We’re a week away from what will be considered some huge match-ups in FCIAC football, but week eight still has a few interesting match-ups on tap as the schedule gets set to turn the corner into November.
The state tournament picture is good for some and muddled for others. In Class LL, Darien is No. 1, with Greenwich at No. 3. On the outside looking in, but within striking distance, are No. 12 Ridgefield, No. 13 Staples, and No. 15 Westhill.
In Class L, New Canaan holds the No. 8 spot despite its two losses; and in Class S, the St. Joseph Cadets are No. 3.
Here’s a look at this week’s slate of games…
Friday, Oct. 27
Darien (6-0) at Trumbull (2-4), 7 p.m.
Darien’s win streak has reached 31, but last week’s 17-0 win over Warde wasn’t the offense’s finest moment. The Wave’s attack will look to get back to its usual high-level against a Trumbull team which allowed 70 points to Greenwich and 61 to New Canaan in early-season losses.
Ridgefield (4-2) at Brien McMahon (1-5), 7 p.m.
The Tigers rebounded from their heartbreaking loss to St. Joseph by beating rival Wilton, 17-3 last weekend. Ridgefield is currently 12th in the Class LL standings and needs to rack up wins the rest of the way to have a shot. McMahon, meanwhile, is trying to recover from consecutive losses to Stamford and Central, but this isn’t a great spot for the Senators.
Warde (3-3) at Staples (4-2), 7 p.m.
Both teams were involved in shutouts last week, with Staples blanking Norwalk 27-0, and Warde falling to Darien, 17-0. The Mustangs’ defensive performance against the Blue Wave was impressive, as Darien had been averaging 42 points per game. Staples is another tall task, but Warde has been up for challenges this season.
Norwalk (3-3) at Danbury (1-5), 7 p.m.
Norwalk’s hopes for a possible state playoff bid have gone by the boards with a split of their first six games, but the Bears can still go over .500 with a strong finish. Danbury broke into the win column by defeating the Trumbull Eagles in a wild game, 39-27. The Hatters showed some resiliency in that one, as they blew a 20-0 lead before recovering for the victory.
Greenwich (5-0) at Ludlowe (0-5), 7 p.m.
The Greenwich Cardinals are 5-0 and have a few big games remaining, starting with next week’s home contest against the Ridgefield Tigers. This could be considered a trap game, but Ludlowe has struggled to an 0-5 mark and hasn’t been closer than 19 points in any game.
Saturday, Oct. 28
Bridgeport Central (1-4) at St. Joseph (5-1), 1:30 p.m.
Like Danbury, Central finally broke into the win column last week by beating Brien McMahon, 26-7. Now, the Hilltoppers get a St. Joseph Cadets team which is riding high at 5-1 and ranked third in the Class S standings.
Stamford (2-4) at Wilton (3-3), 1:30 p.m.
Wilton continues to ride a roller coaster this fall, trading wins and losses each week. They pounded Central 40-14 two weeks ago, and then played well defensively in a 17-3 loss at Ridgefield last Saturday. Stamford has allowed at least 28 points in four of its six games this week, so the Warriors’ strong running attack could spell trouble for the Knights.
Westhill (4-2) at Trinity Catholic (2-4), 1:30 p.m.
A city battle pits the Westhill Vikings against the Trinity Catholic Crusaders. They’re both coming off of losses, but the Vikings have been the steadier of the two teams and have the Crusaders out-numbered. Westhill is 15th in Class LL and perfectly capable of running the table the rest of the way.
Pascack Valley, N.J., (2-5) at New Canaan (4-2), 2 p.m.
New Canaan celebrates its homecoming by hosting the Pascack Valley Indians from New Jersey on Saturday. The Rams are in an unfamiliar place with two losses, but are still eighth in Class L, which has just seven teams with one or no losses. With no common opponents, it’s hard to know what to expect from Pascack Valley, which is just 2-5 but is coming off a 26-7 win over Ridgefield Park last week.