New Canaan’s 23 game winning streak is over. So is its chance to repeat as FCIAC champions. And its number-one ranking in all the polls will certainly be gone.

All thanks to Bridgeport Central, which drubbed the Rams 42-7 and got itself into the title game.

Shabashe McIntosh ran for 184 yards on 22 carries and scored four times, according to stats compiled by Dave Ruden of The Advocate.

Over in Stamford, where I was covering the Trinity Catholic-Stamford game for The Advocate, there were plenty of smiles in the press box. On his halftime show on WSTC-AM/WNLK-AM, Matt Levine and I talked about how great that win was for Central. After the game, Stamford head coach Kevin Jones said he wasn’t shocked at all.

Thursday, I e-mailed Christon Gill and told him the only way I’d get to see central play this season, because of my freelance schedule, was if Central got the win over New Canaan.

His reply was confident: “You’ll see me in full uniform next Friday.”

Central’s been hiding in obscurity since Gill’s sophomore year, when the Hilltoppers couldn’t beat Greenwich to open the season, or in the Class Ll semifinals.

Now they’ve proven twice this season – once against Greenwich, and now against New Canaan – that they can win the big game.

We’ll see if it’s third big game, the FCIAC championship game Friday against Staples, will also be a charm.

Popularity: 12% [?]

The Road to Boyle still has a potentially major traffic jam. But the FCIAC divisional titles have already been decided.

Welcome to the crazy 2009 season. All three races were decided on Friday night, meaning three schools could have received their championship plaques before their Halloween candy.

Let the record show that Bridgeport Central is the 2009 FCIAC West Champion. The Hilltoppers finished division play with a 4-1 record, the same as Greenwich, but obviously holds the tiebreaker with its 14-13 Week 6 win over the Cardinals.

According to the standings, Staples is the 2009 FCIAC Central Champion. The Wreckers’ 38-0 win over Ludlowe gave it a perfect 5-0 record amongst division rivals. Even more impressive, Staples outscored its divisonal opponents 195-6.

Last but not least, New Canaan is the 2009 FCIAC East Champion. Even if New Canaan loses Thanksgiving morning to Darien, the Rams would have the same 5-1 divisional record at St. Joseph, and New Canaan would have the tiebreaker based on its 35-25 win over the Cadets (or Hogs).

Popularity: 14% [?]

The New Canaan Rams are still in the top spot after Week 2 in the Bill Gonillo 5 poll of Fairfield County media members.

New Canaan received 16 of the 18 first-place votes. Masuk and Ridgefield received one first-place vote each.

Rounding out the Top 5 are Greenwich, Masuk, Staples and King, which overthrew Shelton for the fifth spot.

The Bill Gonillo 5 poll is a media ranking of the top teams in Fairfield County. All FCIAC and SWC schools, plus FAA, CSC and SCC teams based in Fairfield County, are on the ballot for consideration.

Ballots are totaled on a 10-8-6-4-2-1 formula.

The poll is named in honor of Bill Gonillo, the former News 12 sports anchor who died in September 2007 from complications related to diabetes. The poll also supports the American Diabetes Association’s mission to find a cure for and raise awareness of the disease, which affects 23.6 million children and adults in the United States, or 7.8% of the population.

You can join Team Gonillo, which will participate in Step Out, Walk to Fight Diabetes, this Sunday at New Canaan High School (or make a donation to the team) by clicking this link. Please come and support our cause.

Also receiving votes: Ridgefield (1) 22, Pomperaug 17, St. Joseph 11, Stamford 11, Bridgeport Central 9, Trumbull 9, Shelton 8, Darien 2, St. Luke’s 2, Trinity Catholic 1, Fairfield Warde 1.

Voters: Bill Bloxsom (Hersam-Acorn Newspapers), Bob Birge (Coaches Aid), Damian Andrew (News12), Dan Farrand (freelancer), Dave Stewart (New Canaan Advertiser), Henry Chisholm (Connecticut Post), Jason Intrieri (freelancer), Matt Levine (WSTC-AM/WNLK-AM), John Nash (Stamford Times/Wilton Villager), Matt Norlader (New Canaan News-Review/Darien News), Michael Suppe (Hersam-Acorn Newspapers), Pat Pickens (Fairfield Citizen), Paul Silverfarb (Greenwich Post), Rob Adams (WGCH-AM), Sean Kilkelly (WGCH-AM), Tim Parry (FCIAC Football Blog), Tom Renner (Examiner.com), Zachary Eastright (WSTC-AM/WNLK-AM)

Popularity: 9% [?]

The Connecticut Sports Writers’ Alliance released its preseason poll today, and New Canaan is on top. This is the first mega-poll by the group, according to poll co-organizer Ken Lipshez of the New Britain Herald. Lipshez says there are 40 writers from around the state voting in the poll, and that includes folks from daily and weekly newspapers, radio and TV outlets and electronic media guys like me. I’m proud and humbled.

I should have written my 15 teams down so I could discuss it later. As for FCIAC teams, I believe I included New Canaan, Central, Trumbull and Greenwich within the Top 15.

Anyway, here’s the results:

Also Receiving Votes: New London 12-1-0 161; Montville 9-3-0 140; Cheshire 10-3-0 136; Daniel Hand 7-4-0 130; Hillhouse 11-1-0 130; Shelton 7-4-0 120; Darien 11-2-0 116; Ledyard 10-3-0 77; Staples 6-5-0 65; Notre Dame-West Haven 4-6-0 58; Ridgefield 8-3-0 35; Crosby 9-2-0 28; Southington 7-4-0 24; Xavier 7-4-0 24; Windsor 9-3-0 22; Berlin 6-4-0 20; Bunnell 9-2-0 17; Fitch 2-9-0 14; Newtown 9-4-0 13; Northwest Catholic 8-2-0 12; Simsbury 9-3-0 12; West Haven 6-4-0 12; Wilbur Cross 6-5-0 12; Trumbull 7-3-0 11; Newington 10-3-0 10; Pomperaug 6-5-0 10; Bloomfield 5-6-0 8; Bridgeport Central 3-8-0 7; Rocky Hill 10-2-0 7; Canton 2-9-0 5; Hyde Leadership 9-3-0 5; Cheney Tech 10-1-0 4; Avon 9-3-0 3; St. Joseph 6-5-0 2; North Branford 10-2-0 1; Norwich Free Academy 6-4-0 1

Voters: Marc Allard (Norwich Bulletin), Bob Barton, Bill Bloxsom (Hersam Acorn), Don Boyle (Sporting News CT), Jim Bransfield (Middletown Press), Johnny Burnham (Bristol Press), Bryant Carpenter (Meriden Record-Journal), Bryant Carpenter (Meriden Record-Journal), Matt Conyers (Hartford Courant), Ray Curren (Elm City Newspapers), Anthony Della Calce (Central CT weeklies), George DeMaio (WELI Radio), Gerry deSimas, Bill Donovan (WXLM 104.7 FM), John Goralski (Southington Observer), Dave Greenleaf (CCC website), Mike Guerrera (Southington Citizen), Mark Jaffee (Waterbury Republican), Larry Kelley (Times Community Newspapers), Greg Lederer (Cheshire Herald), Ken Lipshez (New Britain Herald), Andrew Lovell (New Britain Herald), Robert Mayer (Berlin/Plainville Citizen), Tim Parry (FCIAC Football Blog), Sean Patrick Bowley (Connecticut Post), Joe Perez (Norwich Bulletin), Pat PIckens (Fairfield Citizen-News), Ryan Pipke (New Britain Herald), Mike Pucci (New Haven Register), Jesse Quinlan (Greenwich Time), Dave Ruden (Stamford Advocate), Steve Sellers (Shore Publishing Newspapers), Mike Suppe (Hersam Acorn Newspapers), Peter Vander Veer (Elm City Newspapers), Tom Yantz (Hartford Courant), Rich Zalusky (Willimantic Chronicle), Jimmy Zanor (Shore Line Newspapers)

Popularity: 7% [?]