PLAYOFF INFORMATION

Remember, the football playoff system is different this season. While the top eight in each class qualify, the top eight will be broken into two groups of four based on boy enrollment and two champions will be crowned in each class. I know, makes little sense, but it’s a done deal.

In each class, the four largest (in terms of boy enrollment) will play in one division and the four smaller school will play in another. Doesn’t make any difference where a teamfinishes in the top eight, the re-seeding will be done by enrollment.

Take Class L. Schools in contention for playoff spots after six weeks are Darien (686), Naugatuck (670), New Canaan (640), Wethersfield (625), Middletown (622), Notre Dame of West Haven (622), Masuk (615) Windsor (612), Platt (606) and North Haven (599). There could be movement, but let’s assume those are these 10 are the ones that will vie for the eight spots.

Froma local perspective, Middletown could fall in either group, should it qualify. If Darien, Naugatuck, New Canaan and Wethersfield qualify, then Middletown would be in the second group. If one of them doesn’t, thenMHSmight be in the top group, depending on Notre Dame, which has the same number of boys.

Again, it doesn’t make any difference where in the top eight a team falls. Just make the top eight, baby. There are only two rounds of playoffs.

The same deal applies to Xavier. If four of the following qualify -- Danbury (1483), Southington (1001), New Britain (1299), Newtown (882), Fairfield Prep (901) -- then Xavier (863) would be in the second group. If only three or fewer make it, Xavier would be in the top four. The other LL contenders include Cheshire (824), Brien McMahon (818), Shelton (768) and Hall (750).

Stay tuned. as the city youth football teams will be guests of the high school ... Xavier’s Andrew Verre has to be getting a lot of college looks for his place kicking ... the kid waiting in the wings to be the next big-time kicker is freshmanMike Aresco at Middletown ... kid’s already good.

MHS alum Devon Carrillo turned an ankle in the Amherst game ... he had 18 yards rushing on five carries and a tackle on defense before the injury ... that hurt Wesleyan’s offense ... still, the Cardinals put 30 points on the board ... do that, you should win the game ... Noah Cruz, the Bristol Central QB, was at Xavier last year ... “We would have used him at linebacker,” said Xavier assistant coach Dick Nobile of the kid who played a lot for the Falcons last season. “It hurt us that he left.”

Haddam-Killingworth has won two in a row ... after an 0-11 season, the Cougars get this week’sWay To Go Award ... theMHS freshman football team is 4-1 ... Xavier was 3-2 before its weekend game with West Haven.

Big game Friday for Xavier in West Haven against Notre Dame, a 4033 winner over West Haven last week ... ND needs to win to stay in the Class L playoff race ... West Haven is out of the LL race at 3-3 ... Hand is out of the L race at 2-4 ... may be the best 2-4 team around ... Ansonia fell to 11th in Class S with its 14-8 loss at Newtown ... but there is time for Ansonia to get back in the hunt, but it better win out ... not having Ansonia in the playoffs would be like not having the Yankees in the playoffs ... oh yeah, that happened.

Wethersfield continued to roll ... I think the Eagles are far underrated in the state polls ... Southington ought to solidify its ranking as No. 1 this week in the Register poll as the Blue Knights annihilated previously unbeaten Hall 49-0 ... the CCC is at it again, totally revising the league football divisions ... whereas the SCC is a model of stability, leaving divisions intact for years and years, the CCC is a model of instability, moving teams all over creation every two years.

Instead of setting up sensible divisions and allowing teams to build rivalries, the CCC has thrown everything into a new mix ... next year Middletown’s division will include Windsor, which is good, but why South Windsor, Bulkeley and RHAM instead of Bristol Central, Eastern and Maloney? ... did itmake toomuch sense to have nearby schools with similar enrollments? ... it makes sense to go on safari to RHAM and South Windsor? ... the remaining MHS opponents will be announced by the CCC on Nov. 1 ... maybe.

My heart says Royals, my head says Giants in six in the World Series ... I hope my heart wins out.