CIAC SEMIFINAL PREVIEW CAPSULES
All games Sunday, 12:30 p.m. Tickets (digital only/no cash)
Adults $10, Students/Senior Citizen $5
shutout in 11 games. North Haven has only been in one final, in 2015. Wilton has been there four times and won two championships, but none of those appearances were in these Warriors players' lifetimes.
SPB’s Pick: North Haven; Pete’s Pick: North Haven; Forno’s Pick: North Haven
NO. 7 MASUK AT NO. 3 KILLINGLY Morgan Field, Dayville
Masuk 8-3, Killingly 10-1
NFHS NETWORK
Where:
Records:
On the Air/Web:
Playoff History/Last Appearance — Masuk: def. Northwest United 46-6. Killingly: def. Wethersfield 34-13. All-Time Playoff Record — Masuk: 17-15; Killingly: 13-5. Players to Watch: Masuk: Jason Champagne, Sr., RB, Dylan Jackson, Sr., QB, Shane Walker, Soph., WR, Ryan Fedeli, Sr., WR. Killingly: Soren Rief, Jr., RB/LB, Tommy Dreibholz, Sr., QB, Ben Jax, Sr., WR/DB, Keith Perry, Sr., LB.
What’s What: Killingly, last year's Class M champ, has more passing yards in 11 games than any of its teams since 2014. Yeah, Dreibholz has most of those 1,660, but Rief picked up 44 on Tuesday on a halfback-option touchdown throw to Jax. Those three names have been all over Killingly box scores for the past two years and were a big reason the team was picking up first-place votes in the GameTimeCT Top 10 Poll before its loss to Windham. Masuk picked up some votes in the poll along the way, too. Two of its losses were decided in the final seconds. Champagne and Jackson have been playmakers, and the Panthers have trusted freshman K Jackson Zylick to kick field goals in decisive spots. Masuk, which reached the 2018 Class L final, is seeking its first championship since 2010.
SPB’s Pick: Masuk; Pete’s Pick: Masuk; Forno’s Pick: Killingly
Berlin is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2018, when the Redcoats last made the semifinals. These teams used to be CCC rivals, but haven't met since 2016 (a 50-14 Berlin victory) during Rockville's last season before joining the Pequot. Sophomore Brady Ramsdell accounted for four TDs, including three passes, in Rockville's quarterfinal win over ATI. Five different players scored TDs for Berlin as they pulled away from Branford in the second half of their quarterfinal victory.
SPB’s Pick: Berlin; Pete’s Pick: Rockville; Forno’s Pick: Berlin
NO. 3 JONATHAN LAW AT NO. 2 NOTRE DAME-WH Where: Veterans Field, West Haven
Records: Law 10-1, Notre Dame-West Haven 8-3
On the Air/Web: NFHS NETWORK
All-Time Playoff Record — Law: 1-1; NDWH: 8-8.
Players to Watch — Law: John Neider, Sr., QB, Matt Hagerty, Sr., WR, Jack Sellman, Sr., LB, Brandon Leslie, Sr., DL. NDWH: Matt Piechota, Sr., QB, Jacob Staton, Sr., RB/LB, Christian Lewis, Sr., LB/RB.
What’s What: A matchup between SCC programs that have never faced each other despite Law's 18-year membership in the league. Law, an SCC Tier III team faces Notre Dame-West Haven out of SCC Tier I. Since 2004, Law is 4-18 vs. programs currently in SCC Tier I, while Notre Dame is 16-2 against programs currently in SCC Tier III. Law quarterback John Neider has accounted for 10 touchdowns in his last two games, including six on the ground and another he caught. Notre Dame's Jacob Staton has run for 268 yards and four TDs in his last two games, including a three TD night vs. Hartford Public.
SPB’s Pick: NDWH; NDWH; Forno’s Pick: NDWH
Pete’s Pick:
CLASS SS
NO. 5 JOEL BARLOW
AT NO. 1 CROMWELL/PORTLAND
Where: Rocky Hill High School, Rocky Hill
Records: Joel Barlow 9-2, Cromwell/Portland 10-1
On the Air/Web: NFHS NETWORK
All-Time Playoff Record — Barlow: 4-3; Cromwell/Portland: 10-7 overall (5-2 as C/P).
Players to Watch — Barlow: Danny Shaban, Sr., QB/LB, Scott Romano, Soph., RB/LB, Dylan Taylor, Jr., RB/LB, Mason Leavitt, Sr., RB/DB. Cromwell/Portland: Cole Brisson, Sr., QB, Emeka Yearwood, Jr., WR/DE, Ryan Rozich, Sr., WR/LB, Alex Hair, Sr., RB/DE.
What’s What: This is the first meeting between these programs. Cromwell/Portland, which won the Class S title last year, was 7-0 before losing its only game to Rockville. RB Alex Hair, who missed the first seven games of the season with a leg injury, has accounted for five touchdowns in C/P's last two games. Barlow, meanwhile, has been led by QB Danny Shaban, who has run for over 1,700 yards and 30 touchdowns. Barlow is 4-0 in games vs. Pequot League teams. C/P is 1-0 against SWC teams, having defeated Notre Dame-Fairfield 29-20 in last year's Class S quarterfinals. The Panthers are 24-1 in their last 25 games.
SPB’s Pick: Barlow; Pete’s Pick: Barlow; Forno’s Pick: Barlow