The New Canaan Rams are No. 1, and FCIAC team swept the top four spots in the preseason GameTimeCT/New Haven Register Top 10 football poll released on Tuesday.
Following New Canaan in the top spot were the Greenwich Cardinals at No. 2, St. Joseph Cadets at No. 3, and Darien Blue Wave at No. 4. Darien, the three-time defending Class LL champion, finished last season ranked No. 1 for the third consecutive year.
• Click here to see the full poll
This is the second consecutive year in which New Canaan has taken the top spot in the preseason poll. The Rams did not hold the spot for long last year as they lost to St. Joseph 38-35 on opening night. New Canaan will be looking for a bit of revenge this weekend when it plays at St. Joe’s at 1:30 p.m., Saturday.
New Canaan was 9-3 last year and lost to Masuk in the Class L semifinals, breaking a run of four consecutive state championships for the Rams.
Greenwich, St. Joseph and Darien all had 12-1 records last season.
The Cardinals were unbeaten until their final game last year, as they fell to Darien 31-22 in the Class LL final at a snow-covered Boyle Stadium in Stamford.
St. Joseph defeated Ansonia 42-36 for the Class S title last year, as the Cadets won their first state championship in three years.
Darien lost to New Canaan in the annual Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving Day, but rebounded to defeat East Hartford, West Haven, and Greenwich for a Class LL three-peat.
Both New Canaan and St. Joseph are moving up a class this season, as New Canaan joins Darien and Greenwich in Class LL, and St. Joseph shifts to Class M. Classes are determined by enrollment.
FCIAC Football, Opening Weekend Schedule
Friday, Sept. 7
Ridgefield at Darien, 7 p.m.
Wilton at Brien McMahon, 7 p.m.
Warde at Stamford, 7 p.m.
Trinity Catholic at Danbury, 7 p.m.
Westhill at Ludlowe, 7 p.m.
Staples at Bridgeport Central, 7 p.m.
Norwalk at East Lyme, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 8
New Canaan at St. Joseph, 1:30 p.m.
Trumbull at Greenwich, 4 p.m.