BRISTOL – All three scholastic football teams are back at it again this weekend and that means St. Paul – after a deserved week off – will be in action as well.
Again, three diverse opponents await our favorites from the Mum City.
First, Week 7 sees Bristol Central battle Farmington in a CCC Division II West challenge while Bristol Eastern gets back to their “heavy-hitting” part of the schedule in a Friday night challenge on the new turf at Windsor high school.
And then the Falcons put it all on the line, traveling to Crosby for a Naugatuck Valley League, Copper versus Brass Division showdown. Who will win?
Who will lose?
Let’s take a look at all the weekend action from Week 7:
Bristol Central (3-2) vs. Farmington High School (2-4): CCC Division II West showdown
Location: from Middletown High School Day and Time: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last Season: Last season, the Indians smoked Central 35-0 from Farmington High School back on Oct. 25.
Last Week: Central fell to Middletown 47-8 while Farmington was downed by Windsor in a 47-0 blitzing. All-Time Series: This is the seventh all-time match-up between the schools. The Indians have never lost to Central, going 6-0 against the squad.
Casual facts…Central just got beaten up by Middletown, Farmington got slammed by Windsor, and guess what? You have two angry teams hitting the grass at beautiful Muzzy Field, looking for redemption…Well, this is a game for the taking as Central won’t have to be dealing with former back Ivan Guadalupe anymore as he was a thorn in the Rams’ collective side for years now, along with every other team…The Indians struggled against teams before Guadalupe and his class came through the hallways at Farmington and now, the squad is hurting a little bit and back to those bleak days…This season’s wins came against RHAM (55-12) and Edwin O. Smith (21-17), both squads with losing records. So take that 2-4 ledger as you will…Look, Farmington’s defense has given up 41-plus points four times this year, and if running sensation D’Andre Conaway can get his feet moving, Farmington can forget about it. And I mean, forget about it…Farmington’s Xavier Amos will run with the ball, make gains off kickoff returns and the like, and the Central defense needs to slow down the speedster…Central clearly is having a banner year, going for its best finish since the junior campaign of former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez when the Rams were frequent winners…With Conaway easily heading for a 1,000-yard plus campaign, Noah Cruz is doing his part in the quarterback role quite well. Hey, when’s the last time the Central QB could run with football for positive gains?…Of course, Cruz won’t throw the football around the field all that much but he’s a competent chucker and will find the likes of Conaway, Drew Lee, and J.J. Quiles for quick connections…Cruz has grown by the game and his growth has been impressive…By the time this battle is completed, this could be the Rams’ best defensive effort of the season.
And the winner is…Central is for real, fans, and Farmington pays the price by a 35-20 final. Maybe, the 20 points are even a stretch…
Bristol Eastern (4-2) at Windsor (6-0): CCC Division II West Showdown
Location: at the new turf at Windsor High School
Day and Time: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last Season: Windsor dropped a heartbreaking 30-28 decision last season at Muzzy Field when slick kicker Jeremy Meccariello slipped in a huge field goal at the buzzer to sink the Warriors.
Last Week: Eastern defeated Maloney 21-20 in Bristol while Windsor blasted Farmington 47-0.
All-Time Series: The series is in Windsor’s favor as Bristol Eastern’s trails 3-1. This is the fifth showdown between the squads.
Casual facts…Like last season, Windsor is clearly rolling and when Eastern beat the Warriors by two points, the squad was never the same again…Now, it’s “Round 2” and Windsor will certainly be looking for payback…The Warriors slammed Bristol Central 38-6 during Week 3 but on Saturday, Oct. 4, Windsor just slipped by Hartford Public by a 12-0 final…So what team will step forward for the Warriors: The one that blasted Bulkeley for 60 points (wow…not surprising) or the team that defeated Manchester by only seven points and Public by 12?…That’s what makes this contest so intriguing…But, either way you slice it, Eastern must limit mistakes, must guard against the long ball, must understand this is absolutely an epic challenge or be prepared to pay the ultimate price – just like in the Middletown loss (34-7)…Senior John Nolan is an excellent quarterback and he could be approaching – or surpassing – 1,000 yards throwing by the completion of the game against BE…Over five backs have garnered over 100 rushing yards on the season for Windsor and that running component, that speed, is an adversary that will cause Eastern grief…Windsor will attack Eastern’s secondary and if the likes of Joe Hermann, “Big” Pete Roche (get better soon Big Pete!), Daryien Tate, Meccariello and the defense can keep receivers like junior Tyler Coyle, Courtney Rush and Isaiah Huff in check, this game is for the taking…Like Middletown, the Warriors have superior speed but we’ll see what they can come up with against Eastern back Gerry Ouellette (school record 324 yards on 49 carries against Maloney)…And last week, the power-I and the wildcat formations worked to near perfection…With an Eastern win here, the victory would be a big springboard for the rest of the campaign…But, once again, this will be an epic challenge.
And the winner is…Eastern will battle but in the end, Windsor sneaks out a 35-30 win. But, you can never say never when it comes to Bristol Eastern football. That score is certainly subject to change.
St. Paul (1-4) at Crosby (3-2): Naugatuck Valley League, Copper vs. Brass Division showdown
Location: from Crosby High School
Day and Time: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last Season: The Falcons and Crosby high school football programs tangled from the grounds of St. Paul Catholic High School. The Bulldogs were defeated in the battle by a 52-24 final.
Last Week: Crosby was narrowly defeated by Notre Dame-Fairfield by a final 34-27 while St. Paul was idle.
All-time NVL series: The Falcons are 1-2 against the Bulldogs all-time while St. Paul is on a one-game winning streak.
Casual facts: St. Paul had the week off after that tough loss against Ansonia and now, Crosby becomes the opponent of the week…Both squads have a solid throwing component with St. Paul marching out senior Pat Etter and Crosby using sophomore chucker Mike Marshall…Marshall averages about 14 yards-per-throw and one touchdown an outing…He’s on pace to notch over 1,000 yards this season and the St. Paul defense must be wary of the standout…Two backs factor into the rushing mix for the Bulldogs in the form of senior Chris Matthews (not that guy from TV and radio) and junior Daniel Proiette…The does the bulk of the running for Crosby and will factor in to most of the Bulldogs’ offensive schemes…The only loss of the season for Crosby came against Derby (46-20) during Week 3 and the Waterbury contingent has shown the willingness and ability to win the close games…Last week’s loss to Notre Dame could have gone either way…Wins against Watertown (22-14) and Oxford (20-15) is proof in that particular pudding…This is a contest St. Paul must score in…I don’t expect St. Paul – and Etter – to engage in an old fashion shoot-out with Crosby but if the defense can make some stops, why the heck not?…The St. Paul defense has shown the ability – and willingness – to make stops along the way during a game…If the Falcons can ramp it up a bit, then a win might be in the cards for St. Paul…Eli Parks has shown he can run with the football and he’ll have his chance against the Bulldogs.
And the winner is…St. Paul falls by a 46-30 push in Waterbury. 