First let’s start with a link to this preview in the Stamford Advocate. Then let’s talk about the reasons each team will win:
New Canaan will win because:
- It is 6-0, has pitched three straight defensive shutouts, and has the most high-powered passing attack in the league.
- It is the road team, and the visitor has won each of the last three Staples-New Canaan contests.
- Staples did not look like a world-beater against McMahon, and was far from impressive against Ridgefield.
Staples will win because:
- That Ridgefield game was ages ago (3 weeks ago, actually).
- New Canaan has had a hard time holding onto the pigskin, and turned it over four times last week against St. Joseph.
- Staples was left for dead before the season began, and is sitting pretty at 5-1.
If you had asked me two weeks ago who I thought would win, I would have told you New Canaan, without a doubt. If you asked me after New Canaan’s game Saturday against St. Joseph, I would have told you New Canaan in a close game.
But now… I’m kicking myself for telling the Advocate that sure, I’d concede this game to the Post (thought I will get to see King play this week), and curding Sean Patrick Bowley when i have no right or reason to (thought I will get to see King play this week), and am glad Jason Intrieri will be at Staples to fill me in.
What do you think? Who will take this game, and why?
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October 24th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
If it’s dry I favor NC by a couple of scores. In a monsoon rain/wind like they are predicting, it could be much closer but either way Staples must control the clock and stop fumbling. If there O-line can stand up to NC they got a shot. I have to believe that Ridgfield game was an aberation on Staples part. 20-7 NC
October 24th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
This game will be determined by clock management and turnovers every year it comes down to that. Whether or not Staples can make those long drives down the field wiping New Canaan’s offensive momentum will be key for Staples in winning. New Canaan would like to keep Staples defense on the field as much as possible for them to be successful, turn overs and quick 3 and outs will keep Staples out of reach. But in this rain I think Staples will keep the game close especially with the rivalry and the home field advantage at stake.
October 26th, 2008 at 3:10 am
Great, GREAT game
Typical of NC/Staples
The Wreckers gave it everything they had and just like previous games, this one came down to the late 4th quarter
An unfortunate PAT miss sealed the deal…the wind played in the storyline all day and it made it’s presence known in the 4th
It was a shame to have the Staples coaching staff unravel post game…i’ve seen this posted elsewhere….but the class of their staff was certainly in question post game…
Approaching the NC post game huddle to vulgarly let them know how lucky they were
C’mon fellas, we’re adults aren’t we?
October 26th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Mike,
Totally agree with your assessment – great game.
I wasn’t on the field afterwards, so don’t exactly know what was said but any comments from the Staples side might have been driven by the somewhat classless exibition from the NC team and parents including team pictures and dances in the middle of Staples field – while the Staples coaches were being interviewed.
NC is a great program, but pulling that stuff after escaping with a win by a missed extra point is a bit over the top…
October 26th, 2008 at 9:54 am
PatPatriot, I agree with you, and I’m a New Canaan grad anf former Ram. New Canaan did not, as far as anyone could tell, win a championship by beating Staples, just a regular season game. Unless the wacky FCIAC playoff system says otherwise, New Canaan didn’t even clinch a championship game berth.
No need for team photos on the Staples field, no need for the excessive postgame celebration on the field, and hopefully it’s not something that the coaching staff will put up with.
If we tried to pull stuff off like that back in my day, we’d be doing 440s after the ride home until we puked.
I did hear from someone within the New Canaan program though that the Wreckers weren’t exactly a class act either, allegedly spitting at the Rams players, calling their managers whores, all sorts of stuff that you don’t learn in the home.
And to be honest, I tuned out all noise so I could hear what Marce Petroccio had to say after the game, and I know he wasn’t too thrilled with the team photo.
Here’s to hoping this doesn’t turn into the vandalism incident of 2006 all over again.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:29 am
I wasn’t there so will refrain from commenting on what clearly was a post-game scene of high emotion, and why not after such a battle? But I must say that Petroccio’s comment in the Stamford Advocate that Staples gets no respect just doesn’t make sense to me. He, his staff, and his program are consistently and justifiably praised year after year throughout the state. No one should ever underestimate the resolve and talent of Staples football–and I don’t think anyone does, notwithstanding Petroccio’s view to the contrary.
I liken his comment to some of Rich Abonizio’s at Greenwich this year–they have one season with a couple of unexpected losses and they act like the world is stacked against them. Staples (and Greenwich) is a state power in any year, and this obviously super-close loss to NC doesn’t change that.
October 26th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Tim,
Not going to turn this into a running dialog (my last post) but your back handed justification of NC’s team celebrations with comments about what some kids from New Canaan “said” Staples players were doing on the field is a bit weak.
The definition of a class program is how you act in victory – my only point was is wasn’t on display Saturday.
October 26th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
This was a very emotional game for New Canaan, not only where they playing against their rival Staples but this game was also just days after they lost a former player Tom Mazzella, your teammate and captain Tim. Naturally New Canaan was very excited and emotional after they won and let those emotions out just as Staples did on New Canaan’s field a year ago. And as for the picture that you are all calling New Canaan out for taking after the game was over, it was taken of the team with a sign in the front reading, “This one’s for you Tom”. A picture that, along with the game ball, will be given to Tom’s family at his funeral.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
fciacfootballfan brings up a good point about the 08 rams playing with a lot of emotion. Watching this class come up through the program has proven to me that they refuse to lose. They deserve to celebrate just as the wreckers did over at dunning field last year after another great battle between these two rivals. I even heard some sideline rumors that this celebration was founded after knocking off national powerhouse, Don Bosco, earlier this summer in a 7 on 7 tournament.
October 27th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Fciacfootballfan, I can understand the context of the photo now. I saw Mary Miller bring the sign on the field, then went with the rest of the press to get Marce Petroccio’s post-game comments. And as Tommy’s teammate and classmate, I’d love a copy of that photo for myself – just the file is fine, I can go ahead and get it printed up and framed.
But I could see the Staples coaching staff and players getting worked up about it – it’s their home field, etc., and the 2006 game ended with a team photo under the scoreboard.
Even though I covered last year’s game for SportingNewsCT.com (and yes, it was cold and wet in the press box, too), I don’t recall a Staples postgame celebration.
October 27th, 2008 at 8:46 am
guys…honestly…who cares. its football there is going to be celebrating and dancing and hooting and hollering after a big win. it was a great game. if i beat a team like staples at home in 40mph winds when i am a passing team and couldnt pass for half of the game i would be going nuts also. staples played a great game and probably deserved to win, but sometimes things go wrong. now everyone is attacking how much class the players and coaches from new canaan are when i cant ever remember when anyone ever called that into question. should they have had no emotion and walked off the field apologizing to every fan passing by? if a team wins they should celebrate because next year the team that lost will remeber that and it adds fuel to the fire. its a rivalry…if new canaan acts like that after they beat warde 41-whatever that would have been class-less.
p.s. the wind was ridiculous so i dont want to here about lucky missed field goals i saw a bubble pass that actually sailed 10 yards backwards making it a latteral pass. maybe instead of crying about how lucky nc got cuz of a missed field goal you should think of how dumb marcy was to go for it on forth after the nc time out instead of kicking the field goal, not very smart decision making.
October 27th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Prophet,
Please re-read your last statement “P.S.” and think about how contractory it is. If you want to comment about why Staples didn’t go for 2 to win the game after they had NC back on their heals the whole 2nd half, that’s one thing, but criticising for not kicking a 27 or so yard field goal in that hurricane is another.
October 27th, 2008 at 11:25 am
I think we are overacting to the post game “antics” of the NC side
“dancing” on the midfield logo is a little much…first off, I was there late chatting with some folks…there may have been all of 80 folks left in the whole place (including Coach P being interviewed)…staples players had long since left the field and gone into their locker room
The NC team post game meeting happened to organize somehwere near midfield…it looked like coaches spoke to players…players huddled and then appeared to do some sort of cheer…the group i was talkikng with did not even notice it…and the team pictures thing…sorry, can’t remember a win in high school when we did take pics
The same thing happens week to week with any number of teams in the area (I am sure there has been some celebrating and picture taking from the Staples side with how tight this series has been in the past)
There always seems to be some hurt pride when Staples loses…the ongoing theme is that folks surrounding the program point out that the opposing team is classless…Move on if you lose…and if those things really bother you, stuff the memories in your back pocket, keep it to yourself, and use it for modivation next year
October 27th, 2008 at 11:30 am
TP
just messing around on youtube…there is actaully a clip of staples celebrating on the field last year after the game (as i would have been also with that ending)
Again, i think this whole thing is rediculous…you’re supposed to celebrate when you win…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZigvxayU9A
October 27th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I’m sorry Mike, I must have misinterpreted your first posting which started this whole string by accusing the Staples caoching staff of unraveling after the game. Given you were in the NC huddle, I’m sure your comments were impartial…
October 27th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Pat
Yes i cheer for NC…actually was not in the huddle…was down behind the south endzone…which i felt gave me some perspective
I’d certainly speak up if i disagreed with anything NC is doing (and have here many times in the past) but there really was nothing wrong with it…if i could not hear anything in the end zone, i am not sure the wreckers could hear anything inside their locker room…seriously
You call it being partial towards one side…I’m telling you if that if the roles were reversed, I certainly would not have bitched about it…case in point…were the NC folks bitching about how Staples celebrated last year at NC?
To my above post, it seems people find something to bitch about to distract from the fact that they lost the game
October 27th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Mike,
The only thing that prompted my email was your back-handed, second hand as it turns out, swipe at the Staples coaching staff who are nothing but a class act. Once again go back and read the trail – not once did I say Staples was robbed, should have won the game etc.
Maybe you can borrow the video from one of the NC parents of the mock Huka dance type thing they did 10 minutes after the game on the middle of the field and compare that to your video of Staples rushing the field 3 seconds after last year’s game.
October 28th, 2008 at 7:44 am
Ah, now i see Pat…you’re just as partial as the rest of us
The swipe was not second hand at all…
The gentlemen who spoke out of line said everything loud enough for many to hear(indluding me)…You are probably right about the majority of the Staples coaching staff(I don’t know Coach P, but he seems like a well respected guy) but i can speak first hand to the gentlmen who spoke out of line…if he is not a staples coach, then I apologize, my bad
However, if he is a Staples coach, he’s representing the school and the town and should be held accountable…middle age man acting like a 15yr old…nothing backhanded about it
And the mock Huka dance ten minutes after the game? I just don’t get the frustration on this one…can we please get over this? again, no staples players on the field…the NC team did not appear to be doing anything out of line that was meant to rub the win in…I did not see it, but if it’s anything like what they do after other games, it’s a circular huddle so they are all facing each other…not pointing at staples
Just seems that this has been blown way out of proportion…again, by the team that lost…always sore apples when Staples loses