it was a perfect call.
3:40 - But Goldrich fumbles a snap, and Pomperaug recovers for ND's first turnover of the day. Oh, well.
3:45 - Pete Eyler, who has been the equipment manager for Notre Dame forever, is having a tough day, with the cold and wet and trying to keep balls and himself dry. He's borrowed a jacket from assistant cheerleading coach Stephanie Redding - who also moonlights as New Haven's Assistant Police Chief - and is ordered to get a dry ball for a 4th-and-8 at the Pomperaug 25 to open the fourth quarter. Eyler might be the unsung hero for ND, they'd be lost without him, he does about 62 jobs, and yes that included driving the bus on occasion.
3:47 - The new ball doesn't help Goldrich much, and we've got controversy. Goldrich's pass is woefully underthrown and Crick picks it off and runs it back to the 25-yard line. But there was a flag on the field, pass interference on Pomperaug. I thought it was for an illegal block after the interception, but my opinion is it was so underthrown that it threw off everyone: players, officials, everyone. Will be interesting to see the film later, but it's a break for ND.
3:52 - And they take advantage, four plays later David Rose is in from a yard out and the Knights lead 28-14. They can taste their first title in eight years.
3:55 - The snow is starting to stick to the turf, and I feel for some of the guys in short sleeves, but they are football players, I guess, and they're running around a lot more than me.
3:59 - Pomperaug marches right down the field, but at the ND 15, it's a fum-ble and third turnover of the game. A botched snap rolled around on the ground too long, and the Knights pounce. It's all over but the shouting...
4:05 - Or is it? The Panthers hold, and their offense is clicking on all cylinders now. Clements hits McNamara on a 10-yard pass and with 3:56 still to go, the lead is just 28-21.
4:07 - Pomperaug tries a tricky left-footed onside kick, but the ball goes out of bounds.
4:12 - The Panthers hold, they'll get one more shot at it.
4:14 - Interesting clock management from Pomperaug, who is quickly running out of time. Reminded of Herb Brooks in "Miracle" when the Soviets forget to pull the goalie. Pomperaug hasn't had too many close games, "He doesn't know what to do."
4:17 - With 10 seconds left, Conor Keniry picks off Clements to seal it. Fitting that it would be Keniry, the team's emotional leader.
4:19 - A surreal scene as the ND fans and players storm the field as the snow falls. Does it get any more perfect?
4:21 - Quotes, frozen ones, Marcucci: "You guys started on August 18th in 97-degree weather at Veterans Field, and here we are in December in the snow, and all that hard work paid it. You guys earned everything you got. Enjoy it."
4:26 - Finally catch up with Keniry and apologize for spelling his name wrong for two years. Keniry will go to Wake Forest to play baseball next year, so this was it for his football career. Not a bad way to go out: "I brought that up at halftime. I said, 'I don't know about you guys, but these are the last two quarters I'll ever play, so we're going out on top. This is something I dreamed about, and I can't believe it actually came true. What a great group we have. Everyone fought together, and here we are."
4:41 - In the final analysis, it just clicked for Notre Dame this season. Whatever "it" was, they had "it".
4:44 - Escape from Shelton complete, wasn't too icy and traffic could have been worse. Hopefully I'll be thawed out by the Cheshire game tomorrow.
SUNDAY
1:30 - A 38-degree day feels balmy at Ken Strong Stadium with the sun. Peek my head into the the nice, comfy press box which is actually overflowed with only the Class M game going on today. The Staples student radio crew has been banished to the stands. Solomon, of course, has a seat, though. (in his defense, he did write a nice column on ND: http://nhregister.com/articles/2009/12/06/sports/6-solomon.txt but, of course, he could probably read his notes, too).
1:45 - Cheshire is in white, which seems rare to me. Both kickers are booming balls in warm-ups. Wind is pretty stiff, but mild by West Haven standards.
1:56 - Members of the ND team take their place on the Cheshire side, the Knights stand to be ranked No. 1 if Cheshire wins. They look pretty intimidating over there, but cold.
2:10 - Staples puts together an impressive 15-play, 9-minute drive that included two fourth-down conversions and is finished by a Matt Kelly 3-yard run. 7-0 Staples and a statement of intent, for sure.
2:16 - Cheshire responds with a few first downs but the drive stalls at the Wreckers' 37. Kyle Pulek's rugby-style punt does pin Staples at the 7. We're flying through this game, but at some point, these teams have to throw a little, don't they?
2:22 - The turning point, just like with ND, it's a turnover. Keith Gelman, who has done a tremendous job since an injury to starter Brandon Pacilio is whacked from behind, the ball flies out, and Craig Thorne jumps on it and runs it back to the Staples 15.
2:26 - On 3rd-and-goal from the 8, time for a pass and Greg Palmer finds Brian Havlicek who falls into the end zone to tie the game with 5:06 to go in the half.
2:35 - Staples gets out to their own 44, but it's Thorne again with the sack.
2:38 - After a shanked punt, Palmer goes 37 yards to the Staples 18 and runs it in from 10 yards out two plays later and suddenly Cheshire has the lead, momentum, and everything else. 14-7 Cheshire with 51 seconds left in the half. Golf claps from the ND team in the Staples section.
2:42 - Staples does not take a knee. As Gelman raises his arm to throw, Staples coach Marce Petroccio yells, "Nooo" and it slows down like a bad movie. The pass is intercepted by Havlicek who runs it to the 6. On the next play, Palmer is in the end zone, and Cheshire will unbelievably take a 21-7 lead to the locker room (That pass was Gelman's only non-completion of the half, he was 7-for-8). Soviet style stand up cheering from the ND squad, who obviously doesn't want to make a scene, classy until the end.
2:51 - I guess Cheshire isn't going to the locker room, they stay out on the field. Little cold for that, but at least they're in the sun.
3:08 - Staples lets Cheshire stay in the cold, coming out just before the time is up. Guess they would have had a lot to talk about. Talk in the press box (where I'm getting warm) turns to the last time no one went undefeated in the state. If only the BCS had such problems. (turns out it was 2001, when Notre Dame beat undefeated Fitch, although New Britain got No. 1 that season).
3:35 - The third quarter belonged to the defenses, with no one putting together a big threat. As the quarter ends, Cheshire is winning the battle of punts and gets as far as the Staples 14.
3:37 - But Palmer is intercepted by Tyler Jacobs in the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter.
3:40 - Staples takes over at the 20, on second down, the ball appears to be resting on the 30, but the chains say they're an inch short. OK. On the next play, Ryan Burke is buried in the backfield by Evan Gaudio and the Wreckers have to punt.
3:48 - The Wreckers get the ball back on their own 32 with 7:55 left trailing 21-7 and decide it's time to throw. Good call.
3:55 - On 3rd-and-15 from the Cheshire 16, Brendan Rankowitz makes a catch along the sidelines and sneaks into the end zone. Could Cheshire rue a chance to finish Staples off? It's 21-14 with 4:44 left.
3:59 - Cheshire's offense appears to be done for the day. They've gone more than a quarter without a first down, and punt it right back....
4:05 - To the fired up Wreckers. Gelman looks like Drew Brees and blue shirts are open everywhere. Two passes to Rankowitz combine for 42 yards and eventually Gelman sneaks it in from 1 yard out and the game is tied at 21-21 with 1:44 left. What a comeback and Cheshire appears to be in trouble.
4:10 - The Rams go nowhere on three plays and are forced to punt with 38 seconds left. Cheshire gets a break, though, when Pulek's punt bounces over Kelly's head and goes to the Staples 25.
4:12 - With 28 seconds to go, the wind at their back, and an All-State kicker in Santiago Cuartas (he's even got his own exercise bike), does Staples take a shot? I think they should, but they do what me and fellow Syracuse alum Bowley of the Post would call Pasqualonied it, (named after former Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni, who would always seem to be playing conservatively when they had a chance to finish teams off), fitting because both Petroccio and Cheshire coach Mark Ecke learned under Pasqualoni. Anyway, two tame runs later, and we're headed to overtime.
4:20 - It's a real reprieve for Cheshire and they take advantage. A pass to Dan Sweeney puts the ball to the 2, and Michael Skibicki - in his only carry of the game - scores to put Cheshire ahead.
4:23 - Kelly carries to the 6 on first down for Staples, gets to the 3 on second down - but Cheshire's Luke Scinto has the ball. Was it a fumble? It was, Cheshire wins, and red helmets fly everywhere as Cheshire is back on top for the first time since 1997.
4:25 - Scinto is giving interviews, but he's not giving up the ball, he might still be holding it as we speak. The WHHS staff is much more strict than the staff at Shelton, but the ND team makes it onto the field, as does the Bowman family, obviously.
4:26 - You have to feel bad for Kelly, who doesn't want to get up after the fumble. But Petroccio, a class act, pats his player on the head, and reminds him they wouldn't be here without him.
4:34 - Everyone poses for pictures, and Ecke - who was nearly run out of the job a few years back after a couple of losing seasons - is back on top. With his son on the roster, too: "It means a little more now. Last year, I talked about how great a ride it was making it to the finals, but this year we were more business-like. I think that helped our preparation for this game."
4:41 - As the sun sets both at West Haven High and on the 2009 football season, the SCC is back on top, winning both Class LL and Class L, and should claim the top two spots in the final state writers' poll when it is released. I happen to walk out the same time as Rob Bowman, like many of the players I've met this season, is as impressive off the field as he is on the field. I tell him it must feel good to be on top with Cheshire and his family.
"Absolutely."

ND-Pomperaug random thoughts

Random thoughts as we are halfway through our final weekend:

* I couldn't get over the stark differences between the last time Notre Dame was in the final (2001) and today's game.

In 2001, it was 70 degrees and a lot of people were wearing shorts at SCSU
In 2009, it was barely above freezing, a wet snow fell, and everyone was cold.

In 2001, John Decaprio used bruising runner Mike Penta and a dominating offensive line to bully favored Fitch.
In 2009, Tom Marcucci used an opportunistic defense, a few long passes, and even a fake punt to stop underdog Pomperaug.

But the 2001 team could only reach No. 2 in the rankings, and - unbelievably for a team that thought they might be on the outside of the playoffs going into the Thanksgiving games - with a Cheshire win, ND should finish as the No. 1 team in the polls this season. And right now, they are the best team in state (by the way, Bridgeport Central deserves to be up there somewhere, too)

* I think (and we'll see when the CTSN broadcast comes on in a couple of weeks) that the officials goofed on the pass interference call that kept ND's drive alive on a fourth down early in the fourth quarter with ND 21-14. But to say that's the reason why ND won is not fair to the Knights. These things happen, even in big games.

* Found out earlier in the week I've been spelling Conor Keniry's name wrong for two years. Oops. Luckily, after the state championship game he didn't care. Remember, he's going to Wake Forest to play baseball, so today was his final football game (at least with pads and such) ever. Fitting that the team leader got the final interception. Hard to underestimate how important leadership like that is in a team.

* Pomperaug is a very good team, much better than Conard, and can see eye-to-eye with anyone in the state this season. Today, ND was just a little better.

* Would appear ND had a very good group of kids this season, leadership, discipline, etc., and it paid off in the end.

Since ND's last title (2001), number of different teams to win a state title by conference:

SCC (7) : Hillhouse, Hand, Branford, Xavier, Shelton, West Haven, Notre Dame (can be 8 with a Cheshire win tomorrow)
FCIAC (5): New Canaan, Greenwich, Staples, Ridgefield, St. Joseph
NVL (4): Ansonia, Seymour, Holy Cross, Woodland
SWC (3): Brookfield, Masuk, Bunnell (can be 4 with a Bethel win tomorrow)
CCC (3): Glastonbury, Bloomfield, New Britain (can be 4 with a Berlin win tomorrow)
ECC (3): New London, Ledyard, East Lyme
Pequot (2): Cromwell, Hyde (good job by Hyde today by the way, maybe coming to the SCC next season?)

More tomorrow.

Message from the boss (postponements)

Good morning -

Happy Holidays... Thanks for your coverage of the SCC... can I ask a favor
- can you post the following message on your respective websites, blogs,
Twitter accounts, etc.    I appreciate the help...

Also - the SCC Fall Sports All-Conference teams will be released later this
evening, to.

SCC Football All-Conference Photo Session Rescheduled
(12/5) - - Due to the CIAC postponing state championship football night
games, the Southern Connecticut Conference 2009 Football All-Conference
Photo Session, originally scheduled for tomorrow - Sunday, December 6 at
noon at West Haven HS, has been rescheduled to SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13 - 12
noon - WEST HAVEN HIGH SCHOOL.

Any questions, please contact SCC Commissioner Al Carbone at (203)
671-4421.

Letter to NHHS baseball players

To: All Former North Haven High School Baseball Players
>
> The NHHS Baseball Team finally has a permanent home – a sodded, lighted, enclosed field – after a long seven-year wait. Unfortunately no money was allocated for fencing, dugouts, bullpens, etc. The lack of fencing creates a number of problems as the baseball and softball teams hit into each other.

> At this point in time, no school money is available for this project. My reluctant role is to fund raise as a fence is desperately needed. I am contacting members of all former teams requesting a small donation. My hope is that each team would sponsor one 10’ x 4’ section of portable fencing, costing approximately $160.00 each. We would need 56 sections of fence for the field. Whatever donation each team member could make to reach that cost would be sincerely appreciated. A sign or plaque would indicate the sponsorship of each section, noting the team year and accomplishments.

> Checks should be made out to:
>
> North Haven Athletics – Baseball Fence
>
> Please indicate your team year(s) on your check.

> Checks should be mailed to:
>
North Haven Athletic Department
> 221 Elm Street
> North Haven, CT 06473
>
> I hope you can attend a game in the spring and see our new field. A statue of a ball player has been erected at the field, dedicated to all former players and their team accomplishments.
>
> If you have any questions, or would just like to chat, my cell phone is 203-499-9268 and you can reach me by e-mail at bobdemayo@comcast.net. I would enjoy hearing from you. I hope all is well with you.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Bob DeMayo

SCC - Regular season finale (The award show)

In the end, the days of fretting and wondering whether or not even a win on Thanksgiving for the Notre Dame football team would get them into the state tournament were ended from an unlikely source last Wednesday night when unheralded Newtown upset Masuk (and it wasn't real close as the Nighthawks dominated the previously unbeaten Panthers).
But, there have been times in the past, the most prominent of which comes to mind as the 2002 Green Bowl, when Notre Dame has not done well with their playoff destiny in their hands. After the 2002 game was pushed back a day due to snow, the Dragons embarassed the Green Knights - who were the defending state champions and started the '02 campaign as the No. 1 team in the state - 33-0.
And Notre Dame, despite having some decent teams, hadn't had a sniff of the playoffs since. Until Thursday, that is.
To be honest, it was a nervy first half in front of a massive crowd in Hamden, with Notre Dame trailing 15-14. But the Knights displayed the character that has allowed them to recover from a potential crushing loss to Xavier in Week 2, outscoring Hamden 17-0 after the intermission to win somewhat easily, 31-15, actually their fourth straight win in the series.
How bad was the Xavier loss? It was 21-0 ND at halftime, and a 21-7 fourth-quarter lead was erased by an interception and a punt return. ND ran a kickoff back to take the lead, but Xavier drove back down the field to tie it, and won it on a two-point conversion they're still talking about in Middletown, with Julian Hayes breaking approximately 312 tackles on his way to the end zone. Even after that, the Knights had a touchdown called back and a Hail Mary prayer almost answered.
That's what a certain ESPN writer would call a "stomach punch" game. A big stomach punch.
(By the way, Jim Bransfield of the Middletown Press wrote after that game: "Julian Hayes saved Xavier's season." Pretty prescient, huh? Remember, the Falcons were blown out by Wilbur Cross in their opener, and a loss to Notre Dame would have put them at 0-2. They haven't lost since and traveled to Staples Tuesday night in the semifinals of the Class LL playoffs. OK, back to Notre Dame.)
However, they survived a shaky first half against both West Haven and Hand, pulled a game out late against Cheshire and it was cruise control from there on out. Never known as a prolific offensive juggernaut. Well, until now that is, the Knights never scored less than 28 points in the regular season (which made for an interesting Class L semifinal tilt with Conard Tuesday night).
The bottom line is that, despite valiant efforts from Simsbury and Conard among others, that Notre Dame certainly deserved to be in the playoffs. They went through the brutal Division I schedule (having played both Xavier and Cheshire, as well as Hamden), beat up on Naugatuck out of the NVL, and are legitimately one of the top five teams in the state. The playoff system will change for the better next season, but if Notre Dame doesn't deserve to be in the playoffs, who does?
The last time Notre Dame was in the postseason, 2001, they had to hold off Pomperaug before dismantling Fitch in the Class L final. It may be the Panthers again that stand in the way of the SCC picking up its first state title in three years (although obviously Cheshire and Xavier may be joining them in the finals).
With all of the talk of the playoff expansion and the crossover games and everything else that stands in the way of this time of the high school football season, the SCC is exactly where it wants to be heading.
Now can they finish the job?
Without further ado, our awards for 2009:
Player of the Year
Winner: Julian Hayes, Xavier - We already talked about him saving Xavier's season, so it shouldn't come as a huge surprise, he's our choice. What makes you a Player of the Year is coming up big when your team needs you most, and Hayes certainly did that, not only against Notre Dame, but against Hamden in an overtime win, and against West Haven as well. He played offense, defense, returned kicks, and pretty much anything else the Falcons needed. Perhaps this quote from coach Sean Marinan after the ND win sums his contribution up best: “He took a lot of the blame on himself for last week (in the loss to Crosss) and tonight he showed what he is -- a very good football player.”
2) Greg Palmer, Cheshire - It seems like you should be able to stop Palmer, but no one does. Taking over for Billy Ragone, he's looked a lot like him, rushing for 1,216 yards and 21 touchdowns on just 159 carries (including at least one in every game this season). His passing stats aren't great, just five touchdowns and seven interceptions, but his impact on the Rams' playoff run cannot be overlooked or underestimated.
3) Spencer Jones, Hillhouse - The Academics - along with Jones - struggled in the early part of the season, but led by him, they won five of their last seven games. Jones finished with 1,220 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns, while averaging more than seven yards per carry. Hillhouse finished just 5-5, but Jones was certainly among the best in the conference.
Defensive/Special Teams Player of the Year
Winner: Dan Sweeney, Cheshire - Sweeney isn't the biggest of kids, but like all good linebackers, he's in on almost every tackle when things are going well for the Rams, and - most of the time this season - they did. He also ran for 800 yards on offense, but when Cheshire allowed just 53 points in its final five games, it was Sweeney leading the way on the defensive side of the ball.
2) Robert Bowman, Notre Dame - Like Sweeney, is almost as important on the offensive live as he is on the defensive. But with eight sacks, and providing a significant obstacle to any running game at 6-foot-5, 270 pounds, Sweeney helped hold the Knights' defense together in a couple of the tough games in the middle of the campaign.
3 tie) E.J. Murray and Tito Slaughter, Wilbur Cross - The Governors' record wasn't great, but - with the exception of a couple of blowouts - their defense was very good, and was led by these two linebackers. It was extremely tough to run the ball on Wilbur Cross this season, and with a few breaks, their record would have looked a lot better at the end of the season.
Coach of the Year
Winner: Sean Marinan, Xavier - The Falcons were picked near the middle of the Division I pack, but were crushed at (Fort) Palmer Field, where they had been unbeatable in the past few years. Down 21-0 at halfttime in Week 2, somehow Xavier pulled out an upset of Notre Dame and haven't lost since, and that has a lot to do with the coaching, the Falcons were the 2005 Class LL champs.
2) Mark Ecke, Cheshire - Second straight year on this list for Ecke, after some in Cheshire were calling for his head a few years ago. Ecke lost Billy Ragone, but the team hasn't missed a beat. A lone tough loss to Notre Dame is the only blemish on the Rams' resume, and all the pieces Ecke has put into the puzzle have seemed to fit and Cheshire is back in the SCC playoffs for the second straight year.
3) Jeff Bevino, Foran - A lot of us pundits (yes, us) thought the worst when Tyler Hames and Jake White graduated, but the Lions' offense rolled on and the defense actually got better, leading Foran to a 6-4 mark this season. They really weren't that far from the Class SS playoffs, which is an achievement in itself.
Stories of the Year
Winner: Tom Marcucci and Notre Dame- Marcucci returned after a decade away and the Green Knights have also returned to the postseason as well for the first time in eight years. And they've been entertaining every step of the way, whether it be the combination of Sean Goldberg to Conor Kinary or the running attack of Justin Willis and David Rose, or some of the other burners they run out there from time to time. And they got the playoff berth to boot.
2) Where did Hamden's offense go? - Before the season, all the talk was about Hamden's (not Notre Dame's prolific offense), but the Dragons managed just 29 points in their three losses, and remarkably had only 11 touchdown tosses all season long. It was frustrating for everyone involved, but if it was that easy, then everyone would be doing it, wouldn't they? Hamden's three losses may be the biggest testament to the strength of Division I football.
3) Division realignment - There is talk, albeit preliminary, about - now stuck with 19 teams - the SCC switching back to a three-division format, still based on a population system, but it's going to be a tough sell for people like me. The big schools would still play the big schools, and the little schools would still play the little schools, but there would be the people in the middle, and who knows? Call me an old curmudgeon, I like the way it is.
Team of the Year
Winner: Foran - If you had season tickets and watched every Foran game this season, you certainly would have gotten your money's worth. Four of their games were decided in the final minute or in overtime, and Tucker Schumitz barely missed out on our players of the year by both throwing for and running for more than 1,000 yards this season. Like last year, some would argue about their schedule strength, but they battled to their second straight winning season.
2) North Haven - The Indians went to the old-school single wing and managed just three points in their opener against Branford. But then they unleashed Kendrick Amaker, and won seven of their final nine games, both losses coming to Division I teams (Cheshire and Hand). The offense was entertaining, but so was the teamwork and the effort North Haven put forth every week.
3) Shelton - The Gaels were an afterthought in the second half of the season, with no shot at the playoffs after a three-game losing streak that saw them give up 131 points in the process. But, with nothing but pride to play for, Shelton regrouped and won its final six games, none of them closer than 18 points. It's a case of coulda been, but also a case of not giving up when it would have been easy to do so.
Games of the Year
Winner: Xavier 29, Notre Dame 28, Week 2 - Ironically, the same final score as last year's winner (Hamden-West Haven). This one featured TDs by interception, kickoff return, and big plays. It also featured one of the best conversion runs of all-time that ended up winning the game by Julian Hayes. Notre Dame was crushed by the loss, but it didn't cost them, both teams made the playoffs.
2) Notre Dame 40, Cheshire 36, Week 4 - Luckily, this loss didn't cost the Rams, either, as they appeared to have the game won when a Kyle Pulek 41-yard field goal banked in with 41 seconds left. But the Knights came right back down the field in a game that neither defense did much stopping, and a David Rose touchdown run broke Cheshire's hearts and sent ND on the run that would take them to the postseason.
3) Branford 21, Foran 20 (2OT), Week 9 - It was unfortunate that a blocked extra point finished this one off, but both teams went back and forth in another one of Foran's exciting finishes. The win kept the Hornets' slim playoff hopes alive, but no one from Division II ended up making the playoffs this season.
Best team to start 2009
Winner: Notre Dame - They'll lose a few players, especially on the line, but with Sean Goldrich back and some of their other speedsters, the Knights' offense shouldn't miss too much of a beat. With the experience the Knights gained this season, they are certainly a team to be reckoned with next season.
2) Wilbur Cross - They'll have some holes to fill, but a team with Dontay Long and James Ward playing on it has to be failry dangerous, don't they? They might be the two top skill position players returning (with apologies to Mr. Goldrich) in the SCC and both have two years of varsity experience. The Governors certainly won't be a pushover, that's for sure.
3) North Haven - The Indians lose Kendrick Amaker, but quarterback Joe Schwab was only a sophomore and gained a ton of experience in 2009. They have a few young kids that can run the ball, and their offense will continue to give opponents fits.
EXTRA POINTS: People want to make a big deal out of the Notre Dame-Hamden "fight", but didn't look like there was too much to it. A couple of rogue frustrated Hamden players, escalated a little more than it should have, couple of people on the Hamden sideline that weren't coaches and shouldn't have been on the field, but nothing disastrous. Both sides did a decent job of calming things down reasonably quickly ... Also did not see the Derby-Shelton "fight" that had ejections attached, didn't necessarily like this quote from Derby coach Carmen Dicenso: “No disrespect to anybody’s organization, but there was a lot of trash-talking going on out there and I thought our kids handled it well and didn’t back down." Not to excuse ridiculous trash-talking, either, obviously ... East Haven coach Greg Volpe didn't exactly kill rumors that he won't be back after an 0-10 season, saying: “I am not sure right now,” Volpe said. “I will tell my kids any news first.” The Yellowjackets have lost 31 straight games, but have been reasonably successful at the sub-varsity level ... Fairfield Prep actually led West Haven late in the second quarter before getting blown out in the second half, but at least the Jesuits showed some signs of life.
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PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ricky Festa, Foran - Festa scored five touchdowns for the Lions in their 44-37 victory over Jonathan Law on Thanksgiving. Festa had three touchdown receptions, a rushing touchdown, and a kickoff return for a score in the contest, which saw Foran take a 21-0 lead in the second quarter, only to see the Lawmen run off 30 unanswered points to grab a lead of their own, with Foran eventually prevailing in a wild one.

GAME OF THE WEEK
Class L Final, Saturday, TBA - We're hoping it ends up being a Notre Dame-Pomperaug showdown, a game that many people think might feature the two best teams in the state right now. The Class LL final will be a great game, too, but a battle between the two high-powered offenses should pack them in wherever they decide to put it.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
1
Number of interceptions thrown by Notre Dame quarterback Sean Goldrich this season, against 17 touchdowns. The Green Knights don't throw the ball as much as some other teams, but when they do, they're almost flawless. By the way, that interception was in Week 2 againt Xavier and was run back for a touchdown by Julian Hayes.
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POWER RANKINGS
1) Notre Dame (9-1; Last Week 1) – Might have to beat two undefeated teams, but might be favorites.
2) Xavier (9-1; LW 2) – Long bus ride on Tuesday night to play one of top defenses in state.
3) Cheshire (9-1; LW 3) – Get a long awaited rematch with Glastonbury, stars from last year gone.
4) Shelton (7-3; LW 4) – Got a little feisty with Derby, but ended up with their sixth straight easy win.
5) Hamden (7-3; LW 5) – Whatever "it" was, the Dragons just didn't quite have that "it" this year.
6) West Haven (5-5; LW 6) – First of a trio of 5-5 teams that were put through ringer of Division I.
7) Hand (5-5; LW 7) – That "it" thing that was lacking in Hamden was also lacking a little in Madison.
8) Wilbur Cross (5-5; LW 9) – Big effort on Thanksgiving might be a springboard for 2010 Governors.
9) North Haven (7-3; LW 8) - Must be a dangerous playoff-caliber team next season with some breaks.
10) Branford (7-3; LW 10) - Hornets another team that might think they have chance at playoffs next year.
11) Foran (6-4; LW 11) - Schumitz has some enormous stats for the entertaining Lions this season.
12) Hillhouse (5-5; LW 14) - Had a chance to get a result in Elm City Bowl, but couldn't quite pull it off.
13) Sheehan (4-6; LW 15) - Another inconsistent season for Titans at least finishes up with a victory.
14) Lyman Hall (4-6; LW 12) - Thought the Trojans would win, but I miss that game every season.
15) Amity (3-7; LW 13) – Looked like there are some pieces to move the Spartans up the ladder soon.
16) Jonathan Law (3-7; LW 16) - Scored 30 unanswered points, but still was dropped by rival Foran.
17) Guilford (2-8; LW 17) - Lots of work to do for Indians, might start in the weight room in the offseason.
18) Fairfield Prep (0-10; LW 18) - Jesuits nearly had a lead at halftime, have to think things will get better.
19) East Haven (0-10; LW 19) - Things have to get better at some point.

SCC - Week 9 (Playoff solutions)

Everyone wants to be a champion. Better yet everyone wants to have a chance to be a champion, and therefore the first step is qualifying for the playoffs. We've gone over his before here, so I'm not going to spend a whole lot of space discussing why everyone can't make the playoffs, nor should they. I'm all for the new proposal to expand the current playoff system from 24 to 32 teams, decreasing the number of classes from six to four, but doubling the number of teams in each class from four to eight. Time will tell, however, whether the CIAC can get past the big obstacle of expanding the fall season by a week.
Anyway, if you've followed high school football the last few weeks, you know that the reason for the proposed change is exactly what is happening in Class LL this season: a perfect storm of very good teams grouped in one class, with only four of them able to advance to the postseason, meaning - of course - that someone is going to get the short end of the stick. Currently, Glastonbury and Staples are unbeaten, while Xavier, Cheshire, Bridgeport Central (coming off a more than impressive 42-7 beating of New Canaan last week), and Ridgefield all have one loss.
Ridgefield, Bridgeport Central, and Xavier are unlikely to lose (although the Falcons had better not sleep on Middletown, who is better than their record indicates), while Cheshire still has two difficult games remaining (West Haven and Southington). Bottom line, at the least, there will likely be five teams that finish the Class LL season with one loss (or fewer). With only four teams getting into the playoffs, one of those teams will be left out. That will obviously be a shame, and hopefully the new playoff system will eliminate one-loss squads not going through.
But everyone acts as if the solutions are so easy. You know what the best solution would be? To go to the system that is used in Texas, Florida, and many other places in the country. You scrap the conferences and play your games strictly by class, so you might have an eight-team Class LL geographic division that includes: Hamden, Cheshire, West Haven, Shelton, Amity, Newtown, Southington, and New Britain. The top two teams, plus two wildcards advance to the quarterfinals against the winners of the other two Class LL divisions, and you have a playoff.
Of course, these playoffs would have to start before Thanksgiving, a team like Hand would likely never play any of the aforementioned teams that have traditionally played in the SCC, and the season might go a little bit longer.
What I'm saying is, to make the system as fair as humanly possible, we have to eliminate the SCC and the conference structure as we know it. But deep down, be honest, do we really want that to happen? At a neutral observer, I wouldn't mind so much because I've seen it in places like Texas and how it is a better (but not perfect, remember nothing is perfect) way of determining a champion.
But we always go back to the same point: Is it all about deciding a champion? Is taking apart a league that does so many good things worth that price to have a more equitable playoff system? There are no right or wrong answers here, but the point here (as it is often in life) is that you need to understand the ramifications of what you're asking when you say it's unfair for certain teams not to make the playoffs.
I do feel bad for two-loss teams like Hamden, Manchester, Greenwich, and Newtown (all in LL), all of whom have very good football teams, and all of whom can probably compete with the best teams in the state. But where do we draw the line? It has to be drawn somewhere, and for now it's drawn with four teams in each one of six classes (hopefully soon it will be drawn with eight teams in four classes). But before you complain about a team like Shelton or West Haven not making the playoffs, understand what you're asking first. If you understand and still want to complain, then you're perfectly welcome to do so.
FALL OF THE DRAGONS: Hamden will go into their much-anticipated Thanksgiving tilt with Notre Dame probably playing just for pride after a disappointing 24-7 home loss to Wilbur Cross in the rain last Saturday. Hamden still has an outside shot to qualify for Class LL, but would need plenty of help. I can't help but feel partly responsible for the hype that the Dragons got in the preseason. By the standards of three years ago, Hamden had a remarkable campaign, taking a 7-2 record into the game with Notre Dame.
But, after making the playoffs last season, the expectations meter went through the roof, and the Dragons started the season as the No. 2 team in the state. There were some warning signs from the beginning, and Xavier finally took advantage by keeping Hamden scoreless through the final three quarters in an overtime victory. Last Saturday, the Governors were able to do the same thing, allowing a first-quarter touchdown, but nothing else, which might have been shocking to those who haven't followed closely, but there were three factors: a) the weather was miserable, which limited Hamden's ability to throw the ball; b) Hamden's passing game has sputtered for much of the season, culminating in a fourth-quarter intercption return for a touchdown by Maurice Morrison Saturday; c) Wilbur Cross is much, much better than their 4-5 record would show. In their five losses: they had Cheshire on the ropes, but fell 21-18; had a huge lead at one-loss Ridgefield before falling 28-27 (and ironically giving the Tigers 10 playoff points every time they win); were blown out in back-to-back games by Notre Dame and West Haven (no explanation given); and a loss to Hand in which they had more yards and appeared to be in control for large portions.
While extremely disappointing, Hamden is proving how tough it really is, both in SCC Division I and in Class LL. Unfortunately, the proof will likely result in Hamden being a spectator for the playoffs.
EXTRA POINTS: It won't help any of their SCC brethren, but Notre Dame will become big Glastonbury fans Friday when they host Simsbury. A loss by the Trojans means that at the least, the Green Knights will control their own destiny, and it might mean that they may be able to qualify for the playoffs even if they lose to Hamden (although that will drag Windsor back into the mix as well). For those scoring at home, if Simsbury and Notre Dame both win, it will be very, very close between the two for the fourth and final playoff spot. I think the Knights have a slight edge, but trying to figure it out at this point would give me a big headache. Keep checking the Twitter and the blog for updates on that front ... Most of the games went on despite the miserable conditions either Friday or Saturday (with the obvious notable exception of Xavier-West Haven), and the best game was between Branford and Foran, with the Hornets prevailing in double overtime, 21-20, on a blocked extra point. For those that don't follow the Lions, they may be the most entertaining team in the SCC week in and week out. The Hornets kept their Class M playoff hopes alive with the win. They should beat East Haven on Thanksgiving, then they need Bethel and Gilbert to lose, then outpoint them as well as Watertown. Stranger things have happened, but as with the Class L race, it's useless to discuss it any further at this point ... After sitting out a week because of the flu, Cheshire got to play in the rain last Friday, blanking Fairfield Prep 34-0, the seventh time in nine games the Jesuits have scored one touchdown or less this season. Don't think it will change too much against West Haven ... East Haven managed 21 points against Guilford, but still fell, 41-21, in the rain ... Hillhouse sludged through a 16-6 win over Sheehan. It seems like every time the Titans come to New Haven, it's a quagmire at Bowen Field ... Notre Dame had no trouble with the conditions, racing to a 31-0 halftime lead over Amity, before coasting to a 38-0 victory. It would be nice to see the Knights in good weather to see what their passing game can do, maybe we'll get one Thanksgiving morning ... Finally, North Haven kept its flickering Class MM playoff hopes alive by trouncing Jonathan Law, 46-13, a game the Indians led 40-6 after three quarters. North Haven, like Shelton and West Haven, will probably be out of the postseason, but still should leave the campaign with plenty of good memories.
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PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Joe DeSandre, Lyman Hall - Yeah, it was against Cheney Tech, but it's hard to ignore these numbers: 276 yards rushing on 22 carries and four touchdowns, as the Trojans rolled to 47-26 victory on Senior Night in Wallingford. DeSandre also returned the opening kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown to give him a total of five scores on the night.

GAME OF THE WEEK
Cheshire at West Haven, Saturday, 7 p.m. - Due to the game originally being postponed because of the flu at Cheshire, the Rams are going to have to take the hard route to the playoffs by beating West Haven and Southington in a five-day span. The Westies were trounced, 28-0, last Sunday by Xavier, so this might be their last stand, their last chance to play spoiler with Fairfield Prep coming up on Thanksgiving. The key will be the Westies stopping the Cheshire option, with a young squad, a few big plays may be the difference.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2
Number of rescheduled games that take place this week. In addition to the West Haven-Cheshire showdown on Saturday night at Ken Strong Stadium, Amity played Guilford Wednesday night in a game that was postponed last month due to the H1N1 outbreak at Guilford High. Sheehan will also take the field this weekend against unbeaten New London, an interesting test for both Division II and the ECC.
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POWER RANKINGS
1) Notre Dame (8-1; Last Week 1) – Hamden is reeling, but don't think the Knights will overlook them.
2) Xavier (8-1; LW 2) – Middletown is 1-8, but played an SCC Division I-like schedule this season.
3) Cheshire (7-1; LW 3) – Entire city of Bridgeport rooting for the Rams to fall down. Nothing personal.
4) Shelton (6-3; LW 5) – Gaels would like to reschedule all three of their losses for December.
5) Hamden (7-2; LW 4) – The warning signs were there, and Cross finally finished their playoff hopes.
6) West Haven (4-4; LW 6) – Maybe a little rusty after 17 days off? We'll find out Saturday night.
7) Hand (4-5; LW 7) – Should finish at the .500 mark, and wonder what life would be like in Division II.
8) North Haven (6-3; LW 8) - Playoff hopes just about dead, but a reachable 7-3 mark is impressive.
9) Wilbur Cross (4-5; LW 12) – Lots of credit for pulling the upset, but have to wonder what might have been.
10) Branford (6-3; LW 14) - Bethel beating Stratford doesn't help, but still faint playoff hope on Thanksgiving.
11) Foran (5-4; LW 9) - Lions should finish with a winning record for the second consecutive season.
12) Lyman Hall (4-5; LW 10) - Had a little trouble with Cheney Tech, but offense still clicking correctly.
13) Amity (2-6; LW 11) – Doesn't it seem like Spartans are playing someone in the top five every week.
14) Hillhouse (5-4; LW 13) - Jones helped Acs muddy their way to a low-scoring win over Sheehan.
15) Sheehan (3-5; LW 15) - Will be interesting to see how Titans do this weekend against New London.
16) Jonathan Law (3-6; LW 16) - Have to find a way to improve defense if they have a shot to beat Foran.
17) Guilford (2-6; LW 17) - Couple of Division I teams left as the Indians try to increase their win streak.
18) Fairfield Prep (0-9; LW 18) - Jesuits have scored more than once just twice all season.
19) East Haven (0-9; LW 19) - Gave it a run, better hope Branford is eliminated from playoffs before T-day.

SCC - Week 8 (Hooray for the refs?)

Believe it or not, this is a column a dozen years in the making. In 1997, in what seems like a different lifetime, West Haven fell to Cheshire in the Class LL semifinals after having a touchdown called back to a holding penalty.
I made the point - not well - that it is silly to say a referee doesn't "decide" the game because if he doesn't throw the flag, West Haven wins. I went on to say the call was probably correct and the referee did the right thing.
But the word "decided" didn't sit well with some in the refereeing community, and looking back on the situation with those dozen years of experience, I can totally see why. I got a letter from Bill Riccio, head of the New Haven board, telling me exactly why the word "decided" was such a poor choice.
Fast forward (or Flashforward, if you prefer) a decade later, and I decided - whoops, that word again - it was time to make the mistake up to the refs. Like everyone else involved in high school sports, the referees are doing something completely necessary for the game and for very little profit, especially in football - where there are more meetings than other sports, and only one varsity game per week (although some refs do work sub-varsity and youth games).
So about two years ago, I floated the idea to Riccio - one of the best in the business and currently the assistant interpreter for the state - of following his crew around for a Friday night and getting a semi-inside look at what the officials go through. He agreed, but it took two years (and a Cheshire-West Haven cancellation) to put it all together.
But finally, last week on a cold Friday night at the Surf Club in Madison, it all came together when Riccio and and his crew had the Hand-Wilbur Cross game.
I arrived at about 5:45, and Riccio and his crew were already getting changed in the makeshift locker room (the lifeguard station across the street). The crew spent a good half-hour going over different situations that might occur in the game and how to handle them: celebrations after touchdowns on the opposing sideline, wedge busters on kickoffs, illegal formations and trying to agree on whether it is or not on the snap, the time between an extra point and the ensuing kickoff, eligible receivers. Riccio always talks to each coach in the week before the game, just in case they were looking to do something unusual or just to get a feel on what to look for.
Finally, Riccio goes around to each member of his crew - umpire James White, head linesman Todd DeFelice, line judge Steve Rainey, back judge Peter Bowman, and timer Jim McGurgan - to let them know what they will be responsible for. Intermingled with the pre-game speeches are the usual joking you get with a veteran crew, including a friendly reminder to Riccio to hit the facilities before they go out to the field at 6:35.
It's not a long walk to the field at the Surf Club, the crew puts their stuff in their cars and heads to the field, the first issue coming when the yard markers are pointing toward the end zones and not the stands. Minor point, but remember, these are referees, perfectionists. DeFelice, the second most experienced and the most talkative of the bunch (which will be a good thing later on), is positioned on the Cross side, where I will spend most of the night (the Hand side doesn't allow you much room to move), but even though this isn't a huge game comparatively (both teams came in off losses and records of 3-4), you can tell that - at least by high school standards - this is a veteran and quality crew of officials.
It takes about three minutes for the Cross coaching staff to start talking to DeFelice, albeit politely: "Mr. Official, they're holding our end on every play, please keep an eye on it." On the other side, Rainey is getting the same treatment from the Hand coaches, and it pays off ealy in the second quarter when the coaches adamantly point out a Cross player not wearing a mouthguard on the snap. The flag is thrown and Cross has an important first down called back, which means DeFelice gets the wrath of the coaches. "If I see you telling any Hand players to put their mouthpiece in before the snap, then we're going to have a problem." Fair point, but DeFelice is just the messenger, of course.
A relatively uneventful first half ends 14-7 for Hand (with two touchdowns in 12 seconds in the final minute of the half). DeFelice spends the end of the half asking people for the delicious Surf Club popcorn, whose aroma permeates the facility. In the warmth of the lifeguard shack, the discussion is about the mouthguard call. Riccio points out that to prevent controversy, the call probably should have been made at the snap, killing the play and limiting argument. Yes, referees do correct themselves every once in a while. Riccio also tells White to be a little more talkative, mainly for self-preservation for the dangerous umpire spot that stands directly in the path of many running plays.
Before the second half begins, Hand coach Steve Filippone tries to schmooze with Riccio and Rainey, telling them that Cross is blocking downfield on pass plays (you must wait until the ball is caught to block). The third quarter is uneventful, by referee standards, the only flag coming on a pretty blatant pass interference call in the Hand end zone, Cross scoring on the next play to make it 21-21. White - who as the umpire has to spot the ball - bemoans the fact that the Surf Club has no hashmarks, certainly not like most of the turf fields, which make them impossible to miss.
It is not a big crowd, nor a really big game, but it is a competitive one as we head down the stretch. Hand has a 28-21 lead with two minutes remaining and is trying to run out the clock when Bowman calls a late hit on Cross, giving Hand a first down which basically seals the game for the Tigers. Cross coach John Acquavita realizes this and picks up an unsportsmanlike penalty to boot.
Although Bowman made the call, of course it's DeFelice who gets the lion's share of the fans' comments on the Cross side, especially after he calls an illegal formation right at the end. The usual stuff, though: "Good job, ref." "Way to give the game to them, ref" "You on the payroll in Madison?"
In the final minute, I get to make my contribution. Cross quarterback Dontay Long spikes the ball with 30 seconds remaining (it's now 35-21 Hand), and two plays later, it still says 3 on the down marker. Riccio and DeFelice meet to discuss and finally look to me (who they know is writing down every play for statistical purposes), and I give them a fist for fourth down, which it was supposed to be. Long throws an incompletion on the next play, the ball is turned over on downs, and the game is over.
I'm a little bit surprised than within 30 seconds off the final whistle, the referees are on their way out of the Surf Club like it's a getaway. At a local establishment near the Madison-Guilford line, they meet up with the crew from the Guilford-Hillhouse game (a 40-0 Hillhouse win) and discuss the night's proceedings.
DeFelice is quick to rib Bowman about the unsportsmanlike call and leaving him standing next to the guilty sideline. Riccio (and Bowman agrees) says that the second penalty (on the coaches) may have been a bit harsh because the original penalty was in a big spot and they needed to vent, within reason of course.
As they share their postgame meal, it is obvious that these officials are not there for the money (probably a lot of which was actually spent on dinner), but because they love what they do. For those of us that aren't refs, that seems like a masochistic point of view, but just like anything else in life, the enjoyment is what pushes them forward, why they put up with the abuse and the lack of recognition to go out there every week.
Most of you that have been reading this know I've been around for more than a decade doing this, and Riccio and his crew are probably the best in the high school game right now (and the New Haven board seems to be a step above some of the other boards). The fact that they allowed me the access that they did Friday night probably proves that point.
And - my main reason for doing this as well - before you abuse referees, remember that without officials, there is no game. And if you think you can do better? By all means, give it a shot. Riccio, in his 37th season, will be glad to show you the way.
FLU BUGS: Last week's game of the week between Cheshire and West Haven was postponed to next Friday after a number of Cheshire players came down with the flu (with the number of flu cases going around, tests for the H1N1 virus are rarely given to high school kids). Coach Mark Ecke said it was about 40 percent of the team, meaning everything - including practice - was cancelled until Monday.
No one here is accusing Cheshire of any shenanigans, but it was a bit curious, compared with the Guilford situation of a couple weeks back. In that case, the whole school was shut down, no sports were allowed to play or practice for the rest of the week. But at Cheshire, the limitations were confined to the football team. School went on as scheduled, the swimming team captured the SCC title, the girls soccer team captured a share of the conference crown, while the volleyball squad went to the SCC finals, all last week while the football team was on the sidelines.
Regardless of the circumstances, the Class LL playoff picture is now even more muddled than it was last week, with Cheshire still having three games remaining and seven teams having one loss or fewer with only two weeks left. Remember, Xavier has West Haven this week, but then winless Middletown on Thanksgiving. It's beginning to look like a team with one loss might be on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.
EXTRA POINTS: Meanwhile, in Class MM, three losses might be enough to get North Haven in for the second time in three years if the Indians can win their last two games, and with Jonathan Law and Amity remaining, you have to give them a shot. They will need some help, but don't be completely surprised if it's North Haven making the long trip to New Canaan on a cold Tuesday night in December ... The Cheshire-West Haven game was also the Channel 9 Game of the Week, so they switched on the fly to the Foran-Notre Dame contest. Yes, the game was a rout and, yes, it was 49-7 at halftime, but it was still a little more competitive than the Hamden-Fairfield Prep game the week before. The Lions had some success moving the ball, but just fell victim to turnovers. They couldn't stop the Green Knights at all, but no one has thus far this season ... Elsewhere around the league, it was a pretty uneventful week. Hamden struggled with Lyman Hall, which was surprising. Wilbur Cross seemed to have the upper hand against Daniel Hand (pun somewhat intended), but let the game slip away. Hillhouse drubbed Guilford, North Haven made short work of East Haven, but not quite as short as other teams have, same with Xavier against Fairfield Prep, while Law continues its slide in a lopsided loss to Branford.
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PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ryan DeAngelis, Shelton - DeAngelis ran for 182 yards and three scores on just 20 carries as the Gaels continued to stay hot, particularly on offense, as they pulled away late from Amity for an easy 46-23 win. Shelton has won four straight after a three-game losing streak found them at 1-3 through four games of the campaign.

GAME OF THE WEEK
Xavier at West Haven, Friday, 7 p.m. - Let's try this again, shall we? After last week's game against Cheshire was postponed, West Haven will have had 15 days off going into this huge tilt, while the Falcons will have had only six. Xavier is the hotter of the two teams, but their offense has not been terribly explosive of late, and if the Blue Devils can control Julian Hayes and the line of scrimmage at all, they have a shot to pull the upset and become the best friend of everyone else in the Class LL playoff race.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
413
Number of yards of total offense per game for Foran this season, good enough for seventh in the state according to Maxpreps. Not a bad effort this season from a squad that lost two of the most explosive players in the league to graduation in Tyler Hames and Jake White. The Lions could finish at 7-3 this season if they can beat Branford and Jonathan Law.
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POWER RANKINGS
1) Notre Dame (7-1; Last Week 1) – Knights rooting against Simsbury to lose in Class L playoff race.
2) Xavier (7-1; LW 2) – Only West Haven stands between Falcons and probable LL postseason berth.
3) Cheshire (6-1; LW 4) – Unexpected week off. Will it hurt them or help them? We'll find out.
4) Hamden (7-1; LW 3) – Dragons tied with Lyman Hall in the fourth quarter? Not confidence inspiring.
5) Shelton (5-3; LW 5) – Gaels' offense is sizzling. Too bad we'll never see them against Notre Dame.
6) West Haven (4-3; LW 6) – Have 15 days off before taking on Xavier Friday at Ken Strong.
7) Hand (4-4; LW 7) – Pulled it out late against Cross, will try to slow down Shelton this week.
8) North Haven (5-3; LW 8) - Will need a lot of help, but they could be in the playoff hunt yet.
9) Foran (5-3; LW 11) - Moving up after being down 42 at halftime? They'll have to prove it this week.
10) Lyman Hall (3-5; LW 12) - Is Hamden struggling, or are the Trojans playing that well? Dunno.
11) Amity (2-5; LW 9) – And for the Spartans' troubles, they get to host Notre Dame this Friday.
12) Wilbur Cross (3-5; LW 10) – Looked like they should have had a win last week, but got away.
13) Hillhouse (4-4; LW 13) - Academics came to life against Guilford last week. Good for them.
14) Branford (5-3; LW 15) - Hornets still holding out hope for a 7-3 campaign, which would be good.
15) Sheehan (3-4; LW 14) - Yet another team that had a bye last week. Can we find a 20th team?
16) Jonathan Law (3-5; LW 16) - Lawmen are limping home with two tough games remaining.
17) Guilford (1-6; LW 17) - Indians followed up a good effort with a poor one, but still three games left.
18) Fairfield Prep (0-8; LW 18) - And for a respite, the Jesuits get to face a rested Cheshire Friday.
19) East Haven (0-8; LW 19) - If they're going to break the losing streak, it's going to have to be this week.

SCC - Week 7 (Playoffs? Playoffs??)

In a sick, convoluted way, I am actually happy the CIAC football playoff system is as complicated as it is. I consider myself a pretty intelligent person, I'm good with numbers, and I am stupid enough to spend an inordinate amount of time crunching said numbers when I should be helping the world in some other fashion.
Maybe I should get a job with the government or something, I don't mind running through scenarios that seem to have little or no chance of happening. The frustrating thing, as it is for everyone, is that you can't predict the future (anyone take a look at my picks lately? If not, don't look). We may think we know what's going to happen, but the exciting, fun part about doing this stuff, is that we don't really know. So take what you are about to read with a grain of salt, and understand that it is just my best guess> But I can promise you one thing and one thing, only. I promise I will be more accurate than the weather predictors have been lately.
To simplify, we're going to eliminate the four divisions below Class L for SCC purposes. North Haven, at 4-3, actually has an outside shot in MM, but they aren't going to get many points from their final three games, and they would need St. Paul and East Lyme to lose twice each and then hope to outpoint them. Stranger things have happened, but we'll have time to get to them if they do.
So that leaves us with four teams: Xavier, Cheshire, and Hamden in Class LL, and Notre Dame in Class L.
Class L is more straightforward, so let's start there. It is almost assured that the top two teams, Masuk and Pomperaug, will finish undefeated. They are in the same conference (South-West), but don't play each other, which SCC teams could gripe about if they didn't have to look at themselves in the mirror. That gives you half the field and almost assures that Notre Dame will be on the road if they do get into the playoffs. Third is Conard, also undefeated, and although they don't have the pedigree of some other teams we'll talk about, they've allowed 13 points all season, so I'm thinking they also finish unbeaten, which gives us one spot left.
Notre Dame and Simsbury are the two favorites for that spot, Simsbury currently holding a 20-point lead over the Green Knights, but if both teams win out, ND's remaining opponents will give them 130 points, while Simsbury will only get 100. Looking at the schedules the rest of the way, my best guess is that Notre Dame edges Simsbury if both win out, which may also be important if both lose one more. Simsbury takes on unbeaten Glastonbury on Nov. 21, while the most anticipated Green Bowl in some time kicks off five days later. No other Class L team looks likely to finish with two losses and challenge for that fourth spot. If Windsor runs the table, they might have enough points, but Bloomfield lurks the day before Thanksgiving. I don't think Fitch can get enough points, even if they keep winning.
Bottom line: there is a scenario that could have Notre Dame clinching a berth in the playoffs before Thanksgiving, which would be a shame. For everyone except ND supporters, of course. And if the Knights win out, it's hard to find a way that they won't be the fourth seed in Class L.
OK, the easy work is done. On to Class LL, where a ridiculous nine teams still have zero or one loss with three games to go. Obviously, five of those teams will not be competing in the postseason. The three SCC teams: Xavier, Cheshire, and Hamden stand third to fifth (in that order). None of the three play each other (in fact, the only matchup between any of the nine is Staples-Greenwich on Thanksgiving), which makes this very complicated.
I will reiterate, these are my projections, and it is impossible to try to figure in every single scenario (but that doesn't mean I can't try).
Glastonbury is playing very well, and I think they can go unbeaten (although watch out for New Britain this week), so we'll give them one spot. Staples is undefeated, but has Trumbull and Greenwich left, and their starting quarterback is out for the season. Greenwich seems to have their number, but also has New Canaan and St. Joseph, with a combined one loss still left. Bridgeport Central still has New Canaan remaining, so we're taking them out of the equation. Ridgefield - whom Wilbur Cross could have taken care of for us - has a favorable schedule if they can beat Trumbull on Friday, but could be left wonting for points. Newtown has Masuk left on the night before Thanksgiving, with everyone in LL rooting for Casey Cochran and the Panthers.
As for the SCC teams, with West Haven as hot as they are, it's hard to see the Blue Devils losing to both Cheshire and Xavier, and they could really throw a monkey wrench into the proceedings by beating both of them. For our purposes, let's say they knock off one of them. Hamden-ND is a toss-up to end all toss-ups.
That leaves us with Glastonbury in, Staples, Xavier-Cheshire with one loss. If Hamden wins, that might make it easy for us, but if they don't, or a few upsets happen, it gets very, very complicated.
But the bottom line: unless we get a bunch of upsets and unexpected results (namely Greenwich running the table), it's hard to see a one-loss team from the SCC not getting into the postseason. That doesn't mean it can't happen, but it's not worth worrying about for another couple of weeks.
Just like the weather.
EXTRA POINTS: It's unfortunate that the game spotlighted on WCTX's (Channel 9) Game of the Week last Saturday was Hamden-Fairfield Prep. The Jesuits are suffering through their worst season, possibly ever, certainly since they've been in the SCC, and Hamden led 36-0 after one quarter, spending the rest of the night trying to figure out ways not to win by more than 50 points. Not to belabor points made in past years, but just watching on TV, it was quite painful to watch the second half. Obviously, the reason why the rule was put in is because coaches couldn't police themselves with 88-0 scores and the like, and I'm all for investigating running up the score if the situation warrants. But to set an abitrary score just makes it difficult for everyone involved. If you really don't want them to score more than 50, just call the game at that point, it would make me feel better ... On a related note, East Haven fell to Trinity Catholic 43-7 in Stamford in a game that was out of hand early, leading Trinity coach Peter Stokes, who team won only its second game all year to tell the Stamford Advocate, "The 50-point rule is ridiculous. It was put in because of Jack Cochran, and he's not coaching now so the rule should be eliminated. Coaches aren't focusing on the game but on the rule. No coach I know wants to embarrass another coach." ... You wonder what would have been had North Haven found a way to beat Branford in the season opener. The Indians are currently probably the hottest team in Division II, and led Cheshire 17-14 at halftime, before the Rams' defense stiffened and Cheshire prevailed 27-17. But North Haven also played Hand very tough, and would likely be in the playoffs at 8-2, but will have to settle for being Division II "champions" if they can win their last three games ... There isn't much room in the Surf Club locker rooms, which probably made the halftime talk from Tom Marcucci and his staff even more interesting. Somehow, the prolific Green Knights were shutout in the first half by Hand and trailed 14-0, but they came out for the third quarter a different team, scoring 21 straight points in the third quarter, and winning fairly comfortably 28-14. The first three scores were actually through the air from quarterback Sean Goldrich, a weapon ND hasn't had to use too much this season. A lesson learned for the Knights, or a warning sign? The Foran they play Friday will likely not be the intimidated squad they saw a year ago ... Xavier made quick work of Amity, the most significant thing for me in that game was noticing that Amity changed to bright gold uniforms this season. Very bright ... We don't talk much about the Division II teams, but full credit to teams like Foran, Lyman Hall, Guilford, and Branford for giving it a go every week this season. As they did last year, Foran surprisingly (at least to me) blew out Sheehan to move to 5-2 on the season. Lyman Hall, long ago written off, beat Law easily to win for the second straight week. And Guilford and Branford, fighting through adversity (Guilford unable to practice for a week because of the H1N1 virus and Branford losing quarterback Andrew Luzzi for the campaign with an injury), put together a heck of a game Friday night, with the Hornets racing to a 21-0 lead at the half, but the Indians came all the way back to tie it at 21-21 before Kyle Nolan hit Bryan Levchuk for the winning touchdown with seconds remaining for a 27-21 victory. Guilford is 1-5, but hasn't stopped battling ... Speaking of battling, with the playoff pressure now off, Shelton is rolling. It wasn't terribly surprising that the Gaels beat Hillhouse, but it was a little jarring that they beat them 42-8, and that it was 35-6 at the half. Sadly for them, the Gaels don't have another "big game" left. They'll have to make due against Amity and Hand, both pretty good competition, but not playoff teams ... Our Lou Holtz award goes to Xavier coach Sean Marinan, commenting on this week's game against Fairfield Prep at Palmer Field, "Very dangerous. They are playing for pride. They don't have anything to lose. They are relaxed and will take chances. This could be a big trap game for us." The Jesuits' closest game of the year is 21 points, and their closest Division I margin of defeat is 29 points. I think they'll be OK.
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PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tucker Schumitz, Foran - Schumitz ran for 263 yards and three touchdowns as the Lions continued to roll, beating Sheehan 28-7 last Friday night in Wallingford. Included in those scores were an 85 and 79-yard scoring run. It marked the second straight year, a Foran runner put up big numbers against the Titans, last year it was Tyler Hames going for more than 300 total yards in a lopsided Foran win.

GAME OF THE WEEK
Cheshire at West Haven, Friday, 7 p.m. - I think this breaks the unofficial record for most times in the Game of the Week for the Rams, but their playoff lives are probably on the line at Ken Strong Stadium. This has been a great rivalry in the past, in recent years, it's been the Rams tring to play spoiler to the Blue Devils, but this year the roles are reversed. On current form, you;d have to think that the Westies are ready to spring an "upset", but I thought the same thing in Shelton earlier this season and Cheshire rolled to victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
240
Number of points Shelton has scored this season, good enough for second best in the SCC, with 42 of them coming last Friday against Hillhouse. Unfortunately for the Gaels, they have also allowed 173 points this season, the most of anyone in Division I not named Fairfield Prep, which finds them at 4-3 with three games remaining.
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POWER RANKINGS
1) Notre Dame (6-1; Last Week 1) – Sleepwalking would be a kind ascertation of their first half.
2) Xavier (6-1; LW 2) – Seem to be rolling, but the date with West Haven looms on the schedule.
3) Hamden (6-1; LW 3) – Watching Dragons try to not score was just painful television all around.
4) Cheshire (6-1; LW 4) – Not exactly playing their best ball of the year, saving it for West Haven?
5) Shelton (4-3; LW 5) – As hot as anyone in the conference, but no one above them left to play.
6) West Haven (4-3; LW 6) – Will have to settle for role of spoiler, but what a spoiler they can be.
7) Hand (3-4; LW 7) – Another close call for Tigers, seems like they've had plenty lately.
8) North Haven (4-3; LW 9) - Hopes of playoffs are flickering, but they are still there. Kind of.
9) Amity (2-4; LW 8) – Have a chance to spoil like West Haven does, but some tough ones left.
10) Wilbur Cross (3-4; LW 10) – Governors are in free fall, and no rest available for the weary.
11) Foran (5-2; LW 13) - Is it possible this year's Lions might be a little better than last year's?
12) Lyman Hall (3-4; LW 14) - They kept saying they were close to breaking out. Might have been right.
13) Hillhouse (3-4; LW 11) - So, I guess there is still a gap between D-I and D-II. Good to know.
14) Sheehan (3-4; LW 12) - Titans are one of the toughest teams to figure out year in and year out.
15) Branford (4-3; LW 15) - Wasn't the prettiest of victories, but still very good for team pysche.
16) Jonathan Law (3-4; LW 16) - Two bad games in a row, we'll see what kind of pride they have now.
17) Guilford (1-5; LW 17) - Played a decent game, have battled hard with a very young squad this year.
18) Fairfield Prep (0-7; LW 18) - I don't even think the Jesuits wanted that game to be on TV last week.
19) East Haven (0-7; LW 19) - North Haven, Guilford, and Branford left to try to get that elusive win.

SCC report - Week 6 (A good man leaves us)

This might be the first time you've read the name Tony Mentone in print. And he'd probably be fine with that. Unfortunately, Mentone - who worked at Hamden (I was trying to give him a title here, but couldn't come up with one that would do him justice), died of a heart attack last week at the age of 63.
Mentone was one of those guys who didn't get the publicity of a coach and didn't really care to. But in every high school athletic program, there are jobs that need to get done for everything to run smoothly and Mentone pretty much did them all at Hamden.
His official title was facility manager, but here's an incomplete list of things he did for the Dragons: junior varsity basketball coach, freshman baseball coach, ticket taker, scoreboard operator, equipment repairer, security detail, etc.
He also did plenty away from Hamden High to help the youth of the community.
"He pretty much did everything for us, going back to when (former Athletic Director) Vin Iezzi was here," Hamden Athletic Director Jeannie Cooper said. "You name it, he did it for us. It will take a bunch of people to replace him."
According to his son Mark (who wrote for this publication before becoming a full-time Sports Information Director, currently at Felician), he coached his sons in the Hamden Fathers Little League, and after they graduated, he just stayed with it.
He was also (as Mark is) an accomplished umpire, having worked at various levels in the area, and worked closely with the youth basketball leagues in Hamden as well.
But Tony's contribution goes beyond what goes on a resume. He had a passion for the kids, a passion that can't be taught, but can be easily seen by any kid he worked with. Therefore, it wasn't a surprise that so many of his former players and colleagues overflowed Iovanne Funeral Home in New Haven last Thursday to pay their respects.
Too often at the high school level, we judge people by how much they win (and everyone, including Tony, wanted to win, don't get me wrong), and not the effect they have on the kids they work with.
"He had zero selfish intent," Mark said. "But he got a great deal out of it for himself as well. There was just a pure pleasure in helping kids, of all ages and abilities, that never got old for him."
As we go forward toward the playoffs and champions and playoff points and controversies, always remember that guys like Tony Mentone are the reason high school sports are such a valuable teaching tool to young people.
But Tony loved every minute of it. As his son said, "I would ask him if he spent too much time doing it, and he would always say, 'What the hell else am I gonna do?' "
PLAYOFFS? ALREADY?: Going to go off on a couple of tangents that take us off the field (but not very far, don't worry) this week, but I wanted to start with the mess that the CIAC playoff race is coming. If you take a look at the CIAC site and get a slightly pained look on your face like I did, you know what's coming.
With four games left, Hamden, Cheshire, and Xavier stand third, fourth, and fifth in the Class LL race with four teams, obviously, qualifying for the postseason. If it ends that way, I would be torn. It would be great for the SCC to have half of the Class LL field (and well deserved, I might add), but how do you choose between three teams that are 5-1? Right now, Hamden would be the one on the outside looking in, but - crunching the numbers - it looks like it might be the Falcons who may be in trouble if all three teams win their remaining four games. And while it's not a foregone conclusion, it's certainly a possibility. With nine teams in Class LL undefeated or with one loss, it seems there is a decent chance that someone with one loss will not make the postseason. For us SCC folk, that brings back bad memories of Jonathan Law from a couple of years back and Amity before them who finished at 9-1 and got no ticket to the playoff dance.
Luckily, although they are currently in fifth, Notre Dame shouldn't have the same problem in Class L. If they win out, they should be in. In fact, even if they lose again, the Green Knights have an outside chance to make the playoffs in Class L, which leads to our nightmare scenario.
Picture Thanksgiving at Hamden High in front of 5,000 people (and the Green Bowl looks like it's going to be the place to be this year). The Dragons down by a score late storm down the field and win the game on the final play to move to 9-1 on the season. The Knights fall to 8-2, but because of their respective classes, Notre Dame goes to the playoffs, while Hamden is left out in the cold. To be honest, it's not terribly likely, but it could happen.
Fortunately, a change in the playoff system might be on the way. If they can get enough votes, the playoff system will go back to four classes next year, but with eight teams in each class, extending the season by one week, but making each class more competitive, and making there less of a chance deserving teams get left out.
As we've discussed before, no system is perfect, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to make it as good as possible.
EXTRA POINTS: The Guilford-Amity game was postponed last Friday due to an outbreak of the H1N1 virus at Guilford High. All activities from last Thursday through the weekend at the school were cancelled, including all practices. In fact, school was cancelled on Monday and Tuesday, which obviously meant there was no practice those days. The Guilford-Amity game is scheduled for Nov. 19 (the week before Thanksgiving). They are slated to play Branford this Friday. If that game is postponed? Who knows? The Indians have been more affected in other sports where their girls cross country team, favorite to capture the SCC title, fell to Cheshire last week, in part because some of their kids were sick (to be fair, they didn't use it as an excuse). The boys soccer team will likely qualify for the SCC Tournament (and the girls have an outside shot as well), meaning no one knows how they will squeeze all the games they have to get in with the state tournament starting next week ... The only Division II team that seems to have a shot to qualify is North Haven, who beat up on Sheehan 48-14 last week. The dilemma for the SCC is that if North Haven is able to upset Cheshire this week, that would likely eliminate the Rams from postseason contention. Regardless, a very intriguing game ... Cheshire had some trouble putting Hand away, but eventually did 31-13. The poor Tigers have a good team, but just not quite as good as the top Division I squads ... Hillhouse continues to roll, especially the white-hot Spencer Jones, who had four first-half touchdowns in the Academics' 34-8 win over Jonathan Law ... We've gotten this far without talking about the Notre Dame-Wilbur Cross game which probably tells you how good the game actually was. The Knights were up 28-7 by halftime and coasted to a 42-7 win. Hand will be the next to try to stop the vaunted ND offense Friday night ... Speaking of offense, Hamden posted just 52 yards combined in the second and third quarters of last week's overtime loss to Xavier. The Dragons wanted to get running back Jordan Teague into the offense gradually coming off an ankle injury, but Teague ended up with 31 carries (for 167 yards), 13 coming on one drive. Unfortunately, his 31st carry was a fumble in overtime and Xavier scored the winning touchdown on the next play.
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PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kendrick Amaker, North Haven - Amaker ran for 139 yards and four touchdowns on just nine carries as the Indians beat Sheehan easily, 48-14, last Friday. Amaker, who is North Haven's threat to score every time he touches the ball, scored from 30, 47, 22, and 30 (again) yards out on his scores.

GAME OF THE WEEK
Cheshire at North Haven, Friday, 7 p.m. - The Rams will enter the game as favorites, but for those comparing scores, Cheshire held off Sheehan 30-24 two weeks ago, while North Haven beat the Titans 48-14 last week. North Haven's defense has been excellent all season, while Cheshire has been able to score against every opponent they've faced, so something has to give.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
246
Number of points Notre Dame has scored this season, behind only Bloomfield in the state (Avon is tied), and the Green Knights have a slight strength of schedule edge over Bloomfield. In the SCC, only Cheshire (208) is even in the same offensive league as the Knights. Shelton (198) is third, but the Gaels have given up more points than everyone but winless East Haven and Fairfield Prep.
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POWER RANKINGS
1) Notre Dame (5-1; Last Week 2) – A new No. 1 and not much argument. Can they master the Surf Club?
2) Xavier (5-1; LW 3) – Have won five straight, and will be heavy favorites the rest of the way.
3) Hamden (5-1; LW 1) – Dragons' offense just isn't very good right now, 6th in D-I in points scored.
4) Cheshire (5-1; LW 4) – Struggled with Sheehan, will they do the same in North Haven Friday?
5) Shelton (3-3; LW 5) – Nice to get an easy one under their belts, Hillhouse won't be quite as simple.
6) West Haven (3-3; LW 7) – With that intermission concluded, back to the grind for young Westies.
7) Hand (3-3; LW 8) – Not that far off, but don't have to be that far off when playing in Division I.
8) Amity (2-3; LW 9) – An unexpected week off, but under the circumstances, not much they can do.
9) North Haven (4-2; LW 11) - Have had more success than most in crossovers. They'll need it Friday.
10) Wilbur Cross (3-3; LW 6) – What happened to that team that destroyed Xavier at Palmer Field?
11) Hillhouse (3-3; LW 14) - Acs are improved, but we'll see just how much when they take on Shelton.
12) Sheehan (3-3; LW 12) - Defensive woes that have haunted Titans in past resurfaced against North Haven.
13) Foran (4-2; LW 15) - Lions really couldn't find anyone else to play them, so had to settle for Abbott Tech.
14) Lyman Hall (2-4; LW 17) - Really, Trojans had been knocking on the door for a couple of weeks.
15) Branford (3-3; LW 10) - Luzzi done for season, and it seemed to have an immediate effect on Hornets.
16) Jonathan Law (3-3; LW 13) - Just never got out of starting blocks in day game in New Haven.
17) Guilford (1-4; LW 16) - Going a week without even practicing can't be good for squad, but better safe.
18) Fairfield Prep (0-6; LW 18) - All Division I games left for Jesuits. Doesn't look good.
19) East Haven (0-6; LW 19) - At least back to D-II this week.

SCC report - Week 5 (the crossovers)

SCC Commissioner Al Carbone and I don't always see eye to eye on issues regarding the league, but - at the end of the day - we're both out for the same thing, to make the league the best it could possibly be. We both also do this thing part-time, which means that we're not doing this for the money, but for the kids, and to make high school sports something: a) they can take a positive experience out of, and b) they can learn lessons they can take into their adult lives.
Although we sometimes joke with him that he's a little like Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, ubiquitous to the point of overkill, as a commissioner, Al Carbone has been nothing short of stupendous. The league has run so smoothly that people forget what it was like before its inception. And they also don't realize how disjointed some of the other leagues around the state can be.
But Al's job is to promote the league, while mine is to is report, a subtle but significant difference that often results in us looking at the same thing in different ways.
Like the just completed crossover week, for instance. Al sees it as a necessary way to keep the a giant league together and under one roof. I see it as a colossal cop-out and waste of time. Al points out that some of the Division II schools quite regularly competed well against the Division I teams before the SCC, and the fact that they say they can't compete is the real cop-out.
Fair enough, I retort, but the numbers (I don't want to waste space here) speak for themselves. Too many blowouts to not play all the teams in your division first before worrying about the other division.
So, expecting the usual round of blowouts, I watched Notre Dame dismantle Naugatuck out of the NVL, and waited for the scores to come in. But some of the Division II teams had seen some of this argument transpiring in the media and elsewhere, and they decided to make a stand, seemingly together.
Guilford used a pair of onside kicks and some inspired defense to take a halftime lead over Xavier. Foran - which gave up 50 in the first half to West Haven last season - gave up none in the first quarter and trailed the Westies only 7-3 at the half. Branford, 49-0 losers the week before to Xavier, was only down 12-7 to top-ranked Hamden. Sheehan was battling Cheshire score for score. Hand couldn't move the ball at home against North Haven.
Division II had risen as one. And it's likely that no one had a bigger smile on his face than Al Carbone.
In the end, Division I prevailed in all seven of Friday night's contests, with Xavier, West Haven, and Hamden all winning comfortably, and Cheshire and Hand hanging on, but the point had been made, they play some football in Division II as well.
For those that have read my stuff for a while, you probably know I'm not afraid to admit when there is some wiggle room in what I say. I still maintain that not playing all nine (or eight in Division II's case) teams in your division is silly and doesn't give you a true champion (instead of these silly four division champions when no one knows who and who is not in your division, anyway).
But one thing you have to remember about this whole situation is that all teams - not just Division I and not just the top teams - put in hard work all summer and all fall in an effort to win games. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't, but while people like me focus on mostly the best of the best, it shouldn't diminish the rest. In a long-term view, the journey is more important than the final destination.
And I think that's where people like Al Carbone are coming from. They see the big picture that sometimes people like me miss. They look out for the little guys, the teams that may be struggling, and understand that they may be working just as hard as the top teams, they just may not have the talent to keep up in a given season.
As we head down the stretch, it's something to remember.
Perhaps Sheehan coach John Ferrazzi said it best (to the Meriden Record-Journal) after his team's tough 30-24 loss to Cheshire. The Titans are one of three current SCC teams to have never won a crossover game, but gave it everything they had last Friday and had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.
"I'm tremendously proud of my team," Ferrazzi said. "I said to them before the game, 'You need to put in an effort tonight where you leave the field proud to be a Titan'. They're leaving here proud to be Titans. I'm proud to be their coach. We just came up one score short."
EXTRA POINTS: Hopefully, Notre Dame quieted the argument that the NVL is just as good as the SCC argument for the time being. I understand Naugatuck is only 2-3 and they were slightly beaten up going into the game, but it was about as lopsided a game as you could possibly have, It was 42-0 with four minutes left in the half, and Naugy never did stop Notre Dame's first-string offense. Ansonia did beat Hillhouse fairly badly, but other than Fairfield Prep (which the Acs beat handily last Saturday), I don't know if there's another Division I team that they can beat right now. So it would seem to try to rank any NVL team in the Top 10 right now would be silly. I think Hamden, Notre Dame, Xavier, and Cheshire could all win the NVL this season with ease ... For reasons known only to them, Wilbur Cross and East Haven moved their game up a day, and played in hideous weather on Cross' grass field. The Governors led 48-0 at half, and after a fumble return for a score, actually led 54-0 after three quarters, but allowed two late touchdowns to prevent a 50-point debacle. Can we get rid of the rule already, please? ... Hamden was playing without running back Jordan Teague, but at some point are going to be made to pay for their sluggish starts (maybe this week against Xavier?). The Dragons led only 12-7 at half before outscoring Branford 30-0 in the second half of a 42-7 win. But stiffer tests await ... Of course, Xavier's start was worse than Hamden's last week. Guilford - second-to-last going into the week in the Power Rankings - recovered an onside kick and, after getting a field goal, decided it was so much fun, they'd do it again. Most disturbing, Xavier couldn't put up a point in the first half, and led only 6-3 after three quarters before finally putting the game away with 21 points in the fourth. Kudos to Guilford for a fine effort, though ... And although West Haven eventually put Foran away, the Westies were left shaking their heads about a rejuvenated Lions' squad ... There were a couple of Division I teams that took care of business rather easily, Shelton and Amity, beating Jonathan Law and Lyman Hall, respectively.
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PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kyle Kalanta, Amity - Kalanta ran for 207 yards and four touchdowns as the Spartans won their second straight game, beating Lyman Hall 34-16. All of Kalanta's touchdown runs came in the first three quarters of the game.

GAME OF THE WEEK
Xavier at Hamden, Friday, 7 p.m. - This was a close call, as Wilbur Cross-Notre Dame has plenty of intrigue as well, but with the Dragons undefeated and the Falcons one of the prime competitors, this game wins out. One of the questions Hamden faces is if running back Jordan Teague is healthy. Their defense has been solid pretty much all season, and they'll probably have to carry them again here.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2
Number of SCC teams which have never lost a crossover game, Notre Dame and West Haven. Part of that is due to scheduling, neither one has played Hillhouse or Branford, the Division II teams that have claimed the most Division I scalps. By the way, Lyman Hall, Sheehan, and East Haven have never won a crossover game, for some of the same reasons.
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POWER RANKINGS
1) Hamden (5-0; Last Week 1) – Get a sneaky feeling they may unleash the hounds on Xavier this week.
2) Notre Dame (4-1; LW 2) – Cross' defense is very good, but they will be severely tested Friday.
3) Xavier (4-1; LW 3) – Still some question marks, they will be answered against Hamden.
4) Cheshire (4-1; LW 4) – Speaking of question marks, Rams haven't stopped too many people this year.
5) Shelton (2-3; LW 5) – Senior class would show a lot of guts by running the table rest of way.
6) Wilbur Cross (3-2; LW 7) – Well, I think it's time to put up or shut up for the Governors against ND.
7) West Haven (2-3; LW 6) – Blue Devils showed they are still young and mistake-prone last week.
8) Hand (3-2; LW 8) – Tough to say, but really don't appear to be going too far, too fast in 2009.
9) Amity (2-3; LW 9) – Two straight wins and playing pretty good football. Could be a spoiler.
10) Branford (3-2; LW 10) - Does 8-2 get the Hornets a playoff berth? We may get to find out.
11) North Haven (3-2; LW 11) - Little tougher road home for the Indians, but you never know?
12) Sheehan (3-2; LW 12) - Titans may actually be ranked a little low here. Both losses to D-I.
13) Jonathan Law (3-2; LW 13) - Lawmen can now concentrate on the Division II portion of slate.
14) Hillhouse (2-3; LW 14) - Jones continues to put up monster stats as Acs have improved.
15) Foran (3-2; LW 15) - Might have been the most surprising first half out there. Lot of props to Lions.
16) Guilford (1-4; LW 18) - Well, second most surprising. Too bad for Indians couldn't stop it at half.
17) Lyman Hall (1-4; LW 17) - Respectable performance against Amity, but couldn't keep it real close.
18) Fairfield Prep (0-5; LW 16) - All Division I games left for Jesuits. Doesn't look good.
19) East Haven (0-5; LW 19) - Losing streak marches to 26 and counting.