How a season progesses

As I prepare for the two championship games I will call on Saturday at West Haven, a review of notes and clippings kept.... prove to be interesting! For example, and probably the most glaring, the pre-season poll of media and sportswriters. The New Haven Register Poll had Seymour #5, Ansonia #10. The CT. Sportswriters Alliance had Seymour #4, Ansonia #5 and Crosby #22.  What a difference 12 weeks makes!


As many observers of the NVL have noted in other blogs, it was clearly a down year in the league.  For the first time since 2000 and just the third time since 1976 when the CIAC Playoffs began, the NVL will not have a team in the championship round. I don't think too many league followers would have thought, at the beginning of the season, the NVL would be without a representative on championship Saturday.BUT, two games have NVL connections!
The Cheshire QB is Greg Palmer, son of Dr. Terry Palmer, nephew of Gary and Bernie Palmer! All three were fine Naugatuck QB's. Bernie, then Gary, then Terry. Bernie went on to start at UCONN when the Huskies played in the old Yankee Conference. NVLstatman was both a high school and college classmate of Bernie. The other NVL connection that I know of is Bethel and their head coach, Jason Gill. Bethel and Gill were coached by one of the really good men in life, the late Ralph DeSantis. Ralph was a PE teacher and assistant FB coach at Naugatuck High before accepting the head job at Bethel. I had the pleasure of knowing Ralph both as a student and acquaintance. A terrific,terrific man.

Back to the polls.

Not one media member, be it print or electronic or any of the voting coaches had St.Joseph's on their radar screen! As a matter of fact, a scan of the Register and Alliance top ten polls shows only one team that has made it to the championship game, New Canaan. Lou Marinelli's Rams are seeking their 4th consecutive crown and 8th overall. Their first? 1982 against Naugatuck. Nvlstatman and I called the game on WATR-AM, the Naugy tight end that day? Non other than Pomperaug Offensive coordinator Steve Croce. The coach may be joining statman and me in the booth Saturday for the Cheshire-Staples game.

Both games may be affected by weather as forecasts show a threat of rain then snow with declining temperatures. The wind? Ah we all know West Haven and the wind, forecast to be out of the North, 6-9mph, increasing to 10-14mph by the evening. Temperatures start out in the low 40's and will fall off into the low 30's. This should give the upper hand to the defenses and whomever  plays the best defense, wins the trophy. Three coaches told me that Wednesday at the football luncheon......defense, defense, defense.


More anon.