Area football teams facing biggest games of season

MIDDLETOWN — Middletown High, Cromwell/Portland and Wesleyan University all face their biggest games of the season as area football teams approach the season’s stretch drive.

Valley Regional/Old Lyme will continue its run towards a playoff spot, Xavier faces off against longtime rival Notre Dame, and Haddam-Killingworth, Coginhaug/HaleRay and Vinal/East Hampton/Goodwin Teach all have winnable games in week seven of the football season.

E.O. SMITH (3-2) VS. MIDDLETOWN (5-0) ROSEK-SKUBEL STADIUM, MHS TONIGHT AT 7

Coach Sal Morello said Smith is the best team his club will have faced so far.

“They led Windsor by two touchdowns in the second half and had a very good Maloney team tied in the fourth quarter,” said Morello of his team’s annual Homecoming game. “They are very physical and this is a game that will be decided up front. We’re going to have to match their physicality in order to win. They are very good.”

Smith lost to undefeated Windsor 28-21 when Windsor scored with 35 seconds left in the game and once-beaten Maloney needed a fourth quarter touchdown to win, 21-14. Smith dispatched Wethersfield 21-7, Bristol Eastern — which has won two in a row — 14-7 and demolished CREC 42-8.

The visitors’ star is Rondell Boothroyd, who has committed to play at Division I Temple. “He gave both Windsor and Maloney a lot of problems,” said Morello.

The Blue Dragons will rely on the diversified attack that has it has produced in every game, plus its defense which has overwhelmed the five opponents MHS has played to date, putting up two shutouts.

Morello said his team is healthy and he hopes to have OL/DL Max Cyr back after he was hospitalized two weeks ago with an illness.

The game will be carried live by wcnxra-

dio.com. the local Internet radio station. MIDDLETOWN to win a good one.

OLD SAYBROOK/WESTBROOK (5-0) VS. CROMWELL/PORTLAND (5-0) PIERSON PARK, CROMWELL TONIGHT AT 6

This battle of unbeatens is crucial for the playoff hopes of both teams. Normally, one loss wouldn’t be a killer in the playoff hunt. But Class S is loaded with undefeated and once-beaten teams and it just might be a 9-1 team could be on the outside looking in come playoff time.

As it is, OSW is ranked No. 7 and C/P is NO 10 — and only eight teams qualify for the tournament.

“We’re going to have to stop their quarterback,” said C/P coach Randell Bennett. “He drives them, he’s a safety on defense, returns punts — he does everything.. For us to win we have to contain him, but we have to play our style of football.”

And that means the Panthers, who are averaging 47 points per game, need to have their balanced, big-strike offense in gear. That won’t be easy as OSW shut down Valley Regional/Old Lyme’s potent attack in a 34-13 romp over the Warriors two weeks ago.

“We can’t let them control the pace of the game,” said Bennett. “We need to dictate pace.”

Bennett said the bye week was helpful in healing the bumps and bruises and his club is healthy.

CROMWELL/PORTLAND to win a close one.

XAVIER (2-3) VS. NOTRE DAME (2-3) VETERAN’S STADIUM, WEST HAVEN TONIGHT AT 7

This is a long-time rivalry, a series that has produced memorable games and this one looks to be an even match.

Nether team has the record it had hoped, but a win would mean a .500 record with four to play and if the winner can run the table, it would likely have a shot at a playoff berth. But that’s a long way off. “Notre Dame is a lot like us,” said coach Andy Guyon. “They lost their first three, but have won two in a row. They have a good quarterback, a good running back and a good wide receiver. They always seem to find players for those spots.”

Xavier has a pretty good player at each of those positions, too. The key may well be to give quarterback Will Levis time to pass. Fairfield Prep sacked him six times in its win over the Falcons two weeks ago and the passing game couldn’t get going.

“The Prep game just snowballed,” said Guyon. “It was a good, close game in the first half, but then things just got away in the second half. But we have moved on. It’s a cliche, but our attitude is to take one day at a time.

“For us to win we need to take care of the football, create takeaways and stop their run game.”

Xavier has a history of winning must games and for the Falcons to have a successful season, that’s exactly what this is. XAVIER to win.

WESLEYAN (4-1) VS. AMHERST (4-1) PRATT FIELD, LEHRMAN STADIUM AMHERST, MASS. SATURDAY AT 1 P.M.

If Wesleyan is going to win the Little Three and the NESCAC crown, a win at Amherst is required.

“This is a great rivalry,” said Wesleyan coach Dan DiCenzo. “We’ve split our last four games and in two of them the favorite didn’t win. We know what kind of game this is. They have a good quarterback, good receivers and two good tailbacks. They are solid all-around.”

Olli Eberth (49-for-83, 854 yards, eight touchdowns) is the Mammoths’ QB, the top two running backs are Jack Hickey (56-for-397, five TDs) and Hasani Figueroa (51-215) and the top three receivers are James O’Regan (23-for-428, four TDs) and Bo Berluti (18-172) and Craig Carmilani (8-197).

“We’re a little banged up,” said DiCenzo. “So we’ll have several game-time decisions to make, including [Dario] Highsmith [ankle].”

Wesleyan counters with quarterback Mark Piccirillo out of Shelton High (139-for-193, 1666 yards, 15 touchdowns). Piccirillo is also the team;s leading rusher with 275 yards on 72 carries. Wesleyan is very pass-heavy as the Cardinals have rushed for only 635 yards in five games.

Piccirillo’s leading receivers are Mike Breuler (57 catches, 809, seven TDs), Eric Meyreles (17-197) and Gernald Hawkins (13-122).

After the injury to Highsmith last week, Sean Penney out of Simsbury High ran for 54 yards against Bates.

“He did a great job,” said DiCenzo. “He didn’t play for a really good team, but we liked what we saw of him in high school. Our offense has played very well and we love the way Piccirillo competes. We need to play a little bit better defensively.”

Amherst has demolished Bates (41-17), Hamilton (36-6), Bowdoin (31-14) and Colby (40-7) and lost to Middlebury by four (35-31). Wesleyan’s lone loss was 30-27 to Middlebury. It looks like a pick-’em game The pick is WESLEYAN.

OTHER GAMES

THAMES VALLEY (2-3) should beat Vinal/East Hampton/Goodwin Tech (0-5) tonight at 6 at Palmer Field, VALLEY/OLD LYME to beat North Branford on the road at 6:30 tonight, HADDAM-KILLINGWORTH (2-3) to win at Nonnewaug (1-4) Saturday at 1 p.m., and COGINCHAUG/HALE-RAY (2-3) to beat Lewis Mills (0-5) at the Wally Camp Complex in Durham Saturday at 1 p.m. Last week: 3-0. Season record: 25-11.