Last year’s Thanksgiving Week was one of the more chaotic ones in recent memory, including losses by four teams ranked in The Day's Top 10 state high school football coaches’ poll.

One can only hope this Thanksgiving Week is just as wild, provided the rain, artic weather and the roaming bands of yetis that come with said artic weather allow it.

No. 8 Ansonia hosts No. 12 Naugatuck on Thanksgiving in one of the top games of the week. Both teams are 9-0 (there’s been few unbeaten vs. unbeaten meetings during the 119-year rivalry) and have already qualified for the CIAC playoffs, but both teams are fighting for a top seed as well as pride.

Top-ranked Darien (9-0) and No. 2 Greenwich (9-0) have both qualified for the LL playoffs and will be gatekeepers of sorts during their respective Thanksgiving games. No. 13 New Canaan (7-2) hosts Darien and must win to have a shot at qualifying for LL or else have its 13-year playoff run end.

The Rams' two losses were to Greenwich (42-14) and No. 4 St. Joseph (28-0).

Greenwich hosts No. 18 Staples (7-2), which also needs to win to stay in contention for a LL berth. Staples lost to Darien (24-0) and St. Joseph (17-14).

No. 10 Fairfield Prep (8-1) could lose on Thanksgiving to West Haven (5-4) and still qualify for the LL playoffs, but no one ever wants to back into the playoffs, never mind lose to a rival.

It is the seventh straight week that no ECC teams received a vote in the poll.

n.griffen@theday.com