DING DING DING... Round Three Is Here...

Welcome to the biggest day of the high school football season. Can I have a, "No, duh?"

Six games will be played, six state titles will be awarded (in a state with less than 130 teams). You'll be able to see and hear every game, whether it's on TV, the Internet, or your old-fashioned transistor radio.

Start your day here with a cup of coffee at 10 a.m. and listen to Live From the FC. Our guests — Rob Adams of WGCH AM 1490, The One and Only Phil Soto-Ortiz of SportingNewsCT.com, and Mark Dwyer of New Canaan News-Review — will break down the Class LL, L, and MM games for you.

And if you can't make it to West Haven for Round Three of the Masuk-Bunnell series will be broadcast LIVE on CPTV, for those of you with cable television or rabbit ears, starting with pregame at 6:30. SportingNewsCT.com will also pick up the feed from CPTV.

Meanwhile, here's some press clippings to enjoy:

• (New Haven Register) Masuk-Bunnell to face off for a third time
• (New Haven Register) Bulldogs feature one of most versatile attacks in state
• (Connecticut Post) Bruno's creativity attracts opponents attention
• (Connecticut Post) Murphy, Masuk look to end title drought
  

Daily Press Clippings

A lot of this is probably old news right now, as I'm sure you SWC fans raced out to the newsstand early to pick up today's papers. And maybe I'm wrong, you could just be rolling out of bed after overdosing on mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie... Better safe than sorry, here's clips from the Wednesday games, too:

• (Republican-American) Pomperaug seniors exit with a win
• (News-Times) Notre Dame leaves Immaculate feeling blue
• (Connecticut Post) Bunnell turns back Stratford
• (News-Times) Pomperaug ends season with a victory
• (The Hour) Hannum powers Weston over Barlow
• (News-Times) Hannum, Weston run past Barlow
• (News-Times) Rebels pull out victory in overtime shootout
• (News-Times) Nighthawks defense stands tall in loss
• (News-Times) Brookfield hammers Bethel

Press Clippings: Nov. 3

Who would have thought that Brookfield would take down Pomperaug? Especially a week after Pomperaug's fantastic finish against Stratford?

Here's today's clips:

• (News-Times) Brookfield stuns Pomperaug
• (News-Times) Rebels run past Notre Dame
• (The Hour) Weston overwhelmed by Stratford

Press Clippings for a Sunday Afternoon

So the playoff picture in the SWC is starting to take a little more shape. Or is that it's remaining cluttered? After upending Pomperaug 16-6, Masuk becomes one of three teams with just one loss. Pomperaug and Newtown are the others, but Stratford and Bunnell are still undefeated.

So we'll start off with that clip:

• (Connecticut Post) Masuk comes back to life
• (The Hour) Lancers top Trojans
• (The News-Times) Barlow loses shootout to undefeated Bunnell
• (The News-Times) Brookfield runs past Immaculate
• (The News-Times) DeVellis leads Newtown past Bethel
  

Weekly Reading For SWC Fans

Not much out there (I'm not much of a fan of the SWC's weeklies), but here we go:

• (Redding Pilot) Falcons fly over Chiefs
• (Weston Forum) Rebels strike early and often

Yup... that's it!

Press Clippings: What's Going On...

Here I go again, scouring the bowels of the Internet so you don't have to.

And it's easier than it looks. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of weekly newspapers in SWC towns that are on top of their Web games. In one way, it's sad. No, in all ways, it's sad. Should the family of, say, a Pomperaug player have to rely just on the News-Times and Republican-American Web sites it they want to find out how their brother, grandson, cousin, or nephew did?

No.

Anyway, here's what's out there right now:

• Panthers off to strong start (Monroe Courier)
• Homecoming is a happy one (Redding Pilot)
• Devils prevail over Newtown (Stratford Star)
• Homecoming is lopsided win (Weston Forum)

By the way, am I missing any links to weekly newspapers? Scroll down a bit and let me know. I would love to add whatever is missing.

Press Clippings

I was about to post a few links for Cyberspace when I went to the Connecticut Post's blog and read about the passing of Robert Szymaszek, the long-time Maloney head football coach who succumbed to brain cancer yesterday. Please click to read Sean Patrick Bowley's thoughts, and the Meridan-Journal's tribute page. May he rest in peace.

I guess there's no great way to segue into last night's games. So here we are:

Stratford 43, Brookfield 13:

• (Connecticut Post) Mack, McKoy Power Stratford

Bunnell 42, Notre Dame-Fairfield 15

• (Connecticut Post) Bunnell rolls over ND-Fairfield

Newtown 21, New Fairfield 14

• (News-Times) Last second heroics

Immaculate 35, Nonnewaug 0

• (News-Times) Immaculate gets off to fast start

Pomperaug 28, Barlow 0

• (News-Times) Pomperaug runs over Barlow

Weston 34, New Milford 7

• (The Hour) Weston breaks through
  

Sunday Afternoon Reading Material

Little bit of a review of Saturday's games. Here's what's out there in Cyberspace...

Immaculate 20, Weston 7

• (News-Times) IHS wins opener
• (The Hour) Turnovers haunt Weston

Pomperaug 47, New Milford 25

• (News-Times) Panthers pound Green Wave

Masuk 36, Brookfield 14

• (News-Times) Masuk takes down Brookfield
  

Listen To Sean: The Post's SWC Preview

Growing up, the Bridgeport Post's high school football preview was the biggest thing to me. Even though I played deep in the Stamford Advocate coverage area, I lived in the Post coverage area. So the New Canaan-Greenwich regular season game would get some serious column inches and a byline (which reminds me, you guys spelled my name wrong... twice! Got it right in the police blotter though!).

But the Connecticut Post's preview is still huge to me. Sean Patrick Bowley has to wrestle down, I don't know, 60 coaches to get them to do their prospectuses, juggle eight features -- either writing or assigning them, leaping tall buildings in a single bound, etc.

Then he has to shoot video, do podcasts (dude, he's on iTunes now!), go on radio shows (Hey, Sean, while I'm asking...)

So here, I bring you his SWC Preview, as well as his first podcast of 2007. This year, based on the file name, it looks like the post is doing it right, and will store these things. Last season was kinda frustrating, if you forgot to listen one week, it's like you ignored everything he said.

And while I'm at it, here's his Week 1 matchups.

The Hour's Preview of Weston

Weston is looking to snap a two-season long winless streak, and head coach Joe Lato is hoping it happens soon. Click here to read Matt Doran's preview from today's The Hour.

Green Wave Preview Posted at New Milford Times

I only got to see New Milford run one drive at the Wilton Jamboree two weeks back. And I liked what I saw. Even though the team will be inexperienced this season, I think they will compete. Click here for Laura McCusker's preview.

Weston Preview Posted at Weston Pilot

And Rocco Paul Valluzzo is a busy man. The sports editor at both the Redding Pilot and the Weston Forum, he breaks down the 2007 Trojans in the Forum. First goal for Joe Lato's team - break into the win column.

Barlow Preview Posted to Redding Pilot

The Barlow preview written by Redding Pilot sports editor Rocco Paul Valluzzo is in cyberspace. Valluzzo writes that while the Falcons are supposed to be in a rebuilding year, the team could surprise a few foes along the way.