Howdy,

We felt compelled to update some things here since the season officially ends TONIGHT.

First things first — you should know by now that Darien knocked off Greenwich for the LL title on Saturday in a winter wonderland and, PRAISE VENUS, it was a fun game after an endless processions of routs this postseason worse than Alderaan v. Death Star.

Greenwich took over the No. 1 ranking in The Day's coaches' poll prior to states, thus we'll have a new numero uno to end the season.

Second-ranked Ansonia could claim it's Connecticut's bestest team IF it beats No. 3 St. Joseph tonight.

Now IF St. Joseph wins, then things get fun.

The smart money would be on Darien rocketing from No. 6 back up to No. 1. The Blue Wave sacked St. Joseph on Sept. 23 (42-10) and had been ranked number one since beating New Canaan on Thanksgiving Day of 2015 up until losing to the latter this past Thanksgrabbing.

The winner of No. 8 Hand vs. No. 10 Masuk in the Class L final could make a claim to being No. 1. Masuk downed No. 7 New Canaan in the semifinals, 28-14, and the Rams beat Darien on Thanksgrabbing. Note that three Blue Wave starters were suspended for that New Canaan game, including QB Jack Joyce, in connection with a Nov. 6 assault at a New Canaan home.

Joyce threw two touchdown passes and ran for another in Saturday's LL championship.

Killingly will be the only unbeaten team left IF it beats Barlow in the Class M final, and IF Ansonia loses, however the Redmen haven't cracked the Top 10 all season.

Back on point — to read more about the LL final, please visit:

Steve Buono, Darien Times: A season to re-Joyce: Wave wins first ever state title 3-Peat.

David Fierro, GameTimeCT/Hearst Monolith: Darien holds off Greenwich to capture third-consecutive Class LL championship.

Dave Ruden, HIS website: No easy three-peat: Darien holds fff Greenwich, 31-22, for Class LL title; Asterisks aside — Darien and Greenwich put on a memorable state final; and,video.

Dave Stewart, Greenwich Post: Greenwich football falls to Darien, 31-22, for Class LL championship.

Scott Ericson, Anthony E. Parelli and Sean Patrick Bowley, GameTimeCT/Hearst Monolith: Class LL championship takeaways.

Now then, below are state championship previews for YOU.

A few things:

• All finals kickoff off at 6:30 p.m.

• Click on the bolded hyperlink embed in the paragraph with the game's particpants for team rosters.

• Click on the bolded name of the each game's site for directions at Google Maps.

• The bolded links in the look/listen category are self-explanatory.

• The bolded link in front of each teams dudes takes you to that team's stats page at MaxPreps.com. Please note that we only linked to the teams that have updated their stats through Sunday’s semifinals.

All the other links will provide you with other merriment and glee.

We humbly encourage you to follow all of tonight's fun at the Twit thing at #cthsfb. So many mammals will be posting so many hot takes.

One last last time this season — HEY! HO! LET'S GO!

• • • •

CLASS L

No. 2 HAND vs. No. 5 MASUK

WHERE: Trumbull High.

RECORDS: Hand 11-1; Masuk 11-1.

LOOK: NFHSNetwork; Facebook.

HISTORY: Hand (11) — 1976-77 (Class M), 1982 (Class M-II), 1984 (Class M-I), 1989 (Class MM), 1997 (Class L), 2003-05 (Class M), 2011-12 (Class L); Masuk (3) — 1998 (Class L), 2008 (Class L), 2010 (Class L).

HAND DUDES: Jr. WR-CB Chris Bartosic (36 catches, 556 yards, 6 TD); So. QB Phoenix Billings (114-of-211 passing, 1,538 yards, 20 TD; 124 carries, 580 yards, 8 TD); Jr. WR-CB Ian Butler (24 catches, 297 yards, 5 TD; 45 tackles, 9 INT); Sr. RB-LB Brian Casagrande (6-1, 225; 8 rushing TD; 115 tackles, 2 INT); Sr. LB Connor Castaldo (44 tackles); Sr. WR-LB Ryan Coady (6-3, 180; 60 tackles); So. OL-DL Ben Corniello (6-2, 220); Jr. FB-MLB Kevin Girardi (87 tackles, 5 sacks); Sr. W-CB Chris Iannuzzi (16 catches, 182 yards, 3 TD); Jr. OL-DL Macken McDonald (6-1, 275; 34 tackles, 4.5 sacks).

MASUK DUDES: Sr. WR-LB Peter Cosmedy (6-2, 220); Sr. OL-DL Jack Duignan; Jr. WR-LB Peter Fox; Sr. QB Matthew Hersch; Sr. WR-LB Nicholas Lorusso (6-2, 192); Sr. WR-DB Tyler Michalka; Sr. OL-DE Max Mirizio (5-11, 230); Jr. RB-LB Jack Roberge; Sr. WR-DB Ryan Shaw; Sr. C Curtis Swain (6-4, 250); Sr. WR-CB Benjamin Vickowski; Sr. WR-OLB Micky Zuk.

WHEN HAND HAS THE BALL: The Tigers’ offense has been odd on paper because they haven’t been put up Oklahoma-esque numbers. They haven't subjected defenses to death by 1,000 screen passes this season as, PRAISE CIOTTI, they're running more this season (491 attempts at a workmanlike 4.9 yards per carry). It’s also taken a village for Hand’s ground game of late as it has gone the last three games without leading rusher Delvantae Hutton (878 yards, 7 TDs) due to injury. Billings has been steady, completing 54 percent of his passes at 7.3 yards an attempt, but he hasn’t been asked to be as busy as his predecessors. The Panthers' defense was magnificent in their 28-14 beating of four-time, four-time, four-time, four-time defending L champion New Canaan in the semifinals. They dropped elebenty defenders into coverage to fluster Rams QB Drew Pyne (an FBS recruit). He threw three interceptions, one of which Michael Zuk returned for a 46-yard touchdown. Masuk allowed just 1.9 yards rushing on 25 carries. The score wasn’t even that close as New Canaan scored all its points in the final five minutes. Jack Duignan scored on an 18-yard interception return in Masuk's 43-7 quarterfinal road rout of Fitch.

WHEN MASUK HAS THE BALL: Hersch has been hobbled by a foot injury, not that it’s affected his performance. He’s completed 34 of 47 passes for 479 yards and four TDs in two playoff games. Lorusso, Zuk and Roberge have all been capable receivers. Roberge is a slippery runner, too. Hand’s defense has been outstanding and among the best playing for a title. It hasn’t allowed more than two offensive touchdowns since a 21-19 loss to Shelton in Week 2. Casagrande is a scary dude with defensive wreckers all around him. They smothered North Haven’s run game in a 35-13 quarterfinal win (the Indians managed 87 yards on 39 carries). Handsome Mike Madera of the GameTimeCT/Hearst Monolith reported that Hand allowed just 88 yards through three quarters of its 31-6 rout of Windsor in the quarterfinals.

CALPREPS SEZ: Masuk 27-21.

GAMETIMECT SEZ: Hand 31-21.

POLECAT SEZ: Hand.

To read more about this game, please visit:

Sean Begin, Hartford Courant: Hand coach, players know they want to go out.

Doug Bonjour, GameTimeCT/Hearst Monolith: Joe Lato has rebuilt Masuk into state championship contenders.

Doug Bonjour and Sean Patrick Bowley, GameTimeCT/Hearst Monolith: preview with video and WORDS.

• • • •

CLASS M

No. 1 KILLINGLY vs. No. 6 BARLOW: THE OFFICIAL state final of Polecat Worldwide

WHERE: Veterans Stadium at Willow Brook Park, New Britain.

RECORDS: Killingly 12-0; Barlow 9-3.

LOOK/LISTEN: NFHSNetwork; WINY-1350 AM.

HISTORY: Killingly (2) — 1981 (Class M-II), 1996 (Class M); Barlow — FIRST TIME.

KILLINGLY DUDES: Sr. WR-S Zack Burgess (48 tackles, 3 INT); Sr. LT-DT John Cacciapuoti (5-10, 225; 12 PANCAKE BLOCKS); Sr. FB-LB Zach Caffrey (114 carries, 978 yards, 13 TD; 105 tackles); Sr. LG-DT Ethan Canova (5-10, 240; 13 PANCAKE BLOCKS); Sr. CB Michael Capuano (49 tackles); Jr. QB-CB-K Luke Desaulnier (25-41 passing, 399 yards, 10 TD; 3 rushing TD; 64-71 XP); Sr. C-LB Michael Diruscio (5-5, 175); Sr. RT-DT Alex Fontaine (6-1, 285; 20 PANCAKE BLOCKS); Jr. TE-OLB Quinn Gervasio (42 tackles, 6 sacks); Sr. TE-DE Jake Gauthier (6-1, 247; 10 catches, 173 yards, 4 TD; 34 tackles; 14 PANCAKE BLOCKS); Jr. RB-DE Nsaiah Harriet (6-4, 225; 42 tackles, 5 sacks); Sr. RB-LB Spencer Lockwood (306 carries, 3,027 yards, 42 TD; 66 tackles, 3 INT); Jr. RG-LB Matt Phelan (5-7, 175; 20 PANCAKE BLOCKS; 93 tackles, 5.5 sacks); Jr. FB-LB-T Derek Turner (47 tackles).

BARLOW DUDES: Sr. OL-DE Danny Brey (6-4, 215; 30 tackles, 4.5 sacks); Sr. RB-MLB Will Cusick (60 carries, 635 yards, 11 TD; 35 tackles, 2.5 sacks); Jr. T-DT Will Denny (6-2, 270); So. G-DL Joe Francoletti (5-5, 230); Sr. QB-DB Trevor Furrer (18-of-50 passing, 288 yards, 4 TD; 200 carries, 1,731 yards, 13 TD; 53 tackles, 4 INT); Jr. G-DT Cas Koopman (6-0, 223); Sr. RB-LB Cal Peterson (136 carries, 1,073 yards, 11 TD; 80 tackles); Sr. C-DT Sean Rego; Sr. WR-CB Will Reed (32 tackles); Sr. RB-LB Alex Stillman (106 carries, 783 yards, 9 TD; 134 tackles, 2 sacks); Sr. WR-CB Charlie Wilson (46 tackles, 3 INT).

WHEN KILLINGLY HAS THE BALL: You know that Killingly is going to run the ball. Killingly knows that you know that it knows that you know its going to run the ball. Now TRY TO STOP IT. The Redmen have averaged 8.9 yards a carry and, at 398.3 yards, is second to Barlow (412.1) in yards rushing per game, according to statistics inputted into MaxPreps.com’s database. Someday, Lockwood is going to be jolted awake and dive for an ice bath after finally feeling the aches from running on 52.9 percent of Killingly’s 578 offensive plays. For now, he’ll settle for averaging 9.9 yards a carry. Caffrey isn’t built like your traditional fullback (5-10, 200 pounds), but he sure runs like a fullback (or a wrestler) as he knocks fools over or flings them aside. Killingly, Tyr bless them, will often line use a mas macho formation with two tight ends (Gauthier and Gervasio), two fullbacks (Caffrey and Turner) and Lockwood and repeatedly smash away with the run. TO HELL WITH YOUR FIVE WIDES AND EMPTY BACKFIELDS. Lockwood better be prepared to reward Cacciapuoti, Canova, Diruscio, Fontaine and Phelan after all the work they’ve done for him. We suggest the local all-you-can-eat buffet. The Falcons held SMSA/University/Classical to a season-low in points during their 53-14 semifinal mauling. Sam Muqbil (cornerback) and Stillman both had eight tackles, Cusick had two sacks, and Henry Eubanks (cornerback), Peterson and Stillman all recovered fumbles.

WHEN BARLOW HAS THE BALL: It was during the 2014 Orange Bowl that, as Georgia Tech used its sexy option game to methodically slice-and-dice Mississippi State, that Spencer Hall from EDSBS.com and SBNation.com mused on Twitter, “Playing the tech offense is being eaten by a bunch of horseshoe crabs: funny and prehistorically amusing until you realize what's happening.” That's one of the greatest sentences our eyeballs have ever gazed upon. Barlow knows all about the deadly magic of the triple option. It has also gone plumb loco with the option ever since a four-game stretch during the middle of the season in which it lost back-to-back games to East Lyme and Stratford and scraped past Brookfield and New Fairfield. The Falcons, over their last four games, have run for an average of 524 yards (at 8.7 yards a carry) and 6.5 touchdowns. SO SEXY. Furrer made himself #cthsfb famous by running for 351 yards and three TDs on 33 carries in Barlow’s 47-34 road upset of Sheehan in the quarterfinals. It had 10 players run for at least 4 yards in Sunday’s win. Every football coach at every level says its unpossible to prepare for the option in a short period of time. Such is the burden placed on the Killingly defense.

CALPREPS SEZ: Killingly 42-22.

GAMETIMECT SEZ: Killingly 42-28

POLECAT SEZ: Killingly.

(All of us who are devoted to the Manly Discipline of the Running Arts will also be big winners at this game.)

To read more about this game, please visit:

Marc Allard, Norwich Bulletin: Killingly, Barlow ready to flex muscles in Class M title game; and, Caffrey making his own mark.

Ryan Lacey, GameTimeCT/Hearst Monolith: Barlow players will never forget late freshman coach Jordan Wright.

Jesse Mayfield-Sheehan, Norwich Bulletin: (East Lyme head coach Rudy) Bagos has seen Killingly, Barlow up close.

????, GameTimeCT/Hearst Monolith: preview (no one took credit for writing it — take pride in your work, fellas).

• • • •

CLASS S

No. 1 ANSONIA vs. No. 2 ST. JOSEPH

WHERE/WHEN: Cheshire High.

RECORDS: Ansonia 12-0; St. Joseph 11-1.

LOOK/LISTEN: NFHSNetwork; WELI-960 AM.

HISTORY: Ansonia (20) — 1976-77 (Class S), 1979 (Class M), 1981-84 (Class S-II), 1987-89 (Class S), 1994 (Class SS), 1995 (Class S), 2002-03 (Class S), 2006-07 (Class S), 2011 (Class M), 2012-13 (Class S), 2016 (Class S); St. Joseph (12) — 1980 (Class S) and 1981-84 (Class S-II), 1988-90 (Class M), 2009 (Class SS), 2010 (Class S), 2013 (Class M), 2014 (Class M-Small).

ANSONIA DUDES: Jr. RB-DB Darwin Amaya (64 carries, 899 yards, 16 TD; 3 catches, 103 yards, 2 TD); Jr. OL-LB Martin Antoine; Jr. RB-LB Terjuan Burney (6-0, 235); RB Markell Dobbs (134 carries, 2,063 yards, 35 TD); Sr. OL-DL Alex Hernandez; Sr. OL-DE Mike LaRovera (6-0, 210); QB-DB Justin Lopez (23-of-45 passing, 658 yards, 2 TD; 30 carries, 466 yards, 5 TD); Sr. OL-NG Kolby Ortiz (6-1, 230); Sr. OL-DL Kevin Rascoe (6-0, 255); Jr. TE-LB Cody Teodosio (8 catches, 183 yards, 3 TD); Sr. WR-DB Brent Washington (10 catches, 346 yards, 6 TD).

ST. JOSEPH DUDES: Sr. LB Jude Andrzejewski (5-11, 212; 76 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 INT); Jr. Jesse Bike (32 catches, 469 yards, 4 TD); So. Will Diamantis (40 catches, 557 yards, 8 TD); Sr. DB Mike DiLorio (71 tackles); Jr. K Luke Kirby (70-71 XP, 6-8 FG); Jr. LB Jesse Lawson (73 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 INT); Jr. CB-WR Ace Luzietti (38 tackles, 3 INT); Sr. WR Jared Mallozzi (70 catches, 965 yards, 18 TD); So. OL-DE Mike Morrissey (48 tackles, 3.5 sacks); Sr. DB Connor Murphy (41 tackles); Jr. TE Phil Pasmeg (6-0, 220 pounds; 48 catches, 746 yards, 10 TD); So. RB Jaden Shirden (168 carries, 1,006 yards, 18 TD; 19 catches, 225 yards, 4 TD); Jr. QB David Summers (209-of-314 passing, 2,962 yards, 44 TD; 70 carries, 230 yards, 5 rushing TD).

WHEN ANSONIA HAS THE BALL: The defending S champion has been the El Supremo master of the Manly Discipline of the Running Arts for over a decade now and has continued its glorious tradition of mowing down defenses with Antoine, Hernandez, LaRovera, Ortiz and Rasco doing the dirty work beautifully up front. The Central Connecticut-bound Dobbs stops and cuts like a cheetah and has averaged FIFTEEN-POINT-FOUR YARDS A CARRY. That’s ridiculous and ludicrous. Hell, that’s RIDICULUDICROUS. The Chargers are going to need more than Dobbs, however, and could use a healthy Lopez. Healthy Lopez is not after sitting out the semifinal after hurting his right knee at practice the day before and spending the game watching from a physical therapy table with crutches to his side, according to Mark Jaffee of the Waterbury Communist National. Everyone here at Polecat Worldwide are devoted to the run, but, against a team such as St. Joseph, sometimes you have to pass. That has not been Ansonia’s strength. It’s on the likes of Andrzejewski (5-11, 218 pounds) and Lawson to force the Chargers to throw.

WHEN ST. JOSEPH HAS THE BALL: Summers is on the short-list for the best QB in the state this season as he’s completed .666 of his passes, averaged a robust 9.4 yards an attempt, and thrown a state-high 44 touchdowns (compared to a measly 4 interceptions). We dare say (write?) that the Cadets have the state’s best receiving corps as it is as talented as it is deep. Double-team Mallozzi and prepare to be burned by Pasmeg, Diamantis, and Bike. St. Joseph may not have played a team as physical offensively as Ansonia, but Ansonia hasn’t seen a passing game this lethal, either. LaRovera leads a beastly Chargers front, and its imperative that they get to Summers. Reckon that Burney and Teodosio will be sent on a blitz or two (or eight).

CALPREPS SEZ: St. Joseph 40-28.

GAMETIMECT SEZ: St. Joseph 38-26.

POLECAT SEZ: St. Joseph.

To read more about this game, please visit:

Doug Bonjour and Sean Patrick Bowley, GameTimeCT/Hearst Monolith: preview with video and WORDS.

Mark Jaffee, Waterbury Communist National: Preview, prediction; Chargers banded together for this 25-game win streak; St. Joseph’s air attack could pose trouble for Chargers; and, Hockey decision hip-checked (Ansonia’s Tom) Brockett into greatness.

Dave Ruden, HIS website: St. Joseph’s Class S championship against Ansonia a study in contrasts.

• • • •

Ned Freeman’s cold, calculating computer rankings at CalPreps.com through Saturday's LL final: 1. Darien (12-1); 2. Greenwich (12-1); 3. St. Joseph; 4. Masuk; 5. Hand; 6. West Haven (9-3); 7. Ridgefield (7-3); 8. New Canaan (9-3); 9. Staples (6-4); and, 10. Killingly (12-0).

Ansonia was 14th because the computer has a low opinion of the NVL.

Yes that's six FCIAC teams ranked in the top 10.

We've admittedly been unwavering in our belief that Ridgefield was a top 10 team all season. We've voted it as such despite three losses because they were all to state finalists — Darien (38-12), Greenwich (26-21), and St. Joseph (38-35). It had its chances to win the latter two games. QB Greg Gatto, WR Jackson Mitchell, and the rest of the Tigers’ passing game was among the most dangerous we saw this season.

Darien and Greenwich tossed aside both the CCC (East Hartford, South Windsor) and SCC (Fairfield Prep, West Haven) in the LL playoffs. Ridgefield played Greenwich better than Prep or South Windsor.

So, yeah, Ridgefield will be high on our final ballot. We opine that it should be on every coaches and media ballot.

(The same applies for New Canaan, which knocked out top-seeded Middletown from the CCC in the Class L quarterfinals).

• • • •

Thanks for reading. More after all this daffiness is over.

Adios....