The Patriots are in Arizona today to take on the Cardinals. It is a winnable game on paper but the Patriots need to control the line of scrimmage and they need to finish drives. Settling for field goals won’t be enough. The Patriots have had two weeks to prepare for this game. Let’s see how ready they are to play. Here is the offensive and defensive plan for this week. …
Patriots Four Down Preview: New England Patriots (3-10) at Arizona Cardinals (6-7)
Kickoff: The Patriots are back after being on a bye last week. New England visits the struggling Arizona Cardinals who have lost three in a row. On paper, this is the Patriots most winnable game left on their schedule so if they want to improve on last season’s win total, they need this one. Here are four keys to the game for the Patriots. 1st Down: Shake off the rust:…
CIAC Class LL State Championship: (3) Greenwich 14, (5) West Haven 0 — Cardinals blank Blue Devils
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……
CIAC Class M State Championship: (4) St. Joseph 21, (2) Brookfield 20 – Cadets hold on with late two-point stop for thrilling title win
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…
CIAC Class L State Championship: (2) New Canaan 35, (4) Darien 21 — Rams three-peat
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……
The Way-Too-Early MIAA 40 To Watch
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……
CIAC Class S State Championship: (2) Ansonia 58, (5) Bloomfield 12 – Chargers roll to program’s 22nd title
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…
CIAC Class LL and Class L State Title Game Previews
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……
CIAC Class S and Class M State Title Game Previews
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)……
CIAC Class Class SS State Championship: (1) Killingly 48, (3) Sheehan 33 – Killingly finishes perfect with program’s fifth state title
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…