The NVL Football Blog

Mid-January Updates

2012-01-19T10:48:00.000-05:00

Howdy, everyone! We hope that you guys are handling the beginning of your high school football withdrawal without too many signs and symptoms. Since we've been without a post for about a week and a half, here are a few updates on things that have recently happened (most of which have already been posted in our comments) as well as a few things to come.

Former Ansonia running back Montrell Dobbs officially committed to Temple after an outstanding prep season at Milford Academy in which he earned the team's Offensive MVP Award. Dobbs rushed for 1,366 yards and 20 touchdowns in one of the best seasons in program history. Fellow Falcon and former Naugatuck lineman Aaron Echevarria will play at Southern Connecticut.
The Walter Camp Awards were the final honors to be announced (and were last week). Ansonia running back Arkeel Newsome was named State Player of the Year and was one of two running backs on the Walter Camp All-Connecticut Team. Other NVL selections to the team included Brenden Lytton (DB, Torrington), Hakeem Martin (OL, Ansonia), Dylan Vano (OL, Ansonia), and Tyler Wood (LB, Ansonia). See the full team here.

Holy Cross defensive coordinator Mike Mannetti was hired Wednesday as Post University's second sprint football head coach, reports the Rep-Am's Mark Jaffee. He succeeds Pete Ewald, who is leaving to start a program at Franklin Pierce University. Mannetti was previously an offensive coordinator at Post.
Finally, we haven't forgotten about the NVL Blog Awards. We should be finishing them up very soon and have them posted next week. Sorry about the delay, we've been enjoying some time away from constant administration of the blog.

So far this offseason, there has been no earth-shattering news, but if anything does come up, you'll see it here first. Enjoy the winter, folks.

Awards: New Haven Register All-State

2012-01-08T10:40:00.001-05:00

The last of the major awards have been released with the New Haven Register All-State teams coming out on Sunday. Ansonia sophomore running back Arkeel Newsome was selected as the state MVP, making it two Chargers in a row to win the award after Montrell Dobbs in 2010. Newsome also earned a spot on MaxPreps' All-American sophomore team.

Here are the Naugatuck Valley League's representatives on the Register All-State teams:

First Team
Brenden Lytton, DB, Torrington
Hakeem Martin, OL, Ansonia
Arkeel Newsome, RB, Ansonia
Dylan Vano, OL, Ansonia
Tyler Wood, LB, Ansonia

Second Team
Dave DiGiorgi, RB, Holy Cross
Justin Gonzalez, WR, St. Paul
Ray Kreiger, QB, Derby
Jake LaRovera, DL, Ansonia

Third Team
Tyler Williams, OL, Ansonia

Honorable Mention
DeVante Bonvillian, RB, Wolcott
Adrian Brown, LB, Holy Cross
Brian Dobek, WR, Derby
Dwayne Ellis, WR, Sacred Heart
Eric Ford, DB, Watertown
Matt Hall, DL, Ansonia
Jay'Len Mahan, DB, Wilby
Logan Marchi, QB, St. Paul
Dillon McMahon, WR, Derby
Zach McNutt, OL, Torrington
Mike Nicol, QB, Wolcott
DJ Ouellette, LB, Watertown
Joe Parent, LB, Holy Cross
George Smith, OL, Holy Cross
Isaiah Wright, DB, Holy Cross
Jake Yourison, RB, Naugatuck
Matt Zaccagnini, RB, Woodland

Check out the full teams here. Congratulations to all the players selected to the New Haven Register All-State Teams!

Ansonia Championship Apparel

2012-01-02T10:21:00.000-05:00

Ansonia High School have the below T-shirts and Sweaters for sale. Order forms can be picked-up at Ansonia High School or at the Ansonia Football Dinner at Holy Rosary Church on January 16th at 6:30 p.m. Ansonia Football Champions Order Form 2011

Awards: All-Valley Team

2011-12-30T19:08:00.000-05:00

Next up in the line of awards to be handed out following this season is the All-Valley Team. You may recall that we revived this concept last season with the help of DWDrake, Thevoice, and the Valley coaches. We did the same this year with 10 voters, including the two aforementioned bloggers, Kyle and Remmy, Shelton coach Jeff Roy, Derby coach George French, Ansonia coach Tom Brockett, Seymour coach Tom Lennon, Woodland coach Tim Shea, and Oxford coach Joe Stochmal.

Without further ado, we are proud to announce the 2011 All-Valley Team.

All-Valley Offense
QB: Ray Kreiger (Derby)
RB: Arkeel Newsome (Ansonia), Matt Zaccagnini (Woodland)
FB: Dennis Danley (Ansonia)
WR: Dillon McMahon (Derby), Anthony Scirpo (Woodland)
TE: Tim Adanti (Derby)
OL: Joe Carbonaro (Oxford), Jeremy Clark (Woodland), Hakeem Martin (Ansonia), Joe Ortoli (Shelton), Dylan Vano (Ansonia)

All-Valley Defense
DL: Dave Alves (Woodland), Eric Collodel (Woodland), Matt Hall (Ansonia), Jake LaRovera (Ansonia)
LB: Zach Plourde (Woodland), Robert Rose (Shelton), Josh Tilton (Seymour), Tyler Wood (Ansonia)
DB: Jagger Kalagian (Shelton), Alex Miller (Oxford), Ryan O'Connor (Ansonia), Jon Wilson (Seymour)

All-Valley Special Teams
K: Ed Groth (Shelton)
P: Luke Grabowski (Seymour)
KR: Chris Hovan (Oxford)
UT: Frank Camerino (Shelton)

All-Valley Honorable Mention
Ansonia: Raeshaun Finney, Tyler Lester, Miky Mason, Andrew Matos, Tyler Williams
Derby: Luis Casco, Brian Dobek
O'Brien Tech: Cecil Bost
Oxford: Jordan Biagionni, Brian Spicer
Seymour: Dylan Sadick
Shelton: Mike Dellolio, Gary Thompson
Woodland: Levi Fancher

Congratulations to all the players named to the All-Valley Team! Happy New Year, everyone!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T00:00:00.001-05:00

We would like to send out our most heartfelt Season's Greetings to each and every one of our bloggers and readers! You guys (and we know there are some gals out there, too!) have once again made another year a blast for us. This is the best independent football blog in the state not just because of the work that we do, but just as much because of the input and discussion spurred by all of you. It would be boring without you.

There will be plenty more in wrapping up the 2011 season very soon. The All-Valley Teams will be released mid-next week and the New Haven Register All-State Teams are set to be published during the first week of January. And of course, we still have the NVL Blog Awards on the way in the middle of January (and we'll be asking for your input, too).

Once again, thank you all for making this a great place for local high school football (and invariably other things) discussion, and we're looking forward to sharing another year with all of you. Thanks to all the players, coaches, parents, and fans who always remind us that they enjoy reading our work. It's always a pleasure to meet bloggers and readers at games, and we had a blast doing that throughout this season.

Be sure to celebrate the holiday season joyously and responsibly (here's looking at you, Seeing Red). Believe it or not, we wouldn't want anything to happen to you guys.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Awards: CHSCA All-State

2011-12-21T11:50:00.011-05:00

The Connecticut High School Coaches Association released its All-State teams on Wednesday. It doesn't look like there was a whole lot of rhyme or reason to some of the selection of these teams (for example, there is no quarterback on the Class M team and only three offensive linemen on the overall First Team). Here are the teams, originally posted by the Hartford Courant (as far as we know, these are complete).

CHSCA All-State First Team Offense
QB: Casey Cochran (Masuk)
RB: Dave DiGiorgi (Holy Cross), Brenden Lytton (Torrington), Alex Manwaring (Ledyard), Mike Mastroianni (Xavier), Kyle McKinnon (New London), Arkeel Newsome (Ansonia)
WR: Aaron Berardino (Windsor), Thomas Milone (Masuk)
OL: Rennick Brian (Hillhouse), Austin Wezneski (Xavier), Dylan Vano (Ansonia)

CHSCA All-State First Team Defense
DL: Joe Demichele (Daniel Hand), Sean Marinan (Xavier), Cole Ormsby (Windsor), Ludovic Richardson (Notre Dame-West Haven)
LB: Austin Calitro (Danbury), Kevin McDonough (New Canaan), Shane Nastahowski (Greenwich), Tyler Wood (Ansonia), Mark Zurlus (North Haven)
DB: Ryan Jacobucci (Xavier), Ryan Murphy (Xavier), Tom Undercuffler (Berlin), Delshawn Wilson (Norwalk)

Class LL All-State Offense
QB: Pat D'Amato (Xavier)
RB: Lou Fennarolli (Newtown), Ervin Phillips (West Haven), Joey Zelkowitz (Staples)
WR: Ian Dugger (Hall), Dan Hebert (Newtown), Andrew Isaacs (Manchester), Sebastian Little (Cheshire)
OL: Jamie Horasko (Newtown), Serge Jean-Baptiste (Fairfield Prep), Chris Simmons (Manchester), Zach Voytek (Trumbull)
K: Matt Paola (Pomperaug)

Class LL All-State Defense
DL: Audrey Fletcher (Hartford Public), Austin Kisling (New Milford), Billy Weyraugh (Cheshire)
LB: Dan Palmer (Hartford Public), Robert Rose (Shelton), Jovan Santos-Knox (Xavier), Tyler Valenti (Pomperaug)
DB: Tim Dube (Hamden), Chandler Foster (Stamford), James Frusciante (Staples), Nick Kelly (Staples), Devin O'Reilly (Glastonbury)
P: Jon Heil (Staples)

Class L All-State Offense
QB: Matt Milano (New Canaan)
RB: Colin Markus (Masuk), Justin Potts (Platt)
WR: Khaleed Fields (New London), Patrick Newton (New Canaan), Jason Piontkowski (Masuk), Jared Vasquez (Bunnell)
TE: Tom Meyers (Coventry/Windham Tech)
OL: Tom Farina (East Lyme), Kalin Killinger (New Canaan), Voghens Larrieux (New London), Jake Mikos (North Haven), Nick Salza (Bunnell)
K: Collin Shapiro (New Canaan)

Class L All-State Defense
DL: Emir Kuljancic (Wethersfield), Darick Orange (Coventry/Windham Tech), Andrew Savenelli (North Haven)
LB: Chad Berry (East Lyme), Matt Duignan (Masuk), Pat Kirkwood (Fitch), Dylan Leeming (New Canaan), Isaiah Thomasson (Maloney), Matt Walsh (Daniel Hand)
DB: Devon Carillo (Middletown), Jawad Chisolm (Bunnell), Jevon Elmore (New London), Shawn Flynn (Masuk)
P: Kevin Premto (Wethersfield)

Class M All-State Offense
RB: Harold Cooper (Hillhouse)
WR: Connor Falcquerra (Jonathan Law), Brandon Johnson (Montville)
TE: Dave Depoi (Brookfield)
OL: Jake Basillica (Montville), Hakeem Martin (Ansonia), Sean Merrill (Sheehan), Chris Meucci (Berlin), Peter Serencsics (Bethel), Ken Vollaro (Ellington/Somers), Kyle Wilson (Ledyard)
K: Brodie Corless (Sheehan)

Class M All-State Defense
DL: Jake LaRovera (Ansonia), Zach Paquette (Ellington/Somers), Ivan Werta (Waterford)
LB: Brian Birdsell (Bethel), Isaiah Holloway (Montville), Dallas Smith (Ledyard), Dave Yerxa (Foran)
DB: Andre Anderson (Hillhouse), DeVante Bonvillian (Wolcott), Brian Gencarelli (Waterford), Aaron Johnson (Stonington)
P: Matt Aspinwall (Foran)

Class S All-State Offense
QB: Ray Kreiger (Derby), Anthony Morales (Cromwell)
RB: Dan German (Haddam-Killingworth), Chris Young (Rocky Hill)
WR: Mike Antonio (Cromwell), Dillon McMahon (Derby)
TE: Zach Wood (Griswold)
OL: Joe Carbonaro (Oxford), Justice Doane (Valley Regional/Old Lyme), Wes Hopkins (Northwest Catholic), Paul Spada (Rocky Hill), George Smith (Holy Cross)

Class S All-State Defense
DL: Matt Keeney (Weston), Maleek Riley (Northwest Catholic), Mike Sullivan (Cromwell)
LB: Tim Artuc (Stafford/East Windsor), Alec Corazzino (Coginchaug), Anthony Franco (North Branford), Joe Parent (Holy Cross), Jacob Shippee (East Catholic)
DB: Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn (Valley Regional/Old Lyme), Nick Gaynor (Northwest Catholic), Dan Rogers (Weston), Isaiah Wright (Holy Cross)
P: JD Simons (Weston)

Congratulations to the 12 NVL players named to the All-State teams! The New Haven Register All-State teams will be released in the first week of January, and we will post it here as soon as the paper releases it.

Now for the rest of you, react away.

Awards: All-NVL, All-Division, All-City Teams

2011-12-15T10:02:00.004-05:00

Kyle and Remmy shared their picks of the best players in the league in the first-ever All-NVL Blog Teams earlier this week. (Hey, we thought they were pretty darned good.)

Now, it's time for the release of the official teams. See how the league's coaches voted on the All-NVL, All-Division, and All-City Teams. This is the second season in which we have had All-Division teams. (By the way, this is what we think the positions these players earned on the teams. They were not specified.)

All-NVL Offense
QB: Ray Kreiger (Derby)
RB: Brenden Lytton (Torrington), Arkeel Newsome (Ansonia), Jake Yourison (Naugatuck)
WR: DJ Ellis (Sacred Heart), Justin Gonzalez (St. Paul)
OL: Hakeem Martin (Ansonia), Zach Nutt (Torrington), George Smith (Holy Cross), Dylan Vano (Ansonia), Tyler Williams (Ansonia)
TE: Jake LaRovera (Ansonia)
UT: Jay'Len Mahan (Wilby)
P: Luke Grabowski (Seymour)

All-NVL Defense
DL: Dave Alves (Woodland), Matt Hall (Ansonia), Jeff Holder (Torrington), Andrew Kalach (Watertown), DJ Ouellette (Watertown)
LB: Dave DiGiorgi (Holy Cross), Zach Plourde (Woodland), Tyler Wood (Ansonia)
DB: DeVante Bonvillian (Wolcott), Eric Ford (Watertown), Tyler Lester (Ansonia), Dillon McMahon (Derby), Ryan O'Connor (Ansonia)

All-Brass Offense
QB: Mike Nicol (Wolcott)
RB: Anthony Avoletta (Watertown), Jacob Thomas (Wilby), Jon Wilson (Seymour)
WR: Brian Dobek (Derby), Andrew Matos (Ansonia)
OL: Antonio Biello (Crosby), Arek Kaszuba (Ansonia), Albion Lumani (Watertown), Josh Tilton (Seymour), Devyn Wilson (Wilby)
TE: Tim Adanti (Derby)
UT: Dennis Danley (Ansonia)

All-Brass Defense
DL: Nick Burns (Seymour), Luis Casco (Derby), Torrin Howard (Wilby), Jim Nelson (Wolcott)
LB: Marcel Lugo (Crosby), Ryan Milo (Watertown), Joe Russo (Wolcott), Dylan Sadick (Seymour)
DB: Raeshaun Finney (Ansonia), Miky Mason (Ansonia), Hector Vazquez (Derby), Emmanuel Zapata (Wilby)

All-Copper Offense
QB: Zach Brown (Holy Cross)
RB: Adrian Brown (Holy Cross), Joan Toribio (Torrington), Matt Zaccagnini (Woodland)
WR: Anthony Scirpo (Woodland), Shyquan Thompson (Sacred Heart), Isaiah Wright (Holy Cross)
OL: Justin Bartolomeo (Holy Cross), Brad Brown (Torrington), Nikko Cari (Naugatuck), Jeremy Clark (Woodland), Vigan Mulahu (Woodland)
TE: Phil Bresson (Torrington)
K: Kyle Broderick (Holy Cross)

All-Copper Defense
DL: Eric Collodel (Woodland), Jamoire Gregory (Sacred Heart), Anthony Jamele (Holy Cross), Kevin Ugalde (Naugatuck)
LB: Tucker Bachand (St. Paul), Levi Fancher (Woodland), Joe Parent (Holy Cross), Tim Woodfield (Naugatuck)
DB: Jolly Black (Sacred Heart), Demetrius Dailey (Torrington), Cesar Nunez (Kennedy), Mick Pernell (Naugatuck)

All-City Offense
QB: Zach Brown (Holy Cross), Jay'Len Mahan (Wilby)
RB: Adrian Brown (Holy Cross), Jacob Thomas (Wilby), Talance Stith (Kennedy)
WR: DJ Ellis (Sacred Heart), Shyquan Thompson (Sacred Heart), Isaiah Wright (Holy Cross)
OL: Justin Bartolomeo (Holy Cross), Antonio Biello (Crosby), James Carredu (Sacred Heart), Andrew Duval (Wilby), Jarred Foote (Wilby), John Joy (Kennedy), George Smith (Holy Cross)
K: Kyle Broderick (Holy Cross)

All-City Defense
DL: Jamoire Gregory (Sacred Heart), Torrin Howard (Wilby), Anthony Jamele (Holy Cross)
LB: Dave DiGiorgi (Holy Cross), Jerome Love (Kennedy), Marcel Lugo (Crosby), Joe Parent (Holy Cross), Mitchell Szyndlar (Holy Cross)
DB: Jolly Black (Sacred Heart), James Jonelis (Kennedy), Malcolm McGee (Wilby), Cesar Nunez (Kennedy), Tyshon Rogers (Crosby), Emmanuel Zapata (Wilby)

Special Award Winners
Jimmy Lee Top Senior: Brenden Lytton (Torrington)
City Offensive Player of the Year: Dave DiGiorgi (Holy Cross)
City Top Lineman of the Year: Jamiore Gregory (Sacred Heart)

Breakdown by Team
Ansonia: 9 All-NVL, 5 All-Brass
Crosby: 0 All-NVL, 2 All-Brass, 3 All-City
Derby: 2 All-NVL, 4 All-Brass
Holy Cross: 2 All-NVL, 7 All-Copper, 10 All-City
Kennedy: 0 All-NVL, 1 All-Copper, 5 All-City
Naugatuck: 1 All-NVL, 4 All-Copper
Sacred Heart: 1 All-NVL, 3 All-Copper, 5 All-City
Seymour: 1 All-NVL, 4 All-Brass
St. Paul: 1 All-NVL, 1 All-Copper
Torrington: 3 All-NVL, 4 All-Copper
Watertown: 3 All-NVL, 3 All-Brass
Wilby: 1 All-NVL, 4 All-Brass, 7 All-City
Wolcott: 1 All-NVL, 3 All-Brass
Woodland: 2 All-NVL, 6 All-Copper

Congratulations to all the honorees! Now, what do you think? Who did a better job of picking these teams--the coaches or Kyle and Remmy?

Awards: All-NVL Blog Teams

2011-12-13T17:10:00.000-05:00

What comes after football season? Football awards season (duh). Kyle and Remmy are proud to announce the first-ever All-NVL Blog Teams.

We decided to limit the numbers on these teams much more than do the actual All-NVL selections, as voted upon by the league's coaches. Therefore, we have 12 players on each offense and defense along with four players on each set of special teams. We know none of you like how many players are on the official teams, so we kept it down to the bare bones to hopefully make this mean something.

We there were plenty of good players left off these two rosters and there were some tough decisions to be made, but we're confident that these teams stand up pretty well, as Kyle and Remmy combined to attend over 45 games this season and saw every team at least once.

All-NVL Blog First-Team Offense

QB: Ray Kreiger (Derby)

RB: Brenden Lytton (Torrington), Arkeel Newsome (Ansonia)

FB: Dennis Danley (Ansonia)

WR: Justin Gonzalez (St. Paul), Dillon McMahon (Derby)

OL: Matt Hall (Ansonia), Hakeem Martin (Ansonia), Zach Nutt (Torrington), Dylan Vano (Ansonia), Tyler Williams (Ansonia)

TE: Tim Adanti (Derby)

All-NVL Blog First-Team Defense

DL: Dave Alves (Woodland), Mike Giugno (Naugatuck), Jeff Holder (Torrington), Jake LaRovera (Ansonia)

LB: Dave DiGiorgi (Holy Cross), Zach Plourde (Woodland), Tyler Wood (Ansonia), Jake Yourison (Naugatuck)

DB: DeVante Bonvillian (Wolcott), Eric Ford (Watertown), Tyler Lester (Ansonia), Isaiah Wright (Holy Cross)

All-NVL Blog First-Team Special Teams

K: Tom Bochicchio (Wolcott)

P: Zach Brown (Holy Cross)

KR: Joe Parent (Holy Cross)

UT: Mike Nicol (Wolcott)

All-NVL Blog Second-Team Offense

QB: Jay’Len Mahan (Wilby)

RB: Anthony Avoletta (Watertown), Matt Zaccagnini (Woodland)

FB: Nick Gambacini (Holy Cross)

WR: DJ Ellis (Sacred Heart), Anthony Scirpo (Woodland)

OL: Brad Brown (Torrington), Jeremy Clark (Woodland), Albion Lumani (Watertown), Dylan Sadick (Seymour), George Smith (Holy Cross)

TE: Zach Happy (Woodland)

All-NVL Blog Second-Team Defense

DL: Eric Collodel (Woodland), Jamoire Gregory (Sacred Heart), Anthony Jamele (Holy Cross), DJ Ouellette (Watertown)

LB: Phil Bresson (Torrington), Levi Fancher (Woodland), Marcel Lugo (Crosby), Josh Tilton (Seymour)

DB: Ryan Byrne (Holy Cross), Cesar Nunez (Kennedy), Ryan O'Connor (Ansonia), Mick Pernell (Naugatuck)

All-NVL Blog Second-Team Special Teams

K: Kyle Broderick (Holy Cross)

P: Luke Grabowski (Seymour)

KR: Jon Wilson (Seymour)

UT: Jacob Thomas (Wilby)

Congratulations to everyone who made the All-NVL Blog Teams! The official All-NVL Teams will be released soon. In the meantime, we encourage all of you to share your thoughts on the All-NVL Blog Teams.

Kyle's and Remmy's Final 2011 State Polls

2011-12-12T12:24:00.014-05:00

Here we are. The season is over--boy, that was quick. The 2011 NVL season was a very fun one, followed by watching two of our teams in the playoffs en route to state championships. Congratulations to both Holy Cross and Ansonia on fantastic seasons.

We saw Xavier dismantle Staples in the Class LL Championship game. Nothing new there. Xavier has been trampling its opponents for two years now and has a 26-game winning streak.

Daniel Hand, a very sound team on both offense and defense, won the Class L Championship over New Canaan. The week prior, the Tigers trounced Masuk, a team that many thought was the No. 1 squad in the state at the time.

Ansonia won its 17th state title and became the first Connecticut high school football team to finish the season 14-0. Arkeel Newsome had a record-breaking season on many fronts. He set the state's single-season record for rushing yardage (3,763), breaking former Ansonia tailback Alex Thomas' mark of 3,596 yards in 2007. Newsome also holds the single-season records for touchdowns (62) and points (388, breaking Tim Washington's mark of 294).

Yes, the only one that really matters is No. 1. But we'll give you our top 15 lists, as we voted in the season's final Connecticut Sports Writers' Alliance poll.

Kyle
1) Xavier; 2) Daniel Hand; 3) Ansonia; 4) Masuk; 5) Staples; 6) New Canaan; 7) Windsor; 8) Holy Cross; 9) New London; 10) Notre Dame-West Haven; 11) North Haven; 12) Norwalk; 13) Cromwell; 14) Ledyard; 15) Newtown

Remmy
1) Xavier; 2) Daniel Hand; 3) Ansonia; 4) Staples; 5) Masuk; 6) New Canaan; 7) Windsor; 8) Holy Cross; 9) Newtown; 10) Ledyard; 11) Cromwell; 12) Norwalk; 13) New London; 14) Notre Dame-West Haven; 15) North Haven

With the domination that Xavier displayed all season over high-quality opponents, there was no way either of us could vote the Falcons anything but No. 1. The battle for No. 2 was close, but the wins that Hand earned throughout the season--and especially the blowouts of Masuk and New Canaan in the playoffs--made the final decision clear, that the Tigers had to be No. 2. The only other undefeated team in the state, Ansonia, is No. 3 for both of us. Holy Cross earns top-10 votes for both of us but has to settle for No. 8 after winning one of the weaker classes--but still, a state title is a state title.

Now, it's your turn to list your top 10! Where do Ansonia and Holy Cross fit? Here's how the four state polls shook out:

New Haven Register Final Poll
First-place votes in parentheses, followed by record, points in poll, and previous ranking.
1. Xavier (25), 13-0, 750, 1
2. Daniel Hand, 13-0, 698, 3
3. Ansonia, 14-0, 652, 4
4. Staples, 11-1, 564, 5
5. Masuk, 11-1, 530, 2
6. New Canaan, 11-2, 510, 8
7. Windsor, 11-1, 443, 6
8. Holy Cross, 12-2, 351, NR
9. New London, 9-2, 339, 7
10. Notre Dame-West Haven, 8-3, 258, 9
25. Wolcott, 8-4, 9, NR

Connecticut Sports Writers' Alliance Final Poll
First-place votes in parentheses, followed by record, points in poll, and previous ranking. (Kyle and Remmy vote in this poll.)
1. Xavier (29), 13-0, 435, 1
2. Daniel Hand, 13-0, 402, 4
3. Ansonia, 14-0, 380, 3
4. Staples, 11-1, 321, 5
5. Masuk, 11-1, 317, 2
6. New Canaan, 11-2, 302, 7
7. Windsor, 11-1, 247, 6
8. Holy Cross, 12-2, 201, NR
9. New London, 9-2, 173, 8
10. Notre Dame-West Haven, 8-3, 140, 9
24. Wolcott, 8-4, 3, NR

The Day Coaches Final Poll
First-place votes in parentheses, followed by record, points in poll, and previous ranking. (Ansonia's Tom Brockett and St. Paul's Jude Kelly vote in this poll.)
1. Xavier (11), 13-0, 358, 1
2. Daniel Hand (1), 13-0, 330, 4
3. Ansonia, 14-0, 320, 3
4. Masuk, 11-1, 258, 2
5. Staples, 11-1, 256, 6
6. New Canaan, 11-2, 250, 9
7. Holy Cross, 12-2, 211, NR
8. Windsor, 11-1, 173, 6
9. New London, 9-2, 158, 8
10. Ledyard, 11-2, 134, NR

Hartford Courant Final Poll
Includes record, followed by previous ranking.
1. Xavier, 13-0, 1
2. Daniel Hand, 13-0, 5
3. Ansonia, 14-0, 3
4. Staples, 11-1, 6
5. New Canaan, 11-2, 9
6. Masuk, 11-1, 2
7. Holy Cross, 12-2, NR
8. Ledyard, 11-2, NR
9. Windsor, 11-1, 4
10. Cromwell, 10-3, NR

Finally, here are Remmy's videos of the Class S and Class M championship games:

Class S Championship: Holy Cross vs. Cromwell

Class M Championship: Ansonia vs. Ledyard

Holy Cross, Ansonia Win State Titles

2011-12-11T10:01:00.003-05:00

For the first time in four years, the Naugatuck Valley League can claim two state champions.

In the most exciting game of the weekend Friday night, Holy Cross outlasted Cromwell, 34-27, for the Class S state title before Ansonia shut out Ledyard, 38-0, for the Class M crown Saturday morning.

Crusaders running back Dave DiGiorgi and Ansonia running back Arkeel Newsome had the two best statistical performances of the weekend. DiGiorgi ran 30 times for 314 yards and four touchdowns while Newsome rushed 42 times for 364 yards and three scores. Both earned MVP honors both in the games and here on the blog.

In the process, Newsome set the Connecticut single-season rushing record with 3,763 yards to break former Charger Alex Thomas' previous record. Newsome also ended the season with a record 62 touchdowns, 58 of them on the ground. Ansonia also became the first team in state history to finish the season 14-0 while adding its 17th state title.

Holy Cross won its first state championship since 2006 and the second in school history. It is the first title for Crusaders coach Mike Giampetruzzi, while Ansonia coach Tom Brockett earned his third.

Kyle and Remmy would like to extend their congratulations to both Holy Cross and Ansonia for excellent seasons and representing the NVL as well as they did throughout the postseason.

Check out the links below for game stories, photos, and videos from around the state. Remmy will have his videos of the games up soon.

Holy Cross-Cromwell: Rep-Am game story, Rep-Am column, Rep-Am photos, Rep-Am video, Courant game story, Courant photos, WFSB highlights, FOX highlights, CIAC final statistics

Ansonia-Ledyard: Rep-Am game story, Rep-Am column, Rep-Am photos, Rep-Am video, CT Post game story, CT Post photos, SPB video, NH Register game story/photos/video, Courant game story, The Day game story, The Day photos, The Day video, Norwich Bulletin game story, WFSB highlights, FOX highlights, CIAC final statistics

Remmy and Kyle will have plenty more in wrapping up the season soon. Thanks for being with us all year!

2011 State Championship Live Scoreboard

2011-12-09T12:34:00.008-05:00

First, congratulations to Holy Cross on winning its second-ever state championship with a 34-27 win over Cromwell in Friday night's thrilling Class S final. Check out Kyle's column, as well as the Rep-Am game story, photos, and video from that game.

Congratulations also goes to Ansonia, which became the first team in Connecticut high school football history to complete a 14-0 season by beating Ledyard, 38-0, for the Chargers' 17th state title. Check out Kyle's column, as well as the Rep-Am game story, photos, and video from Saturday's Class M championship game.

This is the first time since Ansonia and Seymour won crowns in 2007 that the NVL is home to two state champions.

Check out these previews of our two featured games from local media:

Holy Cross-Cromwell: Red Zone Blog preview/pick, Rep-Am preview, Rep-Am capsule, Holy Cross' diverse scoring attack, SPB Blog preview/pick, Register preview/pick, Cromwell boasts powerful offense

Ansonia-Ledyard: Ansonia's powerful offensive line, Newsome can become national rushing leader, Ansonia and Ledyard both want to run, Newsome already among the elite, SPB Blog preview/pick/video, Ledyard set for shot at Ansonia, Ledyard will face state's best, Ansonia's tradition of physical football, Ledyard's state championship rap

Other tidbits: State finals by the numbers, CIAC happy to have games at Rentschler, SPB Blog Class LL preview, SPB Blog Class L preview, Ned Griffen's Lonesome Polecat potpourri

We'll be there to cover both games, so check our live scoreboard below for scoring updates from Twitter. We will also have video in the days following the games. In addition, there are plenty of other ways to keep track of the games, including live audio, live stats, and Kyle's live blog with commentary on the Red Zone.

Holy Cross-Cromwell: WELI 960 AM (audio), sportingnewsct.com (audio), Red Zone live blog with Kyle, CIAC live stats/box score
Ansonia-Ledyard: WELI 960 AM (audio), sportingnewsct.com (audio), Red Zone live blog with Kyle, CIAC live stats/box score
Daniel Hand-New Canaan: WELI 960 AM (audio), sportingnewsct.com (audio), CIAC live stats/box score
Xavier-Staples: WELI 960 AM (audio), sportingnewsct.com (audio), CIAC live stats/box score

Click here for a replay of the 2011 State Championships Live Scoreboard.

2011 State Championships Previews

2011-12-06T09:37:00.000-05:00

The Road to Rentschler ends this weekend as Holy Cross and Ansonia try to bring back two state championships to the NVL for the first time since 2007. Both teams will be favored competing in the first two games of the weekend.

In Class S, No. 2 Holy Cross (11-2) seeks its second state championship and first since 2006 when it faces No. 8 Cromwell (10-2) from the Pequot Conference in the first game of the weekend on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

In Class M, No. 1 Ansonia (13-0) tries to become the first team in state history to complete a 14-0 season when it takes on No. 3 Ledyard (11-1) of the Eastern Connecticut Conference on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Class S: No. 2 Holy Cross vs. No. 8 Cromwell

Remmy's Keys to the Game: Cromwell possesses a high-powered offense (averaging 499 yards of total offense per game) while Holy Cross has a stifling defense. Holy Cross has made plays in the secondary all year, especially causing turnovers and turning those into points. That's been the story for the Crusaders' defense all season long. We know Cromwell will throw the ball with a very talented quarterback. Holy Cross' plan has to be to limit Cromwell from gaining big rushing yardage and force Cromwell to go to the air, where it will be more vulnerable to turning over the ball.

Kyle's Keys to the Game: Holy Cross' defense has been up to the task most of the time this season. In eight of its 11 wins, the Crusaders have given up 14 points or less. When allowing 20 points or more, though, Holy Cross is 3-2 on the year. With how explosive Cromwell's offense is, it will be quite a challenge to hold the Panthers to that figure. In fact, the fewest points Cromwell has scored this season was 21 in a loss to Valley Regional/Old Lyme late in the regular season. In nine of 12 games, the Panthers have scored at least 40 points. But Cromwell's defense is nothing special, having allowed at least 20 points to most of its quality opponents this season (except for the playoffs, in which it has allowed 33 points in two games).
With two capable offenses, this game could come down to the turnover battle and which team can best create off those turnovers. This season, Cromwell was plus-11 (eight turnovers, 19 takeaways) in turnover margin while Holy Cross was plus-19 (eight turnovers, 27 takeaways). Meanwhile the Crusaders have scored eight return touchdowns while the Panthers have managed only two. Certainly, it looks like Holy Cross has the advantage in playmaking defenses, but one key stat in which Cromwell has an advantage is sacks. The Panthers have 40 sacks in 12 games while Holy Cross has just 16. If the Crusaders struggle to get pressure in the passing game, that will be a definite advantage to Cromwell.
Offensively, both of these teams are balanced but the Panthers appear to have more balance and more prolific threats than Holy Cross. Cromwell averages about 20 pass attempts a game (and more than 280 yards per game) and also averages nearly 30 rushes per game (and more than 213 yards a game). Meanwhile, Holy Cross averages just over 10 pass attempts per game (and about 65 yards a game) and about 35 rushes per game (and about 205 yards a game). The stats undoubtedly favor Cromwell, but Holy Cross hasn't built itself upon statistics this season. The Crusaders have used new players seemingly every game to break through. In all, 11 different players have scored touchdowns for Holy Cross, and those are all in varsity play. Having so many threats makes it difficult for a defense to key in on just one or two players.

Remmy's Key Players: It doesn't matter who the opponent is, Holy Cross freshman WR/DB Isaiah Wright is one of the most talented players on the field every night. He makes plays in the secondary, special teams, and offense (backfield and wideout). If Holy Cross does not get him going, I don't expect the 'Saders to leave Rentschler Field with the trophy. Holy Cross DB Joe Parent has also been stellar this season on defense and special teams. Parent may be the unsung hero in this game if Cross wins it. I expect Parent to make impact plays on defense Friday night. For Cromwell, it's QB Anthony Morales. Morales, a 6-foot-2, 180-pounder, has thrown for 3,365 yards and 42 touchdowns this season. That's insane. RB Derrick Villard isn't that bad, either. Villard has rushed for 1,964 yards and 24 TD.

Kyle's Key Players: The Crusaders' two-headed main rushing attack of Dave DiGiorgi and Adrian Brown has been splendid all season. DiGiorgi had perhaps his best game of the season in the semifinals against Valley Regional with 187 yards and a touchdown, bringing his postseason total to 311 yards and three scores. Brown is just as capable and may be in line for an increased workload in the state final. Holy Cross QB Zach Brown has done a very nice job of managing the game and taking care of the ball since about midway through the season. If it comes down to it, he can make some plays with his legs. The Crusaders ran some option against Wolcott and most of the time it met some nice success. That could be a tactic Cross looks to employ later in the game for a change of pace or a clock-eater. On defense, Anthony Jamele and George Smith will be huge on the defensive line to keep the pressure on Morales and the Cromwell passing game. With a quarterback that can put up such high numbers, it's key to get pressure on him and force him into making quick decisions. For the Panthers, Michael Sullivan and Michael Dowe have combined for 29 sacks. If they make their presence felt at the line of scrimmage, it could severely disrupt Holy Cross' offense. Michael Antonio and Brett Director are the main targets for Morales in the receiving corps, combining for 2,269 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Remmy's Pick: Make no mistake about it, Holy Cross is in for a big-time battle. Cromwell boasts the state's best offense (statistically) and is walking into a no-pressure situation as an eighth seed. I expect Holy Cross to take away the run game and force Cromwell to beat them through the air--a tough task. But more importantly, Holy Cross must find its identity on offense. Every game this year, we've seen a different player win the game for Holy Cross. Can the Crusaders get by this week by doing the same? Who will it be this time? I am just worried that Holy Cross will not score enough points. This team isn't made for a shootout. However, I'll take my chances after seeing Cross' defense step it up late in the season. Holy Cross, 28-24.

Kyle's Pick: Cromwell is likely the second-best offense that Holy Cross will have faced all season with everything the Panthers can do and how prolifically they can do it. But the Crusaders' defense has been up to the challenge all season and has made some really big plays to shift momentum and take hold of games. If Cromwell goes through this entire game without turning over the ball, it likely wins this game. But if Holy Cross forces mistakes and capitalizes, the Crusaders have a great chance of winning their second state title. Holy Cross, 31-27.

Class M: No. 1 Ansonia vs. No. 3 Ledyard

Remmy's Keys to the Game: From what I am hearing, Ledyard is a very well-coached and very disciplined team. The Colonels are very similar to Ansonia, as far as the type of offense they run. They love running power and love pulling the guard, just like Ansonia does. The big difference for Ledyard this week will be they are playing Ansonia and not someone in the ECC. Ledyard ran power close to 30 times against Wolcott. It sounds crazy, but we might see Ledyard running power 30 times against Ansonia because the Colonels do not have a great passing game. That leads us to the possibility of the Colonels hitting Ansonia unexpectedly with a play-action here and there. The quarterback is underrated because he isn't used much but he has the ability to make plays, as he is athletic and tough. The Ledyard defense makes big plays and swarms to the ball very aggressively. Its linebacking corps are the heart and soul of the defense. They are very tough and love to blitz. Ledyard better not just tackle or try to hit Newsome hard. I guarantee Ledyard has been practicing strip drills more this week than any other week this season. I know they've seen Arkeel Newsome fumble and they know they will have to create turnovers and capitalize off of them to derail Ansonia. Keep an eye on that.
For Ansonia, I expect Arkeel Newsome to get 35 carries and surpass Alex Thomas' record (3,596 yards) for the most rushing yards in a season. Newsome needs 198 rushing yards to break the record. Speaking of blitzing, Ansonia loves to blitz, too. So expect some awesome collisions at the line of scrimmage on Saturday morning. And don't be surprised if Tom Brockett catches Ledyard off-guard with some play-action. The passing game has not been needed much this season for Ansonia but if the Chargers choose to go that route, it could be the determining factor in this game. In my opinion, I think Ansonia will run Newsome all day long and try to turn this game into a blowout as early as possible to secure the win.
Kyle's Keys to the Game: This game will come down to line play, as it often does. We all know how superb Ansonia's offensive line is after helping pave the way for Newsome's record-setting season. But the Chargers' front will have even more to do this week as Ledyard liked to blitz early and often against Wolcott to disrupt Mike Nicol and his option offense. Blitzing against Ansonia is a risky proposition, but we really haven't seen most teams try it this season. On one hand, bringing more defenders gives the defense a better chance at getting somebody to penetrate and get to Newsome in the backfield, where he is most vulnerable. On the other hand, bringing more defenders at the snap means Newsome has fewer guys to beat in the second and third levels--and that could mean some of his now-trademarked long touchdown runs. Neither team's passing game has had that much work this season, but in a game with two good defenses, perhaps they will be forced to open it up a little bit. Statistically, Ledyard's defense has been better than Ansonia's this season. The Colonels have allowed fewer points (125 to Ansonia's 154) and have posted more shutouts (four to Ansonia's one). But of course, stats don't tell the whole story and I think we all know that the Chargers' defense is best and should more easily be able to limit Ledyard than vice versa.

Remmy's Key Players: I don't think Kyle and I have talked about the Ansonia secondary all year long. But this week, I have to address it. Ledyard will try to run RB Alex Manwaring right into the heart of the Ansonia defense. He's a very patient runner as you can see in each video. If the run game isn't there for Ledyard early in the game, I expect the Colonels to go to the air quickly, before the game gets out of hand, and test the Ansonia secondary. That means Raeshaun Finney, who intercepted a pass against Berlin, Miky Mason, Jai'Quan McKnight, and Hezekiah Duncan will need to be on their toes early in this game. It goes without saying that Ansonia has some bullies on defense, specifically LB Tyler Wood and DE Jake LaRovera, arguably two of the hardest hitters on this defense (well, not arguably, but factually). I'll let Kyle talk about Arkeel Newsome.
Kyle's Key Players: This could be the first time this season that Newsome gets to run for four quarters. He has yet to be on the field for the final whistle of any game yet in 2011, but if he can help it, this game will not be any different. While Ledyard has some good size up front and some athleticism in the secondary, Newsome is going to be the biggest challenge the Colonels have faced all season. If the teams try to go power against power, then Ansonia FB Dennis Danley will be as important as ever. He has been one of the unsung heroes on this team all season and has been a big part of Newsome's records. For Ledyard, Manwaring is the feature back but FB Matt Daggett is a go-to player in short-yardage situations and is a bull. In addition, WR/DB Slade Baxley is Ledyard's version of Isaiah Wright. The Colonels will send him out wide, put him in motion, or hand it off to Baxley, who is dynamic with the ball. He's also excellent in the secondary and could be seeing a lot of Newsome back there.

Remmy's Pick: I expect Ledyard's offense to struggle with Ansonia's defense. No, Ansonia doesn't throw the ball exclusively. But Ansonia's running game is stronger than the Colonels' run game and I think that will be the difference. The Chargers haven't had to rely on the passing game but the Colonels might have to in this game. And that's why I expect it to be ugly. In addition, the athletes on defense for Ansonia are likely the best Ledyard will have faced all season. Ansonia's speed, and mainly their strength, on offense and defense has been outstanding. Ledyard will have to find a way to beat that. If Ledyard goes down by two or three touchdowns, it could get ugly in a hurry. Ledyard doesn't have the type of offense that can go down the field in huge spurts because it is power-run oriented. Without an explosive offense, I think the Colonels are in for the game of their lives. One more thing: Can Ledyard contain Newsome and the Ansonia offensive line for FOUR QUARTERS? That's not easy to do. I haven't seen a team match Ansonia's intensity nor talent level all season long. Why should I expect anything different this week? Ansonia, 48-14.
Kyle's Pick: I've said that this could be the closest game Ansonia plays all season because of Ledyard's defensive ability and toughness on the ground. But just because I think it may be closer than usual doesn't mean it's going to be most people's definition of close. Ledyard will stay in this game for a little while with its productive running game and solid defense, but we've seen Ansonia held down for about a quarter before. We haven't seen the Chargers suppressed for any more than that. Ansonia wears down on opponents with its size and speed. The same will likely happen here. Ansonia, 34-10.

The other two state championships on Saturday afternoon pit the Southern Connecticut Conference against the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference. Remmy and Kyle chime in.

Class L: No. 2 Daniel Hand (12-0) vs. No. 5 New Canaan (11-1): Remmy- New Canaan, 30-28. Kyle- Daniel Hand, 35-31.
Class LL: No. 1 Xavier (12-0) vs. No. 2 Staples (11-0): Remmy- Xavier, 35-24. Kyle- Xavier, 41-21.

We'll also be having a final tailgate before (and probably after) the Ansonia-Ledyard game on Saturday morning, so feel free to stop by. Remmy and Kyle will be at Rentschler Field by 8 a.m. on Saturday. We'll be tailgating until about 10 a.m. and will be heading into the stadium for the Ansonia-Ledyard game. We will likely tailgate after the game for a while, so stop by. If you plan to bring anything, let us know. Otherwise, just come by and hang out.

Good luck to Holy Cross and Ansonia this weekend!

Public vs. Private HS Football Game in Hollywood, Florida

2011-12-05T10:08:00.001-05:00

Connecticut is looking to send local high school football players to Hollywood, Florida, to take part in a public school vs. private school football game.

A ziti dinner fundraiser will be held on Dec. 11 from 5-7 p.m. at Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury. If you cannot make the dinner but would like to make a donation, please contact Chris Ortiz at 203-565-2651 or Nakia Reddick at 904-687-6956. Thank you.
Public vs Private High School

Ansonia, Holy Cross to State Finals

2011-12-04T11:28:00.009-05:00

Holy Cross kicker Kyle Broderick boots the game-winning
field goal in the Crusaders' 23-14 win over Valley Regional
in Saturday's Class S semifinal. Credit: Jim Shannon/RA

Congratulations to Ansonia and Holy Cross on winning their semifinals Saturday afternoon and advancing to next weekend's state championships at Rentschler Field.

In Class M, the No. 1 Chargers dominated No. 4 Berlin, 48-14, in a game that was never even that close. Arkeel Newsome had one of his best games of the season, rushing for 321 yards and six touchdowns. (By the way, Newsome earned our NVL Blog Player of the Week award for the third time this season.) Ansonia allowed just 180 yards of total offense to Berlin.

In Class S, the No. 2 Crusaders pulled out a 23-14 win over No. 3 Valley Regional/Old Lyme in a game that was much closer than that score indicates. Holy Cross kicker Kyle Broderick hit the game-winning, 20-yard field goal with 26.8 seconds left before Cody Schmeer returned an interception for a touchdown on the ensuing drive to account for the final margin. The Crusaders will face No. 8 Cromwell in the Class S state championship.

Also in Class M, No. 7 Wolcott fell to No. 3 Ledyard, 35-0, thanks to a completely dominating defensive performance by the Colonels. Ledyard blasted Wolcott in just about every statistic (total yardage, 361-64; first-half yardage, 245-11; first downs, 19-6; third-down conversions, 9/10-2/10) and now has a date with Ansonia for the Class M state title.

We will release the schedule for the state finals as soon as it becomes official early this week. One game will be Friday night at 6:30 p.m. while the other three will be on Saturday at 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. We just might have another tailgate, too.

The master of video--Remmy--shares his contributions for the week: Click here for Ansonia-Berlin and click here for Masuk-Daniel Hand.

Now, a bunch of links (aside from the links above, which will take you to the Rep-Am articles) for your reading and viewing pleasure on the three NVL games:

Ansonia-Berlin: Rep-Am video, Rep-Am photos, Register story/videos, Register photos, Courant story, Courant photos, Post story/photos, Rick Volk video
Holy Cross-Valley Regional: Rep-Am photos, Register story/photos, Courant story, The Day story, The Day column
Wolcott-Ledyard: Rep-Am photos, The Day story, Norwich Bulletin story

And for those interested, some links to stories (most have photos and/or videos, too) from the other semifinals:

Hand-Masuk: Register, Post story, Post column
Xavier-Norwalk: Register, Courant, Post
Staples-Newtown: Register, Post
Cromwell-Northwest Catholic: Register, Courant
New Canaan-Windsor: Courant, Post

The four state championship matchups:

Class LL: No. 1 Xavier vs. No. 2 Staples (Saturday, 5:30 p.m.)
Class L: No. 2 Daniel Hand vs. No. 5 New Canaan (Saturday, 2 p.m.)
Class M: No. 1 Ansonia vs. No. 3 Ledyard (Saturday, 10:30 a.m.)
Class S: No. 2 Holy Cross vs. No. 8 Cromwell (Friday, 6:30 p.m.)

2011 Semifinals Live Scoreboard

2011-12-03T09:50:00.018-05:00

Ansonia and Holy Cross both advanced to state finals with wins in Saturday's semifinals while Wolcott's best season in school history came to an end with a loss to Ledyard.

Wolcott quarterback Mike Nicol hurdling over an Ellington/Somers defender. Credit: Jeff Sheldon

Click here for a replay of the State Semifinals Live Scoreboard.

As always, you can follow updates from as many games as we have reports on Twitter using the live scoreboard below. If you have a Twitter (which we recommend having) and you'll be at any game during this season, make sure you tweet your updates and use the #ctfb hashtag. You can also tweet @NVLFOOTBALL or @kylebrennan1 and we'll try to retweet you. Enjoy the games!

Playoff Semifinals Predictions

2011-12-01T07:00:00.005-05:00

For the first time in the history of the Naugatuck Valley League, three league teams won playoff games on the same night. Now, they will all play on Saturday afternoon for the chance to advance to Rentschler Field and the state title games.

After Ansonia's domination of Bethel and Holy Cross' blowout of Haddam-Killingworth, Wolcott rallied to beat Ellington/Somers in overtime for the Eagles' first playoff win in school history. All three play Saturday at neutral sites in the semifinals.

Wins by Holy Cross and either Ansonia or Wolcott would give the NVL teams in multiple finals for the first time since 2008 (Ansonia and Seymour). These three teams are trying to bring home multiple state titles for the league, something that hasn't been done since 2007 (Ansonia and Seymour).

No. 1 Ansonia (12-0) vs. No. 4 Berlin (10-1), 2 p.m. at Sheehan High: Berlin was sort of a boring a team this season. The Redcoats' only semi-impressive wins were one-score victories over Bloomfield and New Britain late in the regular season. They weren't fantastic in their 28-14 quarterfinal win over Cheney Tech. Both Scott McLeod (14 rush, 111 yds, TD) and Tom Undercuffler (19 rush, 104 yds, 3 TD) while the team forced three turnovers. Based on some film against New Britain and East Catholic, it looks like Berlin runs out of a few formations but has a lot of spread sets from which the team runs a lot. Still, the offense isn't especially dynamic and will probably struggle against an excellent Ansonia defense. While Berlin has played some good defense at times, it hasn't faced anyone like Arkeel Newsome and his offensive line. The question in this game is really if Ansonia can close out a shutout this time around.
Picks: Remmy- Ansonia, 41-14. Kyle- Ansonia, 35-0.

No. 7 Wolcott (8-3) vs. No. 3 Ledyard (10-1), 2 p.m. at Middletown High: Ledyard is another team that hasn't particularly wowed anybody this season, but the Colonels have gotten the job done almost every time, except a loss to New London. Ledyard has pitched three shutouts and held opponents to three scores or fewer in every win. In the Colonels' 26-0 win over Waterford in the quarterfinal (video here), star running back Alex Manwaring rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries to continue his fantastic season (2,174 yards, 18 rush TD). If Wolcott can slow down the 5-foot-9, 175-pound senior, the Eagles will be looking good. Of course, that will be much easier said than done for a defense that allowed 266 rushing yards to Ellington/Somers in the quarterfinals. But if Wolcott's offense can have the variety it featured with Mike Nicol adding DeVante Bonvillian and Chad Acevedo into the mix, it always seems to work out better for the Eagles. (For you film addicts, here's more video from a few of Ledyard's other games this season.)
Picks: Remmy- Wolcott, 22-14. Kyle- Ledyard, 20-13.

No. 2 Holy Cross (10-2) vs. No. 3 Valley Regional/Old Lyme (10-1), 2 p.m. at Falcon Field: For most of the regular season, Valley Regional looked like it was going to be the team to beat in the Class S playoffs. That distinction may now belong to Holy Cross as the Warriors have slipped a little in recent weeks. Valley started the season 9-0 with eight 40-point offensive efforts and four shutouts. But the Warriors had a close call in a 24-21 win over Cromwell (video here) in early November before suffering a loss to Haddam-Killingworth (which Holy Cross beat in the quarterfinals) on Thanksgiving eve. In Valley's 14-12 quarterfinal win over Rocky Hill, the offense struggled again as quarterback Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn rushed for only 97 yards on 16 carries, but he accounted for both scores on a run and a short pass. Fairfield-Sonn accounted for over 2,500 yards and 35 touchdowns during the regular season, so he will certainly be the focal point of Holy Cross' defense. The Crusaders seem to be getting better and more offensively diverse every week, so everything points in favor of Cross right now.
Picks: Remmy- Holy Cross, 35-12. Kyle- Holy Cross, 28-14.

Aside from the three games involving NVL teams, there are some really outstanding other semifinal games throughout the state. Here are Remmy's and Kyle's picks:

Class LL
No. 1 Xavier (11-0) vs. No. 5 Norwalk (9-1), 2 p.m. at West Haven High: Remmy- Xavier, 28-14. Kyle- Xavier, 27-7.
No. 2 Staples (10-0) vs. No. 6 Newtown (9-2), 2 p.m. at Bunnell High: Remmy- Staples, 32-23. Kyle- Staples, 42-35.

Class L
No. 1 Windsor (11-0) vs. No. 5 New Canaan (10-1), 2 p.m. at East Haven High: Remmy- New Canaan, 35-28. Kyle- Windsor, 41-28.
No. 2 Daniel Hand (11-0) vs. No. 3 Masuk (11-0), 7 p.m. at West Haven High: Remmy- Masuk, 35-21. Kyle- Masuk, 35-14.

Class S
No. 5 Northwest Catholic (9-2) vs. No. 8 Cromwell (9-2), 2 p.m. at Cheshire High: Remmy- Northwest Catholic, 27-20. Kyle- Cromwell, 21-20.

We will have reports from all three NVL games on Saturday, so if you can't get out to one of the games, this is the place to be for all the action. Good luck to all three teams this weekend!

2011 Quarterfinals Live Scoreboard

2011-11-29T15:01:00.008-05:00

All three NVL teams won their respective quarterfinal games. Ansonia blasted Bethel, 35-6, while Holy Cross cruised past Haddam-Killingworth, 42-14. One of the state's most exciting games of the night was up in Ellington when Wolcott came from two scores behind to beat the Knights, 32-26, in overtime. (Follow those links for stories, photo galleries, and videos.)

Here is the schedule for Saturday's semifinals:

#1 Ansonia vs. #8 Berlin: 2 p.m., Sheehan High (Wallingford)
#7 Wolcott vs. #3 Ledyard: 2 p.m., Middletown High
#2 Holy Cross vs. #3 Valley Regional/Old Lyme: 2 p.m., Falcon Field (Meriden)

Here's Remmy's video of the Ansonia-Bethel game.

Click here for a replay of the Playoff Quarterfinals Live Scoreboard.

As always, you can follow updates from as many games as we have reports on Twitter using the live scoreboard below. If you have a Twitter (which we recommend having) and you'll be at any game during this season, make sure you tweet your updates and use the #ctfb hashtag. You can also tweet @NVLFOOTBALL or @kylebrennan1 and we'll try to retweet you. Enjoy the games!

Playoff Quarterfinals Predictions

2011-11-27T20:39:00.000-05:00

Holy Cross senior quarterback Zach Brown
Credit: Steven Valenti/Rep-Am

Three teams will represent the Naugatuck Valley League in the state playoffs. No. 1 Ansonia and No. 7 Wolcott will compete in Class M, while No. 2 Holy Cross is the lone NVL team in Class S. The Chargers and Crusaders are general favorites to win championships in their respective classes.

All quarterfinal games will be Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m., and rain is expected throughout the day. Ansonia hosts No. 8 Bethel at Jarvis Stadium while Holy Cross hosts No. 7 Haddam-Killingworth at Municipal Stadium. Wolcott hits the road to No. 2 Ellington/Somers.

Ansonia senior quarterback Elliot Chudwick
Credit: Christopher Massa/Rep-Am

No. 1 Ansonia (11-0) vs. No. 8 Bethel (7-3): Bethel relies on its offense to win games. In its seven wins, Bethel has outscored its opponents, 298-196. In its three losses (to Pomperaug, Weston, and Newtown), Bethel has been outscored, 108-21. If the Wildcats are going to keep this game close, they will need to score a lot because it doesn't appear that they're going to slow down Arkeel Newsome. Bethel has a strong rushing attack with quarterback Brandon Schmidt (194 rush, 1,373 yds, 14 TD) and running backs Brian Birdsell (156 rush, 793 yds, 13 TD) and William Quinn (56 rush, 574 yds, 5 TD). Schmidt and Birdsell both have good size and strength, and reports tell us that the team runs option out of a number of different sets. The biggest key for Bethel will likely be its ability to chew up the clock on the ground and limit possessions. But it will be tough with Ansonia's very good defensive speed and strength. Jake LaRovera at defensive end will be important in this game, as well as the Chargers' linebackers. They have been up to task the entire season. While Ansonia might give up a score more than it's used to, Newsome and Co. should be able to score at will.
Picks: Remmy- Ansonia, 42-20. Kyle- Ansonia, 55-20.

No. 7 Wolcott (7-3) at No. 2 Ellington/Somers (10-0): Even though Wolcott is matched up with an undefeated team, the Eagles could not have gotten a much better draw than Ellington/Somers. The Knights are a solid team with a good defense, but their competition on the less-violent side of the Pequot Conference is not as strong at Wolcott has faced this season with teams like Torrington, Ansonia, and Holy Cross. Ellington/Somers allowed single-digit points in seven of 10 games and scored at least 27 points in eight of 10 contests. The Knights' leading rusher, Mitch Diresta, ran for 950 yards and nine touchdowns. While that may not seem like much, five other players ran for at least 160 yards and nine different players scored a rushing touchdown. Based on just a little video, it looks like Ellington/Somers runs some wing-T. The team has also intercepted 16 passes, so life might not be easy for Mike Nicol. The Eagles haven't been the best at stopping the run this season (see Torrington, Ansonia, Woodland, Holy Cross), but they will need to get some holds in this game. It will be tough for Nicol to win a playoff game all on his own, so Wolcott needs to get some other guys involved more consistently. If the Eagles have multiple players functioning on offense, they will likely have the advantage in athleticism and speed.
Picks: Remmy- Wolcott, 28-21. Kyle- Wolcott, 24-20.

No. 2 Holy Cross (9-2) vs. No. 7 Haddam-Killingworth (8-2): Haddam-Killingworth is almost a bit of a surprise entrant into the Class S playoffs. H-K was in position entering Thanksgiving eve, but few expected the upset over Valley Regional/Old Lyme that was necessary to clinch the playoff bid. But now that the Cougars are in the playoffs, Holy Cross will have to deal with one of the state's top rushers, Dan German. German has rushed 177 times for 1,724 yards and 22 touchdowns, and backup Nate Cruz has tacked on 488 yards and 11 scores. German has lost six fumbles, though, which can be a big problem against a playmaking Cross defense. H-K is a pounding type of team that can also play some pretty strong defense. The Cougars allowed more than 20 points only twice (to Cromwell and Hyde) and shut out a pretty explosive Valley Regional offense. Cruz is the big man on defense, racking up 100 tackles and three sacks on the season. Holy Cross' offensive line is very big, though, and its stable of backs should have room to run. It wouldn't be surprising with how physical both teams are if this game becomes one of field position and time of possession. Zach Brown is best known as the Crusaders' quarterback, but he was also one of the best punters in the NVL this season and that could be important in a ground-style game like this one could be.
Picks: Remmy- Holy Cross, 30-16. Kyle- Holy Cross, 21-13.

Wolcott junior quarterback Mike Nicol.
Credit: Steven Valenti/Rep-Am

Since it's playoff time, Kyle and Remmy also have the rest of the state's games in all classes picked.

Class LL
No. 1 Xavier (10-0) vs. No. 8 Glastonbury (8-2): Remmy- Xavier, 40-7. Kyle- Xavier, 42-13.
No. 2 Staples (9-0) vs. No. 7 Ridgefield (8-2): Remmy- Staples, 36-20. Kyle- Staples, 31-21.
No. 3 Hall (9-1) vs. No. 6 Newtown (8-2): Remmy- Hall, 30-28. Kyle- Newtown, 28-21.
No. 4 Conard (9-1) vs. No. 5 Norwalk (8-1): Remmy- Norwalk, 30-22. Kyle- Norwalk, 21-7.

Class L
No. 1 Windsor (10-0) vs. No. 8 Notre Dame-West Haven (8-2): Remmy- Notre Dame-West Haven, 28-20. Kyle- Windsor, 26-23.
No. 2 Daniel Hand (10-0) vs. No. 7 Coventry/Windham Tech (9-1): Remmy- Daniel Hand, 42-13. Kyle- Daniel Hand, 41-7.
No. 3 Masuk (10-0) vs. No. 6 North Haven (9-1): Remmy- Masuk, 49-20. Kyle- Masuk, 48-13.
No. 4 New London (9-1) vs. No. 5 New Canaan (9-1): Remmy- New London, 42-35. Kyle- New London, 41-35.

Class M
No. 3 Ledyard (9-1) vs. No. 6 Waterford (7-3): Remmy- Ledyard, 29-12. Kyle- Ledyard, 14-7.
No. 4 Berlin (9-1) vs. No. 5 Cheney Tech (9-1): Remmy- Berlin, 20-18. Kyle- Berlin, 41-7.

Class S
No. 1 Capital Prep/Classical Magnet (10-0) vs. No. 8 Cromwell (8-2): Remmy- Cromwell, 36-12. Kyle- Cromwell, 49-14.
No. 3 Valley Regional/Old Lyme (9-1) vs. No. 6 Rocky Hill (8-2): Remmy- Valley Regional/Old Lyme, 35-20. Kyle- Valley Regional/Old Lyme, 21-20.
No. 4 North Branford (9-1) vs. No. 5 Northwest Catholic (8-2): Remmy- Northwest Catholic, 28-20. Kyle- North Branford, 20-13.

Thanksgiving Live Scoreboard

2011-11-23T14:10:00.009-05:00

We started this year's regular-season finales on Thanksgiving eve with Woodland pounding Seymour, Sacred Heart holding off Wilby, and St. Paul earning its first win over Hamden Hall.

On Thanksgiving, Watertown upset Torrington, Ansonia coasted past Naugatuck, Holy Cross beat Wolcott, Kennedy defeated Crosby, and Shelton edged Derby.

We hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Click here for videos of Woodland-Seymour and Ansonia-Naugatuck.

Click here for a replay of the 2011 Thanksgiving Live Scoreboard.

Thanksgiving Predictions

2011-11-21T08:41:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe, but one of the best sporting weeks of the year is already upon us. Records are tossed out the window in some games while others have much more than just bragging rights on the line. It's Thanksgiving football in the Valley.

We were glad to hear about the success of Tuesday night's fundraiser for Wilby's Andy Duval. We encourage you to take a look at this story and video by WTNH, where there are instructions for donations at the bottom.

Click here for Remmy and Kyle's video picks for Thanksgiving eve, and click here for their video picks for Thanksgiving Day.

Sacred Heart Hearts (3-5) at Wilby Wildcats (4-5)

When/Where: Wednesday, 6 p.m., Municipal Stadium
Radio: WATR 1320 AM
Series History: 62nd meeting; series tied, 30-30-1
Series Stat: Sacred Heart has won only three times since 1994
Last Year: Wilby def. Sacred Heart, 62-30

Breakdown: Wilby has been among the most improved teams in the league this season and has not lost consecutive games all year. Sacred Heart has played competitive football over the second half of the season and might be at .500 or better if Jaquan Overbey wasn't injured a few weeks ago. Last season, the Wildcats not only upset the Hearts, but it was a hugely unexpected blowout that forced Sacred Heart to face No. 1 Valley Regional in the Class S playoffs. In this game, Wilby probably has more speed but Sacred Heart is probably a little better in the trenches. Jay'Len Mahan and Jacob Thomas have been among the league's best one-two rushing punches and it will be tough for the Hearts to slow them down, but Sacred Heart's more physical style could pose some problems for the 'Cats. This game very well could see near the 92 combined points it saw in 2010.
Picks: Remmy- Sacred Heart, 40-28. Kyle- Wilby, 40-34.

Hamden Hall Hornets (3-4) at St. Paul Falcons (0-9)

When/Where: Wednesday, 6 p.m., St. Paul Catholic High
Series History: No Thanksgiving history
Series Stat: St. Paul's fifth different Thanksgiving opponent in nine years
Last Year: Rocky Hill def. St. Paul, 36-35

Breakdown: Before the season, St. Paul was picked by some as the potential sleeper team for the season. Unfortunately for the Falcons, they've looked more asleep during many of their games. Logan Marchi is one of the NVL's gunslingers and has experienced both feast and famine this season. With a very young team, this game could give a chance for some momentum as the Falcons head to the offseason with most players returning. Hamden Hall is a prep team and has the ability to match St. Paul's offense step for step with over 200 rushing yards per game and over 170 passing yards per game. Neither team plays much defense, so look out for a shootout.
Picks: Remmy- St. Paul, 48-21. Kyle- Hamden Hall, 48-37.

Woodland Hawks (5-4) at Seymour Wildcats (5-4)

When/Where: Wednesday, 6 p.m., DeBarber Field
Series History: 10th meeting; Seymour leads, 6-3
Series Stat: Woodland has scored 102 points in last two games of series
Last Year: Woodland def. Seymour, 47-7

Breakdown: This year's Thanksgiving eve game is the most even matchup since at least 2007, and maybe even before that. Both teams were in contention for the Class S playoffs until they lost their last two games entering this one. Now, the Hawks will try to keep Seymour from registering its first winning season since 2008 and gain their third victory in a row on Thanksgiving eve. Both Woodland and Seymour have had costly turnovers and big plays against their defenses over the past few weeks, so this game could very well come down to which team makes fewer mistakes. The Hawks' running game is more physical with Matt Zaccagnini than the Wildcats', but Seymour ground game is more versatile with Jon Wilson and Luke Grabowski. Defense will be big; Woodland allows five fewer points per game than Seymour.
Picks: Remmy- Woodland, 32-20. Kyle- Woodland, 28-21.

Crosby Bulldogs (1-8) at Kennedy Eagles (1-8)

When/Where: Thursday, 10 a.m., Municipal Stadium
Series History: 47th meeting; Crosby leads, 33-13
Series Stat: Last season's overtime game was the first since 1998
Last Year: Crosby def. Kennedy, 33-26 (OT)

Breakdown: In the past, this game has often determined which team would end up with the worst record in the league. But that isn't the case this year. Both teams beat St. Paul for their only victories and are seeking to pull out of last place in the city. Kennedy has been better than Crosby this season with all things considered. The Eagles lost by a touchdown to both Wolcott and Seymour and also let a lead against Holy Cross slip away. Meanwhile, Crosby hasn't really been competitive since the first few weeks of the season. Kennedy's lines are strong and usually yield some success while Crosby has been mistake-prone and porous on defense. The Eagles are trying to win on Thanksgiving for the first time in four years.
Picks: Remmy- Kennedy, 29-14. Kyle- Kennedy, 26-20.

Torrington Red Raiders (7-2) at Watertown Indians (3-6)

When/Where: Thursday, 10:15 a.m., Mills Complex
Series History: 46th meeting; series tied, 22-22-1
Series Stat: Torrington has won three straight after Watertown took three
Last Year: Torrington def. Watertown, 34-7

Breakdown: This game for bragging rights in the Upper Valley always seems to have some strong emotions on both sides, and more often than not it's a pretty good game (last year notwithstanding). Only one team this year (Ansonia; Holy Cross gave up over 300 yards) has found a way to contain Brenden Lytton and the Torrington rushing attack. Watertown's defense hasn't exactly qualified as one of the top units in the league, but neither has Torrington's. If the Indians are able to score, they'll be right in this game. Anthony Avoletta is a sneaky little running back and the Watertown passing game has enough in the tank to connect for unexpected gains. Still, the Raiders may be a little too physical in this game, and even the Indians' emotions might not be enough to overcome that size and strength.
Picks: Remmy- Torrington, 50-20. Kyle- Torrington, 48-42.

Shelton Gaels (7-2) at Derby Red Raiders (4-5)

When/Where: Thursday, 10:30 a.m., DeFilippo Field
Series History: 101st meeting; Shelton leads, 51-42-7
Series Stat: Since Derby's 13-12 win in '02, it hasn't been closer than 18 points
Last Year: Shelton, def. Derby, 38-14

Breakdown: Shelton is back in the Class LL playoff hunt after a few not-so-great years, and the Gaels desperately need a win over Derby at DeFilippo Field in order to keep their chances alive (they will need a little help in addition to a win). While the Red Raiders don't have anything on the line, we have to figure that they would love nothing more than to keep their century-old rivals out of the postseason. They can accomplish that with a win. Shelton's running game figures to eat up Derby, but Ray Kreiger and the Raiders' passing game might be able to keep them in this game. Derby is playing its best football of the season as Kreiger has been fantastic in November. He may very well need the best game of his career for it to end on a positive note.
Picks: Remmy- Shelton, 36-27. Kyle- Shelton, 42-20.

Holy Cross Crusaders (8-2) at Wolcott Eagles (7-2)

When/Where: Thursday, 10:30 a.m., Joe Monroe Field
Series History: 37th meeting; Holy Cross leads, 30-6
Series Stat: Wolcott hasn't beaten Holy Cross since a 28-21 win in 2001
Last Year: Holy Cross def. Wolcott, 28-14

Breakdown: This game is one of a handful statewide that carries playoff implications for both teams involved on Thanksgiving morning. With a win, Wolcott will qualify for the Class M playoffs for the first time in school history and will likely avoid a matchup with Ansonia in the quarterfinals. (The Eagles can still qualify with a loss, but it falls out of their hands.) Meanwhile, Holy Cross is playing for a Class S home quarterfinal and will clinch it with a win. It will be interesting to see how the Crusaders rebound from a shutout loss to Ansonia in the NVL championship. Holy Cross' defense did one of the best jobs on Ansonia this season and the Crusaders' ability to defend Mike Nicol could be the difference in this game. Nicol has been highly effective both running and passing this season. How the Eagles' other playmakers, like DeVante Bonvillian, Chad Acevado, Pat Byrne, and others, could also make big impacts as a varied offense is key to rallying past an opportunistic Cross defense. Holy Cross has made a big special teams or defensive play (usually a score) in almost every win this season, so that is something to look out for. The Eagles' ability to stop the run and keep Isaiah Wright from making a big play will also be crucial. This one could be the most exciting game of the week.
Picks: Remmy- Holy Cross, 30-18. Kyle- Holy Cross, 27-23.

Ansonia Chargers (10-0) at Naugatuck Greyhounds (6-3)

When/Where: Thursday, 10:30 a.m., Veterans Field
Radio: WATR 1320 AM
Series History: 112th meeting; Ansonia leads, 64-37-10
Series Stat: Naugatuck hasn't won consecutive games since 1985-86
Last Year: Naugatuck def. Ansonia, 38-20, for NVL championship

Breakdown: The Chargers have locked up a home quarterfinal in the Class M playoffs and the NVL title. Perhaps Ansonia won't admit it, but revenge from last Thanksgiving definitely has to be on at least some players' and coaches' minds. That likely won't be too difficult to achieve, as Naugatuck's non-explosive offense probably won't be able to keep up with Ansonia, and the Greyhounds will have as much trouble as any other team in slowing Arkeel Newsome (although recall that Montrell Dobbs barely rushed for over 100 yards last Thanksgiving). Naugy has a little momentum rolling into the game, but it will need more than Jake Yourison to win its first Thanksgiving home game in a decade. If nobody else helps, the Chargers will probably be able to rest some guys for the quick playoff turnaround.
Picks: Remmy- Ansonia, 48-6. Kyle- Ansonia, 41-13.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Ansonia Wins NVL Title

2011-11-18T10:41:00.005-05:00

Ansonia lineman Tyler Williams was among many
Chargers who played nearly flawlessly in their
33-0 win over Holy Cross in Thursday's NVL
championship. Credit: Erin Covey/Rep-Am

So, in case you haven't heard, Ansonia beat Holy Cross last night. With the 33-0 win, the Chargers are the NVL champions for the first time since the Tristan Roberts-led 2008 Ansonia squad won the title.

The game was close for about two and a half quarters. Holy Cross had only one scoring threat, though, and two passes to the end zone fell incomplete. The Crusaders never reached the red zone and the game's outcome never felt in doubt.

Arkeel Newsome took a little longer to put the game out of reach this time, although he ended up with five touchdowns and 294 yards on 36 carries. He touched the ball on the first 13 Ansonia plays, including a 57-yard touchdown on the Chargers' first play from scrimmage.

The Ansonia defense played its best game of the season, allowing really only about three big plays all night on two Dave DiGiorgi runs and a pass from Zach Brown to Ryan Byrne. The Chargers' front seven was fantastic and Ansonia forced two turnovers--a fumble recovery by Tyler Wood and an interception by Newsome.

Click here for Remmy's video of the action at Municipal Stadium.

Everybody and their brother had this game covered last night (of course, Kyle and the Rep-Am had it covered best) so check out everything from the game.

Articles: Rep-Am story, Rep-Am column, Post, SPB Blog, Register
Photos: Rep-Am, CT Post
Videos: Rep-Am, CT Post, Register

2011 NVL Championship Live Scoreboard

2011-11-17T15:53:00.001-05:00

Click here for a replay of the 2011 NVL Championship Live Scoreboard.

As always, you can follow updates from as many games as we have reports from on Twitter using the live scoreboard below. If you have a Twitter (which we recommend having) and you'll be at any game during this season, make sure you tweet your updates and use the #ctfb hashtag. You can also tweet @NVLFOOTBALL or @kylebrennan1 and we'll try to re-tweet you. Enjoy the games!

NVL Championship: Ansonia vs. Holy Cross

2011-11-15T10:16:00.000-05:00

Arkeel Newsome runs past Isaiah Wright during the Chargers' 45-13 win over Holy Cross in the teams' first meeting of the season. Newsome rushed 23 times for 385 yards
and five touchdowns in the game. Credit: Christian Abraham/Connecticut Post

It's here--already or finally, however you look at it. The Naugatuck Valley League Championship between Brass Division champion Ansonia and Copper Division champion Holy Cross is Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Municipal Stadium.

These teams already met once, way back in Week 4. As we all know, Holy Cross jumped out to an early lead before Ansonia dominated the rest of the way to the tune of a 45-13 win. (If you want to revisit that game, click here and here for a couple of game articles, and click here and here for some video highlights.)

So the real question here is this: Can Holy Cross make this into a game and not another Ansonia blowout?

Isaiah Wright is taken down by several Ansonia defenders during the Chargers' 45-13 win over Holy Cross in the teams' first meeting of the season. The Crusaders had exactly 200 yards of
total offense in the game. Credit: Christian Abraham/Connecticut Post

Remmy's Keys to the Game: It will be tough for the 'Saders to win this game throwing the ball. Rushing may be even tougher. But they need to establish the two-man rushing attack with Adrian Brown and Dave DiGiorgi to have any chance. The Chargers’ defense is very aggressive and Holy Cross will need to get its running backs to the outside and hope they can turn the corners for big gains. Take advantage of Ansonia's aggressive defense and throw the ball into the flats--anywhere outside of the tackles. The other key for Cross is that its defense must create turnovers and turn those into points. The Crusaders have been doing that all season long but they will certainly need that this week to have a chance at upsetting the Chargers.
Ansonia’s defense will make Holy Cross quarterback Zach Brown uncomfortable. Cross will be forced to pass the ball during this game. The Chargers' defense has been tough against the run all year long, limiting opponents to less than 100 yards per game on the ground. And if the Crusaders can't get going with their ground attack, it's going to be a very, very long night for Gang Green on both sides of the ball. The more time they give Ansonia the ball on offense, the more times Newsome touches the ball--and that spells trouble for Holy Cross on the scoreboard. Ansonia must not allow Cross to keep the Chargers' offense off of the field. As we saw at the start of the Wolcott game, Ansonia will run Newsome until the game is out of reach--something Holy Cross will be looking to avoid.
Kyle's Keys to the Game: I can't come up with a good game plan to beat Ansonia, but luckily there are some people who might have a better idea of how to do so on the Holy Cross staff. It's going to be extremely difficult to keep this a close game, much less win it. To start with the positives, the Crusaders are playing their best football of the season right now. Their win over Woodland was the best game they played all year in all facets of the game. A big part of Holy Cross' win in that game was that it did not allow the big play and scored a few itself. It's been incredible to see the Crusaders' special teams and defense and their big-play ability. In fact, those units have scored a combined seven touchdowns in nine games. I would have to think that Holy Cross is going to need a free touchdown like that to win this game. There are plenty of playmakers in the Cross secondary--Isaiah Wright, Ryan Byrne, Joe Parent, and others--but I'm not sure that Ansonia will throw enough to give them the chance to make a big play. Special teams could be a factor.
Overall, I don't think there's much need to do anything else other than rush Arkeel Newsome until Holy Cross proves it can stop him. We saw a few wrinkles in the Ansonia offense two weeks ago against Wolcott, so there's no doubt there are plenty of tricks in the bag. But I don't think we will see those tricks until Ansonia gains a few-score lead. The Chargers' defense is fast and physical, so Holy Cross will have to figure out some way to change up the offense enough as to not allow Ansonia to get in a defensive rhythm. I have also been surprised this year to not see more teams consistently use onside kicks against the Chargers. It really doesn't make a difference whether Newsome breaks an 80-yard run or a 50-yard touchdown run. You might as well try to keep the ball out of his hands all together.

Remmy's Players to Watch: Holy Cross RB/LB David DiGiorgi will need to have the biggest game of his life on defense in attempting to dodge the Ansonia O-line and take down RB Arkeel Newsome. Freshman WR/DB Isaiah Wright will need to make sure Ansonia does not hurt the Crusaders with its passing game and he needs to come up big on defense for Cross. Wright is a game-changer and has the ability to make big plays when his team needs it. Zach Brown and Wright connected early for a big play in the game versus Ansonia which allowed Holy Cross to score the game's first touchdown. It's these kinds of plays the Crusaders needs this week to gain some momentum and derail Ansonia early in the game. The Ansonia offensive line has been smashing people every week. They’ll determine the outcome of this game as they do in every game. On defense, my impact player is Ansonia DE Jake LaRovera. He recovered two fumbles against Wilby and has been the harderst hitter on the defense for Ansonia all season long. QB Elliot Chudwick also has the potential to have a monster game. He and WR Andrew Matos have connected on big plays over the last month. Matos made an outstanding catch against Wilby (watch the video if you don't believe me) and his confidence may be at an all-time high. He may have another big game this week.
Kyle's Players to Watch: Crusaders running back Adrian Brown has been outstanding over the last month and he had his best game of his career last week with a 300-plus-yard effort against St. Paul. But I'm not sure running straight ahead will yield much yardage this week for Brown and DiGiorgi. Perhaps Holy Cross can involve Zach Brown more in the short offense with some screens to the guys out of the backfield. Also, we saw Luke Grabowski of Seymour run down the field with quarterback runs, and Zach Brown is an equally athletic and strong runner. On defense, Anthony Jamele will be huge in the front seven to slowing Ansonia's offense. He has been solid all season long as the leader of the Crusaders' defense and will need his best game on Thursday. For Ansonia, the guys who have been stepping up just need to keep doing so, like Newsome, Tyler Lester, Chudwick, Matos, LaRovera, Tyler Wood, and the linemen.

The Bottom Line: We have been saying it since very early in the season--we don't see Ansonia losing through the rest of this season, and the NVL Championship is no exception. We're hoping (or at least Kyle is) for a closer game than the Chargers are used to, but it's just tough to see all the strength, speed, and talent in lavender going down.
Picks: Remmy- Ansonia, 38-16. Kyle- Ansonia, 41-13.

Be sure to make your picks along with us and bring some of your own analysis to this game? What can Holy Cross to do stay in this game and have a chance to pull the upset, if anything? Let us know.

Plus, the tailgate is coming on Thursday at 5 p.m. in the North Lot of Municipal Stadium. We're looking forward to seeing you guys!

NVL Championship Tailgate

2011-11-14T11:58:00.003-05:00

It's about that time. We're inviting all of our bloggers and NVL football players and coaches to this week's tailgate prior to the NVL Championship game between Ansonia and Holy Cross.

When: Thursday, Nov. 17, 5-6:15 p.m.
Where: North Lot, Municipal Stadium

We will be stationed in the furthest row in lot closest to the ticket booth. If you drive into the parking lot, drive straight toward the booth and you'll see us on the left-hand side. Please come on over, say hello and grab something to eat. We really always look forward to seeing you guys at games, and love chatting football with everyone, so this is a great chance for us and you. Don't be afraid to come on over. We're friendlier than we sometimes appear here. And we'll try to prevent as many fights as possible, although we can't promise anything if coach32 and wags show up at the same time.

Remmy will be bringing some smoked goods and Kyle will also be bringing some eats. If you are thinking about stopping by and possibly bringing something, e-mail us at nvlfootballct@gmail.com.

We will preview the NVL Championship between Ansonia and Holy Cross beginning Tuesday morning right here.

Here's the list of goods we will be bringing to the tailgate (list will be updated accordingly):

Items
Kyle: Burgers and Buns.
Remmy: Smoked wings with two homemade sauces, Water.
believer6: Chili
fisherman: Ketchup

We'll need ketchup and mustard.

Week 9 Wrap

2011-11-13T11:50:00.010-05:00

Joan Toribio had another great performance on the ground for Torrington as the Red Raiders beat Sacred Heart and kept their outside chances at a Class L playoff berth alive.
Credit: Michael Kabelka/Rep-Am

It's simple now: Ansonia and Holy Cross are both already in the playoffs, and Wolcott can get in with a win on Thanksgiving (or maybe a loss and help). Woodland and Seymour are both done after disappointing losses in Week 9, and Torrington is still likely going to be sitting out.

In the meantime, we have an NVL Championship to which we can look forward.

What Happened
Ansonia crushed Wilby and Holy Cross cruised past St. Paul as the NVL's only two teams to be surely in the playoffs solidified their bids to host quarterfinals. Both teams are playing as well as they have all season, and we'll get to see them go at it on Thursday night at Municipal Stadium. There will be plenty more on this game for the rest of the week.

Wolcott earned a huge win over Woodland to stay in the hunt for a Class M playoff berth. The Eagles didn't necessarily dominate the game, but they made the big plays when they needed to. Wolcott will clinch the school's first playoff spot with a win over Holy Cross on Thanksgiving, but it also might slip in with a loss and a little help. A loss would likely mean no better than the No. 8 seed, though, which means a date with Ansonia.

The Hawks and Seymour both were eliminated from the Class S playoff race with disappointing losses in which they held fourth-quarter leads. Woodland allowed too many big plays in its loss to Wolcott while Seymour gave up 15 points in the last 30 seconds of the game to lose to Watertown. Now, their Thanksgiving eve meeting means nothing except bragging rights.

Torrington kept its barely flickering Class L playoff hopes alive with a blowout of Sacred Heart. A playoff bid still seems extremely unlikely unless chaos ensues over the next week and a half. Still, an 8-2 season would be highly impressive.

In other games, Naugatuck crushed Kennedy and Derby beat up on Crosby. Both of those teams will be heavy underdogs against playoff contenders on Thanksgiving.

Who Did It
Our NVL Blog Player of the Week for Week 9 is Holy Cross running back Adrian Brown. He had 18 rushes for 342 yards and four touchdowns in the Crusaders' big win over St. Paul. He has picked up a lot of the offensive slack for Holy Cross over the last few weeks.

Week 9's top rushers: Adrian Brown (Holy Cross) 18 rush, 342 yds, 4 TD; Brenden Lytton (Torrington) 33 rush, 269 yds, 3 TD; Matt Zaccagnini (Woodland) 36 rush, 248 yds, 3 TD; Joan Toribio (Torrington) 24 rush, 243 yds, 4 TD; Anthony Avoletta (Watertown) 23 rush, 229 yds, 2 TD; Jake Yourison (Naugatuck) 17 rush, 188 yds, 3 TD; Jon Wilson (Seymour) 17 rush, 143 yds, 2 TD; Marcel Lugo (Crosby) 17 rush, 131 yds; Dave DiGiorgi (Holy Cross) 11 rush, 114 yds, TD; Arkeel Newsome (Ansonia) 7 rush, 107 yds, 3 TD; Tyshon Rogers (Crosby) 13 rush, 84 yds, 3 TD

Week 9's top passers: Logan Marchi (St. Paul) 28-48, 374 yds, TD; Mike Nicol (Wolcott) 12-22, 197 yds, 3 TD; Javon Martin (Sacred Heart) 10-19, 170 yds, 4 TD; Marcel Lugo (Crosby) 7-19, 155 yds, 2 TD, INT; Luke Grabowski (Seymour) 13-24, 140 yds, TD, 4 INT; Elliot Chudwick (Ansonia) 5-7, 107 yds, 2 TD; Ray Kreiger (Derby) 5 TD

Week 9's top receivers: Justin Gonzalez (St. Paul) 13 rec, 255 yds; Tyshon Rogers (Crosby) 6 rec, 119 yds, TD; Dillon McMahon (Derby) 3 TD

How It Looked
Remmy took some video from the Ansonia-Wilby game, so check out the highlights here. As always, we feature some multimedia provided by our friends at the local media outlets.

Videos: Naugatuck-Kennedy, Sacred Heart-Torrington
Photos: Crosby-Derby, Sacred Heart-Torrington, Wolcott-Woodland

What's Next
Well, the NVL Championship is Thursday. That means the NVL Blog Tailgate Party and BBQ is also Thursday. We hope you will join us.

We will preview the game with a breakdown on Tuesday morning. Hopefully we will also have the Predictions Tracker updated before then.