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.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
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.
Check us out on Twitter, www.twitter.com/currenscc. If you have any story ideas or scores you want to get across, let me know.
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.
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.
Check us out on Twitter, www.twitter.com/currenscc. If you have any story ideas or scores you want to get across, let me know.
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.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
The SCC report - Week 4
Well, we can't seem to get No. 1 and No. 2 in the Power Rankings, so when No. 2 and No. 3 get together, it must be a big occasion, and with a big occasion in the middle of the season comes the one, the only, the SCC Annual Running Diary (although I reserve the right for another one if we have a remarkable state final or something). Cheshire and Notre Dame figured to put up a lot of points, and it was, by far, the game of the week in the SCC. So without further ado, to the Maclary Complex.
6:15 - Due to an unexpected (and perplexing) soccer cancellation, I make it to the parking lot with plenty of time to spare. Still, I park as close to the exit as possible because there's one road in and one road out - Rte. 10. Still, I love the walk down to the field, past the field hockey and softball fields with the sound of the band, the smell of tailgating. It's a big game, and although it's not like it was when Cheshire was winning six consecutive state titles, it's still why I do this on Friday nights in the fall. Great atmosphere.
6:25 - Check out the field and it's a little wet, but nothing outrageous. As expected, the grass is about 10 inches high. Interesting fact, Cheshire doesn't let anyone else use their game field (youth football, etc.) until after the first home game of the season, and this is the first home game.
6:30 - Joining Steve Kirck on the sportingnewsct.com (simulcasted on gogreenknights.com), and he's nice enough to bring a burger and hot dog from the ND tailgate on the other side. Yes, it could be construed as a bribe, but it's a tasty bribe, and Steve's an honest guy (he's a college basketball official, after all). Saves me from wading through throngs of people for food.
6:55 - As the teams come out for the opening kickoff, a lot of the coaches are actually in short sleeves. It's not outrageously warm or anything, but it is humid. See if that plays a role later on.
7:00 - Trying to be on the air while girls are singing the national anthem right behind us. Want to be respectful, but can't hear what's going on with the ads without the headphones on, so I apologize. Tougher than it looks.
7:07 - After Notre Dame's first drive stalls, Cheshire's Greg Palmer fakes a handoff and runs 74 yards for a touchdown on the Rams' first play. I'm no advance scout, but that had to be on a tape somewhere. 7-0 Cheshire.
7:11 - The Knights move the ball to the Cheshire 20, but the Rams sack Sean Goldrich twice, once by John Sasso, and again by Billy Weyrauch on fourth down.
7:16 - Cheshire faces a key 3rd-and-4 at their own 39-yard line, and the lights go out. Well, half the lights, on our side, but luckily the press box lights stay on. Way too dark to proceed, though.
7:30 - Kill time watching the pitch-by-pitch of the Yankees on my phone, and chatting with Steve about the SCC. Probably pretty clear we're out of material by the 20-minute mark.
7:40 - Most unanimous roar of the night as the power returns in full. Good thing, Steve and I were going to introduce our 40s-style comedy variety show complete with sound effects. Wouldn't have gone well, I don't think.
7:46 - Play resumes. Cheshire doesn't get the first down, but goes with a quick snap quarterback sneak on fourth-and-2? That took guts, but Palmer gets the first down by the length of a football. On the next play, he goes 57 yards untouched for a second score. See, if you succeed, it's guts. If you fail, it's stupidity. 14-0 Cheshire with 4:08 left in the first quarter and Palmer has rushed for 138 yards on just five carries.
7:55 - ND is driving, but it's a fum-ble inside the Cheshire 10. David Rose (who would go on to have a big night) coughed it up and Dan Sweeney pounces on it. ND might be going down for the count early.
8:04 - But the defense steps up. Palmer is brought down for a 4-yard loss, the Rams are forced to punt from their own end zone, and Conor Kinary returns it to the Cheshire 23. Four plays later, Rose is in (with two hands on the ball) and the extra point makes it 14-7.
8:07 - Well, now. Max Slade's first carry is a disaster for the Rams. The handoff is dropped, Kris Matthews' eyes light up and he scoops it up and trots in for the touchdown. The extra point ties the game at 14-14. Oh, this is going to get good, you can feel it.
8:19 - Cheshire regains momentum with an old-school drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, including a couple of huge third down conversions. On third-and-goal from the 2, Sweeney gets in, but normally reliable Kyle Pulek misses the extra point wide left. 20-14 Cheshire with 4:26 to go in the half.
8:28 - The ND offense that sputtered at the beginning is finally in gear. Justin Willis is finding big holes, and Goldrich suddenly has plenty of time to find people. From the Cheshire 10, he finds Tim Lyons, and Rodrigo Echandia's third PAT gives ND its first lead, 21-20, which they take into the locker room (or behind the goalposts).
8:31 - Steve and I both cringe at the 20-minute halftime, on top of the delay, but the band deserves its time, too. As do the bathrooms. And the Yankees, who have gone down 3-1 to the Twins. Can you yell at a phone like you do a TV? What, you don't yell at televisions? I'll stop while I'm behind.
8:55 - Finally, the second half, and Cheshire's offense can do nothing. Slade is dropped for a loss and Cheshire has to punt.
9:04 - The defenses have a fleeting moment of glory, which is shattered by Sweeney getting through the ND line and rumbling 62 yards to the Knights' 5-yard line. On fourth-and-goal, Michael Skibicki is stood up, but is able to fall into the end zone for a TD. Cheshire regains a 27-21 lead with 4:54 left in the third.
9:14 - ND's offensive line is just massive and they're pushing Cheshire all over the Maclary Complex at this point. That's allowing Goldrich to find his rythym, too, and it's only a matter of time. Rose does the honors from 3 yards out, and Echandia's fourth PAT gives ND the lead back, 28-27 as time expires in the third quarter.
9:23 - And back comes Cheshire. Mark Ecke has the guts (he succeeded again) to bring in Slade at QB, even though his first three carries of the night went for negative yardage. Slade is involved in all but one of the nine plays on the Rams' touchdown drive as they go Wildcat on ND and Slade does his best Tim Tebow impersonation, finally scoring from 3 yards out. The conversion fails, but Cheshire leads 33-28 with 7:51 to go.
9:29 - They're standing in the middle of the ring now throwing haymakers. How are these teams still standing? Willis, one of three ND ballcarriers who were on a state title-winning 4x100 team last spring, bursts through the Cheshire defense for a 47 yard touchdown run. ND tries that dumb fade pass on the conversion and Kinary actually makes a nice catch, but he's out of bounds. I just hate that play, sorry, so little margin for error. 34-33 Notre Dame, still 6:13 to go. Did I mention I love SCC Division I football? This is great stuff, except maybe for the defensive coaches.
9:35 - Palmer back at QB, and on 3rd-and-15 from their own 10, he hits Brian DeBishop (his first catch of the night), but they're a yard short. Will they go from their own 24? Absolutely, you know Ecke's got guts (success coming). Palmer keeps it and gets 8 yards. How many chances has ND had to make a stand tonight? Will they be made to pay?
9:46 - The Rams methodically marching down the field, most of it with Palmer. On third-and-7 from the ND 25, Palmer's pass goes through the hands of captain Paul Tuscano, which is a shame, because Tuscano played a great game. Ecke calls his first time out to discuss what play to call on fourth down.
9:48 - The guy in front us says Pulek can reach from 50, and sure enough, after some thought, the tee is on the field. Pulek's kick has plenty of leg, caroms off the left upright, and drops - maybe six inches behind the crossbar. Goooooood, the Rams mob Pulek (43 officially the yardage on the field goal), and the Rams are headed to 4-0. But there is still 49 seconds on the clock. And Notre Dame has three time outs. And Sean Goldrich. And Conor Kinary. And they've been stopped exactly twice all night. I predict a field goal attempt by Echandia with Steve.
9:52 - They squib the kick to keep it away from their speedsters, but ND starts at their own 36. After an incompletion, Goldrich hits Kinary for 16 yards and a smart draw by Willis (remember those time outs) gets 14 more.
9:54 - But Goldrich is sacked on the next play, meaning that with 24 seconds to go, ND is back to the Cheshire 40.
9:55 - Philip Bentley, another speedster, runs a deep slant, and Goldrich hits him perfectly, as Bentley slides down at the Rams' 10-yard line. Echandia is warming up.
9:57 - But they don't need him. Rose barrels through the line and scores the touchdown, the visiting side is up for grabs, and with 13 seconds left, ND leads 40-36. What a game. There can't be enough time for another twist, can there?
9:59 - A-Rod has homered to tie the game 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth. That's right, A-Rod. Hey, I can multitask. I'm good at it. Just don't do it while you're driving. Or operating heavy machinery.
10:01 - Was actually hoping to see an 18-lateral play, but Palmer's pass goes incomplete, and Notre Dame can celebrate the fact that they have playoff life.
10:05 - Marcucci has no voice left, and he seems bemused by the "new SCC" (at least Division I) where offenses rule and defenses just do what they can to stop the bleeding. His defense did enough tonight: "These guys in this division, it's ridiculous," he said. "Our kids showed a lot of character tonight. Even with 13 seconds left, you never know. These games are crazy." Ah, sounds like we have another convert.
10:15 - Finish up the broadcast with Steve. The game ran late, obviously, but it was well worth it. I hope when people talk about realignment they realize how good this is. Please don't take it away from me. What will I do with my Friday nights? Go watch the NVL, where Derby is 3-1 (oooh, 15-yard penalty for clipping on that one.)
10:25 - The long walk sees bumper-to-bumper traffic some 20 minutes after the final play of the game. I escape almost unscathed back down Rte. 10 to process the evening. For one week at least, I can talk about football, great competition, respectful competition where both teams (talented teams) gave everything they had and shook hands afterward. That, folks, is what the SCC is about more often than not. And it certainly was tonight.
EXTRA POINTS: It looked like Wilbur Cross was going to put the SCC up 2-0 against the FCIAC, but Ridgefield stormed back from two touchdowns down to beat the Governors, 28-27. It may eliminate Cross from playoff contention, although they're still eighth in Class L. But the chances of them winning the rest of their games seem slim ... Hand appeared to be strolling to a nice road win over West Haven, when the Westies found some offense. A lot of offense. The Blue Devils - trailing 17-6 to start the fourth quarter - scored four touchdowns to walk away with what seemed like a relatively easy 35-17 victory. It was the Westies' first win of the season, but you probably don't want them on the schedule the rest of the way. Meanwhile, hand has yet to find a second offensive option ... Hamden continues to let teams hang around, but continues to beat them, too, stopping Shelton 37-27. Is Division I that good, or are there some holes in the Hamden machine? We probably won't find out this week, but red-hot Xavier comes calling next week to Hamden High. The long-ignored Green Bowl has the potential to be an absolute classic this year, by the way ... For some reason, the SCC has gone back to a complete crossover week for Week 5. As a prelude, last week we had the 5th-ranked Division I team against the top-ranked Division II team, and the D-I squad - Xavier - won 48-0. As the Middletown Press' Jim Bransfield said: "Mismatch". We shall see, and we don't mean to denegrate the Division II teams, but when you look at the schedule, is there a game you're really looking forward to there? For the record, let's year scores in the same week: Hamden 31, Branford 0; Amity 41, Lyman Hall 6; Cheshire 42, Sheehan 0; Hand 49, North Haven 40 (yeah, Division II); Notre Dame 57, Derby 19; Shelton 62, Jonathan Law 14; West Haven 57, Foran 13; Wilbur Cross 35, East Haven 14 (calling off the dogs much?); Xavier 41, Guilford 9; and Hillhouse 34, Fairfield Prep 6 (yeah, Division II). Thank God for the ND-Naugatuck game this week, although that really shouldn't be that close. Actually, those blowouts are slightly misleading, imagine if there was no 50-point rule? And we can't get a Cheshire-Hamden or a Notre Dame-Shelton game? Bleah. I'm off my soapbox. Please read this: http://bit.ly/197KHK . All of that still applies.
Check us out on Twitter, www.twitter.com/currenscc. If you have any story ideas or scores you want to get across, let me know.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Spencer Jones, Hillhouse - It may be a tough year for the Academics so far, but Jones continues to put up solid numbers, rushing for a pair of touchdowns last week as Hillhouse got its first win of the season, 22-19, over Lyman Hall. Jones finished with 156 yards on 19 carries and those two scores.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Naugatuck at Notre Dame, Friday, 7 p.m. - There's always some trash talk between the leagues, but with Derby switching leagues and Ansonia actually losing a game or two (after they pounded Hillhouse), the NVL and SCC have a lot to prove to each other. Naugatuck was beaten by Derby last week and if they can keep the game close here, it will go a long way toward pushing forward the theory that the SCC might just be a little overrated.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2
Number of SCC teams that would be in the postseason if the season ended today. But can you name them? How about North Haven (4th in Class MM) and Branford (4th in Class M). Hamden, although undefeated, stand fifth in Class LL, while Xavier, Notre Dame, and Cheshire would all be on the outside looking in. Luckily, still a ways to go in the campaign.
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POWER RANKINGS
1) Hamden (4-0; Last Week 1) – Did I say they were "iffy at times"? I might have. Should roll Branford.
2) Notre Dame (3-1; LW 3) – LW "Are we headed for a 50-49 shootout at the Maclary Complex Friday?"
3) Xavier (3-1; LW 5) – Quietly making their way up the rankings, winning road games, too.
4) Cheshire (3-1; LW 2) – Rams' defense has some questions to answer, but they'll figure it out.
5) Shelton (1-3; LW 8) – Up three spots after a loss? Just look who they've played thus far.
6) West Haven (1-3; LW 9) – Ditto for the Westies, who played 1, 2, 5, and 8 in rankings to now.
7) Wilbur Cross (2-2; LW 4) – Tough loss for Governors, who should have an easy time this week.
8) Hand (2-2; LW 6) – Brutal loss for the Tigers as well, who can't really sleep on North Haven Friday.
9) Amity (1-3; LW 11) – And it's nine straight Division I teams to open the show. I have no problem with it.
10) Branford (3-1; LW 7) - Expected Xavier to win, but 48-0? Will Hamden hang a similar number on them?
11) North Haven (3-1; LW 10) - Kendrick Amaker one of the most entertaining players in the conference.
12) Sheehan (3-1; LW 12) - Someone asked if 63 was a state-high this year? Tough with 50-point rule.
13) Jonathan Law (3-1; LW 14) - Lawmen will be done with the Division I schedule after this week.
14) Hillhouse (1-3; LW 13) - Escaped Wallingford with a win. Better than not escaping with a win.
15) Foran (3-1; LW 15) - Westies put 50 points up in first half last year against Lions.
16) Fairfield Prep (0-4; LW 16) - Best shot at a victory this season comes this week for the Jesuits.
17) Lyman Hall (1-3; LW 18) - Probably should have beaten Hillhouse, but shoulda, woulda, etc.
18) Guilford (1-3; LW 17) - Going to be tough sledding for the Indians for a little while at least.
19) East Haven (0-3; LW 19) - Sadly, it seems like another 0-10 season is a distinct possibility.
6:15 - Due to an unexpected (and perplexing) soccer cancellation, I make it to the parking lot with plenty of time to spare. Still, I park as close to the exit as possible because there's one road in and one road out - Rte. 10. Still, I love the walk down to the field, past the field hockey and softball fields with the sound of the band, the smell of tailgating. It's a big game, and although it's not like it was when Cheshire was winning six consecutive state titles, it's still why I do this on Friday nights in the fall. Great atmosphere.
6:25 - Check out the field and it's a little wet, but nothing outrageous. As expected, the grass is about 10 inches high. Interesting fact, Cheshire doesn't let anyone else use their game field (youth football, etc.) until after the first home game of the season, and this is the first home game.
6:30 - Joining Steve Kirck on the sportingnewsct.com (simulcasted on gogreenknights.com), and he's nice enough to bring a burger and hot dog from the ND tailgate on the other side. Yes, it could be construed as a bribe, but it's a tasty bribe, and Steve's an honest guy (he's a college basketball official, after all). Saves me from wading through throngs of people for food.
6:55 - As the teams come out for the opening kickoff, a lot of the coaches are actually in short sleeves. It's not outrageously warm or anything, but it is humid. See if that plays a role later on.
7:00 - Trying to be on the air while girls are singing the national anthem right behind us. Want to be respectful, but can't hear what's going on with the ads without the headphones on, so I apologize. Tougher than it looks.
7:07 - After Notre Dame's first drive stalls, Cheshire's Greg Palmer fakes a handoff and runs 74 yards for a touchdown on the Rams' first play. I'm no advance scout, but that had to be on a tape somewhere. 7-0 Cheshire.
7:11 - The Knights move the ball to the Cheshire 20, but the Rams sack Sean Goldrich twice, once by John Sasso, and again by Billy Weyrauch on fourth down.
7:16 - Cheshire faces a key 3rd-and-4 at their own 39-yard line, and the lights go out. Well, half the lights, on our side, but luckily the press box lights stay on. Way too dark to proceed, though.
7:30 - Kill time watching the pitch-by-pitch of the Yankees on my phone, and chatting with Steve about the SCC. Probably pretty clear we're out of material by the 20-minute mark.
7:40 - Most unanimous roar of the night as the power returns in full. Good thing, Steve and I were going to introduce our 40s-style comedy variety show complete with sound effects. Wouldn't have gone well, I don't think.
7:46 - Play resumes. Cheshire doesn't get the first down, but goes with a quick snap quarterback sneak on fourth-and-2? That took guts, but Palmer gets the first down by the length of a football. On the next play, he goes 57 yards untouched for a second score. See, if you succeed, it's guts. If you fail, it's stupidity. 14-0 Cheshire with 4:08 left in the first quarter and Palmer has rushed for 138 yards on just five carries.
7:55 - ND is driving, but it's a fum-ble inside the Cheshire 10. David Rose (who would go on to have a big night) coughed it up and Dan Sweeney pounces on it. ND might be going down for the count early.
8:04 - But the defense steps up. Palmer is brought down for a 4-yard loss, the Rams are forced to punt from their own end zone, and Conor Kinary returns it to the Cheshire 23. Four plays later, Rose is in (with two hands on the ball) and the extra point makes it 14-7.
8:07 - Well, now. Max Slade's first carry is a disaster for the Rams. The handoff is dropped, Kris Matthews' eyes light up and he scoops it up and trots in for the touchdown. The extra point ties the game at 14-14. Oh, this is going to get good, you can feel it.
8:19 - Cheshire regains momentum with an old-school drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, including a couple of huge third down conversions. On third-and-goal from the 2, Sweeney gets in, but normally reliable Kyle Pulek misses the extra point wide left. 20-14 Cheshire with 4:26 to go in the half.
8:28 - The ND offense that sputtered at the beginning is finally in gear. Justin Willis is finding big holes, and Goldrich suddenly has plenty of time to find people. From the Cheshire 10, he finds Tim Lyons, and Rodrigo Echandia's third PAT gives ND its first lead, 21-20, which they take into the locker room (or behind the goalposts).
8:31 - Steve and I both cringe at the 20-minute halftime, on top of the delay, but the band deserves its time, too. As do the bathrooms. And the Yankees, who have gone down 3-1 to the Twins. Can you yell at a phone like you do a TV? What, you don't yell at televisions? I'll stop while I'm behind.
8:55 - Finally, the second half, and Cheshire's offense can do nothing. Slade is dropped for a loss and Cheshire has to punt.
9:04 - The defenses have a fleeting moment of glory, which is shattered by Sweeney getting through the ND line and rumbling 62 yards to the Knights' 5-yard line. On fourth-and-goal, Michael Skibicki is stood up, but is able to fall into the end zone for a TD. Cheshire regains a 27-21 lead with 4:54 left in the third.
9:14 - ND's offensive line is just massive and they're pushing Cheshire all over the Maclary Complex at this point. That's allowing Goldrich to find his rythym, too, and it's only a matter of time. Rose does the honors from 3 yards out, and Echandia's fourth PAT gives ND the lead back, 28-27 as time expires in the third quarter.
9:23 - And back comes Cheshire. Mark Ecke has the guts (he succeeded again) to bring in Slade at QB, even though his first three carries of the night went for negative yardage. Slade is involved in all but one of the nine plays on the Rams' touchdown drive as they go Wildcat on ND and Slade does his best Tim Tebow impersonation, finally scoring from 3 yards out. The conversion fails, but Cheshire leads 33-28 with 7:51 to go.
9:29 - They're standing in the middle of the ring now throwing haymakers. How are these teams still standing? Willis, one of three ND ballcarriers who were on a state title-winning 4x100 team last spring, bursts through the Cheshire defense for a 47 yard touchdown run. ND tries that dumb fade pass on the conversion and Kinary actually makes a nice catch, but he's out of bounds. I just hate that play, sorry, so little margin for error. 34-33 Notre Dame, still 6:13 to go. Did I mention I love SCC Division I football? This is great stuff, except maybe for the defensive coaches.
9:35 - Palmer back at QB, and on 3rd-and-15 from their own 10, he hits Brian DeBishop (his first catch of the night), but they're a yard short. Will they go from their own 24? Absolutely, you know Ecke's got guts (success coming). Palmer keeps it and gets 8 yards. How many chances has ND had to make a stand tonight? Will they be made to pay?
9:46 - The Rams methodically marching down the field, most of it with Palmer. On third-and-7 from the ND 25, Palmer's pass goes through the hands of captain Paul Tuscano, which is a shame, because Tuscano played a great game. Ecke calls his first time out to discuss what play to call on fourth down.
9:48 - The guy in front us says Pulek can reach from 50, and sure enough, after some thought, the tee is on the field. Pulek's kick has plenty of leg, caroms off the left upright, and drops - maybe six inches behind the crossbar. Goooooood, the Rams mob Pulek (43 officially the yardage on the field goal), and the Rams are headed to 4-0. But there is still 49 seconds on the clock. And Notre Dame has three time outs. And Sean Goldrich. And Conor Kinary. And they've been stopped exactly twice all night. I predict a field goal attempt by Echandia with Steve.
9:52 - They squib the kick to keep it away from their speedsters, but ND starts at their own 36. After an incompletion, Goldrich hits Kinary for 16 yards and a smart draw by Willis (remember those time outs) gets 14 more.
9:54 - But Goldrich is sacked on the next play, meaning that with 24 seconds to go, ND is back to the Cheshire 40.
9:55 - Philip Bentley, another speedster, runs a deep slant, and Goldrich hits him perfectly, as Bentley slides down at the Rams' 10-yard line. Echandia is warming up.
9:57 - But they don't need him. Rose barrels through the line and scores the touchdown, the visiting side is up for grabs, and with 13 seconds left, ND leads 40-36. What a game. There can't be enough time for another twist, can there?
9:59 - A-Rod has homered to tie the game 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth. That's right, A-Rod. Hey, I can multitask. I'm good at it. Just don't do it while you're driving. Or operating heavy machinery.
10:01 - Was actually hoping to see an 18-lateral play, but Palmer's pass goes incomplete, and Notre Dame can celebrate the fact that they have playoff life.
10:05 - Marcucci has no voice left, and he seems bemused by the "new SCC" (at least Division I) where offenses rule and defenses just do what they can to stop the bleeding. His defense did enough tonight: "These guys in this division, it's ridiculous," he said. "Our kids showed a lot of character tonight. Even with 13 seconds left, you never know. These games are crazy." Ah, sounds like we have another convert.
10:15 - Finish up the broadcast with Steve. The game ran late, obviously, but it was well worth it. I hope when people talk about realignment they realize how good this is. Please don't take it away from me. What will I do with my Friday nights? Go watch the NVL, where Derby is 3-1 (oooh, 15-yard penalty for clipping on that one.)
10:25 - The long walk sees bumper-to-bumper traffic some 20 minutes after the final play of the game. I escape almost unscathed back down Rte. 10 to process the evening. For one week at least, I can talk about football, great competition, respectful competition where both teams (talented teams) gave everything they had and shook hands afterward. That, folks, is what the SCC is about more often than not. And it certainly was tonight.
EXTRA POINTS: It looked like Wilbur Cross was going to put the SCC up 2-0 against the FCIAC, but Ridgefield stormed back from two touchdowns down to beat the Governors, 28-27. It may eliminate Cross from playoff contention, although they're still eighth in Class L. But the chances of them winning the rest of their games seem slim ... Hand appeared to be strolling to a nice road win over West Haven, when the Westies found some offense. A lot of offense. The Blue Devils - trailing 17-6 to start the fourth quarter - scored four touchdowns to walk away with what seemed like a relatively easy 35-17 victory. It was the Westies' first win of the season, but you probably don't want them on the schedule the rest of the way. Meanwhile, hand has yet to find a second offensive option ... Hamden continues to let teams hang around, but continues to beat them, too, stopping Shelton 37-27. Is Division I that good, or are there some holes in the Hamden machine? We probably won't find out this week, but red-hot Xavier comes calling next week to Hamden High. The long-ignored Green Bowl has the potential to be an absolute classic this year, by the way ... For some reason, the SCC has gone back to a complete crossover week for Week 5. As a prelude, last week we had the 5th-ranked Division I team against the top-ranked Division II team, and the D-I squad - Xavier - won 48-0. As the Middletown Press' Jim Bransfield said: "Mismatch". We shall see, and we don't mean to denegrate the Division II teams, but when you look at the schedule, is there a game you're really looking forward to there? For the record, let's year scores in the same week: Hamden 31, Branford 0; Amity 41, Lyman Hall 6; Cheshire 42, Sheehan 0; Hand 49, North Haven 40 (yeah, Division II); Notre Dame 57, Derby 19; Shelton 62, Jonathan Law 14; West Haven 57, Foran 13; Wilbur Cross 35, East Haven 14 (calling off the dogs much?); Xavier 41, Guilford 9; and Hillhouse 34, Fairfield Prep 6 (yeah, Division II). Thank God for the ND-Naugatuck game this week, although that really shouldn't be that close. Actually, those blowouts are slightly misleading, imagine if there was no 50-point rule? And we can't get a Cheshire-Hamden or a Notre Dame-Shelton game? Bleah. I'm off my soapbox. Please read this: http://bit.ly/197KHK . All of that still applies.
Check us out on Twitter, www.twitter.com/currenscc. If you have any story ideas or scores you want to get across, let me know.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Spencer Jones, Hillhouse - It may be a tough year for the Academics so far, but Jones continues to put up solid numbers, rushing for a pair of touchdowns last week as Hillhouse got its first win of the season, 22-19, over Lyman Hall. Jones finished with 156 yards on 19 carries and those two scores.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Naugatuck at Notre Dame, Friday, 7 p.m. - There's always some trash talk between the leagues, but with Derby switching leagues and Ansonia actually losing a game or two (after they pounded Hillhouse), the NVL and SCC have a lot to prove to each other. Naugatuck was beaten by Derby last week and if they can keep the game close here, it will go a long way toward pushing forward the theory that the SCC might just be a little overrated.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2
Number of SCC teams that would be in the postseason if the season ended today. But can you name them? How about North Haven (4th in Class MM) and Branford (4th in Class M). Hamden, although undefeated, stand fifth in Class LL, while Xavier, Notre Dame, and Cheshire would all be on the outside looking in. Luckily, still a ways to go in the campaign.
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POWER RANKINGS
1) Hamden (4-0; Last Week 1) – Did I say they were "iffy at times"? I might have. Should roll Branford.
2) Notre Dame (3-1; LW 3) – LW "Are we headed for a 50-49 shootout at the Maclary Complex Friday?"
3) Xavier (3-1; LW 5) – Quietly making their way up the rankings, winning road games, too.
4) Cheshire (3-1; LW 2) – Rams' defense has some questions to answer, but they'll figure it out.
5) Shelton (1-3; LW 8) – Up three spots after a loss? Just look who they've played thus far.
6) West Haven (1-3; LW 9) – Ditto for the Westies, who played 1, 2, 5, and 8 in rankings to now.
7) Wilbur Cross (2-2; LW 4) – Tough loss for Governors, who should have an easy time this week.
8) Hand (2-2; LW 6) – Brutal loss for the Tigers as well, who can't really sleep on North Haven Friday.
9) Amity (1-3; LW 11) – And it's nine straight Division I teams to open the show. I have no problem with it.
10) Branford (3-1; LW 7) - Expected Xavier to win, but 48-0? Will Hamden hang a similar number on them?
11) North Haven (3-1; LW 10) - Kendrick Amaker one of the most entertaining players in the conference.
12) Sheehan (3-1; LW 12) - Someone asked if 63 was a state-high this year? Tough with 50-point rule.
13) Jonathan Law (3-1; LW 14) - Lawmen will be done with the Division I schedule after this week.
14) Hillhouse (1-3; LW 13) - Escaped Wallingford with a win. Better than not escaping with a win.
15) Foran (3-1; LW 15) - Westies put 50 points up in first half last year against Lions.
16) Fairfield Prep (0-4; LW 16) - Best shot at a victory this season comes this week for the Jesuits.
17) Lyman Hall (1-3; LW 18) - Probably should have beaten Hillhouse, but shoulda, woulda, etc.
18) Guilford (1-3; LW 17) - Going to be tough sledding for the Indians for a little while at least.
19) East Haven (0-3; LW 19) - Sadly, it seems like another 0-10 season is a distinct possibility.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Week 3 - We know what we have
Alright, let's not argue over who killed who, and what the predictions were at the beginning of the season. Three weeks, 30 percent of the campaign is complete, the weather is getting cold (although not too bad last Friday), and it's time to put up or shut up until 2010.
We have enough of a read now on the teams that we can give you a State of the SCC report on all 19 teams (of course, some are shorter than others). I still have that sinking feeling that all the quality in Division I might produce less playoff teams than it would in another league, but I am extremely confident from looking around the state that this will break the two-year streak of the SCC not winning a state title. And I would also give Branford a fighting chance in Class MM if they get in.
Onto the capsules. One thing that is annoying already is that No. 1 and No. 2 don't even play each other this season. Can we fix this, SCC? You have 10 Division I teams, can they all just play each other? And that will save me from some of these upcoming crossover games (although Jonathan Law's thumping of Fairfield Prep and North Haven's win over Wilton were both very nice for Division II).
1) Hamden
Things going well: You have to start with the defense, which wasn't great last year, despite all their success. But the Dragons went to the drawing board to fix their problem and have come up with two shutouts in their first three games. With superior athleticism, they have been particularly impressive against the pass, which does not bode well for Shelton this week, and they're two toughest remaining games (Wilbur Cross and Notre Dame) are teams that can throw the ball.
Points of concern: The prolific passing attack really hasn't materialized for Hamden this season so far. Is it because they've been ahead, or they haven't needed it? Possibly. Are we nitpicking? Possibly (Jason Lassiter did throw for three touchdowns against Amity). But we'll see.
2) Cheshire
Things going well: To put it simply, the Rams are controlling the line of scrimmage, and not just against mediocre teams, against everyone. They manhandled Shelton, controlled Amity and Wilbur Cross, and haven't even played a home game yet. The combination of Greg Palmer and Max Slade have done just fine at quarterback, and they've scored 111 points in three games.
Points of concern: Like last year, the defense hasn't exactly been lights out, allowing 62 points (including 31 to Shelton), and that could pose a problem in games like this week's tilt against explosive Notre Dame. If they get by this week's game, though, they could be 9-0 heading into the Thanksgiving Southington game.
3) Notre Dame
Things going well: Well, you don't need to say much more than 122 points in three games, do you? Sean Goldrich is no longer underrated, and everyone knows about Conor Kinary, but he always seems to be open anyway. Justin Willis, David Rose, a massive offensive line: all things that make them nearly impossible to stop this season.
Points of concern: Notice I didn't say too much about the defense. It does seem like they are pushed around far too easily for their size sometimes (see second half against Xavier or first half against West Haven - they allowed more than 20 points in both). They are already 0-1 in nailbiters this season, they're sure to see a couple more before the season is out.
4) Wilbur Cross
Things going well: A year more mature, the Governors have proven they can play with anyone, pounding Xavier at Palmer Field, and nearly stopping Cheshire last week before falling late. Maurice Morrison and James Ward are as good as any skill position players in the SCC and a threat to score every time they touch the ball. The defense has shown - while not as good as Hamden's right now - they won't get pushed around.
Points of concern: They've seemed to lose a lot of close games over the last couple of years, and - like Notre Dame - they're sure to see a couple before the end of the season. After taking on Ridgefield and East Haven, can they survive a brutal stretch that includes West Haven, Hamden, Hand, and Notre Dame? If they can, they may be playoff bound.
5) Xavier
Things going well: Julian Hayes might be the most exciting and versatile player in the SCC, and can pretty much do everything on both sides of the ball. With Hayes, a talented receiving corps, and an opportunistic defense, the Falcons are prolific offensively when they can get rolling.
Points of concern: As quickly as they can score, Xavier has given points up: 37 against Wilbur Cross, 21 quick ones against Notre Dame, and 25 against Shelton, although some were in garbage time. Sean Marinan has talked about a lack of focus, something Hamden will be keen to take advantage of in two weeks. But that might be the last big test for the Falcons the rest of the way (although West Haven looms in Week 9).
6) Daniel Hand
Things going well: Nick Merullo does his weekly best Tim Tebow impersonation, trampling poor defenders and throwing a good ball when he has to. He certainly will have a case for league MVP at his current pace. The defense is not spectacular, but they have tackled reasonably well.
Points of concern: Hand seems to need another weapon in the backfield to take the pressure off of Merullo, who takes a beating when carrying the ball 25-30 times a game (he's not one for ducking tacklers). They'll need to keep him healthy for this stretch of games starting on Oct. 23: Cheshire, Notre Dame, Wilbur Cross, Shelton. Maybe the Tigers will be getting those teams at the right time.
7) Branford
Things going well: They are 3-0, having dispatched of what I think is their toughest Division II competition, North Haven and Hillhouse, and doing so in different ways, using defense in a tough win over the Indians and outscoring the Academics. Andrew Luzzi is as good as anyone in the league, and he's getting help from a variety of people on the offense.
Points of concern: No Division II team (or anyone) likes to see Xavier and Hamden back-to-back on the schedule. The Hornets' defense gave up 30 points to a struggling Hillhouse squad, and they may have some trouble with speed. After the next two games, though, Branford should be favorites in every game the rest of the way.
8) Shelton
Things going well: Ray Pendagast has a cannon for an arm, and has very solid receivers in Mike Georgalas and Paul Piccirillo, and even running back Ryan DeAngelis. The Gaels can score and score quickly, and are also solid against the pass with some very good athletes at the skill positions.
Points of concern: Quite simply, Shelton can't stop anyone in the trenches right now, at least against the powerful Division I squads. West Haven had a lot of success, and in the last two weeks, Cheshire and Xavier have just torn them to shreds. It has seemed to have a demoralizing effect to the team, they have looked lifeless in the second half of two straight games.
9) West Haven
Things going well: The young Blue Devils have been extremely feisty and competitive in their first three games. The defense has come up with some big plays (excluding the second half against Notre Dame), and as usual, they have six or seven players that they are comfortable giving the ball to, including sophomore quarterback Tremayne Barnes, who has been solid.
Points of concern: Obviously, being 0-3 and out of the playoff picture is no fun, and - as with any young team - the inconsistency can be a little big maddening. For instance, the Westies should have gone to the half with a 21-20 lead against Notre Dame last week, but allowed a 32-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the half and got outscored 20-0 in the second half. The schedule gets a little easier the rest of the way, but not that much easier.
10) North Haven
Things going well: The talk was all about the Indians' new single-wing, wildcat hybrid offense, but it is their defense that has been most impressive early. It kept them in the game against Branford and won the game by allowing Wilton only one score last week.
Points of concern: The offense has been stagnant at times, without the speed to break off too many big plays. The schedule also gets pretty brutal by Division II standards: Hand and Cheshire (along with Sheehan, Law, and Amity) all await.
11) Amity
Things going well: The Spartans have managed to hang tough against the best the SCC has to offer, with their first three games against the teams ranked 1-3 here. They were up 14-0 on Cross, were tied with Cheshire early in the third quarter, and didn't allow Hamden to get away from them until late. The schedule has to get easier the rest of the way.
Points of concern: The offense, minus the graduated Billy Choiniere, has had trouble moving the ball, and the Spartans have not scored an offensive touchdown in the second half this season. The defense, as they proved against Hamden, can only hold out so long.
12) Sheehan
Things going well: Behind quarterback Brett Biestek and runners like Zach Prefontaine, the Titans can move the ball and are fun to watch.
Points of concern: Seemingly forever, Sheehan has had all kinds of trouble with tackling, and it reared its head again against Hand last week. After this week's game with East Haven, they have a very tough run by Division II standards coming down the stretch.
13) Hillhouse
Things going well: For a team that went to the playoffs last year? Not much, but it does appear that players like Taurese Washington are starting to get accustomed to life in the SCC (and against Ansonia). There are a couple of struggling teams on the schedule, which might allow them to get back on track.
Points of concern: Branford and Ansonia pretty much did whatever they pleased, and obviously that's concerning. Playing a young team means plenty of mistakes, and they've killed Hillhouse in the season's earlygoing.
14) Jonathan Law
Things going well: As always, the Lawmen are big and physical and they basically wore down Fairfield Prep last week, which - as down as Prep is - is impressive against a Division I squad. They did the same to East Haven in the first week.
Points of concern: It remains to be seen what the Lawmen can do against talented passing squads, the one they did face - Sheehan - didn't go so well for them. The schedule is not brutal the rest of the way, but it does include Shelton and Branford, two teams that can definitely throw.
15) Foran
Things going well: Hey, they're 3-0 and almost no one would have expected that through three games. Tucker Schumitz has shown the ability to bust big plays as the Lions did last year. They've also shown the ability to pull out close games.
Points of concern: They haven't exactly had a lights out defense, and the schedule gets plenty tougher (other than a non-conference date with Abbott Tech) the rest of the way, including games against West Haven and Notre Dame. A win over North Haven would put them at 4-0, though.
16) Fairfield Prep
Things going well: Not a whole heck of a lot. They have led twice this season.
Points of concern: Just about everything. The Jesuits have scored just 20 points this season while allowing 116, and finish the season with Shelton, Hamden, Xavier, Cheshire, and West Haven. Will be tough to keep their heads above water in that stretch.
17) Guilford
Things going well: You've seen improvement in a some of their young players, like quarterback Ethan Curry, who threw for three touchdowns last week in a win over Lyman Hall.
Points of concern: There are still growing pains to get through and the schedule gets a lot tougher very quickly, with Xavier, Amity, Branford, and Hand still left on the slate.
18) Lyman Hall
Things going well: The Trojans captured their game against East Haven somewhat easily, and could be 3-0, as they were in the contest until the end against both Foran and Guilford.
Points of concern: Other than a game against Cheney Tech, they will probably be underdogs in every game the rest of the way, and have to find a way to shut other teams down when the game is on the line.
19) East Haven
Things going well: The Yellowjackets have been much more competitive, hanging tough in the first half with both Lyman Hall and Foran before fading late.
Points of concern: It's hard to see where the win is going to come from, and if they go the season without a win, their streak is at 31 and starts to get into the longest in state history, and no one wants that.
EXTRA POINTS: Lights at Wilbur Cross? Well, kind of. The Governors put up some temporary lights, which they put to use at the end of last week's game against Cheshire. They're still not ready for full-time Friday night use, but if they get a double or triple overtime game, they're there ... There could have been an overtime game Friday at Cross, but the Governors passed up a 34-yard field goal from Doural Scott to go for the touchdown and win. And it's not just Cross, it seems like a lot of teams don't seem to trust their kickers when push comes to shove, even though the kicking is so much better in the league than it was a decade ago. Show the kickers some love, will ya? ... North Haven took Round 1 of the SCC-FCIAC challenge with a 21-7 win last week, Cross takes on Ridgefield in Round 2 this week.
Check us out on Twitter, www.twitter.com/currenscc. If you have any story ideas or scores you want to get across, let me know.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Chris Ballas, Jonathan Law - Ballas ran for 125 yards and four touchdowns as the Lawmen annihilated Fairfield Prep last week, also giving him six touchdowns in his last two contests.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Notre Dame at Cheshire, Friday, 7 p.m. - If it seems like Cheshire is a weekly fixture in the Game of the Week, then they are. The Rams' brutal schedule marches on as they face a red-hot Green Knights team that can obviously put up points in a big way. But can they stop the Rams? There might be plenty of points in Cheshire's home opener.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3
Number of failed conversions that Wilbur Cross had against Cheshire last week. The Governors missed an extra point on the ir first touchdown, but went for two points on their next two touchdowns, only to get nothing. The Governors' margin of defeat? Three, of course, 21-18.
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POWER RANKINGS
1) Hamden (3-0; Last Week 1) – Benoit and staff were smart enough to sure up the defense.
2) Cheshire (3-0; LW 2) – Doesn't look like they have firepower, they just keep putting up points.
3) Notre Dame (2-1; LW 4) – Are we headed for a 50-49 shootout at the Maclary Complex Friday?
4) Wilbur Cross (2-1; LW 3) – They've proven they belong up here, but now can the Governors win?
5) Xavier (2-1; LW 6) – Big win over Shelton, but better not sleep on Branford this weekend.
6) Hand (2-1; LW 5) – Starting to figure things out, tough to see them running the table, though.
7) Branford (3-0; LW 9) - New London in Class M this season, otherwise pretty managable for Hornets.
8) Shelton (1-2; LW 7) – Honestly fairly lucky to be this high, we'll see if they can recover this week.
9) West Haven (0-3; LW 8) – Will need a superior effort to avoid going to 0-4, welcome to D-I.
10) North Haven (2-1; LW 12) - Class MM seems much tougher than M, Indians cannot afford loss.
11) Amity (0-3; LW 11) – Would probably fare very well in Division II. Unfortunately, they're not in Division II.
12) Sheehan (2-1; LW 10) - Some teams just don't fare well against D-I competition. Titans are one.
13) Hillhouse (0-3; LW 13) - Happier days should be ahead for Acs, but playoffs are out of range.
14) Jonathan Law (2-1; LW 16) - Not surprised they beat Prep, surprised they beat them by that much.
15) Foran (3-0; LW 14) - A 3-0 team behind two 0-3 teams? Kind of dicey, but win this week will move them.
16) Fairfield Prep (0-3; LW 15) - Playing another 0-3 team, but still heavy underdogs, I'm afraid.
17) Guilford (1-2; LW 18) - Will be happy to have gotten that first win out of the way with slate upcoming.
18) Lyman Hall (1-2; LW 17) - Is that Hamden ahead on the Trojans' schedule in Week 9? Oh, boy.
19) East Haven (0-3; LW 19) - Sadly, it seems like another 0-10 season is a distinct possibility.
We have enough of a read now on the teams that we can give you a State of the SCC report on all 19 teams (of course, some are shorter than others). I still have that sinking feeling that all the quality in Division I might produce less playoff teams than it would in another league, but I am extremely confident from looking around the state that this will break the two-year streak of the SCC not winning a state title. And I would also give Branford a fighting chance in Class MM if they get in.
Onto the capsules. One thing that is annoying already is that No. 1 and No. 2 don't even play each other this season. Can we fix this, SCC? You have 10 Division I teams, can they all just play each other? And that will save me from some of these upcoming crossover games (although Jonathan Law's thumping of Fairfield Prep and North Haven's win over Wilton were both very nice for Division II).
1) Hamden
Things going well: You have to start with the defense, which wasn't great last year, despite all their success. But the Dragons went to the drawing board to fix their problem and have come up with two shutouts in their first three games. With superior athleticism, they have been particularly impressive against the pass, which does not bode well for Shelton this week, and they're two toughest remaining games (Wilbur Cross and Notre Dame) are teams that can throw the ball.
Points of concern: The prolific passing attack really hasn't materialized for Hamden this season so far. Is it because they've been ahead, or they haven't needed it? Possibly. Are we nitpicking? Possibly (Jason Lassiter did throw for three touchdowns against Amity). But we'll see.
2) Cheshire
Things going well: To put it simply, the Rams are controlling the line of scrimmage, and not just against mediocre teams, against everyone. They manhandled Shelton, controlled Amity and Wilbur Cross, and haven't even played a home game yet. The combination of Greg Palmer and Max Slade have done just fine at quarterback, and they've scored 111 points in three games.
Points of concern: Like last year, the defense hasn't exactly been lights out, allowing 62 points (including 31 to Shelton), and that could pose a problem in games like this week's tilt against explosive Notre Dame. If they get by this week's game, though, they could be 9-0 heading into the Thanksgiving Southington game.
3) Notre Dame
Things going well: Well, you don't need to say much more than 122 points in three games, do you? Sean Goldrich is no longer underrated, and everyone knows about Conor Kinary, but he always seems to be open anyway. Justin Willis, David Rose, a massive offensive line: all things that make them nearly impossible to stop this season.
Points of concern: Notice I didn't say too much about the defense. It does seem like they are pushed around far too easily for their size sometimes (see second half against Xavier or first half against West Haven - they allowed more than 20 points in both). They are already 0-1 in nailbiters this season, they're sure to see a couple more before the season is out.
4) Wilbur Cross
Things going well: A year more mature, the Governors have proven they can play with anyone, pounding Xavier at Palmer Field, and nearly stopping Cheshire last week before falling late. Maurice Morrison and James Ward are as good as any skill position players in the SCC and a threat to score every time they touch the ball. The defense has shown - while not as good as Hamden's right now - they won't get pushed around.
Points of concern: They've seemed to lose a lot of close games over the last couple of years, and - like Notre Dame - they're sure to see a couple before the end of the season. After taking on Ridgefield and East Haven, can they survive a brutal stretch that includes West Haven, Hamden, Hand, and Notre Dame? If they can, they may be playoff bound.
5) Xavier
Things going well: Julian Hayes might be the most exciting and versatile player in the SCC, and can pretty much do everything on both sides of the ball. With Hayes, a talented receiving corps, and an opportunistic defense, the Falcons are prolific offensively when they can get rolling.
Points of concern: As quickly as they can score, Xavier has given points up: 37 against Wilbur Cross, 21 quick ones against Notre Dame, and 25 against Shelton, although some were in garbage time. Sean Marinan has talked about a lack of focus, something Hamden will be keen to take advantage of in two weeks. But that might be the last big test for the Falcons the rest of the way (although West Haven looms in Week 9).
6) Daniel Hand
Things going well: Nick Merullo does his weekly best Tim Tebow impersonation, trampling poor defenders and throwing a good ball when he has to. He certainly will have a case for league MVP at his current pace. The defense is not spectacular, but they have tackled reasonably well.
Points of concern: Hand seems to need another weapon in the backfield to take the pressure off of Merullo, who takes a beating when carrying the ball 25-30 times a game (he's not one for ducking tacklers). They'll need to keep him healthy for this stretch of games starting on Oct. 23: Cheshire, Notre Dame, Wilbur Cross, Shelton. Maybe the Tigers will be getting those teams at the right time.
7) Branford
Things going well: They are 3-0, having dispatched of what I think is their toughest Division II competition, North Haven and Hillhouse, and doing so in different ways, using defense in a tough win over the Indians and outscoring the Academics. Andrew Luzzi is as good as anyone in the league, and he's getting help from a variety of people on the offense.
Points of concern: No Division II team (or anyone) likes to see Xavier and Hamden back-to-back on the schedule. The Hornets' defense gave up 30 points to a struggling Hillhouse squad, and they may have some trouble with speed. After the next two games, though, Branford should be favorites in every game the rest of the way.
8) Shelton
Things going well: Ray Pendagast has a cannon for an arm, and has very solid receivers in Mike Georgalas and Paul Piccirillo, and even running back Ryan DeAngelis. The Gaels can score and score quickly, and are also solid against the pass with some very good athletes at the skill positions.
Points of concern: Quite simply, Shelton can't stop anyone in the trenches right now, at least against the powerful Division I squads. West Haven had a lot of success, and in the last two weeks, Cheshire and Xavier have just torn them to shreds. It has seemed to have a demoralizing effect to the team, they have looked lifeless in the second half of two straight games.
9) West Haven
Things going well: The young Blue Devils have been extremely feisty and competitive in their first three games. The defense has come up with some big plays (excluding the second half against Notre Dame), and as usual, they have six or seven players that they are comfortable giving the ball to, including sophomore quarterback Tremayne Barnes, who has been solid.
Points of concern: Obviously, being 0-3 and out of the playoff picture is no fun, and - as with any young team - the inconsistency can be a little big maddening. For instance, the Westies should have gone to the half with a 21-20 lead against Notre Dame last week, but allowed a 32-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the half and got outscored 20-0 in the second half. The schedule gets a little easier the rest of the way, but not that much easier.
10) North Haven
Things going well: The talk was all about the Indians' new single-wing, wildcat hybrid offense, but it is their defense that has been most impressive early. It kept them in the game against Branford and won the game by allowing Wilton only one score last week.
Points of concern: The offense has been stagnant at times, without the speed to break off too many big plays. The schedule also gets pretty brutal by Division II standards: Hand and Cheshire (along with Sheehan, Law, and Amity) all await.
11) Amity
Things going well: The Spartans have managed to hang tough against the best the SCC has to offer, with their first three games against the teams ranked 1-3 here. They were up 14-0 on Cross, were tied with Cheshire early in the third quarter, and didn't allow Hamden to get away from them until late. The schedule has to get easier the rest of the way.
Points of concern: The offense, minus the graduated Billy Choiniere, has had trouble moving the ball, and the Spartans have not scored an offensive touchdown in the second half this season. The defense, as they proved against Hamden, can only hold out so long.
12) Sheehan
Things going well: Behind quarterback Brett Biestek and runners like Zach Prefontaine, the Titans can move the ball and are fun to watch.
Points of concern: Seemingly forever, Sheehan has had all kinds of trouble with tackling, and it reared its head again against Hand last week. After this week's game with East Haven, they have a very tough run by Division II standards coming down the stretch.
13) Hillhouse
Things going well: For a team that went to the playoffs last year? Not much, but it does appear that players like Taurese Washington are starting to get accustomed to life in the SCC (and against Ansonia). There are a couple of struggling teams on the schedule, which might allow them to get back on track.
Points of concern: Branford and Ansonia pretty much did whatever they pleased, and obviously that's concerning. Playing a young team means plenty of mistakes, and they've killed Hillhouse in the season's earlygoing.
14) Jonathan Law
Things going well: As always, the Lawmen are big and physical and they basically wore down Fairfield Prep last week, which - as down as Prep is - is impressive against a Division I squad. They did the same to East Haven in the first week.
Points of concern: It remains to be seen what the Lawmen can do against talented passing squads, the one they did face - Sheehan - didn't go so well for them. The schedule is not brutal the rest of the way, but it does include Shelton and Branford, two teams that can definitely throw.
15) Foran
Things going well: Hey, they're 3-0 and almost no one would have expected that through three games. Tucker Schumitz has shown the ability to bust big plays as the Lions did last year. They've also shown the ability to pull out close games.
Points of concern: They haven't exactly had a lights out defense, and the schedule gets plenty tougher (other than a non-conference date with Abbott Tech) the rest of the way, including games against West Haven and Notre Dame. A win over North Haven would put them at 4-0, though.
16) Fairfield Prep
Things going well: Not a whole heck of a lot. They have led twice this season.
Points of concern: Just about everything. The Jesuits have scored just 20 points this season while allowing 116, and finish the season with Shelton, Hamden, Xavier, Cheshire, and West Haven. Will be tough to keep their heads above water in that stretch.
17) Guilford
Things going well: You've seen improvement in a some of their young players, like quarterback Ethan Curry, who threw for three touchdowns last week in a win over Lyman Hall.
Points of concern: There are still growing pains to get through and the schedule gets a lot tougher very quickly, with Xavier, Amity, Branford, and Hand still left on the slate.
18) Lyman Hall
Things going well: The Trojans captured their game against East Haven somewhat easily, and could be 3-0, as they were in the contest until the end against both Foran and Guilford.
Points of concern: Other than a game against Cheney Tech, they will probably be underdogs in every game the rest of the way, and have to find a way to shut other teams down when the game is on the line.
19) East Haven
Things going well: The Yellowjackets have been much more competitive, hanging tough in the first half with both Lyman Hall and Foran before fading late.
Points of concern: It's hard to see where the win is going to come from, and if they go the season without a win, their streak is at 31 and starts to get into the longest in state history, and no one wants that.
EXTRA POINTS: Lights at Wilbur Cross? Well, kind of. The Governors put up some temporary lights, which they put to use at the end of last week's game against Cheshire. They're still not ready for full-time Friday night use, but if they get a double or triple overtime game, they're there ... There could have been an overtime game Friday at Cross, but the Governors passed up a 34-yard field goal from Doural Scott to go for the touchdown and win. And it's not just Cross, it seems like a lot of teams don't seem to trust their kickers when push comes to shove, even though the kicking is so much better in the league than it was a decade ago. Show the kickers some love, will ya? ... North Haven took Round 1 of the SCC-FCIAC challenge with a 21-7 win last week, Cross takes on Ridgefield in Round 2 this week.
Check us out on Twitter, www.twitter.com/currenscc. If you have any story ideas or scores you want to get across, let me know.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Chris Ballas, Jonathan Law - Ballas ran for 125 yards and four touchdowns as the Lawmen annihilated Fairfield Prep last week, also giving him six touchdowns in his last two contests.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Notre Dame at Cheshire, Friday, 7 p.m. - If it seems like Cheshire is a weekly fixture in the Game of the Week, then they are. The Rams' brutal schedule marches on as they face a red-hot Green Knights team that can obviously put up points in a big way. But can they stop the Rams? There might be plenty of points in Cheshire's home opener.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3
Number of failed conversions that Wilbur Cross had against Cheshire last week. The Governors missed an extra point on the ir first touchdown, but went for two points on their next two touchdowns, only to get nothing. The Governors' margin of defeat? Three, of course, 21-18.
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POWER RANKINGS
1) Hamden (3-0; Last Week 1) – Benoit and staff were smart enough to sure up the defense.
2) Cheshire (3-0; LW 2) – Doesn't look like they have firepower, they just keep putting up points.
3) Notre Dame (2-1; LW 4) – Are we headed for a 50-49 shootout at the Maclary Complex Friday?
4) Wilbur Cross (2-1; LW 3) – They've proven they belong up here, but now can the Governors win?
5) Xavier (2-1; LW 6) – Big win over Shelton, but better not sleep on Branford this weekend.
6) Hand (2-1; LW 5) – Starting to figure things out, tough to see them running the table, though.
7) Branford (3-0; LW 9) - New London in Class M this season, otherwise pretty managable for Hornets.
8) Shelton (1-2; LW 7) – Honestly fairly lucky to be this high, we'll see if they can recover this week.
9) West Haven (0-3; LW 8) – Will need a superior effort to avoid going to 0-4, welcome to D-I.
10) North Haven (2-1; LW 12) - Class MM seems much tougher than M, Indians cannot afford loss.
11) Amity (0-3; LW 11) – Would probably fare very well in Division II. Unfortunately, they're not in Division II.
12) Sheehan (2-1; LW 10) - Some teams just don't fare well against D-I competition. Titans are one.
13) Hillhouse (0-3; LW 13) - Happier days should be ahead for Acs, but playoffs are out of range.
14) Jonathan Law (2-1; LW 16) - Not surprised they beat Prep, surprised they beat them by that much.
15) Foran (3-0; LW 14) - A 3-0 team behind two 0-3 teams? Kind of dicey, but win this week will move them.
16) Fairfield Prep (0-3; LW 15) - Playing another 0-3 team, but still heavy underdogs, I'm afraid.
17) Guilford (1-2; LW 18) - Will be happy to have gotten that first win out of the way with slate upcoming.
18) Lyman Hall (1-2; LW 17) - Is that Hamden ahead on the Trojans' schedule in Week 9? Oh, boy.
19) East Haven (0-3; LW 19) - Sadly, it seems like another 0-10 season is a distinct possibility.
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