It was another great weekend of high school action in New England. Here are some of the games and teams that got our attention.
Connecticut
Staples picked up a big win over a good Cheshire team and solidified themselves as a solid contender in Class LL.
Guilford is off to a 4-0 start after an impressive 35-0 win over Brookfield. The Grizzlies visit West Haven on Friday night as they look to keep the momentum going.
North Branford is also 4-0 after an impressive 42-12 win over Weaver. Junior running back Jack Sigel is powering one of the top rushing attacks in the state.
When are people going to start proclaiming that Masuk is back. The Panthers are 4-0, have one of the best quarterbacks in the state in Aaron Champagne and they are scoring a lot of points. Champagne has emerged as a dual threat quarterback who can change the complexion of a game on one play.
Fairfield Ludlowe continues to impress and are off to a strong start thanks to quarterback Ryan Love and a high flying offense. They are on a bye this week before finishing against Ridgefield, New Canaan and Staples. We will find out a lot about this team in the next month,
Maine
Thornton Academy flexed their muscles in their win over Portland and proved that they are once again the unquestioned favorite in Class A.
Leavitt has outscored their last three opponents 135-0. The Hornets are so back to being one of the dominant programs in the state.
After beating Cony 35-27 last week, Lawrence looks like the favorite in Class B. If not the favorite, they are certainly one of the favorite. Do not be surprised if these two see each other in the playoffs again.
Marshwood flexed its muscles in a 42-16 win over Falmouth. The Rams look like the team to beat thus far in Class B South.
Massachusetts
Our thoughts are with the family of Marblehead’s Owen Coyne who tragically passed away last week. Coyne was a captain for the Magicians and he was beloved member of his school and community.
Hat tip to Chelmsford Coach George Peterson and his staff for preparing their team in a 28-21 upset when over Tewksbury. It was a huge program win.
Central Catholic and Xaverian played in one of the best games you will ever see. What a finish. The Red Raiders won it on a last second field goal by Drew O’Keefe, 52-51. A game for the ages.
Peabody is 4-0 and a big reason for the Tanners success is quarterback Dom Mercier who returned home after playing at Malden Catholic last season. Mercier is one of the top dual threat quarterback in the state.
What a weekend it was for the MVC. Aside from Chelmsford’s big win over Tewksbury, there were several other great games. Billerica improved to 4-0 beating North Andover and Andover outlasted Methuen. The MVC is as good as there is right now in Massachusetts.
New Hampshire
Bishop Guertin keeps rolling along offensively and there does not appear to be any team that can slow this train down in New Hampshire.
How about Windham beating Winnacunnet 21-0 to improve to 4-1 on the season? The Jags have been impressive thus far and they are doing this with a young team mostly.
Somersworth is looking like a legitimate contender in Division 3 with their 4-1 start. The Hill Toppers are powered by junior running back Carter Lambert and a grinding running game. Another team to watch in the Granite State.
Manchester West is 4-1 and hosts Pelham this week. The Blue Knights have been impressive thus far but we will find out more about them this week in terms of being a long term contender.
Rhode Island
Cranston East improved to 5-0 on the season after an impressive win on Saturday versus North Providence. The Jets are off to a great start and the program is experiencing a much needed revival.
North Kingstown can lay claim to being arguably the top public school program in Rhode Island after their 27-21 win over Cranston West, others like East Providence and Burriville who play each other this week can lay claim to that as well.
Cumberland beat South Kingstown 26-0. It was a big win for the Clippers as they look to make a late season playoff push.
Westerly has had a rash of injuries but thanks to the emerge of running back Calvin Hill and wide receiver Dan Cummings at quarterback, the Bulldogs have found a way to weather the storm.
Vermont
Fair Haven improved to 5-0 on the season with a 56-20 win over Mt. Mansfield. If it wasn’t for the strong starts by St. Johnsbury and Burr & Burton, we would be talking more about the Slaters. They are Division 2 of course which is partly why they haven’t gotten attention.
Colchester is right there with Fair Haven in Division 2 at 4-1. Guess who the Lakers play this week? You guessed it. They host Fair Haven on Friday night.
The top four teams in Division 3 are all separated by one game. I feel like D3 is going to be a fight to the finish. Otter Valley, Mt. Abraham, Bellows Falls and Springfield could all win it.
Essex picked up a big 20-17 win over CVU and continues to look like a sleeper in Division One. They have the look of a team that no one will want to play come playoff time.