The best week of the Connecticut high school football regular season, maybe the entire season, is Thanksgiving week.

Rivalries are renewed. Playoff berths are decided. And there’s always, always much craziness and/or upsets that shake things up, including The Day's Top 10 state coaches’ poll.

There are no changes among the top 10 teams this week because most of the state was on a bye. Hand continues to receive 10 first-place votes while No. 2 St. Joseph (9-0) earned the other three. Hand is the two-time defending CIAC Class L champion. The CIAC moved St. Joseph up to Class L this season after winning Class M last year and Class S in 2017.

This week’s biggest game is Thursday’s Apple Valley Classic — No. 7 Southington (8-1) at No. 8 Cheshire (8-1). It will have implications on the poll and bigger implications on the Class LL rankings. Both teams have already qualified in that division.

There are two other games in which both teams are receiving votes: Newington (7-2) at Wethersfield (7-2), Wednesday, 6 p.m.; and New Canaan (7-2) at No. 3 Darien (9-0) on Thursday, 10 a.m.

Norwich Free Academy (6-3) is the only area team receiving votes. The Wildcats will host New London (4-5) at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the 158th edition of the nation's oldest rivalry.

n.griffen@theday.com

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