Week 1 is FINALLY HERE! And we've got two videos to kick off this season the right way. First, a final preview of the season with our statewide rankings and other picks.
And of course, the Week 1 picks. Last season, Kyle and Remmy were the only people submitting weekly picks. We challenge any of you guys to beat us! So submit your picks on a weekly basis and we'll keep track of them in the Predictions Tracker tab.
Seymour (0-0) at Emmett O'Brien Tech (0-0): 0-10. That's what the 2011 Wildcats are trying to forget about going into this game. EOB has some players but we just don't know if they will gel by Week 1 and beat the Wildcats. Either way, this is a lose-lose for Seymour. A win and the Cats were "supposed" to beat a first-year program in EOB. However, a loss would certainly make people wonder about what's going on in Seymour.
Picks: Kyle- Seymour, 35-14. Remmy- Seymour, 44-12.
Sacred Heart (0-0) at Woodland (0-0): Both of these teams lost their multi-purpose quarterbacks which accounted for most of their teams' offenses. The Hearts will feature quarterback Javon Martin, who is said to be similar to Rohan Ifill, but lost All-American wide receiver David Coggins for the season. Speed will be the name of the game for Sacred Heart, which still has wideout Dwayne Ellis and other athletes on the field. For Woodland, sophomore Tanner Kingsley fills in at quarterback with Matt Zaccagnini taking over as the feature running back. The Hawks' offensive line and defense are mostly still intact, but the secondary is the inexperienced spot on the field and could be the team's weakness.
Picks: Kyle- Woodland, 28-21. Remmy- Woodland, 27-19.
Watertown (0-0) at Montville (0-0): In the battle of the Indians, Watertown will be without Matt Quatrano, one of the best athletes in the league over the last few years. They will have plenty of size, though, so perhaps all is not lost for Mike Veronneau's team. Watertown will need to work on developing go-to offensive weapons, including a new quarterback and backfield. Defense could make a difference this year for the Indians. Montville lost running back Tyler Girard-Floyd, one of the state's top runners, and likely won't be as strong as it was last season, but there should be enough in the cupboard for another solid year.
Picks: Kyle- Montville, 27-7. Remmy- Montville, 35-14.
Lyman Hall (0-0) at Wilby (0-0): The new-look Wildcats face an SCC-D2 team and have a shot at winning their opener under new head coach Patrick Russo. The word on some reports we've seen during the preseason is that Lyman Hall is likely going to have a down year and that the Wildcats have looked very good with new motivation behind their big guys and quick athletes. We'll see if that translates into a win for the Green Machine.
Picks: Kyle- Wilby, 26-14. Remmy- Wilby, 22-8.
Kennedy (0-0) at Wolcott (0-0): Wolcott suffered, in numbers, the most substantial losses of any team in the league. While the Eagles may not be as big as they have been in the last few years, they may make up for it in speed. DeVante Bonvillian will be leading the offensive attack as one of the top returning running backs in the NVL, but he won't be able to carry Wolcott by himself. Kennedy also lost a lot on both sides of the ball, but Chris Sarlo's single-wing offense is always quirky enough to sneak up on some teams.
Picks: Kyle- Wolcott, 21-8. Remmy- Wolcott, 30-20.
St. Paul (0-0) at Derby (0-0): Some of the talk recently has been about this Week 1 game between the Falcons and Red Raiders, who figure to have the two best passing offenses in the league this season. On one side, there's sophomore quarterback Logan Marchi with his main weapon in Justin Gonzalez. On the other side, there's senior quarterback Ray Kreiger with his main weapon in Jacob Tomczak injured for the season, so he'll have to develop some other targets. There are a lot of questions on how well these teams can run the ball and play defense, so there's a good chance this thing's going to be a shootout.
Picks: Kyle- Derby, 47-42. Remmy- Derby, 62-61.
Naugatuck (0-0) at East Longmeadow (Mass.) (0-0): The defending NVL champion takes its new-look game out of state for its opener, taking on a team that is usually among the stronger teams in Massachusetts. The Greyhounds have a new quarterback, Zack Mercer, but have a lot of speed on both sides of the ball, pretty experienced lines, and one of this year's do-it-all players in Jake Yourison, who will likely see some snaps in a wildcat formation. It remains to be seen if Naugy will have the skill players and physicality that led the team to the NVL title a season ago.
Picks: Kyle- East Longmeadow, 26-21. Remmy- East Longmeadow, 20-13.
Crosby (0-0) at Holy Cross (0-0): The Crusaders have been pegged by some as one of the few favorites in the Copper Division as they figure to have a pretty balanced all-around team. David DiGiorgi is the known entity for the 'Saders, but they'll need to develop more, including a stable passing attack, to maximize their potential in the division. For Crosby, a few linemen return but there will be some turnover on offense and defense with a new coach. We'll have to find out what sort of production comes from both of these offenses and how well the defenses will play.
Picks: Kyle- Holy Cross, 35-13. Remmy- Holy Cross, 28-15.
Torrington (0-0) at Ansonia (0-0): Coming up Tuesday in our Game of the Week!
