We’ve somehow already reached the end of another high school football regular season.
It’s sad the season will end in a little over two weeks with the CIAC state championship games (Dec. 14), but the final week of the regular season is its best week — Thanksgiving week.
The Thanksgiving week schedule is stuffed full of rivalry games, some of which have playoff implications. All the passion between rival schools also lends to more chaos and more upsets.
Thanksgiving week also features three of the biggest games of the season, all of which involve teams ranked in the Hartford Courant Top 10 state coaches’ poll.
It begins Wednesday night when No. 8 West Haven (8-1) plays No. 10 Fairfield Prep (8-1) at Fairfield University.
The state’s other two premiere games will be played on Thanksgiving morning — No. 4 New Canaan at No. 3 Darien, and No. 5 Greenwich at No. 6 Staples. All four teams are 8-1.
The playoff participants aren’t official until the CIAC’s football committee approves them the day after the end of the regular season.
As for this week’s Top 10 poll, Windsor is No. 1 for the eighth-straight week and earned 10 of 13 first-place votes. Hand holds at No. 2 and received the other three votes.
Newington (9-0), Glastonbury (8-2), Capital Prep/Achievement First (10-0), New Britain (8-2) and Maloney (5-4) are the other Hartford County teams that received votes.
Hartford Courant Top 10 State 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) 10-0 384 1 MM
KNOW THIS: The Warriors had a weird Saturday. They didn’t have a point (or a first down) in the first half against Bloomfield. They kicked it into gear in the second half and won, 20-0, to finish the regular season unbeaten. Senior John Manning ran 16 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns for the winners.
NEXT: CIAC Class MM quarterfinals, Dec. 3, 6:30 p.m.
2. Hand (3) 9-0 342 2 M
KNOW THIS: The defending Class M champs have already (unofficially) clinched a top two seed. They’d be the top seed if they beat neighboring Guilford in what could be the state’s most lopsided rivalry (Hand has a 44-5-1 advantage).
NEXT: at Guilford (4-5), Wednesday
3. Darien 8-1 314 3 L
KNOW THIS: The Blue Wave have already (unofficially) clinched home quarterfinal. It could earn a top-two seed with a win.
NEXT: vs. New Canaan (8-1), Thursday
4. New Canaan 8-1 310 4 L
KNOW THIS: Ditto. The two-time, two-time Class L champs have also beaten Darien seven of eight times since 2017, including the 2021 Class LL semifinals and last year’s Class L final.
NEXT: at Darien (8-1), Thursday
5. Greenwich 8-1 278 5 LL
KNOW THIS: The Cardinals have already (unofficially) clinched a home quarterfinal.
NEXT: at Staples (8-1), Thursday
6. Staples 8-1 250 6 LL
KNOW THIS: The Wreckers would (unofficially) earn a home quarterfinal if it beat the Cardinals for the third straight season.
NEXT: vs. Greenwich (8-1), Thursday
7. Brookfield 9-0 227 7 M
KNOW THIS: The Bobcats have (unofficially) clinched a top two seed.
NEXT: at Bethel (7-2), Wednesday
8. West Haven 8-1 216 8 LL
KNOW THIS: The Blue Devils have (unofficially) clinched a playoff berth and would get a home quarterfinal if they beat Fairfield Prep. And if you don’t have a rooting interest in any game on Wednesday night, then get thee to Fairfield University.
NEXT: at Fairfield Prep (8-1), Wednesday
9. Newtown 9-0 196 9 L
KNOW THIS: The Nighthawks v. Masuk is also worth your time on Wednesday night. Both have (unofficially) qualified for states, too.
NEXT: at Masuk (7-2), Wednesday
10. Fairfield Prep 8-1 175 10 LL
KNOW THIS: Flip the pronouns around from the West Haven blurb and you have an explanation for the Jesuits’ playoff situation.
NEXT: vs. West Haven (8-1), Wednesday
Also receiving votes: Tie, Ansonia (9-0) and Killingly (9-0), 135 points; Tie, Masuk (7-2) and St. Joseph (6-3), 87; Newington (9-0), 68; Glastonbury (8-2), 50; Fairfield Ludlowe (7-2), 17; Capital Prep/Achievement First (10-0), 15; Bunnell (7-2), 14; New Britain (8-2), 8; Maloney (5-4), 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.
