Xavier atop The Day's first state coaches' poll
Another high school football season, another year in which Xavier of Middletown is the top-ranked team in The Day's Top 10 state coaches' poll.
The Falcons have won 27 straight games, including back-to-back CIAC Class LL championships. They've been ranked No. 1 since the start of the 2010 season.
Xavier graduated nine defensive starters and several on offense, but have one of the state's top recruits in Boston College-bound quarterback Tim Boyle.
The Falcons opened their season last Friday with a 44-0 win over Notre Dame of West Haven. New starting tailback D'Angelo Berry had 20 carries for 201 yards and four touchdowns while Boyle threw two touchdowns.
Ansonia, last year's Class M champion, is ranked second, followed by defending Class L champion Hand of Madison, Class LL runner-up Staples of Westport and Windsor.
Local schools Ledyard, Norwich Free Academy, New London and Montville also received votes.
See complete poll on Page D2.
- Ned Griffen
The Day's top 10 h.s. football poll
First-place votes in parentheses, record, and points tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7:
1. Xavier (12) 1-0 388
KNOW THIS: The Falcons will try to be the first team in state history to win three straight CIAC Class LL championships.
NEXT: North Haven, Friday, 7 p.m..
2. Ansonia (1) 1-0 338
KNOW THIS: Some folks in Torrington
got #beatansonia trending on Twitter
prior to last Friday's game. That didn't
end well. Arkeel Newsome ran nine
times for 197 yards and five touchdowns — all in the first half — as the Chargers whomped the Red Raiders, 66-26.
NEXT: Woodland, Friday, 7 p.m.
3. Hand 1-0 330
KNOW THIS: New starting quarterback
Brendan Bilcheck threw for two
touchdowns and ran for two more in last Friday's 35-13 win over Amity. NEXT: at Hillhouse-New Haven, Friday, 4 p.m.
4. Staples 1-0 326
KNOW THIS: The Wreckers scored
42 second-half points in last Friday's
49-28 win over St. Joseph. NEXT:
Bridgeport Central, Friday, 7 p.m.
5. Windsor 1-0 234
KNOW THIS: Robert Quinn Fleeting
completed 17 of 24 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown and ran 14 times for 125 yards and two touchdowns as the Warriors thumped Wethersfield last Friday, 42-0. NEXT: Bristol Central, Friday, 7 p.m..
6. West Haven 1-0 201
KNOW THIS: Longtime Westies' coach
Ed McCarthy told the Milford-Orange
Bulletin that junior Ervin Philips may be
the best running back the program has
had since the 1980s. That's high praise. Philips ran 10 times for 102 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns in last Friday's 45-6 beating of Hamden.
NEXT: at Guilford, Friday, 7 p.m.
7. Greenwich 1-0 188
KNOW THIS: The Cardinals had the
weekend's most impressive win. They
played Friday at Ridgefield, which was
being touted as an FCIAC title contender. They were also without starting quarterback Liam O'Neil (broken finger). No matter — back-up Jose Melo completed 12 of 19 passes for 279 yards and a touchdown in a 20-7 victory. NEXT: at Bassick, Friday, 4:30 p.m.
8. New Canaan 1-0 182
KNOW THIS: Rams head coach Lou
Marinelli told the Stamford Advocate
that he's going to use both Teddy
Bossidy and Nick Cascione at quarterback until one claims the job. It worked last Friday in a 42-16 win over Bassick. Cascione was 13 of 19 for 133 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another. Bossidy completed 8 of 12 passes for 76 yards and ran eight times for 63 yards and two touchdowns. NEXT: at Trinity Catholic, Saturday, 1 p.m.
9. Masuk 1-0 181
KNOW THIS: Panthers senior Thomas
Milone is going to play baseball at
UConn. Opponents wish he'd leave for
Storrs now. He had six catches for 183
yards and three touchdowns last Friday
as Masuk blitzed Pomperaug, 47-10. He also scored on punt returns of 60 and 73 yards. NEXT: vs. New Milford, Friday, 7 p.m.
10. Glastonbury 1-0 145
KNOW THIS: The Tomahawks ran for
332 yards and ran over New Britain
last Friday, 31-6. NEXT: at Newington,
Friday, 7 p.m.
Also receiving votes: Berlin (1-0),
138 points; Hillhouse (1-0), 133; Darien
(1-0), 91; Ledyard (1-0), 87; Holy Cross
(1-0), 54; Norwich Free Academy (1-0),
41; Newtown (1-0), 36; Tie, Cheshire
(1-0) and Middletown (1-0), 34; New
London (1-0), 29; Southington (1-0),
22; Cromwell (1-0), 21; Fairfield Prep
(1-0), 14; Tie, North Branford (1-0) and
Woodland (1-0), 10; St. Joseph (0-1),
9; Tie, Bunnell (1-0), Conard (1-0) and
Farmington (1-0), 8; Hartford Capital/
Classical/Achievement (1-0), 7.
The following coaches voted: Tom
Brockett, Ansonia; Jim Buonocore, Ledyard; Craig Bruno, Bunnell-Stratford;
Steve Filippone, Hand-Madison; Rob
Fleeting, Windsor; Tanner Grove,
Montville; Jude Kelly, St. Paul-Bristol;
Tim King, Valley Regional-Deep River;
Sean Marinan, Xavier-Middletown;
John Murphy, Masuk-Monroe; Marce
Petroccio, Staples-Westport; Bob Zito,
Maloney-Meriden.
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