Week Four of the FCIAC football season is pivotal, as teams with hot starts look to establish themselves as contenders for the remainder of the season.
Among the questions to be answered are, can Ludlowe continue its remarkable start and improve to 3-1? Will the Staples Wreckers get another win and head into a Week Five contest with Darien unbeaten? How will St. Joe’s react after its first loss while facing a solid Wilton team? And which 2-1 teams will continue their winning ways?
Here’s a look at the Week Four slate.
Thursday, Sept. 27
Warde 48, Central 6
One game is already in the books, as the Warde Mustangs rolled past the Bridgeport Central Hilltoppers, 48-6, Thursday night at Kennedy Stadium in Bridgeport. The victory evened the Mustangs’ mark at 2-2, while Central fell to 0-4.
Warde QB Gulbin reeled off four touchdown passes and ran for another score, and the Mustangs came up with five turnovers and scored on two of them. Jeff Seganos returned an interception for a 50-yard score, and Connor Burt had an 18-yard fumble return for another TD.
Friday, Sept. 28
Trumbull (1-2) at Trinity Catholic (0-3), 6 p.m.
Trumbull’s win is against Ludlowe and its two losses are against Greenwich and New Canaan teams which are ranked in the state’s top 10. The Eagles are essentially where they were predicted to be at this point, and can even their mark against a Trinity team still looking for its first win.
Staples (3-0) at Ridgefield (2-1), 7 p.m.
The LocalLive Game of the Week has the unbeaten Staples Wreckers taking on the Ridgefield Tigers at Tiger Hollow. Ridgefield is tough to beat at home, but Staples is on a roll to start the season.
A victory for the Wreckers would give them a 4-0 record heading into next week’s showdown against Darien, while a win for the Tigers would put them in position for a strong run through the rest of the season.
Greenwich (2-0) at Norwalk (2-1), 7 p.m.
Watch on Greenwich Football’s YouTube channel
The Cardinals come off a bye week and take on a Norwalk squad which suffered its first loss last week, 43-42, to Ludlowe. The Bears have allowed 88 points in three games, but have overcome that with its own high-octane offense which has 131 points this season.
Greenwich, however, is a different animal, with an average of 48 points last year, and 98 points in two games this season.
Ludlowe (2-1) at Brien McMahon (0-3), 7 p.m.
After winning just one game in the past two years combined, the Ludlowe Falcons are suddenly looking at a possible 3-1 start, a remarkable turnaround for the program under second-year head coach Mitch Ross.
McMahon finally got into the end zone last week, scoring twice in a 38-14 loss to Staples. The Senators will look to build on that in pursuit of their first win.
Capital/Achievement (1-2) at Danbury (2-1), 7 p.m.
The Hatters and new head coach Augie Tieri are off to a winning start with two wins in their first three games. They’ll now host Capital/Achievement in Danbury’s Homecoming game on Friday night.
Saturday, Sept. 29
Stamford (1-2) at Darien (3-0), 1:30 p.m.
Watch on Darien Athletic Foundation
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Darien was impressive in dismantling the state’s No. 1 team, the St. Joseph Cadets 22-7 and has taken over the No. 1 spot in both the GameTimeCt writers and Day of New London Coaches poll.
The Wave will now take on a Stamford team, which also scored a big win last week, earning its first victory, 19-7, over city foe Trinity Catholic. The Knights featured a ground-based attack led by backs Lenny Garcia and Jaden Dawkins and QB Isaiah Johnson in that game, but they’ll face a tall task against a Darien defense which has allowed just 13 points in three games.
Westhill (0-3) at New Canaan (2-1), 1:30 p.m.
Watch on New Canaan’s NFHS Network Page (subscription)
New Canaan has seemingly righted the ship, with back-to-back wins over Danbury and Trumbull the past two weeks. The Rams’ 48-7 victory saw them rack up 517 offensive yards, with senior co-captain scoring five TDs — 3 through the air and 2 on the ground.
This week, the Rams host a Vikings team which is still searching for its first win. And, it’s New Canaan High School Homecoming.
Wilton (2-1) at St. Joseph (2-1), 1:30 p.m.
Watch on St. Joseph’s NFHS Network Page (subscription)
The Wilton Warriors had a great win, 47-28, over Warde during their Homecoming game last week, but now they’ll take on a St. Joseph Cadets squad which is looking to rebound from its first loss.