Howdy,

It’s inconceivable to us that there are just two weeks of Friday night football and less than three weeks until Thanksgrabbing (and the end of the regular season). This causes everyone at Polecat HQ great angst and sorrow.

Any pick-me-up would help staff morale, so praise Buddha that Matt Fischer has finally fired up his ROBOABACUS.

The ROBOABACUS, for you noobs, is Fischer’s computer program that both makes the playoff races easier to comprehend as well as updates in Real Time. It’s a great joy for the Polecat staff because we stink at math and need all the help we can get to process every potential playoff possibility (ALLITERATION).

The ROBOABACUS also makes it easier for us to perform BRACKETOLOGY. We’re going to try to streamline it from here on out as having to detail all the guarantees and bonuses and numbers will fry both your brain and ours. It’s just not worth it.

GROUND RULES:

1. These are not to be taken as gospel. The forecast was done in less than 30 minutes.

2. Just because we didn’t pick your team to qualify doesn’t mean we hate you. Hell, we don’t even KNOW you. Should you choose to believe that this is the worst insult you’ve ever suffered, use it as motivation, and go on to win a state title, then we expect a free meal at your year-end banquet for providing the extra incentive you needed.

3. We plan on being wrong on about half of these and, in fact, look forward to it. To err is human. To mock one’s self is divine.

Quote David Letterman, “This is an exhibition, not a competition. Please, no wagering.”

Before we proceed, a quick explanation about “bonuses:”

• A team receives 10 points for every win and five points for each tie earned by any opponent it beat.

• A team receives five points for each victory and 2.5 points for each tie earned by an opponent it tied.

Guaranteed points are the 10 points a team receives for any game involving two teams that it beat.

Remember, kids — the top eight teams in each division qualify.

CLASS LL

IN: Shelton (8-0) and Southington (8-0).

WIN-AND-IN: Newtown (8-0), Darien (7-0), and Glastonbury (7-1).

Newtown plays Friday at Class M contender New Fairfield.

Darien host to Staples on Saturday in one of the weekend

Glastonbury plays host to Simsbury (1-7) on Friday.

WIN OUT-AND-IN: Staples (6-1) and West Haven (6-2).

WIN OUT, COUNT BONUSES: Conard (6-2), Ridgefield (5-2) and Trumbull (5-2).

SEND HELP: East Hartford (5-3), Greenwich (4-3) and Fairfield Prep (5-3).

MOOT POINT: Xavier (5-4), Norwich Free Academy (4-4), New Milford (4-4), New Britain (4-4) and Hall (4-4).

THE EIGHT: No. 1 Newtown (10-0) vs. No. 8 West Haven (7-3); No. 2 Southington (10-0) vs. No. 7 Conard (8-2) (THE REMATCHENING); No. 3 Darien (9-0) vs. No. 6 Staples (7-2); No. 4 Shelton (10-0) vs. No. 5 Glastonbury (8-1).

• • • •

CLASS L

WIN-AND-IN: Harding (8-0), North Haven (8-0) and New Canaan (7-0).

WIN OUT-AND-IN: Windsor (8-0), Torrington (7-1), Wethersfield (7-1) and Middletown (7-1).

WIN OUT, COUNT BONUSES: Notre Dame-West Haven (6-2) and Masuk (6-2).

SEND HELP: Avon (6-2), Maloney (6-2) and Hillhouse (6-2).

MOOT POINT: Hand (5-3), Bristol Central (5-3) and Thames River (5-3).

THE EIGHT: No. 1 North Haven (10-0) vs. No. 8 Middletown (8-2); No. 2 Harding (10-0) vs. No. 7 Notre Dame-West Haven (8-2); No. 3. Windsor (10-0) vs. No. 6 Wethersfield (9-1) (THE REMATCHENING); No. 4 Torrington (9-1) vs. No. 5 New Canaan (8-1).

• • • •

CLASS M

"M" as in "Class M". Or "mess." Or "muddled." Or "mundane."

WIN OUT-AND-IN: Killingly (7-1), Bacon Academy (7-1), Ledyard (7-1) and Abbott Tech/Immaculate (8-1).

WIN OUT, COUNT BONUSES: Brookfield (6-2), Berlin (7-1), New Fairfield (7-1), Foran (6-2), St. Joseph (5-2), Hyde/Career/Whitney Tech (6-2) and East Haven (6-2).

SEND HELP: Stratford (5-3), and Gilbert/Northwestern Regional (4-3).

MOOT POINT: Bunnell (4-4), Lewis Mills (4-3), Valley Regional/Old Lyme (4-4), Cheney Tech (4-4), and Waterford (3-4).

THE EIGHT: No 1. Killingly (9-1) vs. No. 8 Berlin (8-2); No. 2 Bacon Academy (9-1) vs. No. 7 New Fairfield (8-2); No. 3 Ledyard (9-1) vs. No. 6 St. Joseph (7-2); No. 4 Abbott Tech/Immaculate (8-1) vs. No. 5 Brookfield (8-2).

• • • •

CLASS S

WIN-AND-IN: Ansonia (8-0) and Granby (8-0).

WIN OUT-AND-IN: Bloomfield (7-1), Seymour (7-1) and Cromwell/Portland (7-1).

WIN OUT, COUNT BONUSES: Morgan (7-1), Ellington (6-1) and Wolcott (6-2).

SEND HELP: Capital Prep/Achievement First (5-2), Woodland (6-2), Windham (6-2), Rocky Hill (6-2), Bullard-Havens (6-2), Derby (6-3), Prince Tech (5-3), East Catholic (5-3), Old Saybrook/Westbrook (5-3), Griswold (4-3) and Montville (4-3).

MOOT POINT: St. Paul (4-4), Nonnewaug (5-3), North Branford (4-4) and Haddam-Killingworth (4-4).

THE EIGHT: No. 1 Ansonia (10-0) vs. No. 8 Cromwell/Portland (8-2); No. 2 Granby (10-0) vs. No. 7 Capital Prep/Achievement First (7-2); No. 3 Trinity Catholic (8-1) vs. No. 6 Seymour (9-1); No. 4 Bloomfield (9-1) vs. No. 5 Morgan (9-1).

• • • •

Ledyard’s first play of Friday night’s 49-6 win over East Lyme went for an 80-yard touchdown. Its third play of the game went for a 60-yard touchdown. The game was just 2 minutes and 49 seconds old and the Colonels were out to a 14-0 lead that would balloon to 42-0 by halftime.

While it did take some of the edge off, coach Jim Buonocore was impressed with what his team was able to do, particularly considering that East Lyme that had been playing very well of late, despite its record.

But there is always room for improvement. And it’s certainly not that Buonocore or the Colonels are ungrateful or taking their wins for granted. It’s just that they continue to be thinking further and further ahead.

“We’re very happy winning a football game,” Buonocore said. “That’s your ultimate goal. Wins are hard to come by. We know that. But we understand there’s a big picture. We’re not just out here winning games. We’re wanting to get better each week.

“Our goal is not just to be playing beyond Thanksgiving. It’s to play beyond and be successful. We’ve been to the playoffs quite a bit. We’re not just about getting there. We’re about getting there and winning. In order to do that, you have to keep getting better. I think the kids have a good grasp of that.”

• • • •

Bacon Academy lost junior receiver Tyler Bolden with a hamstring injury in the first period of Friday's 26-7 win over Norwich Free Academy that gave the Bobcats the Eastern Connecticut Conference Large Division title. Bolden thinks he’ll be back this season. It helps, too, the Bobcats have a bye this week. … In addition to the interception returns for scores from Paul Chasse and Jason Geary, Julian Lindo’s two quarterback sacks helped the Bacon defense … One of NFA’s best players Friday was punter Spencer Molkenthin, who unloaded two punts of more than 40 yards. … Caleb Parker had an interception for the Wildcats.

• • • •

Thanks to Mike DiMauro for providing material from last Friday's Bacon-NFA game and Steve Nalbandian for the Ledyard note.

• • • •

HATS OFF to the Capital Prep/Achievement First co-op for making the best of an awkward situation Saturday.

The Trailblazers (5-2) played downtrodden Wilcox Tech. The latter hadn't played in 28 days due to byes and forfeiting a game due to a lack of healthy players. Cap/First scored three quick touchdowns (two thanks to turnovers), so head coach Jason Manson began subbing in the second quarter. It won, 33-18.

“Let’s be real — their first team is some serious dudes," Wilcox Tech coach Trevor Jones told Bryant Carpenter of the Meriden Record-Journal. "He (Manson) took care of us today. He got a lot of good reps for his second-team kids and it allowed us to match up better. We can’t match up against their best guys and that was obvious. It’s nice to see a gentleman in the game.”

Coaches and fans will kvetch when a superior team goes all-out against an overwhelmed opponent until its about to violate the dreaded 50-point rule. They forget that those players busted their butts the entire week to get better for game play, and that they won't improve without game reps.

Manson gave a break to a weaker team when was well within his rights to have his players go up by several touchdowns before sending in the subs. That's some good sportsmanship.

• • • •

Gaze lovingly upon The Day of New London Top 10 state coaches’ poll: 1. Southington (11 first-place votes); 2. Darien (two first-place votes); 3. New Canaan; 4. TIE, Shelton and Windsor; 6. North Haven; 7. Newtown; 8. Ansonia; 9. Glastonbury; and, 10. Wethersfield.

• • • •

The GameTimeCT.com/New Haven Register/21st Century Monolith Top 10 media poll: 1. Southington (27 first-place votes); 2. New Canaan; 3. Darien (two first-place votes); 4. Windsor (one first-place vote); 5. Shelton; 6. North Haven; 7. Newtown; 8. Glastonbury; 9. Ansonia; and, 10. Wethersfield.

• • • •

Ned Freeman’s cold, calculating computer rankings for CalPreps and MaxPreps: 1. Shelton (its strength of schedule resulted in it leapfrogging Darien); 2. Darien; 3. North Haven (opine that the computer recognizes the Indians’ quality more than voters); 5. New Canaan; 5. Notre Dame-West Haven (6-2); 6. Southington; 7. Newtown; 8. West Haven (6-2); 9. New Fairfield (7-1); and, 10. Trinity Catholic (6-1).

Ansonia, Glastonbury and Windsor are 12th-14th, respectively. Wethersfield is 25th.

The computer continues to recognize Notre Dame’s schedule as the toughest (its opponents are a combined 41-24). The Green Knights beat West Haven (6-2), Hand (5-3), Fairfield Prep (5-3) and Xavier (5-4), and lost to Shelton and North Haven.

• • • •

1. Southington.

2. Darien: Could be moving up pending Polecat staff watching the Blue Wave live this weekend vs. Staples.

3. New Canaan.

4. North Haven.

5. Glastonbury.

6. Shelton.

7. Windsor.

8. Newtown.

9. Notre Dame-West Haven.

10. Ansonia.

11. Staples: Back on the ballot as it’s (almost) healthy again.

12. West Haven.

13. Wethersfield.

14. Conard (6-2).

15. St. Joseph: The Cadets are physically mortal up front (especially by their past standards), and they don't have marvels on offense like Jordan Vazzano, Mufasha Abdul Basir or Lars Pedersen. The combination of their passing game, linebacker Cam Ryan, and coaching staff still make them the M favorite. ... if they get past Trumbull on Thanksgrabbing.

• • • •

STORYTIME~!

Gentleman Jim Bransfield, Middletown Press: His Monday Musings. Check them out now.

Kurmudgeonly Kountry Kyle Brennan, Waterbury Anarchist-American: Pinho Trophy holds extra meaning for Woodland seniors.

Norwich Bulletin: Area notebook.

Ray Curren, GameTimeCT.com/New Haven Register/21st Century Monolith: Inside the SCC.

Pooch Diggity Dogg, GameTimeCT.com/New Haven Register/21st Century Monolith: Suddenly, (Chris) Anderson has Woodland back in the playoff hunt.

John Nash, Norwalk Hour: Area notebook.

• • • •

Minutia — we dig Watertown’s home black-and-orange unis with white piping. It reminds us of candy corns.

M-mmmm, "candy corns" (drools).

• • • •

Thanks for reading. More soon.

Vaya con dios….