The week leading into Thanksgiving is the one time a year in which the Hartford Courant Top 10 state coaches’ poll is almost always placid.
The state schedule is light in the week prior to Thanksgiving. In the case of this season, No. 5 Wilton, No. 10 Windsor, Berlin and Glastonbury were the only teams receiving votes who played in Week 11 and all won by 14-or-more points.
There was no movement, then, in this week’s Top 10, so let’s turn our attention to the CIAC playoffs headed into the final week of the 2025 regular season (sheds tear).
Thirty teams have unofficially qualified — no one officially qualifies until the CIAC’s football committee approves them the day after the end of the season, i.e. Friday — barring a Thanksgiving Day volcanic eruption on Talcott Mountain.
That leaves 18 berths left across six playoff divisions.
Here are some of the biggest and/or most important games locally:
Guilford (8-1) at Hand (8-1), Wednesday, 6 p.m.: Both have qualified in Class M and SS, respectively, and Guilford wants to snap a 17-game losing streak to their neighbors (the Tigers hold a ludicrous 45-5-1 lead in the series).
Plainville (6-3) at Farmington (3-6), Wednesday, 6 p.m.: Plainville needs to win and get some outside help to qualify in Class SS.
Wethersfield (6-3) at Newington (7-2), Wednesday, 6 p.m.: It’s almost the equivalent of a Class MM qualifier — Newington qualifies with a win; the Eagles have a fighting chance if they prevail.
Ellington (7-2) at Rockville (8-1), Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.: Rockville has qualified for Class M. The Knights qualify for SS with a win and are in trouble if they lose.
No. 8 Cheshire (7-2) at Southington (6-3), Thanksgiving Day, 10 a.m.: Both have qualified in Class L and LL, respectively. Regardless, this looks like one of best games of the week.
Sheehan (7-2) at Lyman Hall (7-2), Thanksgiving Day, 10 a.m.: Sheehan has qualified for Class S; the Trojans would qualify in M with a win and would be all but cooked if they lost.
Platt (5-4) at Maloney (5-4), Thanksgiving Day, 10:30 a.m.: The winner could qualify for Class L if a team-or-two ahead of it in the rankings flopped in its final game.
Top 10 Coaches’ Poll
Listing record, total points with first-place votes in parentheses, previous ranking and CIAC class. Points tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis:
1. New Canaan, 9-0, 388 (12), No. 1, Class L
KNOW THIS: The three-time, three-time, three-time defending CIAC Class L champs have (unofficially) clinched the top seed in that division.
NEXT: vs. Darien (6-3), Thursday, 10 a.m.
2. Killingly (1), 9-0, 362, No. 2, Class SS
KNOW THIS: The defending Class SS champs would (unofficially) clinch the top seed in the division with a win and, well, they’re a big favorite to beat their Quiet Corner rival. FYI — the “Quiet Corner” is what the locals call northeast Connecticut, for all you outsiders who’ve never been to that neck of the woods. And, yes, it’s nice and (generally) quiet.
NEXT: vs. Woodstock Academy (3-6), Thursday, 10 a.m.
3. Hand, 8-1, 322, No. 3, Class SS
KNOW THIS: The Tigers would (unofficially) earn no worse than a top two seed with a win.
NEXT: vs. Guilford (8-1), Wednesday, 6 p.m.
4. St. Joseph, 7-2, 310, No. 4, Class M
KNOW THIS: The defending CIAC Class M champions have earned so many points from playing top competition, and beating so many larger schools, that they’re first in the division rankings with two losses, ahead of No. 2 Berlin (10-0), No. 3 Guilford and No. 4 Rockville. It’s quite the anomaly.
NEXT: at Trumbull (3-6), Thursday, 10 am.
5. Wilton, 9-1, 272, No. 5, Class MM
KNOW THIS: Alan Osta ran nine times for 161 yards and three touchdowns in Friday’s 42-0 rout of Hillhouse to give the Warriors a chance at the No. 1 seed in Class MM.
NEXT: CIAC Class M quarterfinals vs. TBA, Dec. 2, 6:30 p.m.
6. Greenwich, 7-2, 254, No. 6, Class LL
KNOW THIS: The defending Class LL champs would earn a top four seed with a win over the Wreckers and could even get it with a loss.
NEXT: vs. Staples (5-4), Thursday, 10 a.m.
7. Fairfield Prep, 7-2, 204, No. 7, Class LL
KNOW THIS: The Jesuits have a good shot at earning the top seed in Class LL with an eighth win.
NEXT: at Xavier (3-6), today, 7 p.m.
8. Cheshire, 7-2, 202, No. 8, Class L
KNOW THIS: Minutia — the Rams beat Southington in crummy weather last Thanksgiving, 9-2. Said BLEH weather resulted in neither team finishing with more than 100 total yards and combining for 11 fumbles and two interceptions.
NEXT: at Southington (6-3), Thursday, 10 a.m.
9. New Britain, 8-1, 184, 9, Class LL
KNOW THIS: It has a shot to earn the top seed in Class LL even after finishing its season with two weeks left in the regular season (Nov. 14).
NEXT: CIAC Class LL quarterfinals vs. TBA, Dec. 2, 6:30 p.m.
10. Windsor, 9-1, 172, No. 10, Class MM
KNOW THIS: Another week, another game in which A.J. Robinson threw for elebenty hundred yards and several touchdowns. The senior was 11-of-20 for 330 yards with six touchdowns as the Warriors thumped Bloomfield on Saturday, 50-7. Windsor could earn the top seed in MM with some outside help, and it already has a 25-point lead over Wilton.
NEXT: CIAC Class MM quarterfinals vs. TBA, Dec. 2, 6:30 p.m.
Also receiving votes: Newtown (7-2), 137 points; Woodland (9-0), 122; Berlin (10-0), 103; Fairfield Ludlowe (6-3), 54; Guilford (8-1), 49; Sheehan (7-2), 33; Seymour (9-0), 32; Glastonbury (7-3), 28; Darien (6-3), 19; Tie, Brookfield (7-2) and Southington (6-3), 18; Law (7-2), 16; Bunnell (7-2), 9; Maloney (5-4), 7.
Voters: Erik Becker, Hand; Jason Bruenn, Platt; Joe Della Vecchia; St. Joseph; Mike Ellis; Fitch; Kevin Frederick, Maloney; Tanner Grove; Montville; Keith Hellstern, Fairfield Prep; Erick Knickerbocker, Rockville; Joe Lato; Woodland; John Mihalko, Ansonia; Bryan Muller; Brookfield; Marce Petroccio; Trumbull; Nathan Tyler, Stratford.
Ned Griffen has obsessively covered state high school football since the mid-nineties, back when Dan Orlovsky was just a wiry teenager at Shelton High School. He was genetically hardwired to love the sport having been born in Texas. He enjoys heavy metal, pro wrestling, the wit and wisdom of Jennifer Walters and being adored by cats and dogs everywhere.