HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL / WEEK 7 PREVIEW CAPSULES
TODAY'S GAMES Killingly at Waterford, 6:30 p.m. Records: Killingly (4-1, 2-0 ECC Div. II); Waterford (2-3, 1-1)
Last week: Killingly defeated Stonington 49-0; Waterford lost to Bacon Academy 21-14
Outlook: Killingly has the best chance of any ECC school to qualify for the playoffs. The Redmen must win their remaining games, however. They sit in the final playoff spot in Class M, only 10 points in front of No. 9 Weston and 20 points in front of No. 10 Brookfield. A win here would give Killingly an all but insurmountable lead within ECC Div. II. Waterford lost a disappointing game at Bacon last week and must contend with Killingly’s beefy run game. defeated Wilbur Cross 23-6
Outlook: The Falcons rebounded from their loss to New London with the ECC’s lone win over the Southern Connecticut Conference last week. Senior Nick Helbig made seven tackles and had two sacks and two safeties in the win over Wilbur Cross, as Fitch’s defense allowed 37 total yards. Bacon won its first game of the season last week over Waterford. Ledyard at East Lyme, 6:30 p.m. Records: Ledyard (2-3); East Lyme (1-4)
Last week: Ledyard lost to Lyman Hall 20-13; East Lyme lost to Weston 34-11
Outlook: Ledyard has shown improvement in recent weeks, not only defeating Montville but by being competitive with Lyman Hall last week, a team that defeated Montville 41-0 earlier in the season. Jaiden Bickham kicked field goals of 21 and 28 yards last week for Ledyard on the real grass of Bill Mignault Field. Bickham gets the more kicker friendly artificial turf of East Lyme this week. The Vikings scored a season low 11 points last week. Windham at Stonington, 6:30 p.m. Records: Windham (2-2); Stonington (0-5)
Last week: Windham lost to Griswold 20-8; Stonington lost to Killingly 49-0
Outlook: The news wasn’t all bad for Windham, despite its loss to Griswold last week. Senior Nate Barbosa-Torres ran 20 times for 102 yards and a touchdown and set the Windham school career rushing record (4,198 yards). Hank Reed, a 1972 graduate, held the previous record (4,111).
North Branford at Valley Reg./Old Lyme, 6:30 p.m.
Records: North Branford (2-3, 1-2 Pequot Sassacus); Valley/OL (4-0, 3-0)
Last week: Both teams were idle Outlook: It gets significantly harder after this one for Valley/Old Lyme, which will start to play the iron of the Sassacus Division in the coming weeks. They’ll start next week with unbeaten Cromwell/ Portland. For now, though, the Cats have the final playoff spot in Class S, which would be augmented with a victory here. Fairfield Ludlowe at Montville, 6:30 p.m. Records: Ludlowe (4-1); Montville (2-3)
Last week: Both teams were idle Outlook: Ludlowe is a game behind No. 2 Greenwich for the lead in Division I of the FCIAC, even ahead of New Canaan. They’ve beaten Westhill, Norwalk (beat East Lyme), McMahon and Trinity Catholic (scoring 61 points). Hence, the Indians, who snapped a three-game losing streak two weeks ago to Amistad, have a tall order. Windsor at NFA, 6:30 p.m. Records: Windsor (4-1); NFA (3-2)
Last week: Windsor defeated E.O. Smith 35-0; NFA lost to Newtown 51-14
Outlook: Shaun Hunter ran for 110 yards and Gabriel Bryan scored on a 70-yard interception return in Windsor’s win last week. NFA’s schedule from hell continues here against a school tied with Middletown atop its division of the Central Connecticut Conference.
Bacon Academy at Fitch, 6:30 p.m. Records: Bacon (1-4); Fitch (3-2) Last week: Bacon defeated Waterford 21-14; Fitch