It's likely Ledyard and no one else in this year's state football playoffs
Here’s the local high school football playoff outlook — Ledyard should qualify.
And that’s it.
The playoff chances of Fitch and Norwich Free Academy reached critical mass after both lost last Friday. Fitch suffered its biggest loss of the season to Waterford (41-8) and the Wildcats were shut out by Ledyard (20-0). It was the third loss for both teams. And Montville is way back in Class S (18th out of 37 teams).
Ledyard (6-1) has a slight lead over Killingly atop the CIAC Class M rankings. Its next two games are against losing teams — at East Lyme (2-5) on Friday and at home on Nov. 13 against Plainfield (3-4).
The Colonels play host to Fitch (4-3) on Thanksgiving, a rival they’ve beaten the last eight years. Ledyard's last loss to the Falcons was in 2006, oddly enough the last time it won a state title.
Class L: Fitch is in a huge hole as there are four unbeaten teams and five one-loss teams.
The Falcons are 14th and need to both win out and get more outside help than can be reasonably expected.
Fitch also has as rough a closing schedule as anyone in the Eastern Connecticut Conference as it plays host to Killingly (6-1) this Friday and ends the regular season at Ledyard. It plays host to Woodstock Academy (1-6) on Nov. 13.
The Falcons' most reasonable hope is to win out and, while likely missing the state playoffs, ruins Ledyard's holiday and chance at a postseason berth.
Class LL: Remarkably, NFA is ranked 12th (one doesn’t expect to see a three-loss team so high in the rankings). Odds are that those 11 teams in front of the Wildcats aren’t going to lose enough games to fall back to the pack.
NFA must win out and plays its final three games at home, starting this Friday against Class M hopeful Bacon Academy (6-1). It finishes against one-win Stonington (Nov. 13) and rival New London (2-5) on Thanksgiving.
Class S: Montville (4-2) is so far back because the Indians have earned few bonuses beating teams with a combined six wins. They have four game left — Friday vs. Griswold (3-3), Nov. 13 at Killingly, No. 20 at Waterford (2-5) and Nov. 25 at Windham (5-2).
Twitter: @MetalNED
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