Canton’s Sebby Gumbs and the Warriors are looking for a record 10th win and a ticket to the Class S playoffs with a win on Thanksgiving over Granby.
Five of the Farmington Valley’s six football teams will be in action this week as the regular season comes to an end. It was supposed to be on Thanksgiving but the weather threw a monkey wrench into thise plans.
Canton (9-1), which captured the Pequot Conference’s Uncas Division title on Nov. 15 with an exciting overtime win over Avon, can earn its first-ever CIAC playoff berth with over Granby (7-3). Avon (6-4) planned to play on Thanksgiving for the first time in school history against Gilbert/Northwestern while Farmington (2-8) and Lewis Mills (2-8) will be looking to finish the season with a victory.
Simsbury (4-7) closed out its regular season on Saturday with a 55-14 loss to Glastonbury. Elijah Barrows scored two touchdowns and ran for 150 yards on 16 carries in the loss. The Trojans played a handful of Turkey Day contests against Windsor in the early 1980s and faced Glastonbury on Thanksgiving Eve in 2011. But the Trojans haven’t made Thanksgiving football a tradition.
Continue for preview capsules of all four games.
Granby at Canton
Tuesday, 1:30 p.m.
Records: Canton 9-1, 8-0 Pequot Uncas; Granby 7-3, 5-3 Pequot Uncas
All-time series: Began 2010. Series tied 2-2
Thanksgiving series: Began 2011. Granby leads, 2-1
Outlook: Canton is looking for a school-record 10th win and to clinch a berth in the Class S tournament with a victory. The Warriors have gotten the job done by running the ball. Leading rusher Dan Delos (162-1,280, 18 TDs) is the first 1,000 rusher in school history. But he isn’t the only runner. Cam Daley (102-918, 14 TDs) and Sebby Gumbs (82-692, 6 TDs) have shown the ability to move the ball downfield. Canton has completed just seven passes for 244 yards and 3 TDs in nine games. On defense, Canton will need to continue to play with discipline and passion. Henry Bonini leads with 91 tackles with Shane Toland getting 83 tackles, 2½ sacks and 11 tackles for a loss. Daley (80 tackles) and Delos (59 tackles, 5½ sacks) are among the leaders on defense. Canton has recovered 13 fumbles and intercepted nine passes. For the second straight season, kicker Eddie Melton (41-42 PAT) has broken the single season school record for most points kicking.
Granby is looking to build upon its school record 7-win campaign. The Bears have been at their best running the ball. Junior Connor Field has rushed for over 2,000 yards and 22 TDs. Field (201-2,070) set a new state record by rushing for more than 300 yards in four consecutive games including a 377-yard, 3 TD performance against Enfield. QB Dom Pagano, who ran for a 1,000 yards last fall, has run for 742 yards and 11 TDs on 125 carries. He has completed just 17 of 38 passes for 347 yards and 3 TDs. His best passing day was against Avon in week two when Pagano completed 4-of-6 passes for 128 yards and 2 TDs. Junior Lucas Strain (75 tackles) and Pagano (59 tackles) lead the Granby defense. Turnovers have hurt the Bears this year with 24 lost fumbles and four interceptions.
Of note: Canton also qualifies for the CIAC playoffs if Capital Prep/Achievement First beats Prince Tech on Thanksgiving Eve. … Canton and Granby are playing for the ceremonial old, red milk jug. … Granby won last year’s game on Thanksgiving Eve, 21-19.
Gilbert/Northwestern at Avon
Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Records: Avon 6-4, 6-2 Pequot Uncas; Gilbert/Northwestern 4-6, 4-4 Pequot Uncas
All-time series: Began 1960. Gilbert leads, 19-13
Thanksgiving Day series: First meeting
Outlook: Another long-time rivalry comes to end as Avon hosts the Yellowjackets for the final time in a regular season contest. Avon, which enters the Central Connecticut Conference next fall, will be looking to end the season and its time in the Pequot Conference on a high note with a victory. Avon is led by hard-running Teddy Allmendinger (134-1,130, 11 TDs) with Andrew Blackmore (53-384, 5 TDs) and Jamie Dlugolecki (49-218, 6 TDs) running well. Sean Del Gallo (33-58-4, 604 yards, 6 TDs) gets the start at QB and his favorite targets are Geoff Kirk (14-331, 4 TDs) and Luke Meaney (12-235, 2 TDs). Allemendinger and Kirk spark the Avon defense at linebacker. Turnovers have hurt the Falcons this year. They have coughed up the ball 11 times in their four losses.
The Yellowjackets are led by senior Paxton Franklin, who has run for nearly 1,300 yards in nine games (178-1293, 11 TDs) and quarterback Aiden Tellier, who has completed 45-of-103 passes for 729 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions. The top receiver for the Yellowjackets is Tucker Kreh with 23 receptions for 267 yards and two TDs. This fall, turnovers have hurt the Yellowjackets (12 fumbles, 6 interceptions), who will finish with a losing record for the first time since 2008 when current head coach Scott Salius took over the program.
Of note: A win over Gilbert will give Avon at least seven victories in eight consecutive seasons – the longest streak of its kind in the program’s history. … Gilbert/NWR has won three of the last four games in the series. … Gilbert/Northwestern has been playing Housatonic/Wamogo on Thanksgiving since 1983 in the Berkshire Bowl in a contest pitting the two oldest football programs in the Berkshire League. But when the Mountaineers decided to play a junior varsity schedule this fall that opened up a spot for Avon. … This is Avon’s final game in the Pequot Conference. The Falcons played 11 seasons in the league (1996-97, 2006-14) and had nine winning seasons. They won the Pequot Uncas Division title five times, won the overall Pequot Conference title in 2009 and shared the Pequot title with North Branford in 2012. Avon is 80-34 in the Pequot. … Avon was eliminated from the CIAC playoff hunt when Wolcott beat Sacred Heart/Kaynor Tech on Friday night.
Plainville at Farmington
Thursday, 10 a.m.
Records: Farmington 2-8; Plainville 5-5
All-time series: Began 1930. Farmington leads series, 25-24-1
Thanksgiving Day series: Began 2011. Farmington leads 3-0
Outlook: It’s been a rough year for the Indians, who have struggled to move the ball and score points. In nine games, QB Michael Popolizio has completed 82-of-148 passes for 856 yards and four touchdowns. He is also Farmington’s leading rusher with 426 yards and six TDs. His leading targets are Carson Bombara, who has caught 20 passes for 161 yards, J.T. McLaughlin (15-125), Sean Dunleavy (13-178) and Kevin Dunst (16-77). Defensively, Connor Martin leads the Indians with 52 tackles followed by Jack Sucato (48 tackles) and Dan Hardiman (44 tackles).
After starting the season 1-5, Plainville has won four straight with victories over Rocky Hill (44-22), Tolland (48-24), Rockville (20-18) and Bloomfield (34-6). Plainville running back Jaeden Ferrara should get some carries. Ferrara scored three TDs in the win over Bloomfield and five in the victory over Tolland. Dante Correa will also get some carries. He had two TDs against Tolland. QB John Lindgren leads the Blue Devils offense.
Of note: The two teams are playing for the Olde Canal Cup trophy. … Farmington played some Turkey Day games in the 1930s and 1940s before playing Rocky Hill on Thanksgiving in 2007. The Indians began its current Thanksgiving series with Plainville in 2011.
Lewis Mills at Nonnewaug
Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. at Watertown High
Records: Nonnewaug 1-9, 1-7 Pequot Sassacus; Lewis Mills 2-8, 1-7 Pequot Sassacus
All-time series: Began 2011. Nonnewaug leads, 2-1
Thanksgiving Day series: Began 2011. Nonnewaug leads, 2-1
Outlook: Mills has won two in a row with victories over Stafford/East Windsor, 35-6 and Old Saybrook/Westbrook, 34-28 and looks to end the season with the program’s first three-game winning streak. Mills prefers to throw the ball. QB Lucas Lanning has completed 114 of 206 passes for 1,521 yards, 12 TDs and 14 interceptions. His favorite targets have been Grant McGregor with 35 receptions for 473 yards and 3 TDs and Casey Ciamniewski with 24 catches for 643 yards and 7 TDs. The leading rusher is Colin Kennedy with 587 yards and 3 TDs on 144 carries. Kennedy has also caught 29 passes for 170 yards and a TD. Defensively, Mills is led by Kennedy with 45 tackles and McGregor with 39 tackles. Under second-year coach Jose Santana, the Spartans have recovered 10 fumbles this year and intercepted five passes. … Since beating Old Saybrook/Westbrook in week two, Nonnewaug has lost eight in a row. The most competitive contest for the Chiefs in that stretch was a 30-27 loss to SMSA/University on Nov. 7. John Gombos had 3 TDs in the loss to the Tigerhawks, rushing for two scores and scoring on a 69-yard kickoff return. Dominic Nastri leads the way at QB for the Chiefs.
Of note: Nonnewaug won last year’s Thanksgiving contest, 13-0.
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