Farmington Valley football: Week 4 previews

Three Farmington Valley football teams hit the field on Friday night while the other three public school football teams hit the gridiron on Saturday. On Friday night, Farmington (3-0) hopes to keep its undefeated season going with a win over a Wethersfield team that isn’t afraid to score points. 

Avon (2-1) takes on Valley Regional/Old Lyme on Friday night in Deep River and expects to get a challenging assignment. Granby (0-3) seeks its first win Friday night against winless Haddam-Killingworth. 

On Saturday, Canton (2-1) hosts Hyde-New Haven (2-1) for a 3 p.m. start. Lewis Mills has a challenging game against a Gilbert squad that was spanked last week by Ellington/Somers while Hall (1-1) hosts Simsbury (1-2) in a CCC Division I West Division contest.

Friday, Oct. 4

Farmington (3-0) at Wethersfield (1-2), 7 p.m.
Last week: Wethersfield 62, E.O. Smith 21; Farmington 42, Maloney 12
Outlook: The Indians exploded for 35 points in a span of a little over six minutes to blow out Maloney last week. QB Jeremy Buck tied a school record with 4 TD passes in a single game. Farmington hopes to keep its big play offense with receivers Kenny Jones (10-126 receiving) and Anthony Carpenter along with running back Ivan Guadalupe (36-348 rushing) in action. Carpenter had a great game against Maloney, catching a 10-yard TD pass from Buck, scoring on a 36-yard interception return and running back a punt 68 yards. Wethersfield is led by QB Matt Sanzaro, who has completed 49-of-71 passes for 584 yards and 7 TDs. His top receivers are Luke Ocasio (12-189, 2 TDs), Ryan Melillo (9-109, 2 TDs) and Max Albert (11-97). Which defense will come to play? … Farmington recovered 3 Maloney fumbles last week and ran back an interception for a TD. … Buck is the sixth QB in team history with 4 TD passes in a single game.
Series: Began 1996. Wethersfield leads, 2-1

Avon (2-1) at Valley Regional/Old Lyme (2-0), 6:30 p.m.
Last week: Avon 42, Nonnewaug 7, Valley Regional/OL bye
Outlook: The Falcons face an explosive Warrior team that is a favorite in the Pequot South Division and should be a contender in the Class M tournament. All-State linebacker and running back Jimmy Murphy has run for a team-leading 7 touchdowns while Noah Hahn has been improving all season long. He threw a pair of TD passes to Dylan Marquis last week. The challenge will be to stop the Warriors, who scored 34 points in a 34-0 win over Hyde and routed Coginchaug, 61-14 two weeks ago. Against Coginchaug, junior RB Justin Cheverier (12-245 rushing) scored 4 TDs and ran for 170 yards on six carries while QB Phil Cohen (19-22-0, 242, 4 TDs) looked sharp with a pair of TD passes. Junior Evan Smith ran back a 93-yard kickoff for a TD to begin the game. … The two schools have not met on the gridiron since 1980. … The game is the 500th in the history of the Avon High football program. Since 1960 when the first varsity team began play, Avon is 257-239 with three ties.
Series: Began 1974. Avon leads, 2-1 

Granby (0-3) at Haddam-Killingworth (0-3), 6:30 p.m.
Last week: Hyde 6, Granby 0, OT; Coventry/WT/Bolton 41, HK 16
Outlook: The host Cougars lost third year starting QB Alex DiMauro-D’Amico in the final preseason game of the year when he was injured against Rocky Hill. Since then, HK has struggled to score points (22 in three games) while giving up 107. H-K dropped a 26-6 decision to Nonnewaug in week 2. Granby is looking for its first win of the season and is led by QB Curtis Field (40-79-3, 478 yards, 3 TDs). His favorite targets in the early part of the season have been Ian Downey (13-226 receiving, 1 TD) and running back Dom Pagano (14-81 receiving). Pagano is also the leading rusher with 285 yards and 1 TD on 60 carries. If the Bears can play with the same passion they showed a week ago against Hyde, they could come home with their first win of the season.
Series: First meeting 

Saturday, Oct. 5

Simsbury (1-2, 0-1 CCC Div. I West) at Hall (1-1, 0-0 CCC Div. I West), 2 p.m.
Last week: Southington 38, Simsbury 0; Hall 48, Newington 21
Outlook: The Warriors have scored points in their first two games including 48 last week against Newington, Hall is led by QB Tom Honyotski (25-50-1, 481 yards, 1 TD) and his favorite targets include Neil Kelley (7-163, 2 TDs) and Rob Parra (5-122, 2 TDs). Running back Jordon Bell has rushed for 188 yards on 28 carries and 1 TD. Can Hall stop anyone? Simsbury was shut down by No. 5 Southington a week ago, gaining just 47 yards of offense. With its triple-option veer offense, Simsbury needs to control the contest and keep it close.
Series: Began 1974. Simsbury leads 19-16 

Hyde (2-1) at Canton (2-1), 3 p.m.
Last week: Hyde 6, Granby 0, OT; Canton 47, Housatonic/Wamogo 6
Outlook: Another tough game looms ahead for the Warriors against an athletic Hyde team that has struggled to score points this season. The Howling Wolves were shutout by Valley Regional/Old Lyme in its opener, 34-0 and scraped by upset-minded Granby a week ago with a 6-0 win in overtime. Dwayne Hunter-Parker is Hyde’s most dynamic player on offense. He has run for 411 yards on 54 carries while completing 12 of 29 passes for 181 yards. Hyde is the smallest school in the state to offer football but they have been successful, earning berths in the Class S tournament in four of the last five years. They won Class S titles in 2004 and 2005. Canton is coming off a 47-6 rout of an undermanned Housatonic squad. Hyde will be no pushover. Look for the Warriors to try and control the ball with Terrence Brophy on the ground and have its defense create some turnovers. Canton has forced six turnovers in two games, so far. QB Eric Scott threw his first two TD passes of the season against Housatonic. …  The last time Canton began the season 3-0 was in 1952 when the Warriors went 6-0 that season. … The game will be taped by CPTV Sports for broadcast later next week.
Series: First meeting 

Lewis Mills (0-3) at Gilbert/NW Regional (2-1), 2:30 p.m.
Last week: North Branford 42, Gilbert/NWR 25; Lewis Mills bye
Outlook: Two weeks ago, Mills had four starters injured in a loss to Avon. First-year coach Jose Santana hopes that a bye week allows the Spartans to get healthy. They’ll have their hands full at Van Why Field in Winsted against speedy Tony Ortiz (58-517, 6 TDs rushing) and QB John Lippincott – Gilbert’s two most exciting playmakers. Lippincott has completed 24-of-67 passes for 516 yards and 5 TDs, He has also rushed for 281 yards and 3 TDs on 36 carries. Mills’ starting QB Colin Thorn broke a finger in the second quarter against Avon and will be out a few weeks. Sophomore Lucas Lanning will probably start at QB.
Series: First meeting