The final week of the 2024 football regular season features the annual Thanksgiving Day rivalries, including two contests with CIAC state playoff implications.
Norwich Free Academy hosts New London in America’s oldest high school football rivalry. Both teams are mathematically alive for a postseason berth, the Wildcats in Class LL and the Whalers in Class M.
Killingly, which travels to Woodstock Academy on Thursday, has already clinched the No. 1 seed for the Class SS playoffs. Killingly will host a quarterfinal round game against the No. 8 seed on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
Griswold/Wheeler hosts Plainfield in the “clash along county lines”. The winner receives the James LeClaire Trophy.
In the Connecticut Technical Conference, Quinebaug Valley, which has won six straight, is clinging to the No. 8 playoff spot in Class M. The Pride face Thames River on Wednesday night at Grasso Tech in Groton.
Here are this week’s skinny and predictions:
When: Wednesday, 6 p.m.
Where: Grasso Tech, Groton
Records: Quinebaug Valley 6-3; Thames River 4-5
Last game: Quinebaug Valley beat O’Brien Tech, 46-8; Thames River beat O’Brien Tech, 54-0.
Last season: Quinebaug Valley won, 14-0.
The skinny: The first Thanksgiving game between the Connecticut Technical Conference rivals was played in 2017. The series is tied 3-3. The Pride, who have won six straight, moved into the eighth and final spot in the Class M playoff rankings this week. The Pride’s playoff point totals are slightly ahead of New London and East Haven. Both the Whalers and Yellowjackets, however, can garner a lot of points with wins on Thanksgiving Day. After an 0-5 start, Thames River can get to .500 with a win. The Eagles should relish the home cookin’ under the lights on Wednesday night but I have a feeling the Pride are going to answer the bell with a playoff spot on the line, and enjoy the scoreboard watching on Thursday.
Prediction: Quinebaug Valley 30, Thames River 24
More:Zanor column: Crunch time in high school football, Geno’s big win and other thoughts
When: Thursday, 10 a.m.
Where: NFA Turf Field
Records: New London 5-4; NFA 4-5
Last game: New London lost to Killingly, 41-20; NFA beat Waterford, 27-6.
Last season: New London won, 35-13.
The skinny: America’s oldest high school football rivalry has playoff implications this year. Yup, the Wildcats (Class LL) and Whalers (Class M) are both mathematically alive for a postseason spot. A big game has become even bigger. The NFA-New London rivalry began in 1875. NFA leads the series 81-69-11. Wildcats first-year coach Dylan Schroth, who played high school football at Westerly (R.I.), now has the distinction of both playing and coaching in two of America’s longest high school football rivalries. Stonington and Westerly first met on the gridiron in 1911. New London is a speedy bunch who gave unbeaten Killingly all it could handle – the Whalers led 20-7 early in the third quarter – in an eventual loss a week and a half ago. When the dust settles on Thursday afternoon, the improved Wildcats could possibly have played seven playoff teams this season.
Prediction: New London 27, NFA 19
More:Plainfield stuns Bacon Academy/Lyman Memorial with late touchdown
When: Thursday, 10 a.m.
Where: Charles Bentley Athletic Complex, Woodstock
Records: Killingly 9-0; Woodstock Academy 2-7
Last game: Killingly beat New London, 41-20; Woodstock Academy lost to Montville, 26-23.
Last season: Killingly won, 42-15.
The skinny: Killingly is 4-0 in the Thanksgiving Day series against Woodstock Academy. The Centaurs have been plagued by the injury bug this season. Killingly, which has clinched the No. 1 seed for the Class SS playoffs, has been to the postseason nine consecutive years. Prediction: Killingly 49, Woodstock Academy 7
When: Thursday, 10 a.m.
Where: Griswold H.S. Turf Field
Records: Plainfield 3-6; Griswold/Wheeler 3-6
Last game: Plainfield lost to Windham, 40-6; Griswold/Wheeler lost to Ledyard, 40-32 (OT).
Last season: Griswold/Wheeler won, 36-0.
The skinny: The winner takes home the James LeClaire trophy in this “clash along county lines”. The winner also finishes in second place in ECC’s Division III with a 3-1 mark. (Stonington went 4-0 in ECC DIII.) The Griswold-Plainfield rivalry began in 1937. The Thanksgiving Day rivalry began in 1966. The Wolverines lead the all-time Thanksgiving series, 31-26. Grisowld also leads the all-time series, 48-35-5.
Prediction: Griswold/Wheeler 35, Plainfield 22
Last week: 6-0; Overall: 45-5
