week 6 preview

There's a lot to get to this week. Some big games on the schedule. Should be fun...
if it ever happens.
With rain in the forecast there could be trouble in places with natural turf. Be prepared for some postponements, but don't be afraid to get out there and support the team whenever the games are played. You won't melt.
I'll be wading through the mud at Plainville on Friday night as the Devils face Rocky Hill, and I'll be at Northwest Catholic Saturday when Berlin hits the road. I won't predict either of those games, but they are two really good ones.
Rocky Hill is going to be out for blood after a really disappointing loss to Middletown that threatened its playoff chances. At MOST the Terriers can have one more loss and with Berlin coming up next week, that can't happen here. To secure a playoff spot they need to win out and get some minor help.
Meanwhile, the Blue Devils have looked good, and Dave Soltis is on the verge of the school rushing record. He's a hard worker, a winner on the field and a good kid off it. I'd be very happy to see him break the mark.
Meanwhile, we can all put the John Capodice saga behind us, but hopefully it won't hurt Berlin in its game. Capodice's suspension under the 50-point rule was overturned Friday by the CIAC, but the coach was not made aware of that until the end of the week. I'm sure he coached the team as if he would be there, and had his assistants ready for if he would not.
Northwest, despite two losses, is not to be take lightly by anybody. The Indians' size on the line is formidable. Should be a good game.
On to the predictions, sporting a 27-12 overall record, and 3-2 in state picks.
Friday:
East Hartford at Southington: I see no potential pitfalls on Southington's schedule until they face New Britain in week 9. But that's why they play the games.
East Hartford has lost to local teams, Wethersfield and New Britain, the past two weeks, and I would guess that will continue this week. I like Southington easily.
Glastonbury at New Britain: The Canes are hanging around the playoff chase, but need to win the rest of their games to have a chance. The Tomahawks are down from where they have been at times in the past, and they should not cause New Britain trouble.
If the Canes stay away from penalties, they should run all over the opponent in a win.
Newington at Bristol Eastern: This has so much on the line. Each team has several tough games remaining, but this is the toughest for both (although Maloney would like to challenge that).
People in Bristol aren't used to the Lancers, and not the Central Rams, being top dogs in town. Many still question just how good Eastern is. This will go a long way towards determining that.
It will be fun to see what Nate Pagan does against a good opponent. Against Bloomfield he ran nearly fifty times and led his team to victory.
I look for the same tonight.
Wethersfield at Bloomfield: I felt really bad for the Eagles in their loss to Windsor last week. They outplayed the unbeaten Warriors throughout the first half before Gavin Lamb went down with an injury. Bloomfield is an equally tough opponent, but expect Wethersfield to be in this game down the stretch if Lamb can stay on the field.
I still think Bloomfield will sneak away with it, though. Prove me wrong, Eagles.
RHAM at Farmington: There's been some rough sailing for the Indians after a promising start to the season. I think this will be a chance for them to get back on track.
The Sachems are much improved this year but have not been competitive with the upper half of the conference. Control the line against them and get pressure on their quarterback and they are in trouble.
If Farmington stops the deep ball, they'll win this one. I'm picking them to do just that.
Saturday:
SP/GT/LM at Middletown: Middletown still has a long way to go to earn a playoff spot (Northwest Catholic, Berlin and Xavier all on the schedule). This will be a warmup for the Blue Dragons.
St. Paul and East Catholic (Middletown's other two opponents) are the bottom of the conference. This one shouldn't be close.
State Game of the Week
Daniel Hand at Shelton, Friday, 7 p.m.: This is a matchup of two top-ten ranked teams. Nobody would be happier to see Shelton lose than New Britain, which needs at least one of the four unbeaten teams in LL to fall before the end of the season.
Hand is also unbeaten and second in MM behind Middletown. That's very tenuous with a game next week against Notre Dame-West Haven too. Neither team can afford a loss here, and that makes for a good game.
I don't know much about these teams and they are both well respected around the state, so in that case I usually favor the home team and the larger school. In this case that's Shelton on both counts.

Keep in mind, nothing leads to upsets more than bad weather and field conditions. It can completely negate an advantage in size and speed, not to mention make passing games fail. Defense will rule this weekend, and the playoff picture will start getting a lot clearer.