Championship Dreams

The Best Saturday of The Year

What started in the swelter of August ends in the chill of December. Six state champs get crowned, 2 games get shown live on CPTV (Class S @ 1:30pm & Class L @ 6:30pm) and we promise the most fun (and memorable) 15 minutes in Connecticut television that night with FNF on Channel 3 - Are you ready?

A Buffet Of Interviews

On Wednesday the CIAC hosted its annual pre-finals football luncheon in Cheshire. All 12 head coaches and captains from each team were invited to attend. It made for a delicious buffet of interviews but not enough time for yours truly to grab anything from the actual lunch buffet itself. Never thought of that diet before, get so busy with work — you have no time to eat. It was a great event and a very productive one for all media members who attended — appearing to me that the media attended in record numbers.

Here are some thoughts on each of the 6 state title matchups:

Class LL - Greenwich vs. Shelton - 7pm - SCSU - New Haven

Take away a week 6 home loss to Hand in which tailback Andre Henderson was injured and did not play and the Gaels come into this game undefeated. Greenwich has the one loss to Florida’s #1 ranked team - Naples - and by all accounts seems better off and more confident due to its’ trip to the Sunshine State. I was thoroughly impressed with Cardinals star running back Jonathan Meyers upon meeting and speaking with him for the first time on Wednesday.

Too much been there, done that from Greenwich for Shelton to overcome:

Greenwich 27 Shelton 14

Click here to hear my podcast with Shelton Head Coach Jeff Roy)

Class L - Bunnell vs. Masuk - 7pm - West Haven - (CPTV)

LIVE coverage on CPTV with Joe “Bonnie Bernstein” Zone roaming the sidelines. Of course that nickname has a long way to go to match UConn wide receiver recruit Mike Easley’s - “The Easy Button” . Beating Masuk for a third time this season won’t be easy for Bunnell but it does happen:

Bunnell 24 Masuk 20

P.S. If Bunnell wins and Ansonia and Greenwich happen to lose, could the Bulldogs finish #1 in the final Poll?

Class MM - Daniel Hand vs. New Canaan - 2pm - Trumbull

New Canaan goes for back to back Class M championships. Hand shoots for a second title in three seasons and tenth overall. All this on the line and a 15 year old will be the difference? Yes. Hand sophomore quarterback Nick Merullo stepped in for the Tigers in Week 6 and has become so good so quickly coach Steve Filippone tells me he expects Merullo to go down as one of the best ever in Madison before he graduates.

For more on Merullo and his dad, Matt, who played catcher in the big leagues, click here.

Hand 31 New Canaan 22

Class M - Ledyard vs. Berlin - 2pm - CCSU - New Britain

Will he or won’t he? Will legendary Ledyard head coach Bill Mignault coach his last game Saturday? He says he hasn’t decided. A win will help make the decision for him. Berlin plays it tight in its’ first ever State Finals appearance but the Grandfather - Bill - and his quarterback playing grandson - Marc go out together on top.

Ledyard 38 Berlin 34

Click here to hear my podcast interviews with both Bill Mignault

Click here to hear my podcast interview with Berlin’s 3 year starter at Quarterback Jim Connelly

Class SS - Seymour vs. Tolland - 7pm - Trumbull

Before Tuesday’s state semifinal with NVL rival (and Thanksgiving opponent) Woodland - Seymour head coach Paul Sponheimer declared that that game was for the SS Championship. It’s a proclamation that quickly ended up as bulletin board material for the underdog Eagles from Tolland. Trust me when I say players, coaches and parents alike feel Tolland is getting the short shrift despite their recent success. Look for them to gain some motivation from that perceived disrespect.

Coach is right though. The SS Championship was won Tuesday night for Seymour.

Seymour 42 Tolland 7

Class S - Ansonia vs. New London - 2pm - West Haven (CPTV)

The Grandaddy of ‘em all - and I’m not talking about Bill Mignault. This is by the far the most hyped and most highly anticipated game of the day. Mighty Ansonia vs. Jack Cochran and his Whalers. Can New London slow down Chargers running back and Gatorade State Player of the Year Alex Thomas? Will Ansonia put up more than the 7.2 points New London is allowing opponents this season?

Yes. The Chargers will score 24. Thomas will rush for just under 200 yards and Joe Zone will get showered by Gatorade in the postgame celebration and need to rush out to pick up a new jacket before roaming the sidelines for the CPTV nightcap. Of course for a pledge of $150.00 Joe could get a UConn Women’s pullover from CPTV during halftime. The way Maya Moore and company are playing - it might be worth it!

Ansonia 24 New London 20

Click here to hear my podcast chat with Ansonia senior lineman (and UConn bound) Erik Kuraczea

When it’s all said and done Saturday night, Channel 3 will have brought you highlights from north of 130 high school football games this season. It’s a team effort we’re very proud of.

Hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage. As always, we welcome your feedback.

Completely Unrelated Thought of the Week:

Best Christmas song? Hands down, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Want to feel proud about what young Americans are doing for our country in Iraq and what impression one of them is making on a Connecticut high school football team?

Take 3 minutes to watch our FNF story on Justin Clough (click here)

Enjoy the games! See you Saturday night at 11:15pm for FNF.

John

The Magnificent Seven

With most schools playing either Thanksgiving Eve or Thanksgiving morning, there are only 7 games tonight followed by 8 more on Saturday. Look for FNF to get to 6 of tonight’s games and maybe the whole Magnificent Seven.

You Go Girl!

Despite all the testosterone that fuels FNF week in and week out, the fairer sex has played a very key role in recent weeks.

On our November 2nd show, Michelle Mace helped steal the show when at halftime she accepted the marriage proposal of New Britain Head Coach Paul Morrell (click here). Definitely one of the more memorable FNF moments in the show’s history.

That same night, Lavida Rodriguez appeared in our FNF show open (click here) as her alter ego — The Weaver Beaver. I got to know The Beav a little bit that day since our shoot at Weaver caused her to miss a bus to her job at the Buckland Hills. I ended up giving her a ride to Manchester after we both decided she should not wear the Beaver outfit in my car as to avoid stares at her in the passenger seat.

Last week, the North Branford Cheerleaders took over our Rocky Hill studios with a LIVE appearance on the show (click here for pictures | click here for video). Spelling F-N-F with their pom-poms was cool, chanting my name and Joe Zone’s name in a cheer — even cooler!

We won’t have any cheerleaders LIVE on FNF this week but we will have the Hillhouse High School Marching Band. I’m looking forward to some high energy at 333 Capital Boulevard!

Who has the best turkey………day football tradition in Connecticut?

Mashed potatoes and stuffing are not a factor with this question. It’s our Sports Sunday question of the week and your chance to weigh in on what is the best Thanksgiving Day high school football rivalry in the state. Early returns favor rivalries like Bristol Central-Bristol Eastern, Naugatuck-Ansonia and the interstate border battle between Westerly, R.I. and Stonington.

Share your thoughts with an e-mail to sports3@wfsb.com

Helmets Off to The Chargers & Bulldogs

Congrats to Ansonia (NVL) and Bunnell (SWC) who both won their respective league championship games last night. Ansonia beat Woodland 41-0 at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury with both coaches agreeing to substitute JV players at the 11:56 mark of the Third Quarter. The great Bob Sagendorf (calling the game for WATR) wondered aloud whether Woodland was mailing it in last night and if that tainted the game. Great food for thought.

Man On A Mission

Tonight on FNF, we put the feature spotlight on the Kennedy Eagles out of Waterbury. Kennedy is lead by 3rd year head coach Chris Sarlo. Sarlo and his team are a fascinating story - a lot more fascinating than you might imagine a (2-7) team to be.

Podcast: Kennedy’s Chris Sarlo

Sarlo was the only applicant for the job 3 years ago. He would proceed to lead the Eagles to a victory that snapped a 43 game winless streak. Coach Sarlo is tireless, rising each morning at 4am to deliver newspapers before heading into Kennedy to teach social studies and then coach football. The football job at Kennedy is a challenging one with equipment issues, new City of Waterbury Board of Education academic eligibility issues to contend with, no practice or game day trainer provided by the city and a group of kids who are starving for direction and a male role model in their lives. You’ll want to tune in to hear Chris speak candidly and passionately about his hopes, frustrations and dreams for the Kennedy program. Chris is also my podcast interview guest this week (click here).

Games We’ll Be Watching

East Catholic at Berlin - Friday 7pm

The Redcoats are in the Class M playoffs with a win. It’s a near lock too with East Catholic struggling (1- in their first season since their co-op team with Cheney Tech was broken up.

Weaver at New Britain - Friday 7pm

The Beavers aspire to join Berlin in the Class M playoff field but can’t afford a slip up tonight or on Thanksgiving vs. city rival Hartford Public.

Avon at Ellington/Somers - Saturday 1:30pm

Ellington/Somers needs a win here and at Tolland on Thanksgiving morning to maintain its spot in the Class MM playoffs and hold off a fast charging , explosive North Haven team. A win for Avon would keep its playoff dreams alive though they’ll also need Weaver and Jonathan Law to slip up.

Completely Unrelated Thought of The Week

Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman says the team won’t negotiate with Alex Rodriguez if he opts out of his contract to become a free agent. ARod opts out (by arrogantly having his agent announce it during Game 4 of the World Series). Hank Steinbrenner then says the door is shut on Rodriguez’ future with the team.

A few weeks later and ARod is ready to re-sign with New York?

In a word, pitiful. These two deserve each other

See You Tonight at 11:15pm for FNF.

-John

They Meet Again

Blue & Gold(en) Illustrated

It’s not the latest issue of Notre Dame propaganda, it’s tonight’s matchup in Southington between the 3rd ranked, undefeated Blue Knights and the (7-1), visiting New Britain Golden Hurricanes. This game has had big meaning in recent years and tonight is no different. New Britain needs a win to keep its’ Class LL playoff hopes alive while Southington could get its first real test of the season. This one produced a real thriller in Week 9 a year ago as Southington drove for the winning score in the final 2:30. This after, New Britain had taken the lead on a long touchdown return off a blocked field goal try. One reporter at the game (ok … it was Joe Zone) called it the greatest drive to finish a high school game that he’d ever seen in person. Judge for yourself: Get the game here

Thursday Makes Some Noise

What is the most nondescript day of the week? Hope you didn’t hesitate. Hands down, it’s Tuesday.

Thursday finishes second, but last night, it put even more distance between itself and the troubled day that is Tuesday. (Think about it … what’s the most famous Tuesday? Fat Tuesday! - Not very flattering!)

Two notable Thursday games in high school football:

Bassick of Bridgeport ended its 63-game losing streak with a 20-18 win over city rival Harding. Tim Parry, who does an incredible job with his FCIAC Blog has video of the field goal block Bassick made as time expired to ice the win: fciacfootballblog.com

Meantime, in Seymour, Ansonia won the battle of Valley unbeatens 20-12 while Alex Thomas not only set the Connecticut career record for rushing touchdowns (with his 102nd), he also threw for the touchdown that proved to be the decisive score. How awesome are the Tank Engine’s stats? Check ‘em out with these unofficial numbers (heading into last night’s game) courtesy of a big Thomas fan who’s a regular on the BIRDSEYESPORTS.COM message boards:

SEASON (8 games)
• 159 carries
• 2305 yards
• 288.12 yards/game
• 34 TDs
• 14.49 y/c
• 4.67 c/TD
• 19.87 c/game
• 4.25 TD/game

CAREER (31 games)

• 630 carries
• 6988 yards
• 225.42 yards/game
• 101 TDs
• 11.09 y/c
• 6.23 c/TD
• 20.32 c/game
• 3.26 TD/game

Eastern Exposure

At 8-0 and with games remaining against Platt (tonight) and city rival Bristol Central (Thanksgiving Day) - look for Bristol Eastern and 4th year head coach Paul Philippon to finish undefeated. Philippon has completely changed the culture at Eastern. Last year’s Turkey day tie with an Aaron Hernandez lead (and favored) Central team was a sign of things to come.) Coach Philippon is my podcast interview this week and you can hear his comments by visiting our high school football page and clicking on podcasts.

Programming Notes

The T-Birds Cheerleaders from North Branford will join us LIVE in studio for FNF tonight at 11:15pm.

I’ve managed to get my hands on video of Daniel Hand’s game winning and game ending :27 second drive last Friday night go beat West Haven. You’ll see it tonight on Eyewitness News at 6pm in Sports. To see WFSB’s highlights from earlier in the game, click here

Games We’ll Be Watching

Hillhouse at Jonathan Law - Friday 7 p.m.

Jai Alai was once big in Milford. Tonight, football is big. The Lawmen are 7-1 and 5th in the Class M playoff point rankings. They’ve scored 47 or more points in their last 4 games and hung 63 on Guilford on the road last Friday night (http://www.wfsb.com/sports/10295501/detail.html). (6-2) Hillhouse is the defending State Champ in Class M and presents a huge obstacle. Law needs a win and needs Middletown to beat Berlin tomorrow and or New Britain to beat Weaver next week to jump into the top 4 in Class M.

Greenwich at Naples (Fla.) - Friday 7 p.m.

An intriguing matchup. The 2nd ranked team in the state of Connecticut travels to play the 8th ranked team in the state of Florida. Will it be ugly for the Yankee boys from CT? Greenwich radio station WGCH will stream the game through their Web site.

Berlin at Middletown - Saturday 1:30 p.m.

A game with huge playoff implications. Middletown is 3rd in Class MM, Berlin 3rd in Class M. The losing team likely misses the postseason. Hey - Middletown - get lights! Or play select games at Palmer Field - games like this are meant for Friday night.

Completely Unrelated Thought Of The Week:

News anchors and Weathermen, stop saying “near miss”. As in there was a “near miss” above Laguardia Airport. To me, near miss (i.e. nearly missed) means they didn’t miss - and in fact they hit each other. That of course is not what “near miss” is intended to mean by the speaker.

I’m just some guy on TV, I may not be right. For further debate (and evidence that I really may not be right) visit their Web site.

See You Tonight at 11:15pm for FNF.

-John

You Can’t Script November

You can’t script November (and the first Saturday in December) when it comes to high school football in Connecticut. Isn’t that what they say?

Three more Friday nights of high school football: Thanksgiving Day. State Semifinal Tuesday. Championship Saturday — That’s the schedule for the next 30 days.

Are you ready?

If the season ended today, these would be my six picks for State Champions:

• Class LL - Southington
• Class L - Bunnell
• Class MM - Daniel Hand
• Class M - Ledyard
• Class SS - Seymour
• Class S - Ansonia

Nothing too daring about these picks. Though, Greenwich and Bristol Eastern are top-rated teams in their classes (LL & M) that I’m not picking.

More challenging and interesting to me is picking one team per class currently not qualifying as a top 4 playoff team in its’ class that will end up making the postseason.

Here are the picks:

• Class LL - Bridgeport Central
• Class L - Masuk
• Class MM - North Haven
• Class M - Avon
• Class SS - Bullard Havens Tech
• Class S - Northwest Catholic

I would love to hear what you think. Drop me an email at john.holt@wfsb.com

Plainville Lets Up 72 Points … In The First Quarter

And the opposing coach will not be suspended for violating the 50-point rule. That’s because it was a state playoff game in Kansas this week where Smith Center High School scored 72 on Plainville (Kansas) in the first quarter before going on to an 83-nothing final. And you think some of the state semifinal playoff games in Connecticut were mismatches last year?

How’d Smith Center get to 72 in the first Quarter? 7 running touchdowns, 1 passing touchdown, 1 defensive touchdown and 9 successful 2 points conversions.

For more read this: on ESPN

Beating The Odds

Tonight on FNF (11:15pm local time, international viewers should check their local listings for times and stations in their areas) - We’ll introduce you to Waterford Senior tight end & defensive end Jimmie White. Jimmie turned 18 on Wednesday and tells me he’s been in so many different foster homes and group homes growing up that he’s stopped counting. Jimmie lost both his parents to drug additions when he was just an infant.

Despite all he’s been through he’s making it work in Waterford and has his sights set on prep school or college where he’d like to play football. In tonight’s feature story, Jimmie talks about all the challenges he’s faced and some of the misconceptions people may have about foster kids. His story is a powerful one and quickly becoming a triumphant one.

Games We’ll Be Watching

West Haven at Daniel Hand - Friday 7pm

The Tigers are 7-0 and ranked 4th in the state. They’re fitting the surf club for another state championship flag and they’ve been winning the last 2 weeks behind sophomore quarterback Nick Merullo. Merullo replaced a suspended teammate who had been playing quarterback and proceeded to lead the Tigers to road wins at Shelton and Notre Dame-West Haven. Nick is the son of Connecticut native and former big league catcher Matt Merullo.

Cromwell at North Branford - Friday 6:30pm

This is just the 5th year of a varsity football program at Cromwell. The Panthers are headed for their 4th playoff appearance in 5 years. Coach Sal Morello is clearly doing something right, very right.

Naugatuck at Woodland - Friday 7pm

Both schools have one loss. Whoever gets one more tonight can likely say goodbye to any chance at the postseason. As if a valley football game needed something extra to make it special, right?

Completely Unrelated Thought Of The Week

I’m the father of a 15-month-old daughter and a becoming-more-curious-by-the-day 5-year-old daughter. Fellow parents, just wondering, what do you tell your kids when you’re driving on 84 or 91 and you pass one of those giant billboards for an Adult store in the area? How do you explain that one to kids? Why isn’t the state of Connecticut smart enough to ban these billboards?

See You Tonight at 11:15pm for Friday Night Football.

John

P.S. Catharsis. Plain and simple, Catharsis.

Mike & Mike In The Evening

Golic Family Tradition

Tonight on FNF, you’ll hear from Mike Golic Jr. and Mike Golic Sr. — Mike Golic Sr., of course, is the popular radio co-host of the Mike & Mike In The Morning radio show on ESPN. He’s also the father of at least one son who will follow in his footsteps to play college football at Notre Dame (son, Jake, currently a junior at Northwest Catholic, may be next).

Mike Jr. is a standout senior offensive and defensive lineman for the Indians. On Friday, Mike Jr. will receive a jersey and an official invitation to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January. He hopes to play center at Notre Dame and that means he could soon be working closely with highly hyped (though yet to show much) ND Quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

I’m hear to report that the Golic boys and their dad could not have been more normal and down-to-earth when we went out to interview them at Northwest on Wednesday. In fact, I think it’s that genuine everyman quality that makes Mike Golic Sr. so likable on the radio. To hear more of his comments, listen to my podcast this week.

Northwest is currently (4-2) with losses to mighty New London and Rocky Hill. They can still get into the Class S Playoffs but not without some major help. Rated eighth at the moment, the Indians need to win out while rooting for Cromwell to beat Hyde Leadership (tomorrow) and Haddam-Killingworth (2 weeks from tomorrow), Stonington to beat Montville (tonight) and Berlin to beat Rocky Hill (tonight).

Dizzy yet?

Speaking of High School All Americans … last year at this time, it was Bristol Central’s Aaron Hernandez receiving his U.S. Army All-American jersey to play in the big game. Aaron’s success is continuing at the University of Florida. Seeing playing time as a freshman tight end, Aaron had his first collegiate touchdown last week in a win over Kentucky, catching a 1-yard TD pass from Gator QB Tim Tebow. Here’s to many more for a classy Connecticut Kid.

High School Spygate?

In two weeks, state No. 2 Greenwich takes a road trip to meet Florida powerhouse Naples High. Some believe Naples has been scouting Greenwich games and “spying” on them by using an elderly couple to film the Cardinals recent game in Norwalk with Brien McMahon. This is a wild story and Bill Belichick is not involved as far as we can tell.

Check out the always interesting BLOG of Sean Patrick Bowley at the Connecticut Post for more juicy details and links to related articles in Florida newspapers.

Games We’ll Be Watching

Montville at Stonington Friday 6:30pm

The ECC small division title is on the line tonight. A typically strong and supportive crowd is expected in Stonington (The Land of Heather Buck). For a nice feel on just how great a high school sports town Stonington is, read Mike Dimauro’s column in The Day this morning.

Weaver at Windsor Friday 7pm

Weaver is (5-0) and strong at the running back position thanks to Avon transfer John Rowley. Windsor is an angry (4-2) with losses in its last 2 weeks. The Conard loss last week was legit. The forfeit loss to Wethersfield 2 weeks ago is not. An ineligible Windsor player had an inconsequential role on kickoffs. Windsor won the game on the scoreboard in a rout, but lost in the rule book.

Bristol Eastern at Maloney Friday 6:30pm

The Lancers stayed undefeated with a jaw dropping 31-6 win over previously undefeated Newington last Saturday night. Hello!

Berlin at Rocky Hill

Also of great interest tonight is the Berlin at Rocky Hill matchup and undefeated Stratford’s trip to visit once beaten Pomperaug in Southbury.

Saturday! Saturday. Saaaaaturrrday

Saturday is a huge day as well (and perhaps even huger if there are postponements tonight like last Friday when the rains came).

Headlining the schedule Saturday is Ledyard’s visit to undefeated NFA, the 10:30am tilt in West Hartford between Northwest and (6-0) Middletown and the annual game of major significance between Cromwell and Hyde Leadership.

Completely Unrelated Thought Of The Week

No matter whether the Red Sox go on to win the World Series or not — it’ll never be better than 2004.

To review calendar year 2004:

• The Sox break the curse
• The Patriots win the Super Bowl
• The UConn Men win the national championship
• The UConn Women win the national championship
• The UConn football team wins its’ first ever bowl game

Game. Set. Match, 2004!

See you tonight at 11:15pm for Friday Night Football.

John

Can’t Hear You; Blue Devil Details; More

What’s The Frequency Kenneth?

Actually, I’d love it if anyone (Kenneth or otherwise) could tell me what the radio frequency is to hear high school football games in the Greater Hartford area. The sad truth, with the exception of Pete Lamoureux consistently broadcasting Conard and Hall games on Saturday (WCCC AM 1290) - to my knowledge, no Hartford area station is broadcasting games. There are a couple outlets in Middletown doing games but no others in Greater Hartford.

WTIC (which, in my book, is one of the great local AM radio stations in the country otherwise) and WDRC: Why aren’t you broadcasting high school games? Why can’t people listen to a game of the week that might include New Britain, Southington or a host of area schools with decent followings? I know it wouldn’t be a huge moneymaker, but it would certainly earn you points with the locals.

Away from Hartford, the local radio coverage is much stronger led by the likes of the legendary George Dimaio on WELI in New Haven, Bob Sagendorf at WATR in Waterbury and the tireless, omnipresent Don Boyle streaming on the internet through SPORTINGNEWSCT.COM.

Each Friday night during the football season, I have these 3 outlets called up on my computer at work, enjoying their particular game and (stealing) final scores whenever possible (thanks Coach!). I just wish a station closer to the Capital City would do the same.

Blue Devil In The Details

Best of luck to Plainville Senior Dave Soltis who tonight vs. Rocky Hill needs 39 yards to break Plainville’s all-time career rushing record of 1,895 yards. Soltis is a two-sport standout for the Blue Devils and will play Division 1 Baseball at Vermont next year. My podcast interview with Dave in addition to an interview with Killingly Head Coach Chad Neal can be heard here (to be posted by tonight).

From Crutches To Touches

Tonight at 11:15 p.m., as part of our FNF coverage, I’ll feature the story of Killingly senior running back Seth St. Jean. Due to Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (which deteriorates your hip joint), Seth spent over 2 years on crutches starting when he was 6. He’d also have to sleep with braces on his legs. Today, he’s the star offensive threat at Killingly and the engine that makes the Redmen go. Incredible? Absolutely — especially for those who remember Seth as that kid with the crutches.

Games We’ll Be Watching

Newington at Bristol Eastern - Friday 7pm

They’re both unbeaten at (5-0) and Bristol Eastern will make its long overdue 2007 FNF debut tonight. Bristol Eastern was a winner last Thanksgiving over a talented Bristol Central team (Matt Coyne, Aaron Hernandez) and that was a sign of things to come. What I’d give to be the Lancers star running back David Casanova. All those yards plus a last name that has to be a big hit with his female classmates.

Daniel Hand at Shelton - Friday 7pm

Another jam packed night at Finn Stadium ahead. Who wins this battle of unbeatens? At full strength probably Shelton - but the Gaels play this one without standout running back Andre Henderson. He’s out after separating his shoulder in a close win over Wilbur Cross last week.

Woodland at Holy Cross - Friday 7pm

These two have both lost one game apiece. Both to powerhouse Ansonia. They’re both in the Top 10 in the Class SS playoff point rankings (Holy Cross #6, Woodland # 9). A win tonight will go a long way in determining if one of them is still playing come the postseason.

Completely Unrelated Thought of The Week

Why is it that computer spell checks don’t always recognize words like “online” or “webpage”? It’s like a chef not knowing what salt and pepper is. A pilot not understanding the concept of turbulence.

Enjoy the games. Hope the rains hold off.

See you tonight at 11:15pm for FNF.

John

WEEK 5: We’re Not Ignoring You

Channel 3 cameras have made it to about 50 high school football games so far this season. I’m proud of that, and believe me, we’re not overlooking some schools off to great starts that haven’t had airtime on the show yet.

To the Windsor Warriors, the Weaver Beavers, the Bristol Eastern Lancers, the Ellington/Somers Knights, and others: You’re very much on our radar and we’ll be at a game of yours before the World Series is over. (Unless, of course, my Red Sox win in a 4 game World Series sweep. In that case, give us another few days to get you on TV and a few more for me to regain consciousness.)

Looking into my crystal ball, these are games with those four teams we’re likely to be all over:

• Bristol Eastern: At Muzzy Field next Friday (10/19) vs. Newington
• Weaver: Next Friday Afternoon at home vs. Hall
• Windsor: Friday, Oct. 26 at home vs. Weaver (Sounds like a Joe Zone LIVE shot to me)
• Or, possibly Saturday, Oct. 13, on the road at Wethersfield
• Ellington/Somers: Maybe this Saturday at Coventry/Windham Tech

(It’s tougher with a team like Ellington/Somers because they don’t play a single Friday night game, and that’s when we have the most resources to get to games.)

If you’d like to see your school — the team, the band, the cheerleaders — get some more airtime on Channel 3, e-mail me at john.holt@wfsb.com.

Games We’ll Be Watching (Friday)

Holy Cross at Ansonia - Friday 7pm

A year ago, these two collided on a rainy night in Wolcott for the NVL championship. This year, the schedule has them meeting in the regular season. It doesn’t appear that it will be as close a game as last year (when Ansonia got the hard fought win). The Crusaders lost some very key players to graduation (including Dan Mulrooney — on the 2 deep at safety for Boston College — heading into Saturday’s game at Notre Dame). Look for the Chargers to win by 2 to 3 touchdowns. I’m rooting for a closer game between these two unbeatens but I get the feeling Ansonia is at a different level than almost everybody else this year.

This game will be aired on WATR in Waterbury and streamed LIVE on WATR.COM with the always energetic and entertaining Bob Sagendorf. We’ll have a camera there and I’ll be listening to Bob online back in our Rocky Hill studios. I hope to use one of his radio calls on the show tonight.

Fitch at Windham - Friday 7pm

Are we covering this game because we want to see Fitch for the first time this year? Or, because it’s convenient to another stop we’ll hit Friday night (UConn First Night at Gampel Pavilion)? Actually, both. We want to see Maya Moore. We want to see the new and improved Hasheem Thabeet. But we also want to see a Fitch team that has just one loss, coming to out of state opponent Salem, Mass.

Haddam-Killingworth at North Branford - Friday 6:30pm

The Thunderbirds (3-1) got some nice pub in a New Haven Register article on Friday but HK comes in unbeaten (their season opening win at Avon looking better by the week). I want to learn more about the Haddam-Killingworth Cougars. Tonight, I will.

Weaver at Conard - Saturday 1pm

This game could also mark Weaver’s 2007 Channel 3 debut (see above). Both teams have yet to lose (2 of the 27 remaining unbeatens statewide heading into Week 5). In the 5 games these 2 schools have combined to play since Week 1, they’ve allowed opponents a total of 12 points. Who wins Saturday?

RHAM Tough

RHAM tough? FNF producer Mark Fijalkowski would immediately enroll me in the University of Cliches for that one. But hey, in this case it truly applies.

RHAM (Regional Hebron, Andover, Marlborough) has a junior lineman, Mike Kearns who should be an inspiration to all of us. Mike has been battling Leukemia for close to 2½ years. Oh yeah, he’s also in his second season battling offensive lineman twice his size while playing football for RHAM/Lyman Memorial. Tonight on FNF, we’ll share his story.

Mike’s toughness makes his parents fight just as hard for him as he does for himself. RHAM tough? You bet!

Completely Unrelated (and unoriginal) Thought Of The Week

I’m not the first to write this, but could the NCAA have come up with clumsier new names for what used to be Division 1A and Division 1AA football?

The former Division 1A is now called the Football Bowl Subdivision. The former Division 1AA is now called the Football Championship Subdivision. Both roll right off the tongue, don’t they?

See You Tonight on FNF!

John

And Then There Were………..33

Three weeks into the high school football season and 33 unbeaten teams remain. In 5 games this weekend (3 Friday, 2 more Saturday) unbeatens play each other.

There are a lot of very good one loss teams as well. How many opponents would volunteer to knock heads with once beaten Fairfield Prep, Northwest Catholic, Bridgeport Central, Xavier or New Canaan?

Finn-Tastic

When I got back into work Tuesday, I cut up some highlights from the Madison Square Garden Network Game of The Week broadcast between Shelton and Fairfield Prep. I was struck by how electric the Finn Stadium environment looked for a high school game. The crowd was strong (6,000) and the way MSG framed the cutaways of each student section brought the excitement of the SCC showdown right through the television. Prep may have lost the game (26-21) but they still should have been voted into The Day of New London State Coaches Top Ten.

I’m not alone in this belief. In fact no less an authority than high school football guru Ned Griffen from The Day agrees with me. Ned’s a smart guy. I always feel good when we see eye to eye.

Games We’ll Be Watching

Conard at Maloney - Friday 6:30pm

You can’t go wrong by paying a visit to Ceppa Field in Meriden for a meeting of two of the 33 remaining unbeatens. Both schools are playing with heavy hearts this year. Maloney after the recent passing of legendary former coach Rob Szymaszek and Conard following the unthinkable shooting death of 16 year old teammate Xion Davidson over the summer. How can you root against either one of these schools?

Maloney’s challenge is made tougher tonight by a series of injuries including star running back Johrone Bunch who will miss the game with a ligament tear in his thumb.

Norwich Free Academy at Windham Friday 6:30pm

Willimantic is the spot for two more undefeateds. The Whippets bring the dynamic QB/WR duo of Spencer Beaudreault and Tyrece Nickson. One of the Wildcats quarterbacks is R.J. Evans who’s one of the best basketball players in the state and the second best hoopster in his house behind sister Kastine.

Bloomfield at Newington Friday 7pm

Bloomfield’s only loss is to high powered Southington, Newington has yet to lose and is fueled by a super tight senior class that is on a mission to get back to the state playoffs for the first time since a 2004 semifinal loss to Staples.

Check out my new podcasts on wfsb.com/hsfootball

Shelton at Amity Friday Friday 7pm

The 3rd ranked Gaels travel to Woodbridge hoping to avoid a letdown after their thrilling, MSG, comeback win over Prep last Friday night. How legit is 3-0 Amity? We should find out tonight.

Ledyard at New London Saturday 3pm

Wish this one was on the docket Friday so we could feature it on FNF. Two more undefeateds, but Ledyard looks for the road win without star running back Tim McNeil - still recovering from a shoulder injury. The venerable all time state leader in coaching wins, Leyard’s Bill Mignault: The highly successful lightning rod Jack Cochran leading the Whalers. Wonder what’s said in the postgame handshake?

Ram-Shackled?

Just for the record (and because it’s another way to plug my story last week on Rockville running back Kevin Brown) - Rockville has to be the best (0-3) team in the state. Close 8 points losses to Weaver and Bloomfield sandwiched around a 3 point road loss at Bristol Central. The Rams are better than their record, much better.

Nathan’s Famous

In Newington he is. I speak of Indian senior running back Nathan Pagan. Pagan is the rushing section of the school record book. He’s been starting since stepping in as a freshman and despite being undersized his accomplishments are overwhelmingly oversized.

Tonight on FNF we profile Nathan. A young man who’s also a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and the grandson of former major league ballplayer Jose Pagan. What drives one of the best running backs in the state? Find out tonight at 11:15pm on FNF.

Completely Unrelated Thought of The Week:

Absolutely overrated cookie: Chocolate Chip

Absolutely underrated cookie: Ginger Snap

Enjoy the games. Would love to hear from you at john.holt@wfsb.com

Week 3: We Seek You

We’ve got another full show lined up for you tonight in Week 3 of Friday Night Football. We want your involvement. In that spirit, visit the high school football Web site at WFSB.COM and register for a Property of Friday Night Football T-Shirt, nominate your high school band or cheerleaders for recognition on FNF and send us digital photos from your school’s games. Thanks to Dwight Bell who recently sent us come cool photos from Windsor’s win last Friday night over New Britain.

Also, if you missed the highly anticipated (at least in my world) open to last week’s show — the mock press conference with Randy Edsall — it’s posted on the high school football Web site as well.

Meet Kevin Brown

Remember the overpaid, underachieving stiff Kevin Brown who pitched for the Yankees a few years back before slipping off into retired oblivion in record time? Well, forget him completely (it’s not hard). Tonight on FNF, we’ll introduce you to Rockville’s Kevin Brown. Brown, his brother Oliver (also his Rockville teammate), his 2 sisters and his mother Jennifer lost their home to fire 4 weeks ago tonight. What has happened since is the story of Rockville rallying to help its own. The Browns are in a much better place today than they were on August 31st and Kevin is headed to play college ball next year. Sounds like running the ball for the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils is the most likely option.

The Tank Engine Hits 518

Incomparable Ansonia Senior Running Back Alex Thomas had a night for the ages Thursday night. Alex ran for a state record 518 yards in an NVL win over Woodland Regional. 518 Yards and 7 Touchdowns. The 518 broke the previous record held by Farmington’s Brandon Willard, set in 2002 vs. Plainville. If you haven’t had a chance to check Thomas out for Ansonia, do it before he graduates (and likely moves on to Yale). If getting a glimpse in person isn’t a possibility, I direct your attention to the story we did on Alex in Week 1 of Friday Night Football: Thomas The Tank Engine.

Games We’ll Be Watching

Fairfield Prep at #3 Shelton, 7pm

Both teams are undefeated, both went to the playoffs last year, but only Shelton is ranked. Think Prep and Maryland bound lineman Masengo Kabongo have something to play for or what? As a bonus, less than 15 minutes away in Monroe, #7 Bunnell visits #9 Masuk in a huge SWC showdown.

Seymour at Naugatuck, 7pm

Few would argue that Ansonia is the best team in the NVL. But who’s second best? Woodland, Holy Cross, Naugy, Seymour? Tonight will provide a few clues.

Waterford at Windham, 7pm

I’m excited to see what Whippets QB Spencer Beaudreault and stand out wide out Tyreece Nixon can continue to do as a duo. What will Waterford have to say about it? Lancer Nation is desperate for a win at (0-2) to start the season

Bristol Central at Southington, 7pm

Mr. 5 Touchdowns, Savino Melluzo at RB for the Blue Knights. All State candidate Matt Coyne at QB for the Rams. Can you say north of 80 points combined in this one?

Fridays Won’t Be The Same

I went to Bill Gonillo’s funeral Thursday. Can’t believe I’m writing that. I hate funerals. I hate hospitals. Every Friday afternoon, I’d call down to Bill to see what was cooking in Fairfield County football for the night ahead. It’ll be a terrible feeling to not make that call today. My prayers continue to be with Bill’s Family and his colleagues at News 12 Connecticut.

The Completely Unrelated Thought Of The Week

What’s the next chipotle? I’m not asking what’s the next condiment or seasoning that fast food chains will fall in love with. I’m asking — 5 years from now — what will be all the rage in our world (be it food, hobby, technology)? I bet 10 years ago that not only would the spelling ofchipotle have bounced you and I from the National Spelling Bee, but unless you went to culinary school - you probably had no idea what it was. Today, it’s everywhere. I think there was some in my cereal this morning.

Again, I ask: What’s the next chipotle? Those with an inkling can e-mail me at john.holt@wfsb.com so we can cash in together.

Enjoy the games!

Billy The Kid, Rest In Peace

I’m 35. He was 44. He called me “Kid” every time we spoke. I starting doing the same to him in recent months. I wish I could do it again this afternoon.

My friend, and the ultimate friend of high school sports in Connecticut, Bill Gonillo, died over the weekend. No cause has been released yet though Bill had suffered from serious diabetic shocks in the past.

Bill’s infectious personality was matched only by his fondness for media buffets. At Channel 3, we’d often request highlight feeds of high school games Bill had shot with his News 12 camera down in Fairfield and New Haven counties. He never said no, seemingly putting his own work deadlines and needs in minor jeopardy to make sure we got what we needed. He never said no and he never asked for anything in return. I always tried to even things out with Bill but never managed to do it. There may never be a more decent, genuine person to cover the local sports scene in Connecticut.

The last couple years at the end of the football season, I sent a small token of my appreciation down to Bill for the help he had given WFSB. He later told our producer that he was uncomfortable accepting the gifts and that I didn’t need to do it anymore. Classic Gonillo. All give and no take. In some ways, I wish Bill had cared more about the one person who always seemed to be last on his list of importance: Himself.

Just last Thursday, Bill made an unsolicited call to me at work to offer us video of Weston’s win over New Milford. The victory broke a 21-game losing streak for Weston and Bill was genuinely excited to spread the news. He called again Friday with details of first year program Platt Tech returning its’ first ever kickoff for a touchdown. That’s the last time we spoke.

The media experience of attending sporting events in Connecticut won’t ever be the same without Bill’s presence.

I am honored that I was worthy of his friendship. Kid, I will miss you in a huge way.