We are down to five.
It’s been just two weeks of football, but 12 FCIAC teams have suffered at least one defeat, while Darien, St. Joseph, Staples, Greenwich, and Westhill are unbeaten. Greenwich has a bye this week, but the other four are all in action, with one head-to-head match-up between Darien, ranked No. 1 in the state, and St. Joseph, ranked No. 2.
There are also plenty of choices for fans wishing to see two games this weekend, as the schedule is an even split with four games on Friday night and four on Saturday afternoon.
The HAN Network will once again carry two games live this weekend, with the Trumbull Eagles at the New Canaan Rams on Friday night, and the St. Joseph Cadets at the Darien Blue Wave on Saturday afternoon.
Friday’s coverage will begin with with a pregame show at 6:45 p.m., with kickoff for Trumbull-New Canaan at 7 p.m.
Both games can be viewed on FCIAC.net, HAN.Network and all of the Network’s affiliate sites. The games will also be available on-demand after their completion.
Friday, Sept. 22
Trumbull (1-1) at New Canaan (1-1), 7 p.m.
HAN Network game
There’s a lot on the line for the New Canaan Rams and Trumbull Eagles this week, after both bounced back from week-one losses with blowout wins in week two. A victory in Friday night’s game would be worth a lot of points in the state playoff picture, while the loser takes a second defeat which could be hard to rebound from. Trumbull hasn’t beaten New Canaan since a 17-13 decision in 2005 and, in the last five meetings between the two teams, the Rams have scored at least 41 points.
Central (0-1) at Ridgefield (1-1), 7 p.m.
Tigers’ quarterback Greg Gatto reeled off six touchdown passes in a 49-0 blowout of the Stamford Black Knights last week and now, Ridgefield faces a Central team which lost to Staples 52-0 in its opener and had a bye last week. The Tigers need to take care of business, as their next three, after a bye, are against Staples, St. Joseph and Wilton.
Westhill (2-0) at Danbury (0-2), 7 p.m.
Westhill is definitely trending up with two wins to open the season, including last week’s 26-21 thriller over Norwalk. The Vikings are on the road for a second straight week, traveling up Route 7 to face a Danbury team which has struggled in losses to Trinity and New Canaan. The Vikes had a great defensive effort last week, including five interceptions of five different players.
Ludlowe (0-2) at Norwalk (1-1), 7 p.m.
The Falcons were shut out by the Trumbull Eagles 33-0 last week and now they get a Norwalk team which is loaded for bear (pun intended) after falling to Westhill by five points. The Bears have elite weapons in receivers A.J. Hall and Jalen Elliott, but turned the ball over too much against the Vikings.
Saturday, Sept. 23
Wilton (1-1) at Warde (1-1), 10:30 a.m.
Morning football and it’s not even Thanksgiving. After week one victories, the Wilton Warriors and Warde Mustangs both took it on the chin with big losses last week. One will bounce back here and give their season a positive turn.
St. Joseph (2-0) at Darien (2-0), 1:30 p.m.
HAN Network game
The clear game of the week features a battle of 2-0 teams who are ranked in the state’s top three.
No. 1 Darien defeated McMahon 47-0, while No. 3 St. Joe’s followed its upset of New Canaan with a 52-13 win over Warde. The Cadets are a real threat to the Wave’s 27-game win streak. Quarterback David Summers has been on fire with 574 yards passing and nine TDs, and WR Jared Mallozzi is 23 catches for 295 yards. Darien, of course, boasts plenty of its own weapons, including QB Jack Joyce, who has thrown six TD passes in two games, along with RB Mitchell Pryor and WR Nick Green.
Staples (2-0) at Brien McMahon (0-2), 1:30 p.m.
The Staples Wreckers have ended each of their first two games early, outscoring Central and Wilton by a combined score of 101-3. McMahon hasn’t gotten any favors from the schedule-makers, with Wilton in game one and Darien and Staples the next two weeks.
Trinity Catholic (1-1) at Stamford (0-2), 4 p.m.
A city battle at Boyle Stadium. Trinity was bowled over early by the Greenwich Cardinals, but played tough throughout despite being outnumbered. Quarterback Sam Adolf is a threat with his arm and his legs. Stamford, which lost by a point to Warde in week one, could get some help if injured RB Cam Freckleton, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior, is able to play.
