This New England poll was not easy to put together each week. There were a lot of moving parts, and not as much crossover as you’d like to see for rankings like these. But here it is, the final New England Top 25, the first of its kind. 1. Catholic Memorial (12-1) 2. New Canaan (12-1) 3. Xaverian (9-4) 4. Greenwich (11-2) 5. King Philip (12-1) 6. Masuk (10-3) 7. Needham……
As we continue our series with coach Q&As with state champions, we got a chance to talk with Xaverian’s Al Fornaro. The Hawks went 9-4 with a D1 state title this fall, the program’s second in as many years. We wanted to get Fornaro’s take on his team, and why the Hawks were so successful in the postseason. Here is an edited version of that conversation. Adam Kurkjian: Last year……
By Matt Spalding NEFJ Staff NEW BRITAIN — The final CIAC State Championship Game of 2024 saw the Greenwich Cardinals take on the West Haven Blue Devils, vying for the Class LL Championship. For Greenwich, the Cardinals were looking to capture their 10th title of the CIAC era, while West Haven was looking for its first since 2002, when the Blue Devils defeated Greenwich for a state title at Kennedy……
By Craig Boland NEFJ Staff EAST HARTFORD, CT – With 3:00 remaining in the fourth quarter of the CIAC Class M state title game on Saturday and second-seeded Brookfield down by seven to fourth-seeded St. Joseph, wide receiver Daniel Ciriello tossed a first down to tight end John Lopes to keep Brookfield alive on a crucial fourth down conversion. Ciriello snagged another sideline fourth-down conversion on the same drive and…
By Rob Gullo NEFJ Staff NEW BRITAIN — Meeting each other for the 100th time and a second time this season, No. 2 seed New Canaan and No. 4 Darien battled for the Class L state championship at Arute Field in New Britain on Saturday afternoon. In the end, New Canaan defended its title as it defeated Darien, 35-21, winning a third-straight state championship and defeating Darien a second time……
You may look at a piece like this and think, “The 2025 season? Already?” Why, yes, it is a perfectly acceptable time to look ahead, because, why not? So, in alphabetical order, here are 40 teams to keep an eye out for. A lot can happen between now and August, including #TransferSeason, so this list is sure to change. Until then, take a look. Andover — The Warriors had a……
By Craig Boland NEFJ Staff EAST HARTFORD, CT – The CIAC Class S state championship game on Saturday was clearly going to Ansonia before many fans even had a chance to sit down. Jazhari Lawson of Ansonia intercepted a Cameron White pass early in the first quarter and fumbled on the return, but the ball bounced into star lineman Jacob Romanowski’s hands. He took it the rest of the way…
Courtesy of the CIAC The Class LL and Class L state title game match-ups are almost a carbon copy of last season. The only difference, Greenwich knocked off Staples in the semi-finals and will take on West Haven in the Class LL final. When you look at these two games, there is a lot of history between the programs, especially New Canaan and Darian. The Thanksgiving rivals are bitter foes……
Courtesy of the CIAC The final four CIAC state title games are taking place in Connecticut today. The first two match ups are the Class S and Class M games. Class S features long time playoff rivals Ansonia and Bloomfield. The Class M game features Brookfield versus St. Joseph’s. It should be a great day of football. Here are our thoughts on each game. Class S (2) Ansonia Chargers (11-1)……
By Matt Spalding NEFJ Correspondent EAST HARTFORD, CT – The opening game at Rentschler Field in the 2024 CIAC State Championships was one that will not soon be forgotten. Undefeated Killingly entered Friday looking to defeat Sheehan and win yet another state championship. Sheehan was prepared, and what ensued was a classic, topsy turvy Class SS state championship game that ultimately ended with the top seed taking home a 48-33…