Shelton began November having won 29 straight regular-season games with hopes of playing in a third straight CIAC Class LL football championship.

The Gaels have lost twice since then. A two-game losing streak would generally be enough to drop a team out of the Top 10, but Shelton slipped just one spot to eighth this week in The Day's state high school coaches' poll.

Shelton (7-2) was clobbered by Fairfield Prep on Nov. 4 (38-15). It hosted third-ranked and unbeaten West Haven (9-0) last Friday. The Westies scored the go-ahead touchdown with 8.7 seconds left to win, 59-52.

There are a few reasons why voters opted not to drop Shelton out of the Top 10. One is that it plays a vicious schedule in the Southern Connecticut Conference's Tier 1. It has wins over Cheshire (fifth in Class LL), Notre Dame-West Haven (No. 8 Class L) and Xavier. Xavier opened the season with a 36-0 rout of Norwich Free Academy (No. 7 Class LL).

Shelton’s reputation likely helped. And it isn’t as if there are many teams outside the Top 10 enticing enough to replace them. Cromwell/Portland (8-0) and Capital Prep/Achievement First (8-0) are the state’s only unbeaten teams not in the Top 10 (the former is ranked 17th, the latter received no votes).

The other 12 teams that received votes outside the Top 10 all have at least one loss, thus Shelton lost little ground.

New London (8-0) stayed at No. 10 this week. NFA (7-2) is the area’s only other local team receiving votes.