Brookfield didn’t budge from its No. 7 ranking in the Hartford Courant Top 10 state football coaches’ poll, but it still had the weekend’s biggest win.
The Bobcats ground down then-No. 10 Masuk last Friday, 28-14, using their run game to play keep away.
Senior Michael Walters ran 28 times for 168 yards and three scores for Brookfield (9-0).
The Panthers, by comparison, ran just 27 plays.
Masuk dropped out of the poll and Fairfield Prep (7-2) moved back in at No. 10.
Windsor (9-0) is No. 1 for the seventh straight week and received 10 of 13 first-place votes.
Hand (9-0), the defending Class M champion, remains second and received the other three first-place votes.
Newington (9-0), Glastonbury (7-2), the Capital Prep/Achievement First co-op (9-0), New Britain (7-2), Maloney (5-4) and Manchester (6-3) were the other Hartford County teams that received votes.
The majority of the state is on a bye in Week 11 with regular season ending next Thanksgiving, so there are just 22 games this week.
Hartford Courant Top 10 High School Football Coaches’ Poll
First place points in parentheses, record through Saturday, points tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis, last week’s ranking and CIAC classification:
1. Windsor (10) 9-0 384 1 MM
KNOW THIS: John Manning ran 10 times for 111 yards and three touchdowns and caught two passes for 31 yards and two scores in the Warriors’ 47-14 rout of Berlin last Friday.
NEXT: at Bloomfield (7-2), Saturday, 1 p.m.
2. Hand (3) 9-0 336 2 M
KNOW THIS: Owen Dohaney took his lone catch for a 40-yard touchdown and scored on a 69-yard interception return as the Tigers doubled-up Xavier last Friday, 62-31.
NEXT: at Guilford (4-5), Nov. 27, 6 p.m.
3. Darien 8-1 314 3 L
KNOW THIS: Ben Rolapp was an absolute menace in the Blue Wave’s 49-7 beating of Fairfield Warde last Friday The junior completed 20-of-29 passes for 390 yards and five touchdowns and ran twice for 41 yards and two scores. Egad.
NEXT: vs. New Canaan (8-1), Nov. 28, 10 a.m.
4. New Canaan 8-1 310 4 L
KNOW THIS: The Rams had nine first downs in last Friday’s game against Bridgeport Central. They won, 42-6. Yes. Six different players scored for New Canaan, too.
NEXT: at Darien (8-1), Nov. 28, 10 a.m.
5. Greenwich 8-1 278 5 LL
KNOW THIS: The top-ranked team in the CIAC Class LL rankings took care of business against Westhill on Saturday, 42-0.
NEXT: at Staples (8-1), Nov. 28, 10 a.m.
6. Staples 8-1 250 6 LL
KNOW THIS: The Wreckers’ defense was nasty in last Friday’s 28-0 win over Trumbull. They allowed just 72 yards on 44 plays against the Eagles (5-4), ranked eighth in Class LL.
NEXT: vs. Greenwich (8-1), Nov. 28, 10 a.m.
7. Brookfield 9-0 227 7 M
KNOW THIS: Defensive end Thad Balzi had five sacks in the Bobcats’ win over Masuk. He’s also their quarterback. Yes, there’s such a thing as a quarterback-defensive end (he had been playing middle linebacker). He also ran nine times for 41 yards and a TD, too.
NEXT: at Bethel (7-2), Nov. 27, 6 p.m.
8. West Haven 8-1 216 8 LL
KNOW THIS: Add the Blue Devils to the list of teams’ that locked it down defensively in Week 10. They held Cheshire to 100 yards on 47 plays in last Friday’s 30-3 win.
NEXT: at Fairfield Prep (8-1), Nov. 27, 6 p.m.
9. Newtown 9-0 198 9 L
KNOW THIS: The Class L playoffs with Darien, New Canaan and Newtown should be fun, too.
NEXT: at Masuk (7-2), Nov. 27, 6 p.m.
10. Fairfield Prep 8-1 177 NR LL
KNOW THIS: The Jesuits rallied back from a 15-point deficit late in the third quarter of last Friday’s game and beat North Haven, 38-32. Preps’ Robert Manning completed 16 of 28 passes for 236 yards with two touchdowns and an interception and ran for both a 5-yard touchdown and a conversion.
NEXT: vs. West Haven (8-1), Nov. 27, 6 p.m.
Dropped out: Masuk (10).
Also receiving votes: Killingly (9-0), 137 points; Ansonia (9-0), 135; Tie, Masuk (7-2) and St. Joseph (6-3), 87; Newington (9-0), 68; Glastonbury (7-2), 50; Fairfield Ludlowe (7-2), 17; Capital Prep/Achievement First (9-0), 15; New Britain (7-2), 8; Tie, Bunnell (7-2), Maloney (5-4) and Manchester (6-3), 7.
Voters: Erik Becker, Hand; Tom Brockett; Ansonia; Joe Della Vecchia; St. Joseph; Mike Ellis; Fitch; Rob Fleeting; Windsor; Kevin Frederick, Maloney; Tanner Grove; Montville; Andy Guyon; Xavier; Joe Lato; Woodland; Brian Mazzone; Stafford/East Windsor/Somers; Bryan Muller; Brookfield; Marce Petroccio; Trumbull; Nathan Tyler, Stratford.
Ned Griffen has obsessively covered state high school football since the mid-nineties, back when Dan Orlovsky was just a wiry teenager at Shelton High School. He was born in Texas thus he was genetically hardwired to love the sport. He enjoys heavy metal, pro wrestling, Jennifer Walters and being adored by cats and dogs everywhere.
