Similar Looks To Year-End High School Football Coaches And Media Polls

CONNECTICUT — After an exciting weekend of state championship football games, the final task at hand for the season is ranking the top teams in Connecticut. Two separate polls are conducted weekly throughout the season, one by a panel of coaches and the other by the state's sports media, and judging by the final balloting results, the experts were in total agreement on the best half-dozen gridiron squads.

Class L champion New Canaan was the consensus top pick, being named first of 12 of 13 coaches' ballots and 19 or 21 from the media. Class LL titlist Greenwich was second, and Class MM winner Masuk placed third.

Fourth place went to Class SS champion Killingly, which received the remaining first-place votes in both polls. Class M champion St. Joseph was fifth, and MM runner-up Windsor, which topped both polls each week since early in the season, wound up sixth.

Here are the top 10 in each poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, as well as all other programs earning support, and a complete list of voters.

COACHES

1. New Canaan (12)
2. Greenwich
3. Masuk
4. Killingly (1)
5. St. Joseph
6. Windsor
7. Ansonia
8. Darien
9. West Haven
10. Brookfield

Also receiving votes: Daniel Hand, Staples, Newtown, Fairfield Prep, Sheehan, Glastonbury, Maloney, Bunnell, Notre Dame-West Haven, Bloomfield, Fairfield Ludlowe, Naugatuck, Woodland Regional.

Coaches voting: Erik Becker, Daniel Hand; Tom Brockett, Ansonia; Joe Della Vecchia, St. Joseph; Mike Ellis, Fitch; Rob Fleeting, Windsor; Kevin Frederick, Maloney; Tanner Grove, Montville; Andy Guyon, Xavier; Joe Lato, Woodland Regional; Brian Mazzone, Stafford/East Windsor/Somers; Bryan Muller, Brookfield; Marce Petroccio, Trumbull; Nathan Tyler, Stratford.
Compiled by Ned Griffen

MEDIA

1. New Canaan (19)
2. Greenwich
3. Masuk
4. Killingly (2)
5. St. Joseph
6. Windsor
7. Darien
8. Brookfield
9. Newtown
10. West Haven

Also receiving votes: Ansonia, Staples, Daniel Hand, Fairfield Prep, Sheehan, Bunnell, Bloomfield, Glastonbury, Woodland Regional, Maloney, Naugatuck, Notre Dame-West Haven, Newington, Waterbury Career Academy.

Voters: Will Aldam, GametimeCT; Sean Patrick Bowley, GametimeCT; Bryant Carpenter, GametimeCT; Gerry deSimas Jr., Collinsville Press; Justin DeVellis, News 12 Connecticut; Mike DiMauro, The Day of New London; Erik Dobratz, WTNH-8; Scott Ericson, GametimeCT; Ned Griffen, GametimeCT correspondent; Mark Jaffee, Republican-American of Waterbury; Tim Jensen, Patch Media Corp.; Jonah Karp, Fox61; Gabby Lucivero, NBC CT; Mike Madera, Walter Camp Football Foundation; Joe Morelli, GametimeCT; Dave Phillips, GametimeCT correspondent; Lori Riley, Hartford Courant; Dave Ruden, The Ruden Report; Dave Stewart, GametimeCT; Jimmy Zanor, Norwich Bulletin; Joe Zone, WFSB-3.
Compiled by Will Aldam