The 2017 regular season football comes to a close for most of the FCIAC’s football teams as the league’s rivalries take center stage on Thanksgiving.
Three teams — the Darien Blue Wave and Greenwich Cardinals in Class LL, and the St. Joseph cadets in Class S — are on their way to bigger and better things as they’ve nailed down state playoff berths.
The New Canaan Rams, who have appeared in the state tournaments in every season since 2005, could be joining the playoff parade, but they’ll need to knock off unbeaten and top-ranked Darien in order to get there. The annual Turkey Bowl contest, held at Stamford’s Boyle Stadium this year, will determine the Rams’ fate, and the action can be seen live on the HAN Network starting at 10 a.m.
Darien, Greenwich and St. Joseph all have their sights set on a state quarterfinal home game, but all of the games hold a bit of intrigue with tradition rivals squaring off on the holiday.
Here’s a look at the slate of games for Wednesday and Thursday.
Wednesday, Nov. 22
Danbury (1-8) at Ridgefield (6-3), 6 p.m.
Riding the arm of quarterback Greg Gatto, the Tigers have racked up 302 points in nine games and likely could contend for a state title if they were going to the Class LL playoffs. Unfortunately, Ridgefield had the misfortune of losses to three of the top four teams in the state and will be heading home after their Thanksgiving even game against Danbury. Look for Ridgefield to wrap up the season in a big way as they bid for the seventh win at home against the Hatters.
Thursday, Nov. 23
Greenwich (9-0) at Staples (6-3), 10 a.m.
Everything has gone right for the Cardinals this season. They’re unbeaten at 9-0, ranked No. 2 in the state and looking at a possible home game for the Class LL quarterfinals. Head coach John Marinelli was recently named the FCIAC’s Coach of the Year. Staples started the year with three wins, but has split its last six to fall out of contention. The Wreckers should give Greenwich a fight, but the Cards are looking to wrap up a top four seed for the states
Wilton (5-4) at Trinity Catholic (2-7), 10 a.m.
The Wilton Warriors have been on a roller coaster ride this fall, trading wins and losses since the start of the season. If Wilton wins on Thanksgiving, it would actually be their first two-game streak of any kind this year. Trinity, as always, has played hard this season, but with a small roster and a young team, it’s been a tough go with two wins. A victory, or even a close game, in the finale would be a great way to end the season for the growing Crusaders.
Harding (2-7) at Bridgeport Central (2-7), 10 a.m.
A battle of Bridgeport pits the Harding Presidents against the Central Hilltoppers for a non-conference game at Kennedy Stadium. The Toppers edged Ludlowe 46-44 last weekend and a two-game winnng streak would be a great way to conclude the season.
New Canaan (7-2) vs. Darien (9-0) at Boyle Stadium, 10:30 a.m.
• HAN Network game
The game of the week has the New Canaan Rams hanging by a thread for a Class L playoff berth and the Darien Blue Wave perfect at 9-0. Both teams have streaks in the balance. The Rams have qualified for the states for 12 straight seasons, and the Wave is riding a 34-game win streak. Something has to give. The game was moved to Stamford’s Boyle Stadium to accommodate the typically huge crowds the rivals draw and it can also be seen live on the HAN Network with a pregame show starting at 10 a.m.
Norwalk (5-4) at Brien McMahon (1-8), 10:30 a.m.
The Norwalk Bears have won two of their last three and can wrap up a winning season by beating their rivals in their annual clash on Thanksgiving. On paper, the Bears have the clear advantage, but rivalry games such as this are sometimes hard to figure.
Trumbull (2-6) at St. Joseph (8-1), 10:30 a.m.
A battle of town rivals with the Cadets looking to wrap up one of the top seeds in Class S, and Trumbull hoping to end a disappointing campaign on a good note. St. Joe’s has big victories over New Canaan, Ridgefield and Staples this fall, and its lone loss was to No. 1 Darien in week three.
Stamford (3-6) at Westhill (6-3), 10:30 a.m.
The Westhill Vikings are coming off a rough game as they were routed by Wilton, 57-6, on Nov. 11. The Vikings get a chance to bounce back in their season finale at home against the Black Knights and can wrap up the city title as well as an impressive seven-win season.
Warde (4-5) at Ludlowe (1-8), 10:30 a.m.
The Warde Mustangs have been a solid team this year and will be looking to finish up with a win over their rivals and a .500 record on Thanksgiving. The Ludlowe Falcons, who have one win, made a late run at Bridgeport Central last week, but were eventually nipped by two points. Again, rivalry games can be tough to predict sometimes, but Warde has the edge on paper here.
