Cheshire, Fairfield Prep and Wilton all won in different ways on Friday— on the road — and, in doing so, scrambled this week’s Hartford Courant Top 10 state football coaches’ poll.
Cheshire upset then-No. 3 Hand, 28-27, in overtime. The Rams (3-2) won a week after losing to North Haven (35-21) which lost to Hand (24-10) on Sept. 19.
Just call it, “Circle of Strife.”
Prep impressed by edging West Haven, 17-14, knocking the latter out of the Top 10.
Wilton, meanwhile, wowed the state high school football world by thrashing then-No. 5 Staples, 41-7, during the latter’s Homecoming.
New Canaan and Greenwich hold at first and second, respectively, for the fifth straight week.
New Canaan (5-0) received 11 first-place votes, and the Cardinals (5-0) earned the other two firsts.
The two Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference giants play at New Canaan following the league’s bye week on Friday, Oct. 24.
Can’t wait.
The rest of the Top 10 teams have all been shuffled around.
Killingly (4-0) moves up one spot to third.
Wilton (5-0) shot up the rankings from ninth to fourth. One of those wins, oddly enough, was over Cheshire (28-21) on Sept. 26. The latter fumbled on its own 5-yard line while trying to punt with under a minute left in the game to set up the winning touchdown.
Windsor (5-0) and Prep (4-1) both moved up two spots to fifth and sixth, respectively.
Hand (4-1) dropped to seventh, followed by St. Joseph (3-2), Staples (4-1) and Darien (4-1).
Cheshire didn’t crack the Top 10 but moved up to No. 12.
Top 10 Coaches’ Poll
Listing record, total points with first-place votes in parentheses, previous ranking and CIAC class. Points tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis:
1. New Canaan, 5-0, 384 (11), No. 1, Class L
KNOW THIS: Senior Henry Stein scored on runs of 22 and 80 yards as the Rams dispatched Danbury on Friday, 43-10. And now, we wait 11 days for the Game of the Year So Far.
NEXT: vs. No. 2 Greenwich (5-0), Friday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m.
2. Greenwich, 5-0, 364 (2), No. 2, Class LL
KNOW THIS: Senior Hector Lopez continues to be the team’s offensive catalyst. He ran 18 times for 182 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 43 yards and a score in Saturday’s 44-7 rout of Trumbull.
NEXT: at No. 1 New Canaan (5-0), Friday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m.
3. Killingly, 4-0, 334, No. 4, Class SS
KNOW THIS: RPO stands for “Run-Pass Option”. The Trailblazers call their RPO “Run People Over”. They’ve averaged 346.3 rushing yards a game and 9 yards a carry.
NEXT: vs. Masuk (2-2), Friday, 6:30 p.m.
4. Wilton, 5-0, 282, No. 9, Class MM
KNOW THIS: Senior Charlie Calabrese ran 14 times for 97 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 131 yards in Friday’s thrashing of Staples. Junior Dennis Dustin added 17 carries for 139 yards and three scores.
NEXT: at Stamford (0-5), Friday, Oct. 24, 5 p.m.
5. Windsor, 5-0, 258, No. 7, Class MM
KNOW THIS: The Warriors thumped Enfield on Friday, 52-7, as senior Charlie Lewis (three catches, 68 yards) and junior Jayden Compton (eight catches, 150 yards) each had two touchdown receptions.
NEXT: vs. Conard (2-3), Thursday, Oct. 23, 6:30 p.m.
6. Fairfield Prep, 4-1, 233, No. 8, Class LL
KNOW THIS: Senior Scout Callahan ran 21 times for 181 yards and a score in the West Haven win.
NEXT: vs. Maloney (4-0), Friday, 6 p.m.
7. Hand, 4-1, 208, No. 3, Class SS
KNOW THIS: Junior Lucca Boyce ran 26 times for 183 yards and two touchdowns in the Cheshire loss.
NEXT: at Xavier (1-4), Saturday, 1 p.m.
8. St. Joseph, 3-2, 178, No. 6, Class M
KNOW THIS: Finn Kilmartin scored on a 15-yard run and had one of the Cadets’ four interceptions in Friday’s 16-0 win over Ridgefield. Beckett Fraczek added two fumble recoveries.
NEXT: vs. No. 10 Darien (4-1), Saturday, Oct. 25, 1:30 p.m.
9. Staples, 4-1, 155, No. 5, Class LL
KNOW THIS: The Wreckers could use a break after playing, in succession, West Haven (a 34-33 win thanks to a game-ending field goal, Sept. 26), Darien (31-6 win, Oct. 4) and Wilton six days later.
NEXT: at Fairfield Warde (4-1), Friday, Oct. 24, 5 p.m.
10. Darien, 4-1, 147, NR, Class L
KNOW THIS: The Blue Wave return to the Top 10 after a one-week absence. They overwhelmed Bridgeport Central on Saturday, 44-0 and, yes, they’re the sixth FCIAC team in the Top 10. The coaches have a lot of respect for the league as it’s won a state-best 33 CIAC state titles this millennium.
NEXT: at No. 8 St. Joseph (3-2), Saturday, Oct. 25, 1:30 p.m.
Dropped out: West Haven (10).
Also receiving votes: Maloney (4-0), 143 points; Cheshire (3-2), 96; Woodland (5-0), 91; West Haven (3-2), 78; Brookfield (3-1), 67; New Britain (4-1), 64; Bunnell (3-1), 61; Newtown (2-2), 59; Berlin (4-0), 45; Sheehan (4-1), 17; Fairfield Ludlowe (4-1), 14; Middletown (4-0), 10; Tie, Ansonia (3-2), Masuk (2-2) and Waterbury Career Academy (5-0), 9.
Voters: Erik Becker, Hand; Jason Bruenn, Platt; Joe Della Vecchia; St. Joseph; Mike Ellis; Fitch; Kevin Frederick, Maloney; Tanner Grove; Montville; Keith Hellstern, Fairfield Prep; Erick Knickerbocker, Rockville; Joe Lato; Woodland; John Mihalko, Ansonia; 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 genetically hardwired to love the sport having been born in Texas. He enjoys heavy metal, pro wrestling, the wit and wisdom of Jennifer Walters and being adored by cats and dogs everywhere.
