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 StadiumRadio: WATR 1320 AMSeries History: 62nd meeting; series tied, 30-30-1Series 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 AMSeries 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!
