Masuk is No. 1 in final state poll
When the preseason poll was released in April, threetime defending Class L champion Masuk was voted the No. 1 team in the state, receiving 12 first place votes in the GameTimeCT poll.
Masuk would lose its opening day game against Ludlowe as well as its No. 1 ranking. But the Panthers bounced back in convincing fashion, winning 26 straight, including tournament championships in both the South-West Conference and CIAC Class L to reclaim the top spot in final poll of the season.
Masuk has now finished the year as the No. 1 team for a fourth consecutive season dating back to 2018 after claiming its fourth straight Class L title with a 4-0 win over Waterford and earning eight first-place votes with the dust settled.
Masuk, Southington and Fairfield Ludlowe created a bit of a triangle during the season. When Ludlowe defeated Masuk 2-0 on opening day, Ludlowe took over the No. 1 spot and held it throughout the regular season. Ludlowe lost to Southington 7-3 in the Class LL semifinals, but Southington’s lone loss during the regular season came to Masuk 6-0.
With both Masuk and Southington winning state titles, that regular season head-to-head matchup appears to be what has propelled the Panthers ahead of the Blue Knights in voters’ minds.
Class LL champion Southington finishes the year as the No. 2 team in the state with three first-place votes. Southington has now won three straight Class LL titles.
Coming in at No. 3 is the only undefeated team, Woodland. The Hawks did not play fellow Top 4 mainstays Masuk, Southington or Ludlowe. The Class M champions still received three first-place votes.
Ludlowe held the No. 1 spot for most of the year and carried it into the state tournament after winning its second straight FCIAC title. Ludlowe was eliminated by Southington in the Class LL semifinals and dropped to No. 4.
Class L runner-up Waterford flirted with the Top 5 all season and ends the year as the No. 5 team after its impressive postseason run that was only derailed by No. 1 Masuk.
No. 6 Bristol Central makes its Top 10 debut in the final poll, having made a run to the Class LL championship game by defeating the likes of Danbury, Trumbull and Cheshire before getting eliminated by No. 2 Southington.
No. 7 Danbury fell short of its tournament goals, losing in the FCIAC title game and falling in the Class LL semifinals to Bristol Central, but the Hatters remain a Top 10 team after their impressive regular season in which they lost just one game.
Class S champion Cromwell makes its Top 10 debut after being overshadowed by conference rival Haddam-Killingworth in the poll for most of the year. Cromwell won its first state title thanks to a complete game shutout by ace Lily Kenney, who allowed just one run in four tournament games.
East Haven had its Class L tournament run cut short by blistering hot Bristol Eastern, but was still able to bring home its first SCC championship to finish the year at No. 9.
No. 10 Hall edged out potential newcomer Oxford by just one point to officially end the season as a Top 10 team. Hall was eliminated in the Class LL tournament by Fairfield Ludlowe 2-1. Oxford just misses as the Class M runner-up, having lost to Woodland 4-0.