Greenwich the new No. 1 in The Day's high school football coaches' poll
The quick and easy — Greenwich is the new No. 1 in The Day's Top 10 state high school football coaches’ poll on the eve of the state playoffs. It received eight first-place votes.
No. 2 Ansonia (10-0) received four first-place votes and No. 3 St. Joseph (9-1) received one.
The shakeup happened due to one game that put Connecticut high school football on tilt during a chaotic Thanksgiving week.
New Canaan stuffed Darien on Thanksgiving, 27-0, snapping the latter’s 34-game winning streak and two-year run as the top-ranked team in the poll. The Blue Wave began their run at the top after beating New Canaan, 28-21, on Nov. 26, 2015.
Darien (9-1) was without three starters after they turned themselves in to the New Canaan Police the day before the game in connection with a Nov. 6 assault at a New Canaan residence.
Voters weren’t sure what to do with the Blue Wave given the uncertainty of the players’ status. The 13 coaches ranked them anywhere from No. 2 to not at all.
The loss cost Darien a chance at its third straight unbeaten season and the top seed in the Class LL playoffs. Should the players remain suspended, it could cost the Blue Wave a shot at a third straight LL title, which seemed inevitable prior to last week because it had thrashed every opponent so thoroughly.
Greenwich (10-0) will be the favorite to win LL, not Darien, if the Blue Wave don't reinstate their players.
New Canaan (8-2) wouldn’t have qualified for states had it lost. The Rams, who moved into top 10 at No. 7, now have the opportunity to win their fifth straight Class L title. Their win also kept Bunnell (8-2) from qualifying.
Oh, there were other shakeups in the poll. Middletown (10-0) shot up to No. 4 after it dominated Windsor, 24-7. The Warriors (9-1) dropped from fifth to ninth.
Masuk fell from sixth to 10th after its stunning 14-7 upset loss to Newtown. The Panthers (9-1) blew out their first nine opponents, whereas the Nighthawks (7-3) were smashed by Bunnell in their previous game (40-0, Nov. 10).
West Haven, previously ranked ninth, dropped out of the Top 10 because of its 21-14 loss at Fairfield Prep.
n.griffen@theday.com
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