Howdy,

The New London football team enjoyed their bye week by watching their CIAC Class L playoff odds get better-and-better.

Newington stunned then-unbeaten Middletown last Friday, 27-24, in the biggest upset of the season. It dropped Middletown from second-to-fourth in the division.

Harding and Masuk both loss their second game over the weekend, too.

All those losses give more leeway to three-time defending champion New Canaan (7-0), New London (6-0) and Windsor (7-0), the only three unbeaten teams left in the division.

The Whalers moved up a spot to second in the rankings and play at Wilbur Cross (4-3) this Friday. The Governors are coming off their worst loss of the season to Amity last Friday, 21-8, the latter’s second win.

New London closes the season at Ledyard (3-4, Nov. 11), at Waterford (4-2, Nov. 24), and at home on Thanksgiving versus Norwich Free Academy (5-2), which is trying to qualify for Class LL.

The Whalers would be in decent shape even if they lost two of their final four games because of the rest of the field. There are good odds, too, that a 7-3 team will qualify (the top eight teams in each division qualify).

Top-ranked New Canaan should win at Trumbull (5-2) this Friday, but plays host to unbeaten Darien on Thanksgiving. The Blue Wave have beaten New Canaan in the previous four holiday games.

No. 3 Windsor will play at No. 4 Middletown (6-1) on Thanksgiving eve.

No. 5 Naugatuck has some doozies left on its schedule. It plays this Friday at Class M hopeful Wolcott (5-2), vs. Waterbury Career (4-3, Nov. 11), and at unbeaten Ansonia (7-0) on Thanksgiving.

Sixth-ranked Harding (5-2) plays at Class S hopeful Bullard-Havens (5-2) on Saturday. Its final games are against winless Wolcott Tech/Housatonic/Wamogo and Bridgeport Central.

No. 8 Platt (5-2) plays Hall (5-2, Nov. 11) and No. 9 Maloney (5-2, Thanksgiving). Everyone after Maloney has three losses.

Here’s a look at other divisions in which local teams could qualify:

Class LL: NFA had an even better weekend than New London because it shot up from No. 12 to No. 7 in this division.

The top five teams are 7-0 and, in order, defending champion Darien, Southington, Shelton, West Haven and Newtown. Every other team has at least two losses.

NFA (5-2) finishes its regular season against Bacon Academy (1-6, Friday), at Stamford (3-4, Nov. 12), and at New London.

The Wildcats should qualify if they win out because the rest of the field has games that are as tough — if not tougher — than theirs.

Sixth-ranked Cheshire (5-2) plays Class L hopeful Notre Dame of West Haven (4-3) this week and at Southington on Thanksgiving.

Eighth-ranked Ridgefield (5-2) plays host to No. 9 Greenwich (5-2) on Nov. 11.

Greenwich plays host to No. 12 Staples (5-2) on Thanksgiving.

No. 10 Hall (5-2) plays at Manchester (4-3) this Friday and Platt the following week.

No. 11 New Milford (5-2) plays Bunnell (5-2) next week and at New Fairfield (5-2) on Thanksgiving. Both opponents are Class M contenders.

No. 12 Trumbull plays New Canaan on Friday and Class M contender St. Joseph (6-1) on Thanksgiving.

Class M: Top-ranked Valley Regional/Old Lyme (6-1) is in terrific shape because it's last three games are against losing teams — Lewis Mills (3-4, Friday), at winless Canton (Nov. 12), and Haddam-Killingworth (3-4, Nov. 22).

Waterford (4-2), on the other hand, is periously close to the edge after Saturday's stunning 18-7 loss to then-winless Bacon Academy. It dropped from seventh to 10th and plays its next three games against winning teams — at Stonington (4-3) this Friday with the Eastern Connecticut Conference Division II title on the line, at Plainfield (4-3, Nov. 11), and vs. New London.

Waterford would almost be toast if it lost a third game. Class M has been the most welcoming division to three-loss teams, but the Lancers' odds would get smaller.

• • • •

Stonington gave themselves many chances to celebrate during Friday’s 24-0 win over Montville. Among the loudest reactions was when sophomore Nate Miller, a reserve running back, took his sixth carry of the season for a 56-yard touchdown late in the game.

The biggest celebration on the Bears' sideline was when Ben Logel was subbed into the game late. The junior has autism and played sparingly on junior varsity, but never played a varsity snap.

“Ben is on the spectrum,” Stonington head coach A.J. Massengale said. “A lot of our kids (help with) Unified Sports (the CIAC’s sports program for those who are intellectually disabled. I coach Unified Sports. Ben does Unified Sports, and he started playing football for us last year. He’s an awesome kid. He might be the most popular kid in this school. He’s just got a great personality.”

Stonington changed, “LO-GEL”, over-and-over as he ran onto the field and kept chanting his name.

“We always get excited when he gets a chance to shine,” Bears junior Josh Georgetti said. “He loves being in the spotlight, so we bring him up. He’s very important to this team. He helps bring us together.”

Massengale said, “He’s got a great attitude all the time. He’s something else. Getting him in was cool tonight.”

• • • •

Members of Fitch’s 1976 Class LL state championship team were honored prior to the Falcons’ 30-23 loss to Windham on Friday night at Dorr Field.

The 1976 team, including former head coach Bob Weiss, was scheduled to have a reunion dinner Saturday night at the Groton Inn & Suites. Fitch defeated Trumbull 29-7 at New Britain’s Willow Brook Park, marking the first season of the CIAC’s playoff system.

Fitch went on to be ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 1 in New England.

“This is why it was so special,” said Mike Ellis Sr., who was an assistant coach under Weiss, followed as Fitch’s head coach and is now an assistant for the Falcons under his son, Mike Ellis Jr.

“This program was in awful shape. Under Bob we were 1-7-1, then 3-6, then 7-2, then we went all the way. We put in a lot of time at the beginning, all day Sunday. We did all that and went 1-7-1. But after that, it was much different. We had a ball. We were a young staff and we had a ball.”

Ellis Sr. remembers, with a laugh, the car ride home from the championship game.

“The coaches took a car up and on the way home we sang the old Budweiser song, ‘Here comes the king, here comes the big No. 1, but we used Fitch words and it was all off key.”

And what does it say that Ellis Sr. is the only one of the staff still coaching?

He said: “Am I crazy or what?”

• • • •

Bacon Academy's 18-7 upset over Waterford on Saturday wasn't the prettiest game due to a number of mental mistakes and penalties. One of the craziest sequences came in the final minute with the Bobcats trying to run out the clock for its first win.

Bacon fumbled the ball away on third-and-9 from its own 47-yard line with less than a minute left, giving the Lancers the ball at the latter's 48 with 51 seconds left.

Waterford gained 14 yards on its first play. Bobcats' senior Paul Chasse intercepted a pass on the next play and took off upfield, rather than taking a knee to end the play.

Chasse crossed midfield and fumbled as he was tackled. Waterford recovered the ball at its own 43 with 28 seconds left.

Chasse had an interception on the very next play, his second in the final minute. Bacon followed by taking a knee to finish the game.

• • • •

Collin Wiltshire scored Ledyard’s touchdown in the fourth period Friday night of its 40-7 loss to NFA. It was incorrectly reported in Saturday’s edition. Wiltshire ran for 93 yards. ... As each week passes, NFA discovers it has one of the most versatile players in the ECC: junior Caleb Parker, who plays in all three phases. He starts at cornerback, plays some offense and returned the opening kickoff of the second half 73 yards Friday night. Parker led the ECC in interceptions last season. ... Dennis Charles blocked a punt for Ledyard. ... The Colonels played without leading rusher Manny Deshields Sanabria and lineman Jon Archer. ... Things that you don't ever see in the game — Stonington got the ball at its own 28 late in the first quarter. A chop block and tackle for a loss resulted in having third-and-35 at its own 3. The Indians at third-and-3 at the Bears' 49 early in the third quarter. It was hit with two personal fouls after their next play when one of their players was leveled by its sidelines, resulting in fourth-and-34 from its own 20.

• • • •

Some games of note from Week 8 across the state:

[naviga:u]No. 3 Shelton 34, Cheshire 20[/naviga:u]

David Wells completed 14 of 29 passes for 206 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and scored on a 1-yard run for the Gaels (7-0) on Friday. Ronnie Rich ran 28 times. for 155 yards for Shelton, including 18 carries for 113 yards in the second half. The Rams (5-2) were held scoreless in the second half. Their own other loss was to No. 4 West Haven (41-14).

No. 4 West Haven 35, North Haven 26

The Westies outscored North Haven in the fourth quarter, 21-6, to rally for the win Friday.

Kyle Godfrey ran for a 10-yard touchdowns to put West Haven (7-0) ahead, 21-20.

A bad snap on the Indians next drive gave the Blue Devils the ball back at the North Haven 19-yard line. Anthony Godfrey ran for a 13-yard touchdown to push West Haven’s lead to 28-20 with 7:41 left.

Max Sullivan ran for a 9-yard touchdown to cut the Indians’ deficit to 28-26. North Haven, which has lost two kickers to injury, went for the tie. The Westies’ Sheilan Velazquez tackled Mark Montano to foil the two-point conversion.

Anthony Godfrey added a 20-yard touchdown run with a minute left. He ran 21 times for 236 yards and three touchdowns.

It was another brutal loss for North Haven. It lost Week 1 to Cheshire (24-21) after missing two field goals in the fourth quarter, including a 41-yarder with 49 seconds left.

The Indians had a 13-point lead over Notre Dame of West Haven early in the third quarter in Week 5. The Green Knights scored three times in the fourth quarter for a 49-34 win.

North Haven led Shelton by six points with seven minutes left in last week’s game and had the ball at midfield. Armando Martinez intercepted a pass to set up the Gaels' go-ahead touchdown. Santino Durante intercepted another pass on the Indians’ final drive to give Shelton a 35-34 win.

Newington 27, No. 8 Middletown 24

Was this the upset of the season? Right now, yes.

Roberto Sanchez scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 17-yard run with six minutes, 9 seconds left in the game as the Indians rallied back from a 14-0, first quarter deficit Friday.

The Blue Dragons had a chance to score late but fumbled at the Newington 28-yard line with 3:08 left.

Sanchez ran 11 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns and completed 5 of 10 passes for 92 yards for the Indians (3-4) and Corey Pertillar scored on a 97-yard kickoff return to give his team a 17-14 halftime lead. He also had 10 tackles.

Tyshaun James ran 28 times for 167 yards and three touchdowns for Middletown (6-1). He also completed 8 of 17 passes for 112 yards. Osbourne Richard added 14 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks.

No. 9 Ansonia 41, Seymour 20

The talented Jaylen Kelley, Seymour’s All-State quarterback, told Kountry Kyle Brennan of the Waterbury Republican-American last week that he was “not too worried about (the Chargers) defense.”

No, no, no, no.

Ansonia held Kelley to less than 116 yards total offense Friday and beat the Wildcats for the 12th straight time and continued its Naugatuck Valley League supremacy.

The Chargers (7-0) led 21-0 at halftime. Bryson Cafaro completed 3 of 6 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns, scored on runs of 43 and 3 yards, and kicked five extra points for Ansonia. Markell Dobbs added 26 carries for 153 yards and caught three passes for 108 yards and three touchdowns.

Remember — the Wildcats (5-2) were supposed to be the team to beat in the NVL, while the Chargers had to replace more starters than any team 10-year head coach Tom Brockett has ever had.

Same as it ever was.

Bunnell 31, Masuk 29

Avery Dunn kicked a 20-yard field goal as time expired to give the Bulldogs a wild win Friday. They trailed 22-0 after ONE QUARTER.

Michael Castelot threw four touchdown passes, including two to Brett Bogdwicz (25, 70), to rally Bunnell (5-2), which had four interceptions. Castelot missed the previous four games to injury.

It was a huge bounce-back win for the Bulldogs after they wasted an 11-point lead against No. 7 Newtown last Friday and lost, 35-34. Now they're looking like a Class M contender.

Nick Dellapiano caught a 14-yard touchdown from Matt Hersch, ran for a 57-yard touchdown, and ran for a two-point conversion for the Panthers (5-2).

Oxford 32, Wolcott 18

Griffin Downs and Joe Romagna each ran for over 100 yards and two touchdowns Friday as the WOLVERINES (6-1) continued to make a push for their first playoff berth. Downs ran 16 times for 133 yards and two scores and Romagna had 27 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Oxford led 18-0 after one quarter.

Capital Prep/Achievement 21, Harding 14

Kyle Zajack threw touchdowns of 7 and 27 yards to O’Neil Robinson as the Trailblazers reclaimed Constitution State Conference superiority Friday. Khyon Gillespie ran for a go-ahead 3-yard touchdown in the third quarter for the Trailblazers (6-0, 6-0), the only unbeaten left in the conference. The Presidents (5-2, 6-1) beat Cap last season (28-13) to win the conference.

Bristol Central 20, E.O. Smith 19

Finishes don't get much daffier than this. Isaiah Miller ran for a 2-yard touchdown on the game’s final play to tie Friday's game. Brett Adams’ extra point hit the goal post, but got a second chance because the Panthers were offsides. Adams made his second attempt for the win. Central trailed, 19-7, with less than six minutes left. Miller ran 10 times for 56 yards and two touchdowns and completed 8 of 12 passes for 141 yards.

Sacred Heart/Kaynor Tech 37, Holy Cross 32

The Hearts scored 30 unanswered points Friday to climb out of an early 18-0 hole. Tyler Rudolph ran seven times for 171 yards and three touchdowns for SH/KT (4-3). Corey Fappiano completed 7 of 11 passes for 171 yards for the Crusaders (3-4) and scored on runs of 4, 1, and 2 yards.

• • • •

In case you went off the grid this weekend, Sheehan’s Zach Davis ran for a state record FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY ONE YARDS and TEN TOUCHDOWNS in his team’s 66-20 win over Law.

Davis passed Montville’s Jeremiah Crowley for the single-game rushing record, according to the Connecticut High School Football Record Book. Crowley ran for 526 yards in a Sept. 27, 2013 game against Stonington.

Davis’ 10 touchdowns topped the single-game touchdown record set by Torrington's Brenden Lytton (nine) during an Oct. 29, 2010 game against Wilby.

Davis has rushed for 2,497 yards on 194 carries in seven games for the Titans (4-3). He’s also run for 36 touchdowns and caught another. He’s accounted for all but 411 yards rushing and three offensive touchdowns.

The odds are in Davis’ favor to become just the fifth player in state history to run for 3,000 yards in a season. UConn’s Arkeel Newsome set state single-season records for rushing yardage (3,867) and touchdowns (68) in 15 games during his 2013 season at Ansonia.

• • • •

NOTABLES~!

Brian Peters threw touchdowns of 31, 26 and 10 yards for top-ranked Darien in its 35-3 win over Wilton on Saturday. Twenty six was a good number for Nick Green as he scored on a 26-yard interception and 26-yard reception for the Blue Wave (7-0). ... Ryan O’Connell ran 10 times for 42 yards and a touchdown, had three catches for 66 yards and a touchdown, and added three interceptions, one of which he returned for a 35-yard touchdown, in Friday's 43-0 win over Norwalk. Drew Pyne completed 15 of 21 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns and ran 11 times for 44 yards for the Rams (7-0).

Vance Upham ran 29 times for 243 yards and three touchdowns as No. 5 Southington downed New Britain on Friday, 41-17. It was the eighth straight win over New Britain for the Blue Knights (7-0). ... Tah-jee Holley ran for 176 yards and a touchdown as No. 6 Windsor held off Wethersfield on Friday, 19-14. Timothy Gardner scored on a 10-yard run for Windsor (7-0) and Marquis Wilson caught a 78-yard touchdown from Jakhari Grant.

Justin Dunn completed 16 of 23 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns as No. 7 Newtown beat Pomperaug on Friday, 28-8. Hunter Cobb ran 19 times for 136 yards and a touchdown for the Nighthawks (7-0) and Matt Bucci had nine catches for 143 yards and a score. Cormac Roe added 14 tackles. ...  Dexter Lawson threw for 154 and two touchdowns and ran eight times for 55 yards and a score, and had his seventh interception of the season as No. 10 Bloomfield defeated East Catholic on Friday, 28-12. Kyjuon Butler ran 13 times for 136 yards and a touchdown for the WARHAWKS (7-0) and Syracuse-bound Russell Thompson scored on a 95-yard touchdown from Lawson.

Canton saw MORE than enough of Kristian Sapp after he scored five times and had an interception in Cromwell/Portland's 53-6 shellacking of Canton on Saturday, 53-6. Sapp ran eight times for 203 yards and four touchdowns for the Panthers (6-0) and scored on a 51-yard punt return. There's more. Bryce Karstetter completed 6 of 10 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns for C/P and Kitrell Lauray had 12 tackles.

R.J. Darby scored on runs of 4, 2 and 24 yards as Norwich Free Academy squished Ledyard on Friday, 40-7. ... FULLBACK Nate Barbosa ran 23 times for 249 yards and two scores as Windham outlasted Fitch on Friday, 30-23. Tyler Nelli ran 19 times for 102 yards and a touchdown and kicked a 22-yard field goal for Fitch and Hollis Scott had 17 carries for 97 yards and a score. Isiah Sebastian added eight carries for 102 yards. ... Jhavion Haddock ran 18 times for 252 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a conversion for Creed/Career/Whitney Tech in its 26-15 win over Branford on Friday.

Glenn Cunningham ran 20 times for 146 yards as Xavier throttled Fairfield Prep on Friday, 31-7. ... Julice Sams ran for 104 yards and three touchdowns as Glastonbury smashed Enfield on Friday, 55-6. ... Berlin scored 35 in the first quarter of Friday’s 49-0 rout of Plainville. The Redcoats (6-1) ran 22 times for 222 yards and six touchdowns.

Tylon Papallo scored on a 79 yard kickoff return and a 58-yard touchdown pass from Auriello Marinelli as Platt routed Hartford Public on Friday, 42-18. E.J. Dudley scored on runs of 3, 5 and 8 yards for Platt (5-2). Lavarey Banton scored on runs of 1 and 85 yards for the Owls.

Danny Cavallaro ran five times for 45 yards and three touchdowns and completed 4 of 6 passes for 43 yards and a score as Rocky Hill ran over Tolland last Friday, 41-0. Grant Nieves ran 11 times for 103 yards and a touchdown and had three catches for 27 yards and a score for the Terriers (6-1). GOD'S OFFENSE. ... Cole Hartley scored on runs of 21 and 26 yards and a 55-yard punt return as Greenwich trampled Fairfield Ludlowe last Friday, 61-27. ... Mark Henry (still not the pro rassler) ran 15 times for 152 yards and three touchdowns in Rockville’s 20-13 win over RHAM on Friday. Josh Foster and Zach Banning each had 17 tackles (WHAT) and Henry added 13 tackles and a fumble recovery.

Edison Galan completed 14 of 25 passes for 208 yards and four touchdowns and ran six times for 97 yards and another score as Manchester trashed Bulkeley/HMTCA/Weaver on Friday, 41-0. Eric Goicochea had three catches for 126 yards and two scores for the Indians (4-3) and Ty Brazeal 13 tackles and a sack. ... Freddie Hidalgo ran 36 times for 150 yards and three touchdowns as Maloney downed Farmington on Friday, 35-28. Larue Graham completed 23-of-37 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns for Maloney (5-2) and Alejandro Ortiz had 14 catches for 102 yards and a score. Zac Conard completed 16 of 28 passes for 204 yards and four touchdowns for Farmington.

Trevor Furrer ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as Barlow beat Bethel last Friday, 30-7. ... Alex Segaline scored on runs of 12, 3 and 12 yards, ran for a two-point conversion and caught another as Haddam-Killingworth beat Coventry/Windham Tech/Bolton on Friday, 24-8. ... Izaiah Castro-Vega ran for 207 yards and four touchdowns in Ellington’s 37-13 win over Morgan on Friday. Robert Ecker threw two touchdowns and ran 15 times for 119 yards for the Purple Knights (6-1) and Colby Unterstein and Nick Abbruzzese each had two sacks.

Cory Babineau completed 20 of 29 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns as St. Joseph crunched Stamford on Saturday, 35-7. Philip Pasmeg had seven catches for 120 yards and a touchdown for the Cadets (6-1) and held the Black Knights to 186 yards. ... Colton Engel ran for an 11-yard touchdowns and had two interceptions as Stafford/East Windsor/Somers clocked Coginchaug on Saturday, 34-8. It improved to 6-1 for its first winning season since 1996.

Gilbert/Northwestern Regional had two first-quarter safeties in Saturday’s 38-14 win over SMSA/University/Classical. Blake Breglia had a sack for the first safety, and a snap out of the back of the end zone gave the Yellowjackets an oddball 4-0, first quarter lead. Billy Komons ran 18 times for 83 yards and two touchdowns for G/N (6-1) and Gabriel Schwartz threw a 14-yard touchdown to Dan Austin and scored on a 2-yard run.

J'quan A. Hall, Gerardo Rivera and Luis Valentin all ran for over 100 yards in Prince Tech’s 30-20 win over Cheney Tech on Saturday. Hall ran eight times for 101 yards and two touchdowns, Rivera ran six times for 106 yards and a score, and Valentin ran 12 times for 111 yards. Prince finished with 368 yards on 35 carries and attempted just five passes. SEXY FOOTBALL. ... Justin Egliskis and Tory Hammonds blocked a 34-yard field goal attempt with 25 seconds left to give Torrington a 20-18 win over Kennedy on Saturday.

Donte Williams completed his only two passes for 37 yards and two touchdowns, ran seven times for 60 yards, had two catches for 27 yards, and added two interceptions as Abbott Tech/Immaculate beat Thames River on Saturday, 49-20. Will Hatcher had two catches for 51 yards and a touchdown, seven tackles and three sacks for THE UNITED (4-2). Jared Neal completed 19 of 38 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns for the Crusaders and ran 22 times for 127 yards.

Connor Dunn ran for a touchdown in overtime to give South Windsor a 20-17 win over Bristol Eastern on Saturday. Eastern got the ball first and passed for a 7-yard gain on first down. It went backwards on its next two plays and settled for a field goal. ... Chase Cook caught a 23-yard touchdown from Victor Pascoe and scored on a 44-yard fumble return as Old Saybrook/Westbrook clobbered Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Windsor on Saturday, 43-8. ... Billy Komons ran 18 times for 83 yards and two touchdowns for the Yellowjackets (6-1) and Gabriel Schwartz threw a 14-yard touchdown to Dan Austin and scored on a 2-yard run.

• • • •

Thanks to Day staffers Mike DiMauro (Ledyard-NFA) and Vickie Fulkerson (Fitch-Windham) for their contributions to this here blog.

• • • •

Thanks for reading. More Monday and Tuesday.

Vaya con dios.