Gridiron Glory

NOTRE DAME NO. 1

2009-12-07T17:10:00.001-05:00

Class L champion Notre Dame-West Haven finishes as the No. 1 team in the final Register Top 10 Poll. Class LL champ Cheshire was second.

The Top 5

1. Notre Dame (11-1) (19 first-place votes)
2. Cheshire (11-1) (3)
3. Staples (12-1)
4. New Canaan (11-1) (1)
5. Pomperaug (12-1)

See the complete Top 10 Poll in Tuesday's Register, along with final standings and the football notebook.

Class LL Box Score

2009-12-06T20:18:00.000-05:00

Cheshire 28, Staples 21
(at West Haven)
Cheshire 0 21 0 0 7 — 28
Staples 7 0 0 14 0 — 21

First quarter
S—Matt Kelly 3 run (Santiago Cuartas kick)
Second quarter
C—Brian Havlicek 8 pass from Greg Palmer (Kyle Pulek kick)
C—Greg Palmer 10 run (Pulek kick)
C—Greg Palmer 6 run (Pulek kick)
Fourth quarter
S—Brendan Rankowitz 16 pass from Keith Gelman (Cuartas kick)
S—Keith Gelman 1 run (Cuartas kick)
Overtime
C—Mike Skibicki 2 run (Pulek kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing—CH: Greg Palmer, 22-66; Dan Sweeney, 11-31; Mike Skibicki, 1-2; Sebastian Little, 1--1; STAP: Matt Kelly, 20-43; Keith Gelman, 13-3; Ryan Burke, 4-6;
Receiving—CH: Brian Havlicek, 1-8; Dan Sweeney, 2-12; Ryan Connolly, 1-7; Brian DeBisschop, 1-13; Max Slade, 1-2; Sebastian Little, 3-39; STAP: Brendan Rankowitz, 8-118; Pat Murray, 5-50; Matt Kelly, 3-76;
Passing—CH: Greg Palmer, 9-14-81-1; STAP: Keith Gelman, 16-20-244-1;
Team records: Staples 12-1; Cheshire 11-1

Berlin wins Class M

2009-12-06T20:17:00.002-05:00

Max DeLorenzo scored four touchdowns and accounted for over 380 yards of offense to lead the Berlin football team to a 46-6 victory over Bethel in the Class M championship game Sunday at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury. It was the first state title for the Redcoats in six state final appearances.

Berlin (10-2) dominated from the start, taking the opening kickoff 60 yards in 14 plays despite three minor penalties. DeLorenzo capped the drive with a two-yard run. On the Redcoats’ second drive, DeLorenzo carried on eight of the nine plays and scored from the 3.

Bethel converted its initial first down early in the second quarter but fumbled. When Berlin’s ensuing drive stalled, Devin Silverman booted a 36-yard field goal. DeLorenzo scored his third touchdown of the first half on a 35-yard pass from Dan Hackett to give Berlin a 25-0 halftime lead.

Bethel (9-3) scored its lone touchdown in the third quarter when quarterback Bill Ramirez hit Javier Reyes for a 71-yard catch and run.

Cheshire 28, Staples 21 (OT), Rams win Class LL

2009-12-06T17:22:00.003-05:00

Senior defensive lineman Luke Scinto stripped Staples running back Matt Kelly and then recovered the fumble on a second down in overtime to lift the Cheshire football team to a dramatic 28-21 victory to claim the Class LL state championship before 4,182 at Strong Stadium in West Haven Sunday.

The third-seeded Rams (11-1) won their seventh championship, but first since 1997. It marked the first time that a championship game went to overtime since 1990 when both Newtown and Sacred Heart captured titles. It also marked the first time that an overtime state title game involved a member of the Southern Connecticut Conference.

Senior quarterback Greg Palmer scored on touchdown runs of 10 and 6 yards as Cheshire built a 21-7 halftime lead.

Senior Brendan Rankowitz caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from senior Keith Gelman, and Gelman scored on a 1-yard run, in the fourth quarter as the top-seeded, and top-ranked, Wreckers tied the game at 21 to force overtime.

Junior Mike Skibicki scored on a 2-yard touchdown run on the only carry of the game in overtime for the Rams.

New Canaan, St. Joe's crowned champions

2009-12-05T20:50:00.000-05:00

Quarterback Turner Baty completed 19 of 32 passes for 224 yards with four touchdowns to lead the top-seeded New Canaan football team to a 28-0 victory over No. 2 East Lyme in the Class MM state championship game Saturday at Bunnell High in Stratford.

The Rams, ranked No. 7 in the Register Top 10 poll, earned their fourth straight Class MM title and eighth overall.

Baty threw touchdown passes of 9, 18 and 23 yards to Cody Newton and a 19-yard touchdown pass to Willie Ouelette.

Newton had 10 catches for 125 yards and Ouelette had four for 48 yards for the Rams (11-1). Peter Park had 12 carries for 63 yards New Canaan.

Kevin Miao ran 15 times for 49 yards and Jordan McCoy had 47 yards on 10 carries for the Vikings (10-2).

Class SS
St. Joseph 14, Montville 3: Tyler Matakevich scored a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter as the No. 4 Cadets rallied to win the championship at Strong Stadium in West Haven.

St. Joseph (10-2) took advantage of six Montville turnovers, including five lost fumbles, to win the school’s ninth state title, but first since 1990.

Matakevich ran for 111 yards on 31 carries, but he only had two carries over 10 yards.

Montville quarterback J.P. Morales connected with Jesse Sutherland on a 52-yard pass play on Montville’s first play from scrimmage, but the Indians had the first of their six turnovers on the goal line when Morales couldn’t handle a snap three plays later.

Morales threw for 76 yards, all to Sutherland, and ran for 53 more. Montville’s Ben Middel kicked a 47-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to give the Indians (10-2) a 3-0 halftime lead.

Class S Box Score

2009-12-05T20:01:00.002-05:00

Hyde 21, Northwest Catholic 0
(at Waterbury)

Hyde 0 14 0 7 — 21
Northwest Catholic 0 0 0 0 — 0

Second quarter
H—DeShawn Murphy 60 pass from Joe Lambert (pass failed)
H—Joe Lambert 44 pass from Kendell Groom (Lambert run)
Fourth quarter
H—Justen Wilson 1 run (Murphy kick)

TEAM STATISTICS
NWC HY
First downs 10 11
Rushing yards 111 136
Passing yards 34 104
Comp-att-int 5-18-1 2-8-2
Fumbles-lost 4-4 2-2
Penalties-yards 3-31 6-45
Punts-avg 7-35.7 6-38.5
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing—HY: Kendell Groom, 6--5; Joe Lambert, 13-46; Myles Morrison, 9-29; Justen Wilson, 13-66; NWC: Ras Morgan, 12-59; Jack Murphy, 12-9; Justin Strid, 6-21; Jack Hayes, 6-22; Nicholas Calitri, 2-0;
Receiving—HY: Joe Lambert, 1-44; DeShawn Murphy, 1-60; NWC: Kevin OToole, 4-30; Ted Terrion, 1-4;
Passing—HY: Kendell Groom, 1-7-44-2; Joe Lambert, 1-1-60-0; NWC: Jack Murphy, 5-18-34-1;
Team records: Northwest Catholic 10-2; Hyde 11-1
Attendance: 1,500.

Hyde wins Class S title

2009-12-05T18:07:00.002-05:00

Senior Joe Lambert caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Kendell Groom, and Lambert tossed a 60-yard touchdown pass to senior DeShawn Murphy on a half-back option, to lift the Hyde football teams to a 21-0 victory over Northwest Catholic Saturday before an estimated 1,500 at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury.

The second-seeded Howling Wolves (11-1), who led 14-0 at halftime, won their fourth state title this decade. Hyde also won in 2000, 2004 and 2005.

Senior Justen Wilson added a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter for the Howling Wolves.

Wilson rushed for a team-high 66 yards on 13 carries. Lambert added 13 carries for 46 yards. Murphy recorded three sacks, and Hyde forced five turnovers, including four in the first half.

Junior Ras Morgan led the top-seeded Indians with 59 yards on 12 carries. Senior quarterback Jack Murphy completed 5 of 18 passes for 34 yards and an interception. Northwest Catholic (10-2) was playing in its first state title game.

CIAC releases playoff plan

2009-12-04T14:49:00.000-05:00

This was sent by the CIAC:

In regards to Saturday's weather forecast, the current plan is to play all games as scheduled.

If any changes are necessary they will be posted at ciacsports.com no later then 10:00am on Saturday for the 2:00pm games, and 3:00pm on Saturday for the 7:00pm games.

Loss is Cheshire's gain

2009-12-03T16:01:00.004-05:00

Cheshire lost just one game this season, to Class L finalist Notre Dame-West Haven 40-35 in the closing minute on Oct. 9.

Since then, the Rams have won seven straight games and play for the Class LL state title against Staples on Saturday (7 p.m. at West Haven's Strong Stadium).

Although that loss ended Cheshire's hopes for a perfect season, that game might've been the turning point in the Rams' season.

"After the Notre Dame game, that's when everything really started to click," Cheshire senior Dan Sweeney said. "It was such a hard loss, but, at practice that week, we really came together."

Cheshire will attempt to win its seventh state title. The Rams won six straight from 1992-1997. It lost to Glastonbury in the Class LL final last season.

"Everyone's just congratulating all of the football guys," Sweeney said. "The town is supporting us very much. The alumni have been supportive. They have been coming back to Cheshire a lot to watch us play. We've been getting text messages getting ready for Saturday. Cheshire football is family."

Read more on Cheshire in Friday's Register.

Contest: Bassick video in national final

2009-12-03T14:51:00.003-05:00

Bassick is one of 10 national finalists in the Friday Night Feats high school football video contest on YouTube sponsored by State Farm.

With 15.5 seconds to go, quarterback Rodney Lanham connected with tailback Davonte "Petey" Franklin on a dramatic 34-yard touchdown pass that helped the Lions defeat Harding 18-12 on Nov. 16.

A panel of judges selected the finalists from the 51 videos fans voted as Zone winners. Viewers will choose the grand prize winner by voting for their favorite video on YouTube between Dec. 3 and Dec. 10.

Now it is the fans’ turn to vote with winners announced on Dec. 14. The grand prize is $15,000 with $10,000 for first place and $5,000 for second place. State Farm will have awarded almost to $160,000 to schools during the Friday Night Feats contest this year.

To view contest information and contest rules visit http://www.fridaynightfeats.com/. To see the finalist videos and all of the others submitted this year, visit the State Farm Friday Night Feats contest on YouTube at www.youtube.com/fridaynightfeats.

KLHT standout named Gatorade state player of year

2009-12-03T14:13:00.002-05:00

Kevin Pierre-Louis of King Low Heywood Thomas has been selected as the 2009-10 Gatorade Connecticut Football Player of the Year. Pierre-Louis is the school's first recipient of the state player of the year honor.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior middle linebacker and fullback amassed 159 tackles, including 101 solo tackles, this past season for the Vikings (8-1), who fell to Suffield Academy, 34-13, in the New England Prep School Athletic Conference Delprete-Theobold championship game.

Pierre-Louis also recorded three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, two sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. On offense, Pierre-Louis rushed for 914 yards and 13 touchdowns on 77 carries, averaging 11.9 yards per attempt, and caught four passes for 84 yards and three touchdowns.

He has made a verbal commitment to play at Boston College.

Playoff sites and times released

2009-12-02T10:17:00.002-05:00

Here are the times and sites for Saturday's CIAC football matchups:

Class LL
No.3 Cheshire (10-1) vs. No.1 Staples (12-0), 7 p.m. at Ken Strong Stadium, West Haven

Class L
No.3 Notre Dame-West Haven (10-1) vs. No.1 Pomperaug (12-0), 2 p.m. at Shelton High School

Class MM
No.2 East Lyme (10-1) vs. No.1 New Canaan (10-1), 2 p.m. at Bunnell High School

Class M
No.3 Berlin (9-2) vs. No.4 Bethel (9-2), 7 p.m. at Municipal Stadium, Waterbury

Class SS
No.2 Montville (10-1) vs. No.4 St. Joseph (9-2), 2 p.m. at Ken Strong Stadium, West Haven

Class S
No.2 Hyde Leadership (10-1) vs. No.1 Northwest Catholic (10-1), 2 p.m. at Municipal Stadium, Waterbury

A little surprised Notre Dame-West Haven vs. Pomperaug not at West Haven. There was talk last night that this game could draw well and West Haven was best equipped, but committee probably took into account fairness of Pomperaug having to play on a West Haven field.

Look for more from the CIAC luncheon later today from Mike Pucci and Joe Morelli.

Sean Barker

State Playoff Scores, Sked

2009-12-01T23:24:00.001-05:00

Here are results from Tuesday's Semifinals and the matchups for Saturday's championships:

CLASS LL
Semifinals
Tuesday’s results
No. 1 Staples 31, No. 4 Xavier 28
No. 3 Cheshire 20, No. 2 Glastonbury 6
Final
Saturday
Site and time, TBA
Staples vs. Cheshire

Class L
Semifinals
Tuesday’s results
No. 1 Pomperaug 41, No. 4 Simsbury 26
No. 3 Notre Dame-West Haven 42,
No. 2 Conard 14
Final
Saturday
Site and time, TBA
Pomperaug vs. Notre Dame-West Haven

Class MM
Semifinals
Tuesday’s results
No. 1 New Canaan 14, No. 4 St. Paul/Goodwin Tech 13
No. 2 East Lyme 39, No. 3 Vinal Tech/Coginchaug 0
Final
Saturday
Site and time, TBA
New Canaan vs. East Lyme

Class M
Semifinals
Tuesday’s results
No. 3 Berlin 35, No. 2 Avon 28
No. 4 Bethel 34, No. 1 New London 12
Final
Saturday
Site and time, TBA
Berlin vs. Bethel

Class SS
Semifinals
Tuesday’s results
No. 2 Montville 49, No. 3 Bullard-Havens 12
No. 4 St. Joseph 56, No. 1 Holy Cross 7
Final
Saturday
Site and time, TBA
Montville vs. St. Joseph

Class S
Semifinals
Tuesday’s results
No. 1 Northwest Catholic 24, No. 4 Ansonia 0
No. 2 Hyde 40, No. 3 Bloomfield 26
Final
Saturday
Site and time, TBA
Northwest Catholic vs. Hyde

Hyde 40, Bloomfield 26

2009-12-01T21:42:00.003-05:00

Senior running back Juston Wilson rushed 24 times for 151 yards and one touchdown to lift the second-seeded Hyde football team to a 40-26 victory over No. 3 Bloomfield in the Class S state semifinals Tuesday at Strong Stadium in West Haven.

Senior Joe Lambert added 111 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries and senior Myles Morrison rushed 14 times for 83 yards and three touchdowns for the Howling Wolves (10-1).

Hyde will face No. 1 Northwest Catholic (10-1) in the championship game on Saturday at a site and time to be determined.

The Howling Wolves rushed 56 times for 370 and six touchdowns. Hyde, which led 26-0 at halftime, did not complete a pass in the game, and made just one attempt.

Bloomfield (9-2) senior quarterback Denzel Jones completed 14 of 20 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Parris Woods made seven catches for 163 yards and three touchdowns for the Warhawks.

Staples still No. 1 heading into playoff week

2009-11-30T18:31:00.002-05:00

Staples (11-0) remained No. 1 in the Top 10 Poll.

The rest of the Top 5:

2. Pomperaug (11-0)
3. New London (10-0)
4. Xavier (9-1)
5. Notre Dame-West Haven (9-1)

To see the complete poll, check out Tuesday's Register. Also Tuesday, stories on Notre Dame-West Haven (Class L) and Ansonia (Class S) and capsules on all 12 semifinal games.

PLAYOFFS!! The 2009 semifinalists are.....

2009-11-26T17:39:00.005-05:00

Here are your 2009 playoff pairings, which have been officially approved by the CIAC football committee.

SEMIFINALS, TUESDAY, 6:30 P.M.
Class LL
No. 4 Xavier (9-1) vs. No. 1 Staples (11-0) at Wilton
No. 3 Cheshire (9-1) at No. 2 Glastonbury (9-1)
Class L
No. 4 Simsbury (9-1) at. No. 1 Pomperaug (11-0)
No. 3 Notre Dame-West Haven (9-1) at No. 2 Conard (10-0)
Class MM
No. 4 St. Paul/Goodwin Tech (8-2) at No. 1 New Canaan (9-1)
No. 3 Vinal Tech/Coginchaug (9-1) at No. 2 East Lyme (9-1)
Class M
No. 4 Bethel (8-2) at No. 1 New London (10-0)
No. 3 Berlin (8-2) vs. No. 2 Avon (10-0) at Muzzy Field, Bristol
Class SS
No. 4 St. Joseph (8-2) vs. No. 1 Holy Cross (9-1) at Municipal Stadium, Waterbury
No. 3 Bullard-Havens (9-1) at No. 2 Montville (9-1)
Class S
No. 4 Ansonia (8-2) at No. 1 Northwest Catholic (9-1)
No. 3 Bloomfield (9-1) vs. No. 2 Hyde (9-1) at Strong Stadium, West Haven

Notre Dame-West Haven 31, Hamden 15

2009-11-26T13:52:00.003-05:00

Justin Willis rushed 23 times for 94 yards and one touchdown to lead Notre Dame to a 31-15 victory over host Hamden in the 59th Green Bowl.

Notre Dame (9-1), which has won four straight over Hamden (7-3), qualified for the Class L state playoffs. Notre Dame now leads the series 36-21-2.

Rodrigo Echeandia kicked a 27-yard field goal and four extra points for the Green Knights. Phillip Bentley scored on a 41-yard run, David Rose scored on a 1-yard run and Brian Sibley added an 11-yard touchdown run for Notre Dame.

Jordan Teague scored on a 7-yard run and Jordan Collins caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Jason Lassiter for Hamden.

Live Chat Transcript

2009-11-24T13:36:00.001-05:00

Here is a replay of this morning's LIVE CHAT with Register football writer Mike Pucci with guests Scott Benoit, Hamden head coach, and Steve Kirck of ND-West Haven.

Thanksgiving Football: A Connecticut Tradition

Bassick highlight clip among nation's best

2009-11-24T10:52:00.007-05:00

With 15.5 seconds to go, quarterback Rodney Lanham connected with tailback Davonte "Petey" Franklin on a dramatic 34-yard touchdown pass that helped the Lions defeat Harding 18-12 on Nov. 16.

The video is featured in a contest sponsored by State Farm Insurance called "Friday Night Feats".

The video has moved into the next round of voting, and Bassick has already been awarded a $2,500 cash prize for their efforts. There are 52 videos that moved into the next round and it is judged by a panel that will determine the final 10 videos that will compete for the $15,000 Grand Prize, a $10,000 First Prize and a $5,000 Second Prize nationally.

The videos will be judged by a panel and the video will be graded on the "WOW" factor 50% - athleticism of the play 25% - Factor in determining the game 15% - Video artistry 5% and overall star rating from first round 5%.

Once the final ten are determined, the videos will be re posted to YOUTUBE and voted on from December 3 until December 10.

To watch the clip, click here.

Staples still No. 1

2009-11-23T17:58:00.002-05:00

Staples (10-0) rallied past Bridgeport Central in last Friday's FCIAC championship, and the Wreckers remained No. 1 in the Register Top 10 Poll.

The rest of the Top 5

2. Pomperaug
3. New London
4. Xavier
5. Notre Dame-West Haven

See the complete Top 10 in Tuesday's Register.

Macari, McDonald selected for Army Combine

2009-11-23T15:36:00.002-05:00

New Canaan junior wide receiver/defensive back Kevin Macari and Avon junior running back Ross McDonald have been selected to participate in the U.S. Army National Combine on January 7-9 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The Combine showcases the nation's best underclass football talent and is part of the week-long festivities that lead up to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on January 9.

The three-day event, held annually in association with the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, is the first opportunity for the nation's top underclassmen to demonstrate their physical talent and compete against one another amongst high school and college football's top scouting organizations.

Cheshire 27, West Haven 12

2009-11-21T21:53:00.002-05:00

Senior quarterback Greg Palmer rushed 16 times for 92 yards, and he threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to senior Dan Sweeney for the Rams in this SCC Division I East victory at West Haven.

Sweeney also scored on a 29-yard run for Cheshire (8-1).

Marquis Highsmith scored on a 7-yard run, and Damian McIntosh caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from Nick Nieves for the Westies (4-5).

Staples wins FCIAC title

2009-11-20T22:37:00.003-05:00

No. 1 Staples (10-0) defeated No. 8 Bridgeport Central (8-1), 14-10, to win the FCIAC title.

In other action:
Sal Varca rushed 16 times for 136 yards and two touchdowns to lead host North Branford to a 49-18 Pequot Conference interdivision victory over Housatonic/Wamogo.
Joe Perez rushed for 128 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns for the Thunderbirds (4-5).

New London 40, Sheehan 7: Kyle McKinnon scored three rushing touchdowns to lead the No. 5 Whalers (9-0) to a non-conference win at Wallingford.
Gionni Gibbs returned a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown for the Titans (3-6).

New Playoff System Approved

2009-11-19T17:12:00.000-05:00

This just in from the CIAC:

The CIAC Board of Control voted unanimously at its meeting Thursday to accept the proposal of the CIAC Football Committee to adapt a new division and playoff structure for the sport of football beginning in the 2010 season.

The format calls for four equal divisions by enrollment (down from the current six). Eight teams in each division would qualify for the playoffs. A quarterfinal round will be on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, followed by semifinals on the next Saturday and the four championship games the Saturday after that. In 2010 those dates will be November 30th (16 quarterfinals at sites of the higher ranked team), December 4th (eight semifinals at neutral sites if possible) and December 11th (four championship games at one or two sites).

Redd an Army Player of Year nominee

2009-11-19T16:08:00.003-05:00

Silas Redd, a senior running back from King & Low Heywood Thomas in Stamford, has been nominated for the U.S. Army Player of the Year award. This honor goes out to the nation's top prep football player. Redd is headed to Penn. State,

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee has nominated 16 student-athletes for the prestigious 2010 U.S. Army Player of the Year Award, considered high school football's highest honor. The U.S. Army Player of the Year award
is given to the nation's most outstanding senior high school football
player participating in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The six
finalists for the award will be announced on December 2. The U.S.
Army Player of the Year will be crowned during the U.S. Army Awards
Dinner on January 9, 2010, in San Antonio, where the winner will be
presented with the Ken Hall Trophy, modeled after Ken "Sugar Land
Express" Hall, high school football's all-time leading rusher.

Below are the nations 16 nominees:
Keenan Allen DB Northern Guilford Greensboro, N.C.
Dillon Baxter RB Mission Bay San Diego, Calif.
Brennan Clay RB Scripps Ranch San Diego, Calif.
Michael Dyer RB Little Rock Christian Little Rock, Ark.
Sharrif Floyd DLGeorge Washington Philadelphia, Pa.
Jake Heaps QB Skyline Sammamish, Wash.
Seantrel Henderson OL Cretin-Derham Hall St. Paul, Minn.
Malcolm Jones RB Oaks Christian Westlake Village, Calif.
Lamarcus Joyner DB St. Thomas Aquinas Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Marcus Lattimore RB Byrnes Duncan, S.C.
Ronald Powell DL Rancho Verde Moreno Valley, Calif.
Kyle Prater WR Proviso West Hillside, Ill.
Silas Redd RB King & Low Heywood Thomas Stamford, Conn.
Lache Seastrunk RB Temple Temple, Texas
Phillip Sims QB Oscar Smith Chesapeake, Va.
Robert Woods WR/DB Junipero Serra Gardena, Calif.