Shelton quarterback Mike Brighindi has been named BlueStreak Sports Training Fairfield County Player of the Week for his performance Friday against Cheshire.

Brighindi completed 19 of 28 passes for 276 yards and one TD and in a come from behind 35-34 overtime victory on the road. Brighindi led the Gaels on an 82-yard drive in the final two minutes of regulation to tie the score, and completed six of eight for yards on the game-tying drive.

Brighindi will receive his award at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday from BlueStreak Sports Training president Matt Cole.

Nick Cortese of Trinity Catholic, the winner of the award in Week 2, was the runner up. He ran for 216 yards and five touchdowns in the Crusaders double-overtime win over Fairfield Ludlowe.

Also nominated in Week 3: Scott Benzing, WR, Brookfield; Joe Dalla Vecchia, QB, St. Joseph; Nikki Dysenchuk, RB, Darien; Chris Hines, RB, Norwalk; Matt Kelly, CB, Staples; Justin Warzoha, QB, Greenwich; and Mike Webber, WR, New Milford.

Players are nominated both by football coaches representing teams in Fairfield County. A mimimum of five nominees from a weekly fan poll are also included on a ballot, and the Player of the Week is then selected by members of the Fairfield County sports media community.

The award is presented by the FCIAC Football Blog.

The following media members voted: The following media members voted: Rob Adams (WGCH-AM), Bill Bloxsom (Hersam-Acorn Newspapers), Zachary Eastright (WSTC-AM/WNLK-AM), Dan Farrand (News-Times), Scott Ferrari (Greenwich Citizen), Andy Hutchison (Newtown Bee), Jason A. Intrieri (FCIAC Football Blog Live), Ken Morse (Hersam-Acorn Newspapers), John Nash (The Stamford Times), Matt Norlander (New Canaan News-Review), Dave Ruden (Stamford Advocate), Eliot Schickler (Westport News), Paul Silverfarb (Greenwich Post), Dave Stewart (New Canaan Advertiser), Rob Sullivan (Minuteman Newspapers), Michael Suppe (Hersam-Acorn Newspapers).

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By Tim Parry

I’ll admit it – Ansonia is really the best team in the state. The Chargers are already in postseason form, and showed that last night in its 38-21 scrimmage win over Shelton.

The big difference? Ansonia got Tristan Roberts. The running back and cornerback was given the boot last year, paid the price, and is ready to redeem himself. He’s a different kind of running back that Alex Thomas was, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Roberts breaks some of Thomas’s records (except for maybe that 600-yards in one game).

But let’s talk about Shelton. The Gaels got off to a good start, going up 7-0 on a fade pass from Mike Brighindi to Matt Stevco. But two Tristan Roberts touchdowns and a 39-yard field goal by Travis Torello made it 17-7 at the half.

Shelton’s other scores came on a halfback option pass by Joel Yoad to Nick Georgalas, and a 9-yard run by Yoad.

The quarterback situation has not been resolved, said Shelton head coach Jeff Roy. And there is a chance both Brighindi and Raymond Pendagast will see time under center. But that may be the only similarity to the last time Shelton, which played for the CIAC Class LL championship last season, went into a rebuilding cycle.

That was the 2005 season, and sophomore Phil Konopka split snaps with senior Eric Dripchak. And two other sophomores, running backs Andre Henderson and Geoff Schultz, were seeing carries in varsity and JV games.

But Roy thinks this team will reload, rather than rebuild. And that’s important in a league like the SCC. The Gaels open its season against South-West Conference power Newtown. Then takes on the likes of West Haven, Cheshire, and Fairfield Prep.

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