CCC:WEEK #9 IN REVIEW AND WEEK #10 PREVIEW

Last weeks #2(SOUTHINGTON), #3(NEW BRITAIN),#4(NEWINGTON) and #5 (HARTFORD WEAVER)rated teams last week tasted defeat in week #9.The Tomahawks of Glastonbury remained undefeated at (9-0) with a road victory over Southington 25-21.They should head into their final game(Thanksgiving Eve) @ New Britain undefeated.Southington stays at #2 even after a close defeat to Glastonbury.


My CCC Top 10
...........................
Glastonbury
Southington
Simsbury
Windsor
Hartford Public
New Britain
Newington
Hall
Bristol Eastern
Weaver

It was a exciting week #9 in the CCC as advertised with many competitive games .I felt there were a few minor upsets,most I picked as "Toss Ups" or "Nail Bitters".These games would include:

Simsbury 28, New Britain 24
Bristol Eastern 20, Newington 18
Windsor 16, Weaver 14


Strong Showings in Week #9
Glastonbury,Public, Simsbury ,Windsor,Hall,Bristol Eastern,South Windsor

Disappointments in Week #9
New Britain,Weaver,Newington

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Friday: Nov. 14
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Bloomfield at Fermi, 7:00 p.m.
Bloomfield Warhawks should reach .500 (5-5) with a relatively easy road win at the Fermi Falcons who would drop to (1-8) with a loss.

Simsbury at Manchester, 7:00 p.m.
The Trojans of Simsbury should find their 4th straight win and 8th of the season against 2 losses with a 2 score win.The Manchester Indians 1 game winning streak is over as they fall to (6-4).

Southington at New Britain, 7:00 p.m.
A must win game for both teams if they want to play in December.My prediction will be the Blue Knights by a score or 2 over the Hurricanes of New Britain.When oh when was New Britain's last win in a big game ? A clue: Their head coach then has been at New London for the last 4 years,or for the same length of time it has been for postseason play for the once"Hard Hittin" team from.New Britain.
Do not forget the venue for this game has been changed to rentschler field .

Bristol Eastern at Platt, 6:30 p.m.
A battle of two 6-3 teams .A "Toss Up" with tails coming up for the Lancers of Bristol Eastern to improve to (7-3) with a close win on the road(Ceppa Field)to keep their MM Playoff hopes alive.

Maloney at Bristol Central, 7:00 p.m.
Spartans of Maloney(2-7) are the slight favorites on the road(Muzzy Field) over the Rams Of Bristol Central(1-8).

Newington at Bulkeley, 7:00 p.m.
Newington Indians are a weak (7-2)team but that should still be good enough to defeat an average (2-7) Bulkeley Bull Dogs team on the road(Dillon Stadium)by a few Touch Downs .A victory will keep Newington's class L playoffs hopes alive,for now.

Conard at Windsor, 7:00 p.m.
I am calling for a blow out win for the Windsor Warriors as they finally put in a full game effort.With a win the Warriors would improve to (8-2) and keep their class L playoff dreams alive.

Wethersfield at Farmington, 7:00 p.m.
The Eagles of Wethersfield should win and improve to .500(5-5) easily on the road over the Farmington Indians(1-8).


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Saturday Nov. 15
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Hartford Public at South Windsor, 1:30 p.m.
The Pub who have won 4 straight games and the Bob Cats who have won 3 in a row should be in for a real sloberknocker of a game .I will go with the Owls to improve to (7-2: after a forfeit win over Conard a game which they lost on the field of play)and drop South Windsor to( 6-4)with the loss .Expect this game to come down to the final gun with a margin of victory to be about 1 score or less.

Rockville at E.O. Smith, 1:30 p.m.
A real Yawner to be honest but to be fair go with boys from Storrs to improve to( 2-8) and the Rockville Rams to stay perfect at (0-9).It will be close and you never know......but then again this Rockville we are talking about !!

East Hartford at Glastonbury, 1:00 p.m.
The Tomahawks(Sledge Hammer in Hand) swat the Hornets of East Hartford(3-6) by more than 24 but less than 40.to improve to (10-0)and unofficially clinch 1 of 4 spots in the LL postseason.

Weaver at Hall, 1:30 p.m.
Another battle of 6-3 teams .I favor Hartford Weaver Beavers due to the better athletes and more team speed on the artificial turf.It will be a close one and if the Beavers stay away from costly turnovers and penalties,something they are known for in past losses,I expect them to improve to (7-3)and continue their road to the class MM playoffs .A loss and their playoff hopes are TE FINUTE !!

CIAC Playoff Outlook

Disclaimer: The author of this article is by NO means capable of doing the CIAC playoff math, nor breaking everything down. All statements made in this article are made based on gut feelings, following the state in the press, and games I've watched, listened to, or seen on the My TV9 replay.

LL-Current Top 6

1. Glastonbury 9-0
2. Hamden 8-1
3. Newtown 8-1
4. Cheshire 7-2
5. Southington 6-2
6. New Britain 7-2

Most teams have 2 games remaining, but Southington virtually has its destiny in its own hands. With three games remaining, they play the Hurricanes and Rams. Cheshire has Billy Raggone, and something to prove...he just may be the best player in the state. They play Fairfield Prep (weak) and Southington on Turkey Day. Both are away games, and that's dangerous. Parochial schools at home seem to get some divine intervention, while Southington could be a cornered animal at home. I don't really buy into the Tomahawk hype. Newtown and Hamden are quality teams this year, with the Dragons REALLY drinking that Kool-Aid Scott Benoit brought with him this year. Newtown has a dangerous game versus Masuk scheduled for Thanksgiving Eve, which will certainly play a factor in the LL and L standings.

L-Top 6

1. Masuk 8-1
2. Simsbury 7-2
3. Crosby 7-2
4. Newington 7-2
5. Windsor 7-2
6. Bunnell 7-2

Crosby should win out, with weak cross town rivalries against Wilby and Kennedy high schools. The Waterbury school picked up big points this week, knocking off #1 Ansonia...if only they were the S school and Ansonia were the L. Simsbury, Newington, Windsor, and Bunnell should ALSO win out, but chances are at least one will fall. Masuk has that danger game with Newtown on Turkey Day. Can we say grid lock? Did I mention that every team has between 80 and 98 tie-breaker points...Good luck with that, math majors.

MM-Top 6

1. New Canaan 9-0
2. Darien 9-0
3. Hillhouse 9-0
4. Weaver 6-3
5. Bristol Eastern 6-3
6. Platt 6-3

Not much to say here. New Canaan hosts Darien for Thanksgiving. However, Darien plays 5 win St. Joe's of Trumbull next week, and upsets happen. If things play out, I'd love to see Darien 1, Hillhouse 2, NC 3, and Platt 4. Why? I want to see S.P. Bowley of the CT Post forced to pick between Darien and New Canaan in a championship matchup. Plus, his Elite 8 is quite biased to sell papers in Fairfield County. Nothing wrong with playing to your constituents, but I just think as a reporter you need to be objective.

M-Top 6

1. Brookfield 7-1
2. Cheney Tech 8-0
3. Ledyard 7-2
4. Berlin 6-2
5. Avon 6-2
6. St. Paul/Lewis Mills/Goodwin Tech 7-2

St. Paul, et. al needs to win out, but is getting virtually NO help from RHAM (where the hell is RHAM?!) and Wilcox Tech. As for Cheney Tech, they're stealing a spot. An undefeated tech school is lucky to beat the best Junior Midget team in the state, but by beating up on the sisters of the poor, one of them inevitably ends up with a good record. HATE THAT! Teams 3-5 are decent, and I think they'd be alright to see. Berlin has to play a down NW Catholic team (only one Golic this year, but still 4th in Class S), so they might not hold on. Of note, Sheehan of Wallingford hosts Hillhouse this coming week, and then plays a 2 win Lyman Hall on Thanksgiving. They are currently 8th in class M. It's a SUPER LONG SHOT, as I've seen the Titans practice a few times (NOT PRETTY), and Hillhouse rips apart SCC D2 opponents...BUT if the Titans won out, what would their points end up at? I just want to know. I'm curious. They're not making it, but I'd just like to know how they'd finish up. Somebody check out the CIAC website for the numbers. And no, I did NOT go to Sheehan.

SS-Top 6

1. New London 8-0
2. Seymour 9-0
3. Rocky Hill 8-1
4. Montville 8-1
5. Wolcott 6-2 (no report on today's game)
6. Plainfield 6-2

The Whalers beat Montville last night on the final play of the game. Defending champion Seymour meets 8-1 Ansonia this coming Thursday, a week after the previously #1 Chargers lost for the first time in 36 games. That's a scary game for the Wildcats, and provides a clear indicator of their playoff positioning. Of note, a win gives Seymour a possible EXTRA game for the NVL title, but that's putting the cart before the horse. Rocky Hill's only loss is to NW Catholic (watch out Berlin!), and at least one of their games is against Nonnewaug, one of the five worst teams in the state. Wolcott can, and should, win out. Unfortunately, the Eagles won't make it. Tolland is currently ranked 9th, has 4 games unreported (including this afternoon's matchup with Canton) and should win out...just throwing that one out there, because they've been in state title games the past two years. They play current SS #7 Ellington-Somers on Thanksgiving...why am I mentioning this? Ellington has Hyde Leadership, and their 7 wins next week, and a good Tolland team. More math homework...can Tolland or Ellington make this? I HATE CIAC MATH! Without the math being done, I've got to think that IF Wolcott won't make it, neither will either of those teams...but you never know with the way the CIAC works. NOW, why didn't I mention Plainfield? I just don't know where the hell Plainfield is.

S-Top 6

1. Cromwell 9-0
2. North Branford 8-0
3. Ansonia 8-1
4. NW Catholic 6-2
5. Hyde Leadership 7-2
6. Griswold 6-3

Let's start at the bottom...Griswold has games remaining vs. New London and Plainfield. Both are bigger, and both amount to 13 wins, currently. That's a lot of points, if Griswold can pull of some sort of upset...not likely. NOW, North Branford plays both Hyde and Cromwell. They win at least one of those games, and they're in...I'm thinking. I see NW Catholic winning out versus a strong Berlin Redcoat team and Plainville, so they go. Hyde plays the T-Birds and Ellington, which means LOTS of crossover points if they can win, as well. Cromwell should be in, but winning out makes it a whole lot simpler. Hyde might be a tough game, but is certainly winnable, AND they finish the season against the WORST team in the state, Wolcott Tech.

NOW, the Ansonia Chargers...were #1, and knocked off by Crosby last night. They play a strong Seymour team this coming week, they're pissed off, and they're not used to losing. It's a home game, and when was the last time Ansonia lost 2 in a row in the regular season (Only the WATR guys know). THEN the Lavendar finish the season against a week Naugatuck Greyhound club. I'm not sure if a 9-2 Ansonia team has enough points to make it, but a 10-1 Charger team will be VERY dangerous after Thanksgiving.

I'm going out on a limb and saying this is the most interesting class in Connecticut.

Winning...and successful programs

Today's New Haven Register has a feature regarding East Haven's current 18-game losing streak. They haven't won since Thanksgiving 2006. That day, I ran my first Manchester Road Race, and FROZE in the rain. They scored their last win. While I and others have been critical at times of East Haven (I think I said they're the only team worse than the Derby Red Condors), I think this article was pretty positive. Mike Pucci did a good job.

To quote him, "While the ultimate goal of any team is to win, some programs don't always succeed. Lack of numbers and talent, a competitive schedule, and somtimes just bad luck are some of the reasons why a team struggles."

In other circles (read the NVL Blog links in the sidebar), some people await the downfall of programs. These same individuals may be at odds with Pucci's views, whether they be philosophically or personal (again, read the NVL Blog).

Teams have good years, teams have lean years. Maybe I have been overly critical of the East Haven team over this year. Their record might not show it, but those kids apparently have a great attitude (according to their coach, Robert Greenspun).

So, my question, is what really makes a successful program? Winning is a necessity. State titles are nice. However, these are first and foremost teams made up of young men that are students and athletes. Providing these players with opportunities that may not have been possible is a major plus. When coaches care about their players as people first, and the games second, is also a key. For all of those coaches and programs, please keep up the good work. For the nay-sayers of ANY program that puts kids in college, and helps them out, shame on you. Remember folks, these are kids, and win, lose, or draw, the memories last forever...so the lessons taught between the games better be great life lessons.

NVL weekly picks

Sorry, I'm late...

Ansonia 48 Crosby 27- Crosby needs this one for playoffs but won't be able to shut down the Chargers. Still, I think it's a decent game for a half, or so.

Seymour 42 Watertown 20- Seymour has Osiecki, Watertown has Corbo...Osiecki is better than Corbo, therefore Seymour wins.

Holy Cross 35 Sacred Heart 33- Crusaders get a win...barely.

Woodland 28 Naugatuck 7- Copper division alert...Naugy scores late TD against Region 16 JVs...and Kwaaaaaaaaaak gets the PAT, but that's about it for the grey pups.

Wolcott 41 Wilby 0- Code Red! Code Red! Still December won't be happening for the Eagles.

Torrington 47 Kennedy 34 - Another copper battle! Raiders keep rolling to that Copper title.

From another blog-Kyle said, "You know if Woodland and Kennedy win, that sets up a de facto Copper championship game next Friday night at the Stadium." True, but I just don't see this happening. Raiders are really drinking the DD Kool-Aid...

CCC:WEEK #8 IN REVIEW AND WEEK #9 PREVIEW

Week #9 of the High School Football Season finds some big time matchups in the CCC and overall the most competitive schedule of games so far in the 2008 season.Go out and enjoy as there is less than a month left for 2008 High School Football.

All top 7 Teams in my CCC Poll remained in exact order as Week #7 Poll.All 7 played well and some great matchups await the CCC High School Football Fans this Week (#9) and next week(#10).The Manchester Indians dropped out of the top 10 after suffering their 3rd straight loss .Hall sneaks back into the poll at #9 with its close victory at Bristol Eastern.The Lancers of Eastern remained in the poll at 10 even after the loss due to the other teams in the league performances and records to this point in the 2008 season.
My CCC Top 10
...........................
Glastonbury
Southington
New Britain
Newington
Weaver
Simsbury
Windsor
Hartford Public
Hall
Bristol Eastern

All went pretty much as expected in the CCC in week #8 except for the Warriors from Hall with a slight upset of Bristol Eastern Lancers.

Strong Showings in Week #7Glastonbury,New Britain, Southington,Weaver,Public, Simsbury ,Windsor,Hall

Disappointments in Week #7
Bristol Eastern


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Nov. 7
***********
Glastonbury at Southington, 7:00 p.m.
Tomahawks could make a statement on the road with a win vs the Blue Knights of Southington.The High School Football Fanatic plans on a trip to Southington to watch this battle. I believe the Tomahawks have the better overall team and will Handle the Blue Knights by a score or less with a win as both teams score in or near the low 20's.

New Britain at Simsbury, 7:00 p.m.
I am not sold on the Hurricanes especially in the "bigger" games of the year.But I believe the Hurricanes should find a way to beat the Trojans who sometimes lack the offensive punch needed to win these type games.With some hesitation I think New Britain wins.(Maybe ??) in a close one on the road.

Bristol Central at Bulkeley, 7:00 p.m.
Bulkeley Bulldogs win a nail bitter at home vs the Rams from Bristol Central in a game of two 1 win teams.

Newington at Bristol Eastern, 7:00 p.m.
Another toss up here at Muzzy .Although Newington is 7-1,they were not impressive last week vs Platt .I will go with the Indians in a close one as they keep their class L playoff chances alive with a win .Another Lancer loss and their postseason dreams are over.

Hall at Wethersfield, 7:00 p.m.
Will the real Eagles or Warriors teams please stand up ? Inconsistent play has plagued both teams so far in 2008 .I call a close Victory for the Hall Warriors on the road to improve to (6-3).

Weaver at Windsor, 7:00 p.m.
Another annual rivalary.Both teams need a win to keep their postseason playoff chances going.Both enter the game at (6-2) and the early prediction has the Beavers leaving at (7-2) with a close victory on the road against the sometimes inconsistent Windsor Warriors.

East Hartford at Platt, 6:30 p.m.
Platt Panthers(5-3) should have a little more talent in the skill positions to defeat the Hornets(3-5) at home (Ceppa Field).

Manchester at Rockville, 6:30 p.m.
Manchester 3 game losing streak is over and they are back on the road to victory with an easy road win over the consistent(0-9) Rams of Rockville.The Indians get exactly what the doctor ordered an EASY win !!


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Nov. 8
***********
Fermi at Hartford Public, 12:00 p.m.
The Pub continues a fine season improving to (6-2) with a home Win against the Falcons of Fermi who will drop to (1-7) with the loss.Dont let the records fool you though as this game should end with the margin of victory at 2 scores or less.

Bloomfield at E.O. Smith, 1:30 p.m.
Warhawks travel to Storrs and return to Warhawk country with win #4 of the 2008 season. A high scoring Warhawk team should win handily and hand the EO Smith team their 8th loss of the year.

Farmington at Conard, 1:00 p.m.
The Chieftains of Conard suffering a tough year will prevail at home vs the Indians of Farmington who are suffering from a tougher year by a few scores to improve to (2-7) and Farmington drops to (1-8).

Maloney at South Windsor, 1:30 p.m.
Another toss up with heads coming up for a home win for the South Windsor Bobcats.A Bob Cat win and they improve to over .500 at (5-4).This is not an easy win for South Windsor but the Bob Cats should prevail by a score or more.