2011 Quarterfinals Live Scoreboard

All three NVL teams won their respective quarterfinal games. Ansonia blasted Bethel, 35-6, while Holy Cross cruised past Haddam-Killingworth, 42-14. One of the state's most exciting games of the night was up in Ellington when Wolcott came from two scores behind to beat the Knights, 32-26, in overtime. (Follow those links for stories, photo galleries, and videos.)

Here is the schedule for Saturday's semifinals:

#1 Ansonia vs. #8 Berlin: 2 p.m., Sheehan High (Wallingford)
#7 Wolcott vs. #3 Ledyard: 2 p.m., Middletown High
#2 Holy Cross vs. #3 Valley Regional/Old Lyme: 2 p.m., Falcon Field (Meriden)

Here's Remmy's video of the Ansonia-Bethel game.

Click here for a replay of the Playoff Quarterfinals Live Scoreboard.

As always, you can follow updates from as many games as we have reports on Twitter using the live scoreboard below. If you have a Twitter (which we recommend having) and you'll be at any game during this season, make sure you tweet your updates and use the #ctfb hashtag. You can also tweet @NVLFOOTBALL or @kylebrennan1 and we'll try to retweet you. Enjoy the games!

Playoff Quarterfinals Predictions

Holy Cross senior quarterback Zach Brown
Credit: Steven Valenti/Rep-Am

Three teams will represent the Naugatuck Valley League in the state playoffs. No. 1 Ansonia and No. 7 Wolcott will compete in Class M, while No. 2 Holy Cross is the lone NVL team in Class S. The Chargers and Crusaders are general favorites to win championships in their respective classes.

All quarterfinal games will be Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m., and rain is expected throughout the day. Ansonia hosts No. 8 Bethel at Jarvis Stadium while Holy Cross hosts No. 7 Haddam-Killingworth at Municipal Stadium. Wolcott hits the road to No. 2 Ellington/Somers.

Ansonia senior quarterback Elliot Chudwick
Credit: Christopher Massa/Rep-Am

No. 1 Ansonia (11-0) vs. No. 8 Bethel (7-3): Bethel relies on its offense to win games. In its seven wins, Bethel has outscored its opponents, 298-196. In its three losses (to Pomperaug, Weston, and Newtown), Bethel has been outscored, 108-21. If the Wildcats are going to keep this game close, they will need to score a lot because it doesn't appear that they're going to slow down Arkeel Newsome. Bethel has a strong rushing attack with quarterback Brandon Schmidt (194 rush, 1,373 yds, 14 TD) and running backs Brian Birdsell (156 rush, 793 yds, 13 TD) and William Quinn (56 rush, 574 yds, 5 TD). Schmidt and Birdsell both have good size and strength, and reports tell us that the team runs option out of a number of different sets. The biggest key for Bethel will likely be its ability to chew up the clock on the ground and limit possessions. But it will be tough with Ansonia's very good defensive speed and strength. Jake LaRovera at defensive end will be important in this game, as well as the Chargers' linebackers. They have been up to task the entire season. While Ansonia might give up a score more than it's used to, Newsome and Co. should be able to score at will.
Picks: Remmy- Ansonia, 42-20. Kyle- Ansonia, 55-20.

No. 7 Wolcott (7-3) at No. 2 Ellington/Somers (10-0): Even though Wolcott is matched up with an undefeated team, the Eagles could not have gotten a much better draw than Ellington/Somers. The Knights are a solid team with a good defense, but their competition on the less-violent side of the Pequot Conference is not as strong at Wolcott has faced this season with teams like Torrington, Ansonia, and Holy Cross. Ellington/Somers allowed single-digit points in seven of 10 games and scored at least 27 points in eight of 10 contests. The Knights' leading rusher, Mitch Diresta, ran for 950 yards and nine touchdowns. While that may not seem like much, five other players ran for at least 160 yards and nine different players scored a rushing touchdown. Based on just a little video, it looks like Ellington/Somers runs some wing-T. The team has also intercepted 16 passes, so life might not be easy for Mike Nicol. The Eagles haven't been the best at stopping the run this season (see Torrington, Ansonia, Woodland, Holy Cross), but they will need to get some holds in this game. It will be tough for Nicol to win a playoff game all on his own, so Wolcott needs to get some other guys involved more consistently. If the Eagles have multiple players functioning on offense, they will likely have the advantage in athleticism and speed.
Picks: Remmy- Wolcott, 28-21. Kyle- Wolcott, 24-20.

No. 2 Holy Cross (9-2) vs. No. 7 Haddam-Killingworth (8-2): Haddam-Killingworth is almost a bit of a surprise entrant into the Class S playoffs. H-K was in position entering Thanksgiving eve, but few expected the upset over Valley Regional/Old Lyme that was necessary to clinch the playoff bid. But now that the Cougars are in the playoffs, Holy Cross will have to deal with one of the state's top rushers, Dan German. German has rushed 177 times for 1,724 yards and 22 touchdowns, and backup Nate Cruz has tacked on 488 yards and 11 scores. German has lost six fumbles, though, which can be a big problem against a playmaking Cross defense. H-K is a pounding type of team that can also play some pretty strong defense. The Cougars allowed more than 20 points only twice (to Cromwell and Hyde) and shut out a pretty explosive Valley Regional offense. Cruz is the big man on defense, racking up 100 tackles and three sacks on the season. Holy Cross' offensive line is very big, though, and its stable of backs should have room to run. It wouldn't be surprising with how physical both teams are if this game becomes one of field position and time of possession. Zach Brown is best known as the Crusaders' quarterback, but he was also one of the best punters in the NVL this season and that could be important in a ground-style game like this one could be.
Picks: Remmy- Holy Cross, 30-16. Kyle- Holy Cross, 21-13.

Wolcott junior quarterback Mike Nicol.
Credit: Steven Valenti/Rep-Am

Since it's playoff time, Kyle and Remmy also have the rest of the state's games in all classes picked.

Class LL
No. 1 Xavier (10-0) vs. No. 8 Glastonbury (8-2): Remmy- Xavier, 40-7. Kyle- Xavier, 42-13.
No. 2 Staples (9-0) vs. No. 7 Ridgefield (8-2): Remmy- Staples, 36-20. Kyle- Staples, 31-21.
No. 3 Hall (9-1) vs. No. 6 Newtown (8-2): Remmy- Hall, 30-28. Kyle- Newtown, 28-21.
No. 4 Conard (9-1) vs. No. 5 Norwalk (8-1): Remmy- Norwalk, 30-22. Kyle- Norwalk, 21-7.

Class L
No. 1 Windsor (10-0) vs. No. 8 Notre Dame-West Haven (8-2): Remmy- Notre Dame-West Haven, 28-20. Kyle- Windsor, 26-23.
No. 2 Daniel Hand (10-0) vs. No. 7 Coventry/Windham Tech (9-1): Remmy- Daniel Hand, 42-13. Kyle- Daniel Hand, 41-7.
No. 3 Masuk (10-0) vs. No. 6 North Haven (9-1): Remmy- Masuk, 49-20. Kyle- Masuk, 48-13.
No. 4 New London (9-1) vs. No. 5 New Canaan (9-1): Remmy- New London, 42-35. Kyle- New London, 41-35.

Class M
No. 3 Ledyard (9-1) vs. No. 6 Waterford (7-3): Remmy- Ledyard, 29-12. Kyle- Ledyard, 14-7.
No. 4 Berlin (9-1) vs. No. 5 Cheney Tech (9-1): Remmy- Berlin, 20-18. Kyle- Berlin, 41-7.

Class S
No. 1 Capital Prep/Classical Magnet (10-0) vs. No. 8 Cromwell (8-2): Remmy- Cromwell, 36-12. Kyle- Cromwell, 49-14.
No. 3 Valley Regional/Old Lyme (9-1) vs. No. 6 Rocky Hill (8-2): Remmy- Valley Regional/Old Lyme, 35-20. Kyle- Valley Regional/Old Lyme, 21-20.
No. 4 North Branford (9-1) vs. No. 5 Northwest Catholic (8-2): Remmy- Northwest Catholic, 28-20. Kyle- North Branford, 20-13.

Thanksgiving Live Scoreboard

We started this year's regular-season finales on Thanksgiving eve with Woodland pounding Seymour, Sacred Heart holding off Wilby, and St. Paul earning its first win over Hamden Hall.

On Thanksgiving, Watertown upset Torrington, Ansonia coasted past Naugatuck, Holy Cross beat Wolcott, Kennedy defeated Crosby, and Shelton edged Derby.

We hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Click here for videos of Woodland-Seymour and Ansonia-Naugatuck.

Click here for a replay of the 2011 Thanksgiving Live Scoreboard.

Thanksgiving Predictions

It's hard to believe, but one of the best sporting weeks of the year is already upon us. Records are tossed out the window in some games while others have much more than just bragging rights on the line. It's Thanksgiving football in the Valley.

We were glad to hear about the success of Tuesday night's fundraiser for Wilby's Andy Duval. We encourage you to take a look at this story and video by WTNH, where there are instructions for donations at the bottom.

Click here for Remmy and Kyle's video picks for Thanksgiving eve, and click here for their video picks for Thanksgiving Day.

Sacred Heart Hearts (3-5) at Wilby Wildcats (4-5)

When/Where: Wednesday, 6 p.m., Municipal Stadium
Radio: WATR 1320 AM
Series History: 62nd meeting; series tied, 30-30-1
Series Stat: Sacred Heart has won only three times since 1994
Last Year: Wilby def. Sacred Heart, 62-30

Breakdown: Wilby has been among the most improved teams in the league this season and has not lost consecutive games all year. Sacred Heart has played competitive football over the second half of the season and might be at .500 or better if Jaquan Overbey wasn't injured a few weeks ago. Last season, the Wildcats not only upset the Hearts, but it was a hugely unexpected blowout that forced Sacred Heart to face No. 1 Valley Regional in the Class S playoffs. In this game, Wilby probably has more speed but Sacred Heart is probably a little better in the trenches. Jay'Len Mahan and Jacob Thomas have been among the league's best one-two rushing punches and it will be tough for the Hearts to slow them down, but Sacred Heart's more physical style could pose some problems for the 'Cats. This game very well could see near the 92 combined points it saw in 2010.
Picks: Remmy- Sacred Heart, 40-28. Kyle- Wilby, 40-34.

Hamden Hall Hornets (3-4) at St. Paul Falcons (0-9)

When/Where: Wednesday, 6 p.m., St. Paul Catholic High
Series History: No Thanksgiving history
Series Stat: St. Paul's fifth different Thanksgiving opponent in nine years
Last Year: Rocky Hill def. St. Paul, 36-35

Breakdown: Before the season, St. Paul was picked by some as the potential sleeper team for the season. Unfortunately for the Falcons, they've looked more asleep during many of their games. Logan Marchi is one of the NVL's gunslingers and has experienced both feast and famine this season. With a very young team, this game could give a chance for some momentum as the Falcons head to the offseason with most players returning. Hamden Hall is a prep team and has the ability to match St. Paul's offense step for step with over 200 rushing yards per game and over 170 passing yards per game. Neither team plays much defense, so look out for a shootout.
Picks: Remmy- St. Paul, 48-21. Kyle- Hamden Hall, 48-37.

Woodland Hawks (5-4) at Seymour Wildcats (5-4)

When/Where: Wednesday, 6 p.m., DeBarber Field
Series History: 10th meeting; Seymour leads, 6-3
Series Stat: Woodland has scored 102 points in last two games of series
Last Year: Woodland def. Seymour, 47-7

Breakdown: This year's Thanksgiving eve game is the most even matchup since at least 2007, and maybe even before that. Both teams were in contention for the Class S playoffs until they lost their last two games entering this one. Now, the Hawks will try to keep Seymour from registering its first winning season since 2008 and gain their third victory in a row on Thanksgiving eve. Both Woodland and Seymour have had costly turnovers and big plays against their defenses over the past few weeks, so this game could very well come down to which team makes fewer mistakes. The Hawks' running game is more physical with Matt Zaccagnini than the Wildcats', but Seymour ground game is more versatile with Jon Wilson and Luke Grabowski. Defense will be big; Woodland allows five fewer points per game than Seymour.
Picks: Remmy- Woodland, 32-20. Kyle- Woodland, 28-21.

Crosby Bulldogs (1-8) at Kennedy Eagles (1-8)

When/Where: Thursday, 10 a.m., Municipal Stadium
Series History: 47th meeting; Crosby leads, 33-13
Series Stat: Last season's overtime game was the first since 1998
Last Year: Crosby def. Kennedy, 33-26 (OT)

Breakdown: In the past, this game has often determined which team would end up with the worst record in the league. But that isn't the case this year. Both teams beat St. Paul for their only victories and are seeking to pull out of last place in the city. Kennedy has been better than Crosby this season with all things considered. The Eagles lost by a touchdown to both Wolcott and Seymour and also let a lead against Holy Cross slip away. Meanwhile, Crosby hasn't really been competitive since the first few weeks of the season. Kennedy's lines are strong and usually yield some success while Crosby has been mistake-prone and porous on defense. The Eagles are trying to win on Thanksgiving for the first time in four years.
Picks: Remmy- Kennedy, 29-14. Kyle- Kennedy, 26-20.

Torrington Red Raiders (7-2) at Watertown Indians (3-6)

When/Where: Thursday, 10:15 a.m., Mills Complex
Series History: 46th meeting; series tied, 22-22-1
Series Stat: Torrington has won three straight after Watertown took three
Last Year: Torrington def. Watertown, 34-7

Breakdown: This game for bragging rights in the Upper Valley always seems to have some strong emotions on both sides, and more often than not it's a pretty good game (last year notwithstanding). Only one team this year (Ansonia; Holy Cross gave up over 300 yards) has found a way to contain Brenden Lytton and the Torrington rushing attack. Watertown's defense hasn't exactly qualified as one of the top units in the league, but neither has Torrington's. If the Indians are able to score, they'll be right in this game. Anthony Avoletta is a sneaky little running back and the Watertown passing game has enough in the tank to connect for unexpected gains. Still, the Raiders may be a little too physical in this game, and even the Indians' emotions might not be enough to overcome that size and strength.
Picks: Remmy- Torrington, 50-20. Kyle- Torrington, 48-42.

Shelton Gaels (7-2) at Derby Red Raiders (4-5)

When/Where: Thursday, 10:30 a.m., DeFilippo Field
Series History: 101st meeting; Shelton leads, 51-42-7
Series Stat: Since Derby's 13-12 win in '02, it hasn't been closer than 18 points
Last Year: Shelton, def. Derby, 38-14

Breakdown: Shelton is back in the Class LL playoff hunt after a few not-so-great years, and the Gaels desperately need a win over Derby at DeFilippo Field in order to keep their chances alive (they will need a little help in addition to a win). While the Red Raiders don't have anything on the line, we have to figure that they would love nothing more than to keep their century-old rivals out of the postseason. They can accomplish that with a win. Shelton's running game figures to eat up Derby, but Ray Kreiger and the Raiders' passing game might be able to keep them in this game. Derby is playing its best football of the season as Kreiger has been fantastic in November. He may very well need the best game of his career for it to end on a positive note.
Picks: Remmy- Shelton, 36-27. Kyle- Shelton, 42-20.

Holy Cross Crusaders (8-2) at Wolcott Eagles (7-2)

When/Where: Thursday, 10:30 a.m., Joe Monroe Field
Series History: 37th meeting; Holy Cross leads, 30-6
Series Stat: Wolcott hasn't beaten Holy Cross since a 28-21 win in 2001
Last Year: Holy Cross def. Wolcott, 28-14

Breakdown: This game is one of a handful statewide that carries playoff implications for both teams involved on Thanksgiving morning. With a win, Wolcott will qualify for the Class M playoffs for the first time in school history and will likely avoid a matchup with Ansonia in the quarterfinals. (The Eagles can still qualify with a loss, but it falls out of their hands.) Meanwhile, Holy Cross is playing for a Class S home quarterfinal and will clinch it with a win. It will be interesting to see how the Crusaders rebound from a shutout loss to Ansonia in the NVL championship. Holy Cross' defense did one of the best jobs on Ansonia this season and the Crusaders' ability to defend Mike Nicol could be the difference in this game. Nicol has been highly effective both running and passing this season. How the Eagles' other playmakers, like DeVante Bonvillian, Chad Acevado, Pat Byrne, and others, could also make big impacts as a varied offense is key to rallying past an opportunistic Cross defense. Holy Cross has made a big special teams or defensive play (usually a score) in almost every win this season, so that is something to look out for. The Eagles' ability to stop the run and keep Isaiah Wright from making a big play will also be crucial. This one could be the most exciting game of the week.
Picks: Remmy- Holy Cross, 30-18. Kyle- Holy Cross, 27-23.

Ansonia Chargers (10-0) at Naugatuck Greyhounds (6-3)

When/Where: Thursday, 10:30 a.m., Veterans Field
Radio: WATR 1320 AM
Series History: 112th meeting; Ansonia leads, 64-37-10
Series Stat: Naugatuck hasn't won consecutive games since 1985-86
Last Year: Naugatuck def. Ansonia, 38-20, for NVL championship

Breakdown: The Chargers have locked up a home quarterfinal in the Class M playoffs and the NVL title. Perhaps Ansonia won't admit it, but revenge from last Thanksgiving definitely has to be on at least some players' and coaches' minds. That likely won't be too difficult to achieve, as Naugatuck's non-explosive offense probably won't be able to keep up with Ansonia, and the Greyhounds will have as much trouble as any other team in slowing Arkeel Newsome (although recall that Montrell Dobbs barely rushed for over 100 yards last Thanksgiving). Naugy has a little momentum rolling into the game, but it will need more than Jake Yourison to win its first Thanksgiving home game in a decade. If nobody else helps, the Chargers will probably be able to rest some guys for the quick playoff turnaround.
Picks: Remmy- Ansonia, 48-6. Kyle- Ansonia, 41-13.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Ansonia Wins NVL Title

Ansonia lineman Tyler Williams was among many
Chargers who played nearly flawlessly in their
33-0 win over Holy Cross in Thursday's NVL
championship. Credit: Erin Covey/Rep-Am

So, in case you haven't heard, Ansonia beat Holy Cross last night. With the 33-0 win, the Chargers are the NVL champions for the first time since the Tristan Roberts-led 2008 Ansonia squad won the title.

The game was close for about two and a half quarters. Holy Cross had only one scoring threat, though, and two passes to the end zone fell incomplete. The Crusaders never reached the red zone and the game's outcome never felt in doubt.

Arkeel Newsome took a little longer to put the game out of reach this time, although he ended up with five touchdowns and 294 yards on 36 carries. He touched the ball on the first 13 Ansonia plays, including a 57-yard touchdown on the Chargers' first play from scrimmage.

The Ansonia defense played its best game of the season, allowing really only about three big plays all night on two Dave DiGiorgi runs and a pass from Zach Brown to Ryan Byrne. The Chargers' front seven was fantastic and Ansonia forced two turnovers--a fumble recovery by Tyler Wood and an interception by Newsome.

Click here for Remmy's video of the action at Municipal Stadium.

Everybody and their brother had this game covered last night (of course, Kyle and the Rep-Am had it covered best) so check out everything from the game.

Articles: Rep-Am story, Rep-Am column, Post, SPB Blog, Register
Photos: Rep-Am, CT Post
Videos: Rep-Am, CT Post, Register

2011 NVL Championship Live Scoreboard

Click here for a replay of the 2011 NVL Championship Live Scoreboard.

As always, you can follow updates from as many games as we have reports from on Twitter using the live scoreboard below. If you have a Twitter (which we recommend having) and you'll be at any game during this season, make sure you tweet your updates and use the #ctfb hashtag. You can also tweet @NVLFOOTBALL or @kylebrennan1 and we'll try to re-tweet you. Enjoy the games!

NVL Championship: Ansonia vs. Holy Cross

Arkeel Newsome runs past Isaiah Wright during the Chargers' 45-13 win over Holy Cross in the teams' first meeting of the season. Newsome rushed 23 times for 385 yards
and five touchdowns in the game. Credit: Christian Abraham/Connecticut Post

It's here--already or finally, however you look at it. The Naugatuck Valley League Championship between Brass Division champion Ansonia and Copper Division champion Holy Cross is Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Municipal Stadium.

These teams already met once, way back in Week 4. As we all know, Holy Cross jumped out to an early lead before Ansonia dominated the rest of the way to the tune of a 45-13 win. (If you want to revisit that game, click here and here for a couple of game articles, and click here and here for some video highlights.)

So the real question here is this: Can Holy Cross make this into a game and not another Ansonia blowout?

Isaiah Wright is taken down by several Ansonia defenders during the Chargers' 45-13 win over Holy Cross in the teams' first meeting of the season. The Crusaders had exactly 200 yards of
total offense in the game. Credit: Christian Abraham/Connecticut Post

Remmy's Keys to the Game: It will be tough for the 'Saders to win this game throwing the ball. Rushing may be even tougher. But they need to establish the two-man rushing attack with Adrian Brown and Dave DiGiorgi to have any chance. The Chargers’ defense is very aggressive and Holy Cross will need to get its running backs to the outside and hope they can turn the corners for big gains. Take advantage of Ansonia's aggressive defense and throw the ball into the flats--anywhere outside of the tackles. The other key for Cross is that its defense must create turnovers and turn those into points. The Crusaders have been doing that all season long but they will certainly need that this week to have a chance at upsetting the Chargers.
Ansonia’s defense will make Holy Cross quarterback Zach Brown uncomfortable. Cross will be forced to pass the ball during this game. The Chargers' defense has been tough against the run all year long, limiting opponents to less than 100 yards per game on the ground. And if the Crusaders can't get going with their ground attack, it's going to be a very, very long night for Gang Green on both sides of the ball. The more time they give Ansonia the ball on offense, the more times Newsome touches the ball--and that spells trouble for Holy Cross on the scoreboard. Ansonia must not allow Cross to keep the Chargers' offense off of the field. As we saw at the start of the Wolcott game, Ansonia will run Newsome until the game is out of reach--something Holy Cross will be looking to avoid.
Kyle's Keys to the Game: I can't come up with a good game plan to beat Ansonia, but luckily there are some people who might have a better idea of how to do so on the Holy Cross staff. It's going to be extremely difficult to keep this a close game, much less win it. To start with the positives, the Crusaders are playing their best football of the season right now. Their win over Woodland was the best game they played all year in all facets of the game. A big part of Holy Cross' win in that game was that it did not allow the big play and scored a few itself. It's been incredible to see the Crusaders' special teams and defense and their big-play ability. In fact, those units have scored a combined seven touchdowns in nine games. I would have to think that Holy Cross is going to need a free touchdown like that to win this game. There are plenty of playmakers in the Cross secondary--Isaiah Wright, Ryan Byrne, Joe Parent, and others--but I'm not sure that Ansonia will throw enough to give them the chance to make a big play. Special teams could be a factor.
Overall, I don't think there's much need to do anything else other than rush Arkeel Newsome until Holy Cross proves it can stop him. We saw a few wrinkles in the Ansonia offense two weeks ago against Wolcott, so there's no doubt there are plenty of tricks in the bag. But I don't think we will see those tricks until Ansonia gains a few-score lead. The Chargers' defense is fast and physical, so Holy Cross will have to figure out some way to change up the offense enough as to not allow Ansonia to get in a defensive rhythm. I have also been surprised this year to not see more teams consistently use onside kicks against the Chargers. It really doesn't make a difference whether Newsome breaks an 80-yard run or a 50-yard touchdown run. You might as well try to keep the ball out of his hands all together.

Remmy's Players to Watch: Holy Cross RB/LB David DiGiorgi will need to have the biggest game of his life on defense in attempting to dodge the Ansonia O-line and take down RB Arkeel Newsome. Freshman WR/DB Isaiah Wright will need to make sure Ansonia does not hurt the Crusaders with its passing game and he needs to come up big on defense for Cross. Wright is a game-changer and has the ability to make big plays when his team needs it. Zach Brown and Wright connected early for a big play in the game versus Ansonia which allowed Holy Cross to score the game's first touchdown. It's these kinds of plays the Crusaders needs this week to gain some momentum and derail Ansonia early in the game. The Ansonia offensive line has been smashing people every week. They’ll determine the outcome of this game as they do in every game. On defense, my impact player is Ansonia DE Jake LaRovera. He recovered two fumbles against Wilby and has been the harderst hitter on the defense for Ansonia all season long. QB Elliot Chudwick also has the potential to have a monster game. He and WR Andrew Matos have connected on big plays over the last month. Matos made an outstanding catch against Wilby (watch the video if you don't believe me) and his confidence may be at an all-time high. He may have another big game this week.
Kyle's Players to Watch: Crusaders running back Adrian Brown has been outstanding over the last month and he had his best game of his career last week with a 300-plus-yard effort against St. Paul. But I'm not sure running straight ahead will yield much yardage this week for Brown and DiGiorgi. Perhaps Holy Cross can involve Zach Brown more in the short offense with some screens to the guys out of the backfield. Also, we saw Luke Grabowski of Seymour run down the field with quarterback runs, and Zach Brown is an equally athletic and strong runner. On defense, Anthony Jamele will be huge in the front seven to slowing Ansonia's offense. He has been solid all season long as the leader of the Crusaders' defense and will need his best game on Thursday. For Ansonia, the guys who have been stepping up just need to keep doing so, like Newsome, Tyler Lester, Chudwick, Matos, LaRovera, Tyler Wood, and the linemen.

The Bottom Line: We have been saying it since very early in the season--we don't see Ansonia losing through the rest of this season, and the NVL Championship is no exception. We're hoping (or at least Kyle is) for a closer game than the Chargers are used to, but it's just tough to see all the strength, speed, and talent in lavender going down.
Picks: Remmy- Ansonia, 38-16. Kyle- Ansonia, 41-13.

Be sure to make your picks along with us and bring some of your own analysis to this game? What can Holy Cross to do stay in this game and have a chance to pull the upset, if anything? Let us know.

Plus, the tailgate is coming on Thursday at 5 p.m. in the North Lot of Municipal Stadium. We're looking forward to seeing you guys!

NVL Championship Tailgate

It's about that time. We're inviting all of our bloggers and NVL football players and coaches to this week's tailgate prior to the NVL Championship game between Ansonia and Holy Cross.

When: Thursday, Nov. 17, 5-6:15 p.m.
Where: North Lot, Municipal Stadium

We will be stationed in the furthest row in lot closest to the ticket booth. If you drive into the parking lot, drive straight toward the booth and you'll see us on the left-hand side. Please come on over, say hello and grab something to eat. We really always look forward to seeing you guys at games, and love chatting football with everyone, so this is a great chance for us and you. Don't be afraid to come on over. We're friendlier than we sometimes appear here. And we'll try to prevent as many fights as possible, although we can't promise anything if coach32 and wags show up at the same time.

Remmy will be bringing some smoked goods and Kyle will also be bringing some eats. If you are thinking about stopping by and possibly bringing something, e-mail us at nvlfootballct@gmail.com.

We will preview the NVL Championship between Ansonia and Holy Cross beginning Tuesday morning right here.


Here's the list of goods we will be bringing to the tailgate (list will be updated accordingly):

Items
Kyle: Burgers and Buns.
Remmy: Smoked wings with two homemade sauces, Water.
believer6: Chili
fisherman: Ketchup

We'll need ketchup and mustard.

Week 9 Wrap

Joan Toribio had another great performance on the ground for Torrington as the Red Raiders beat Sacred Heart and kept their outside chances at a Class L playoff berth alive.
Credit: Michael Kabelka/Rep-Am

It's simple now: Ansonia and Holy Cross are both already in the playoffs, and Wolcott can get in with a win on Thanksgiving (or maybe a loss and help). Woodland and Seymour are both done after disappointing losses in Week 9, and Torrington is still likely going to be sitting out.

In the meantime, we have an NVL Championship to which we can look forward.

What Happened
Ansonia crushed Wilby and Holy Cross cruised past St. Paul as the NVL's only two teams to be surely in the playoffs solidified their bids to host quarterfinals. Both teams are playing as well as they have all season, and we'll get to see them go at it on Thursday night at Municipal Stadium. There will be plenty more on this game for the rest of the week.

Wolcott earned a huge win over Woodland to stay in the hunt for a Class M playoff berth. The Eagles didn't necessarily dominate the game, but they made the big plays when they needed to. Wolcott will clinch the school's first playoff spot with a win over Holy Cross on Thanksgiving, but it also might slip in with a loss and a little help. A loss would likely mean no better than the No. 8 seed, though, which means a date with Ansonia.

The Hawks and Seymour both were eliminated from the Class S playoff race with disappointing losses in which they held fourth-quarter leads. Woodland allowed too many big plays in its loss to Wolcott while Seymour gave up 15 points in the last 30 seconds of the game to lose to Watertown. Now, their Thanksgiving eve meeting means nothing except bragging rights.

Torrington kept its barely flickering Class L playoff hopes alive with a blowout of Sacred Heart. A playoff bid still seems extremely unlikely unless chaos ensues over the next week and a half. Still, an 8-2 season would be highly impressive.

In other games, Naugatuck crushed Kennedy and Derby beat up on Crosby. Both of those teams will be heavy underdogs against playoff contenders on Thanksgiving.

Who Did It
Our NVL Blog Player of the Week for Week 9 is Holy Cross running back Adrian Brown. He had 18 rushes for 342 yards and four touchdowns in the Crusaders' big win over St. Paul. He has picked up a lot of the offensive slack for Holy Cross over the last few weeks.

Week 9's top rushers: Adrian Brown (Holy Cross) 18 rush, 342 yds, 4 TD; Brenden Lytton (Torrington) 33 rush, 269 yds, 3 TD; Matt Zaccagnini (Woodland) 36 rush, 248 yds, 3 TD; Joan Toribio (Torrington) 24 rush, 243 yds, 4 TD; Anthony Avoletta (Watertown) 23 rush, 229 yds, 2 TD; Jake Yourison (Naugatuck) 17 rush, 188 yds, 3 TD; Jon Wilson (Seymour) 17 rush, 143 yds, 2 TD; Marcel Lugo (Crosby) 17 rush, 131 yds; Dave DiGiorgi (Holy Cross) 11 rush, 114 yds, TD; Arkeel Newsome (Ansonia) 7 rush, 107 yds, 3 TD; Tyshon Rogers (Crosby) 13 rush, 84 yds, 3 TD

Week 9's top passers: Logan Marchi (St. Paul) 28-48, 374 yds, TD; Mike Nicol (Wolcott) 12-22, 197 yds, 3 TD; Javon Martin (Sacred Heart) 10-19, 170 yds, 4 TD; Marcel Lugo (Crosby) 7-19, 155 yds, 2 TD, INT; Luke Grabowski (Seymour) 13-24, 140 yds, TD, 4 INT; Elliot Chudwick (Ansonia) 5-7, 107 yds, 2 TD; Ray Kreiger (Derby) 5 TD

Week 9's top receivers: Justin Gonzalez (St. Paul) 13 rec, 255 yds; Tyshon Rogers (Crosby) 6 rec, 119 yds, TD; Dillon McMahon (Derby) 3 TD

How It Looked
Remmy took some video from the Ansonia-Wilby game, so check out the highlights here. As always, we feature some multimedia provided by our friends at the local media outlets.

Videos: Naugatuck-Kennedy, Sacred Heart-Torrington
Photos: Crosby-Derby, Sacred Heart-Torrington, Wolcott-Woodland

What's Next
Well, the NVL Championship is Thursday. That means the NVL Blog Tailgate Party and BBQ is also Thursday. We hope you will join us.

We will preview the game with a breakdown on Tuesday morning. Hopefully we will also have the Predictions Tracker updated before then.

Week 9 Live Scoreboard, Quick Playoff Look

Today, we will have reports from Woodland-Wolcott, Seymour-Watertown, and Torrington-Sacred Heart. The Woodland-Wolcott game will be broadcast on WATR 1320 AM and watr.com. Last night, Naugatuck beat Kennedy easily while Ansonia and Derby both recorded lopsided victories.

Playoff Update
Ansonia is the only team in the state to have clinched a playoff berth, as they are locked in to the Class M field. With a win over Wilby, the Chargers would very likely have a home quarterfinal game locked up, and if Ansonia wins both of its final games, it will be the top seed in Class M.

Holy Cross is also almost a sure bet in the Class S field. Even if the Crusaders lose their final two games--which appears extremely unlikely at the moment--they would probably still be a low seed in the playoffs. If Holy Cross wins out, it will host a quarterfinal. A loss on Thanksgiving to Wolcott will put a home game in jeopardy.

Wolcott can likely qualify with a win over Woodland on Saturday, even if the Eagles lose to Holy Cross on Thanksgiving. There will probably be multiple three-loss teams in the Class M field, and Wolcott would almost certainly be one of them if it wins one of its last two, especially as Kyle predicts a few of the other Class M contenders to lose games in the last few weeks of the season.

Seymour and Woodland both need to win out to have a chance to make the Class S field. Since they play on Thanksgiving eve, only one of these teams can make it--and neither may. If either team slips up in Week 9, the Thanksgiving eve game will mean nothing except bragging rights. If both teams win in Week 9, the game between the two will probably yield a playoff team, as long as other teams perform as Kyle suspects.

Torrington's chances to make the Class L field are slim, especially because of the strength of the teams above them. Even if a number of teams lose to tie Torrington with 8-2 records, almost every other team has higher point totals because of stronger schedules. Simply, there needs to be some chaos in order for the Red Raiders to make the playoffs.

For Kyle's detailed breakdowns of each class' playoff standings, check out the Red Zone blog.

As always, you can follow updates from as many games as we have reports from on Twitter using the live scoreboard below. If you have a Twitter (which we recommend having) and you'll be at any game during this season, make sure you tweet your updates and use the #ctfb hashtag. You can also tweet @NVLFOOTBALL or @kylebrennan1 and we'll try to retweet you. Enjoy the games!

Click here for a replay of the Week 9 Live Scoreboard.

Week 9 Predictions

So now that we have no more divisional drama (congratulations to Ansonia and Holy Cross for both winning their divisions in Week 8), we concentrate on teams jockeying for state playoff position in Week 9.

With the crazy schedule we had last week, Kyle and Remmy have no videos for you again this week. Don't worry, we'll have our best videos for you in previewing the NVL Championship next week. But we do have our usual CSWA Top 15 Polls and NVL Power Rankings for you.

Kyle's CSWA Top 15: 1) Masuk, 2) Xavier, 3) Ansonia, 4) Daniel Hand, 5) Staples, 6) Windsor, 7) Conard, 8) Notre Dame-West Haven, 9) Valley Regional/Old Lyme, 10) North Haven, 11) New Canaan, 12) New London, 13) Glastonbury, 14) Bunnell, 15) West Haven

Remmy's CSWA Top 15: 1) Masuk, 2) Xavier, 3) Ansonia, 4) Daniel Hand, 5) Windsor, 6) Staples, 7) Valley Regional/Old Lyme, 8) Conard, 9) Notre Dame-West Haven, 10) North Haven, 11) Northwest Catholic, 12) Newtown, 13) New Canaan, 14) Berlin, 15) Greenwich

Kyle's and Remmy's NVL Power Rankings: 1) Ansonia, 2) Holy Cross, 3) Torrington, 4) Woodland, 5) Wolcott

Now, we move on to our Week 9 picks. A number of these games have been rescheduled to Saturday due to last week's funky, electricity-influenced schedule. We have no Game of the Week this week since both divisions have been wrapped up, but Wolcott-Woodland might be the single most important game in terms of state playoff ramifications. (Speaking of those implications, we'll have a look at the state playoff picture and where the NVL teams stand on Thursday.)

Wilby (4-4) at Ansonia (8-0): Once again, probably not much to see here. Despite Wilby's athleticism and good one-two rushing attack, this will likely be the first game of the season that the Wildcats aren't within striking distance of winning. This is Ansonia's last tune-up before next week's NVL Championship against Holy Cross, so the starters won't be playing much longer than necessary with a short turnaround week.
Picks: Remmy- Ansonia, 47-18. Kyle- Ansonia, 48-12.

Derby (3-5) at Crosby (1-7): Derby played its best game of the season last week in a fairly unexpected rout of Seymour, which derailed the Wildcats' playoff hopes for now. Ray Kreiger has just two games left in his career, so we expect him to get the very most out of them. Don't be surprised at another 300-yard-passing, 100-yard-rushing performance by the best quarterback in the league.
Picks: Remmy- Derby, 52-12. Kyle- Derby, 49-13.

Kennedy (1-7) at Naugatuck (5-3): This very well could be the upset of the week. Kennedy is coming off its best offensive effort of the season and very nearly pulled a huge upset over Torrington last week. The Eagles had tremendous success on the ground but couldn't make enough stops, although they did force a few turnovers and recover an onside kick. Naugatuck floundered for the first three quarters against Watertown before pulling through. We think Naugy's defense will be just enough in this game, but a Kennedy win is very much in the question
Picks: Remmy- Naugatuck, 28-20. Kyle- Naugatuck, 34-22.

Wolcott (6-2) at Woodland (5-3): Neither one of these teams have won a big game this season, so something has to give in this one. Both teams have their playoff hopes riding almost completely on this game; the loser will be very likely out (especially if the Hawks lose) and the winner will be within striking distance for its Thanksgiving game. Woodland's line play has been disappointing in its three losses while Wolcott's athletes had nowhere to go last week against Ansonia. Can the Eagles' speed pose problems this week for Woodland, or can the Hawks' line finally get back in gear?
Picks: Remmy- Woodland, 36-18. Kyle- Wolcott, 30-27.

Sacred Heart (3-4) at Torrington (6-2): Both offenses in this game are quite capable while the defenses have been hot and cold this season. We would assume that Brenden Lytton will return full-time this week for the Red Raiders, who nearly lost without his services last week. Sacred Heart has injury issues of its own with Jaquan Overbey being sidelined recently. Both teams have good backup runners, though, so the offensive fireworks should be there. A few turnovers here or there may determine this game. The Raiders' slim Class L playoff hopes depend on this win.
Picks: Remmy- Sacred Heart, 62-59. Kyle- Torrington, 59-40.

Holy Cross (7-1) at St. Paul (0-8): The Crusaders played their best game of the season last week in a beatdown of Woodland, and now they get Dave DiGiorgi back for the Saturday game at St. Paul. This is Holy Cross' last chance to figure everything out before next week's NVL Championship against Ansonia. Everything is coming around on all sides of the ball for Cross. The Crusaders have scored a defensive touchdown in almost every game, so you can probably count on another here.
Picks: Remmy- Holy Cross, 34-28. Kyle- Holy Cross, 41-14.

Watertown (2-6) at Seymour (5-3): Seymour suffered its most disappointing loss of the season to Derby in Week 8, a loss that severely damaged the Wildcats' Class S playoff hopes. Seymour needs to win its last two games against Watertown and Woodland in order to have a chance. The Wildcats' defense has been questionable this season, but it shouldn't be too much of a problem against a non-explosive Watertown team.
Picks: Remmy- Seymour, 30-22. Kyle- Seymour, 34-21.

As always, we invite you to make your picks along with us. We'll be updating the Predictions Tracker soon as we close in on the end of the regular season. Can CaptainObvious hang on to the lead? We'll see.

And here are some stats through Week 8. We will have a complete list of stats once the regular season ends including multiple categories not listed below.

Stats are all taken from teams’ MaxPreps unless noted otherwise. Rep-Am stats do not seem to be the most current.

Top Five Passers:
1) Ray Kreiger – Derby: 129-213, 1,979 yards, 18 TD, 5 INT
2) Logan Marchi – St. Paul: 114-253, 1,844 yards, 21 TD, 17 INT
3) Tanner Kingsley – Woodland: 86-144, 1,146 yards, 13 TD, 7 INT
4) Luke Grabowski – Seymour: 58-128, 880 yards, 8 TD, 7 INT
5) Mike Nicol – Wolcott: 48-94, 826 yards, 6 TD (Rep-Am)
Top Five Rushers:
1) Arkeel Newsome – Ansonia: 156 carries, 2,094 yards, 33 TD
2) Brenden Lytton – Torrington: 200 carries, 2,069 yards, 25 TD
3) Jake Yourison – Naugatuck: 167 carries, 1,027 yards, 15 TD
4) Jacob Thomas – Wilby: 94 carries, 936 yards, 10 TD (Rep-Am)
5) Matt Zaccagnini – Woodland: 166 carries, 849 yards, 9 TD
Top Five Receivers:
1) Justin Gonzalez – St. Paul: 54 rec., 1,026 yards, 11 TD
2) Dillon McMahon – Derby: 42 rec., 812 yards, 7 TD
3) Anthony Scirpo – Woodland: 28 rec., 400 yards, 6 TD
4) Brian Dobek – Derby: 33 rec., 519 yards, 5 TD
5) Tim Adanti – Derby: 31 rec., 409 yards, 5 TD

Also, the Woodland-Wolcott game will serve as a fundraiser for the Fisher House, which is an organization that helps with housing for military families and veterans in military hospitals. The Hawks will be selling T-shirts with proceeds going toward the Fisher House. Also, all veterans and current servicemen and servicewomen will have free admission to the game with identification. It's a great cause, so try to get out there on Saturday if you can.

Week 8 Wrap (in brief)

Ansonia's Tyler Lester looks to run with Arkeel Newsome as a blocker. The Chargers clinched the Brass Division title with a 48-14 win over Wolcott and will face Holy Cross next week for the
NVL championship. Credit: Jim Shannon/Republican-American

We wish we had a Week 8 wrap for you or some Week 9 picks as usual by now, but the ridiculous schedule necessitated by last week's power outages force us to forge on quickly. We'll have Week 9 picks up later on Tuesday. Congratulations to Ansonia and Holy Cross for winning their divisions in Week 8.

Quickly, here are the top stars from the winners of Week 8: Ansonia's Arkeel Newsome (19 rush, 204 yds, 5 TD; 27-yd pass TD), Derby's Ray Kreiger (13-19, 324 yds, 4 TD; 10 rush, 122 yds, 3 TD) and Dillon McMahon (7 rec, 212 yds, 3 TD), Wilby's Jacob Thomas (20 rush, 151 yds; 2 TD pass; special teams TD) and Jay'Len Mahan (15 rush, 150 yds, 2 TD), Sacred Heart's Jolly Black (22 rush, 256 yds, 2 TD), Naugatuck's Jake Yourison (10 rush, 92 yds, 2 TD; 5-13, 88 yds, TD), Torrington's Joan Toribeo (46 rush, 305 yds, 4 TD), Holy Cross' Isaiah Wright (7 rec, 115 yds; 2 INT; INT-return TD).

Week 8 game articles: Ansonia-Wolcott, Derby-Seymour, Wilby-Crosby, St. Paul-Sacred Heart, Woodland-Holy Cross, Naugatuck-Watertown, Kennedy-Torrington
Week 8 game photos: Ansonia-Wolcott, Woodland-Holy Cross
Week 8 game videos: Ansonia-Wolcott, Naugatuck-Watertown

Week 9 has huge implications for the state playoff picture. Ansonia and Holy Cross are both basically in the playoffs, but Wolcott, Woodland, Seymour, and Torrington are all squarely on the bubble. They will all likely need wins in Week 9 to stay alive.

Week 8 Live Scoreboard

Click here for a replay of the Week 8 Live Scoreboard.

Co-Games of the Week 8: Woodland-Holy Cross, Ansonia-Wolcott

We're not exactly sure when all of this week's games will be played, but they will have to go on sometime because at least one of our division championships will be on the line. Ansonia-Wolcott will definitely be for the Brass Division title, and the Woodland-Holy Cross game could be for the Copper title if the Crusaders win.

Woodland at Holy Cross

Remmy's Keys to the Game: Woodland bounced back last week by annihilating Naugatuck in Beacon Falls. I was there for the second half and it was a solid win for the Hawks. Holy Cross has won some rather close games this season. But winning this game is what it’s all about and the Crusaders have done just that. There’s a lot on the line here this week. If Woodland wins, it goes into a three-way tie with Torrington and Holy Cross in the Copper Division. If Holy Cross wins, the Crusaders win the division and will play in the NVL title game. HC needs to keep winning and in order to do so this week, it will need production from its backfield. Now, a big key may be missing for the Crusaders, but a few guys have stepped in and played lights-out lately. So, Holy Cross should not miss a beat.
Kyle's Keys to the Game: Woodland's short passing game has been excellent when the Hawks are at their best. I think a few quick slants and screens, along with the running game, can really keep Woodland moving down the field. Setting up the offense with the short game and blowing out with one of the big plays in the bank could really be successful for the Hawks. For Holy Cross, the running game has been pretty consistent but of late the passing game has been solid and not as mistake-prone as it was early in the season. This game could very well come down to the turnover battle because of the strength of both defenses and the attempted balance of both offenses. It's very likely that this game will be a one-score contest, and just one turnover may be the difference.

Remmy's Players to Watch: As I mentioned in last week’s video, Woodland WR Anthony Scirpo was due to have the biggest game of his career and he did just that versus Naugatuck. I’m sure the Woodland coaches knew what Scirpo was capable of on the field, but last week had to have opened their eyes. Use this guy as a weapon this week and your chances of beating HC will be very high. We saw how Hawks QB Tanner Kingsley rolled out of the pocket and delivered the ball to Scirpo on many occasions. This will be critical again this week. On defense for the Hawks, LB Dave Alves will need to plow through that HC offensive line and make sure QB Zach Brown is uncomfortable. Brown has a great arm but has a tendency to get nervous when he feels pressure. Force Brown into making errant throws and let the Woodland secondary do its thing—pick off passes. Holy Cross RB/LB David DiGiorgi may not play in this game. The ‘Saders will miss him more on defense than on offense. Holy Cross must utilize RB Adrian Brown’s speed and get him the ball as much as possible. I expect HC to try to dismantle Woodland early by looking for its best athlete, freshman WR Isaiah Wright, on posts, drags, and fly patterns. If Brown is not being pressured and is allowed to fire the ball to Wright, this will be a long night for the Black and Gold.

Kyle's Players to Watch: Remmy hit on most of the big players in this game. For Woodland, Matt Zaccagnini has improved on the ground over the last two weeks and will be important to the Hawks' chances. On defense, Levi Fancher and Eric Collodel have been very good in the front seven and will be important to stopping the run and pressuring Zach Brown. For the Crusaders, Anthony Jamele has been one of the team's best defensive players all season and will be crucial to slowing down Woodland's short offense. Nick Giambacini emerged last week as a second rushing option and may be the go-to guy in goal-line situations for Cross.

Picks: Remmy- Holy Cross, 27-22. Kyle- Woodland, 21-14. Both of us are picking based on who we had winning the Copper Division in the preseason.

Ansonia at Wolcott

Remmy's Keys to the Game: For the visiting Chargers, the key to this game will hinge on the toughness of their offensive and defensive lines. Ansonia wins when its line is crushing its opponents. Wolcott has a reputation of being a very tough team in the trenches. This year is no different despite the absence of (now Wilby coach) Patrick Russo. The fans may not have to watch Arkeel Newsome run wild on the field to tell that the Chargers win this game. Just look at the battle at the line of scrimmage. That’ll tell you all you need to know. Last week, when the Chargers hosted Crosby, we saw some more of the passing game on display. I expect Tom Brockett to call Newsome’s number until the damage is done before he elects to go with the passing game. But, what else is new? Ansonia has struggled early in a few games this year. If I were Wolcott and won the coin toss, I’d elect to go on offense and try to get on the board first. Wolcott will need to get the ball to the outside if it intends on having any chance at winning this game—both in the run game and with the passing game. Everyone knows Ansonia loves to blitz and clog the middle. If Wolcott gets its speed to the corners, it will have success against Ansonia. That’s easier said than done, of course. The Eagles will have the tough task of stopping the Ansonia power-run game. Blitz Ansonia and hope it disrupts Ansonia’s offensive line's blocking scheme and get Newsome while you can. Force Ansonia to pass the ball and take your chances there.
Kyle's Keys to the Game: I very much agree with Remmy's keys to the game. Wolcott is going to have to find a way to outscore Ansonia to win. Remember, this Eagles defense gave up over 60 points to Torrington earlier this season. Wolcott is likely one of the fastest teams in the NVL and will have to use that to its advantage by getting Mike Nicol, DeVante Bonvillian, and others out in space on the outside of the field. Avoiding the Ansonia blitzes with screens and dumps to Bonvillian and the other Wolcott wideouts could be key. The Chargers really shouldn't have to do much different than they usually do. The coaching staff may have gained some confidence in the passing game, but I don't think that will be a major factor in this game. Newsome has rushed less than 20 times over the last two weeks, so he'll be completely ready to go

Remmy's Players to Watch: It goes without saying that Wolcott QB Mike Nicol and RB DeVante Bonvillian will be two of the big playmakers on offense for the Eagles. But keep your eyes peeled for sophomore RB/DB Chad Acevedo. Acevedo, a former Crosby Bulldog, has scored touchdowns each of the last two weeks and is one of the speediest players on the field. Acevedo will line up at RB or in the slot and could be the key factor to Wolcott’s success in this game because he is so dynamic. All eyes will be on Ansonia RB Arkeel Newsome, like they are every week. The aerial assault may be part of the game-plan this week, with QB Elliot Chudwick tossing the ball to wide receivers Andrew Matos and Raeshaun Finney. But the real players to watch for Ansonia will be guys on the offensive line: Jake LaRovera, Arek Kaszuba, Tyler Williams, Dylan Vano, Hakeem Martin, and Matt Hall. These guys will determine whether or not Ansonia wins this game. Fact.
Kyle's Players to Watch: Remmy covered the playmakers for both teams. One thing we have to remember is that Wolcott's lines aren't as big as they used to be. The speed on both lines has been beneficial against most opponents so far, but against the big fronts of Torrington, Wolcott struggled. Ansonia's lines are even better than the Red Raiders', so if the Eagles' fronts can't compete with the Chargers, this won't be much of a game. Ansonia's defense has been the best in the league all season, and that should continue with Tyler Wood and others.

Picks: Remmy- Ansonia, 42-18. Kyle- Ansonia, 48-21. Neither one of us see Ansonia having too much trouble in picking up another Brass title.

If you haven't done so yet, go ahead and make your picks with us and we'll add them to the Predictions Tracker. We'll certainly know at least one division champion after this week and we very well may know our NVL title matchup by late Saturday night.

We will have the latest scheduling updates here all week long, so make sure to keep visiting if you can.