The CIAC football championships. Follow for updates throughout the day.
Pete Paguaga / Photo illustrationFollow along for updates from each of the six CIAC high school football championship games. Click on the headers above to be brought to a specific class.
Pete Paguaga, Sean Patrick Bowley and Mike Fornabaio all contributed to this report.
All final scores will be posted on our CIAC playoff scoreboard
CLASS LL
FINAL: No. 2 GREENWICH 37, No. 5 FAIRFIELD PREP 17
at Rentschler Field, East Hartford
-- Greenwich 37, Fairfield Prep 17, final, Class LL championship
-- Matt Trimmer pickoff for Greenwich, the Cardinals fifth interception of game.
-- Charlie Dixon, in on everything tonight, takes the safety rather than punt from the end zone. 2:10 to go, Greenwich with a 37-17 lead on Fairfield Prep.
-- Greenwich holds on 4th and goal from the 2. 401 left to another state title, up 37-15
-- Malachi Mercer-Robinson with a TD run for Fairfield Prep and a two-point conversion cuts Greenwich's lead to 37-15 with 6:35 left, and a bouce gives the Jesuits the onside kick.
-- Vomvolakis 63 TD run, Greenwich leads Fairfield Prep 37-7 with 10:26 to go.
-- Charlie Dixon with his third pick of Prep QB Tyler Smith, 2 plays into 4th quarter.
-- Sergot Boone 31-yard field goal with five seconds left in the third quarter. Greenwich leads Fairfield Prep 30-7.
-- Greenwich takes over on downs at their own 33 to start the third quarter, up 27-7
-- Smith to Trey Hartnet for a big shot down the right side line has prep down to the Greenwich 30 yard line on the opening drive up the second half
-- Greenwich with its third interception, Fairfield Prep's fourth turnover of the first half. Greenwich leads 27-7 at halftime.
-- Fairfield Prep on the board as Ryan Preisano fights off what would have been pass interference to haul in a 24-yard TD pass. Greenwich leads 27-7 with 4:42 left in the first half.
-- When Greenwich got to the 1, you probably could have written Wilson 1 run right there. He did. Greenwich leads Fairfield Prep 27-0 with 6:58 left in the second quarter.
-- Greenwich leads Fairfield Prep 20-0 after one quarter. #cthsfb Greenwich ball near midfield (Jesuits punted this one)
-- Charlie Dixon is having an MVP game already. A second pickoff — Prep’s **third** straight to start the game — and makes ridiculous catch (film at 11) and Wilson takes it in from a yard out. 20-0 Cards 3:29 left. Yikes
-- Jack Wilson sneak from 1 yard out after a few wild plays got them there. Greenwich leads Fairfield Prep 20-0 with 3:29 left in the first quarter.
-- Fairfield Prep's third possession ends in another interception midway through the first quarter, down 13-0 to Greenwich
-- Three plays later, George Vomvolakis 5 run, Sergot Boone in to kick this time, good, Greenwich leads Fairfield Prep 13-0 with 7:16 left in the first quarter.
-- Bad snap, Greenwich recovers on the Prep 27, up 6-0 early.
-- Near-interception on Prep's first pass. Interception on its second. Charlie Dixon takes it 33 yards for a score. Run fails. Greenwich leads Fairfield Prep 6-0, 2:30 in.
-- Fairfield Prep wins the toss, defers. Greenwich will take the ball with what looks like the wind behind them, at least on the flagpoles.
-- Fairfield Prep started 1-3 but has won eight in a row, with seven of those eight against playoff teams.
-- Greenwich lost its regular-season finale by a point to Staples, the Cardinals' second one-point loss to a playoff team; a loss to Southington in Week 3 knocked them out of the top spot in the poll.
-- The schools met in last year's regular season, a 14-7 Greenwich win, and again in the Class LL quarterfinals, a 21-14 Fairfield Prep win after Wilson was injured in the third quarter.
CLASS SS
FINAL: No. 5 BARLOW 61, No. 6 VALLEY REGIONAL/OLD LYME 6
at Arute Field, CCSU, New Britain
-- Valley Regional/Old Lyme gets on the board as Grady Lacourciere finds Nicholas Cox. 61-6 Joel Barlow, 1:52 left.
-- Dylan Taylor with a 29 yard TD run. It's 61-0 Barlow with 7:12 remaining. Falcons are well on their way to their first state title.
-- Barlow with another stellar play on defense. Charlie Basta picks it off and takes it back for the score. 54-0 Falcons, 9:46 left.
-- Barlow scores again. This time, it’s Scott Romano. 48-0 Joel Barlow, 3:58 left in the third.
-- Danny Shaban has another rushing touchdown, his FIFTH. 42-0 Joel Barlow, 5:50 left in the third.
-- Danny Shaban is running wild (literally). His fourth rushing touchdown of the evening extends the Joel Barlow lead. 35-0 Falcons, 10:36 left in the third.
-- Danny Shaban with his third TD of the night. Barlow 28-0 over Valley with 48 seconds remaining in 2nd quarter. Falcons look headed for their first state title
-- Danny Shaban with his 2nd TD of the night...this time from 12 yards out. Barlow leads Valley 21-0
-- The Falcon defense continues to impress. Cole Peterson blocks the Valley Regional/Old Lyme punt and Liam Kiernan recovers it in the end zone. Joel Barlow leads 14-0, 11:00 left in the first half.
-- Joel Barlow strikes first. Danny Shaban runs it in from five yards away to give the Falcons a 7-0 lead.
-- Valley Regional/Old Lyme misses a 27-yard field goal on its opening drive.
-- Barlow's Danny Shaban is one of the state's most dynamic threats with 1,873 all-purpose yards and 30 touchdowns, while also throwing for another 655 yards and 11 TDs out of the triple option
-- Valley Regional is led by a trifecta of senior stars Di'Angelo Jean-Pierre, Jake Rand and Nick Cox, who have amassed a combined 3,229 all-purpose yards and 48 touchdowns.
CLASS M
FINAL: No. 2 NOTRE DAME-WEST HAVEN 35, No. 1 BERLIN 8
at Rentschler Field, East Hartford
-- Final. ND wins Class M title with 35-8 victory over Berlin
-- Berlin on the board with 2:47 left as Lorezo Miele hits Josh Grimm with 34-yard TD pass. 35-8 ND
-- Piechota to Petruzziello 18 yard TD with 5:15 left. ND up 35-0
-- Jacob Station just scored his second TD, Notre Dame-West Haven honing in on its 4th state championship. 10:32 left
-- ND capitalizes. Uses 15 play drive to take 21-0 lead on 13 yard TD pass from Piechota to Matteao Petruzziello
-- Will Panza with INT for ND. Green Knights at own 47, up 14-0 with 9:28 to go 3rd qtr
-- Halftime. NDWH leads Berlin 14-0
-- Berlin with signs of life. Inside ND 30 with 5 minutes to go in first half.
-- Jacob Staton 10 yard TD run. 2 pt conversion gives NDWH 14-0 lead over Berlin w 6:36 left 1st half
-- NDWH driving again. At Berlin 34 w 7:14 left in half and leading 6-0
-- Dominick Basti with INT for NDWH at own 31.
-- NDWH dominates 1st qtr on scoreboard, 169-11 in yards and 22-6 in plays
-- Matt Piechota to Ralph Sarno 18 yard TD pass as time expires in 1st qtr. 6-0 NDWH as kick fails
-- 3 and out for Berlin. NDWH takes over at 50 with 1:23 left in scoreless 1st qtr
-- Berlin holds. Takes over at own 11 with 2:45 left 1st qtr
-- 4th and 11 NDWH at Berlin 20. Green Knights going for it after TO.
-- Berlin drops wide open pass on 2nd down. Punts to NDWH 25. Scoreless 6:12 left 1st qtr
-- Berlin stops NDWH on 4th down. Takes over at Berlin 38 with 7:21 left 1st quarter
-- Jacob Staton 2 yards for 1st down for NDWH against Berlin
-- NDWH receives opening kickoff. Faces 3rd down at own 45
-- Berlin takes an unbeaten record into this final, looking to complete its first unbeaten championship season. It would be just the school's second CIAC championship in nine appearances. Berlin's first and only title came in 2009.
-- Notre Dame-West Haven is making its eighth state championship appearance and first since 2014, when it lost to Windsor in the Class L-Small final.
CLASS L
FINAL: No. 4 NEW CANAAN 16, No. 3 MALONEY 13
at Arute Field, CCSU, New Britain
-- Maloney pass incomplete on 4th and 22. New Canaan takes over with 1:10 left.
-- Groff 19-yard field goal, his third of the game, puts New Canaan up on Maloney 16-13 with 2:34 to play
-- New Canaan ties it as Hunter Telesco scores from 2 yards out. New Canaan 13, Maloney 13 with 9:44 left
-- End of 3Q Maloney 13, New Canaan 6
-- Maloney extends lead as Kyle Valentine hits Donte Kelly for 24-yard TD. 2 pt failed . Maloney 13, New Canaan 6 with 1:09 left in 3Q
-- Maloney gets a third down stop, still leads NC 7-6 with 4:50 to go in the third qtr
-- Halftime: Maloney 7, New Canaan 6
-- Maloney intercepts New Canaan.
-- Then Maloney’s Marquis Ward takes kick return 95 yards for TD. Maloney leads New Canaan 7-6 with 2:32 left in 2Q
-- Groff boots 24-yard field goal to extend NC’s lead to 6-0 over Maloney. 2:44 to go in the half
-- New Canaan returns interception to Maloney 19.
-- Maloney forced to punt, New Canaan gets ball back.
-- New Canaan’s Ty Groff drills FG and it’s 3-0 New Canaan leading Maloney with 11:06 left in 2nd quarter. That’s Groff’s 25th career FG, setting a state record.
-- New Canaan stops Maloney on the first possession of the game
-- Looking at about a 2:10 p.m. start
-- This division, which looked in the preseason to be the toughest, comes down to the team defending its first CIAC championship against a perennial program looking to snap its longest title drought since the 1990s.
-- Both teams have only given up more than 21 points in regulation once.
CLASS MM
FINAL: No. 5 NORTH HAVEN 51, No. 3 KILLINGLY 34
at Rentschler Field, East Hartford
-- North Haven wins Class MM state championship 51-34 over Killingly. It is the program's 1st state title.
-- Dreibholz to Colangelo from 42 yards out, NH leads 34-51 with :26 seconds to play
-- Trysten Dos scores on 1 yd run with 1:06 left. North Haven leads Killingly 51-28, will win program's first state championship.
-- North Haven recovers onsides kick with 357 left.
-- Killingly scores on a TD pass, but North Haven closing in on its first state football championship… up 44-28 with 3:57 remaining.
-- Jeff Karavas 8 yard TD run for North Haven. Nighthawks lead Killingly 44-21 with 745 left, Class MM final.
-- A holding call, bad snap and intentional grounding on Dreibholz for a safety. 37-21 North Haven over Killingly.
-- Adam Pandolfi scores on 1st play of 4th quarter, 19 yds, for North Haven, which leads Killingly 35-21, Class MM final.
-- End 3: North Haven 28, Killingly 21. North Haven setting up at the Killingly 19. 2nd and 2
-- Killingly turns the ball over on downs at the North Haven 40, 327 left 3. North Haven up 28-21
-- Pandolfi 6 yd TD run puts North Haven back in front of Killingly 28-21 almost midway thru 3rd q
-- Halftime here at Rentschler Field, Killingly 21, North Haven 21, Class MM
-- Dreibholz to Perry for the 7-yard TD. Looked like Perry lost it, but ground may have caused fumble. No replay in HS, TD stands, 21 all with North Haven with 18 seconds left before halftime.
-- Killingly 1st down, 24 seconds left.
-- Killingly faces a 4th and 1 with 30 seconds left.
-- Killingly marching again, on North Haven's 13-yard line with 47 seconds left.
-- North Haven kicker Declan Finkle has two tackles on kickoffs
-- North Haven answers, 5 play drive, Brian Lastomirsky with his 2nd touchdown of the day, this one for 29 yards. 21-14 Nighthawks over Killingly with 2:37 left before halftime.
-- Keith Perry on the toss goes 5 yards for the touchdown for Killingly. Killingly gets the 2, Jax to Perry on the conversion, 14-all with North Haven, 436 left before halftime. Nine play scoring drive for Killingly.
-- Killingly goes to air, back-to-back passes plus run gives Killingly first and goal from inside 5.
-- Killingly's Dreibholz to Colangelo for 31 yards and the touchdown. Dreibholz missed the PAT - off the post - North Haven leads Killingly 14-6 early 2nd quarter.
-- Jeff Karavas scores 6-yard TD. North Haven leads Killingly 14-0 with 2:08 left 1st quarter. 10-play scoring drive for North Haven. One pass attempted nearly picked off
-- Everything coming up North Haven early already dominating the line of scrimmage. On the march again, up 7-0 late 1st quarter.
-- Killingly gets to the North Haven 45, goes no further, punts.
-- Brian Lastomirsky on the 14-yard TD for North Haven, up 7-0 on Killingly less than 3 minutes into the game. Five play scoring drive, 79 yards, 89 if you include the holding penalty.
-- Jeff Karavas breaks one on 3rd down for 55 yards down to the Killingly 16.
-- We are under way at Rentschler Field. North Haven up first
-- Killingly, last year's Class M champion in the old four-division setup, has added Yards After Catch to its Run People Over offensive mindset. Dreibholz has 32 touchdowns, half of them to Jax, on 106 attempts, let alone on his 72 completions.
-- North Haven, meanwhile, allowed 83 points... this season. Only in their second loss did the Nighthawks surrender more than 14. They also dropped at least 29 on seven of their 12 opponents.
CLASS S
FINAL: No. 1 Ansonia 28, No. 2 Bloomfield 21
at Arute Field, CCSU, New Britain
-- Ansonia’s defense holds on 4th down and the Chargers kneel it out. Final: Ansonia 28, Bloomfield 21 #cthsfb
-- First title for Ansonia since 2016 and 7th state title for Tom Brockett
-- Bloomfield drives to Ansonia 12. Pass incomplete on 4th and 10. Ansonia will win.
-- Kaminski on 4th and 3 runs 23 yard for TD. Ansonia 2 pt run fails. 28-21 Ansonia 2:39 left
-- 4th and 21 play broken up by Ansonia's Palmer. 4:17 left Ansonia 22 Bloomfield 21
-- Kaminski 20 yard TD run plus a 2-point conversion and Ansonia leads Bloomfield 22-21 with 9:08 left
-- End 3 Bloomfield 21 Ansonia 14. Ansonia stopped again on 4th and 2, at Bloomfield 27
-- No scores yet in third. Bloomfield 21 Ansonia 14 4:20 left in third. Ansonia stopped on 4th and 2 on Bloomfield 24
-- Bloomfield’s Darien Foster keeps it himself for a 3yard TD as time expires in first half. 2-pt good. Halftime Bloomfield 21, Ansonia 14
-- Bloomfield picks off an Ansonia pass and last three drives of the game have ended in turnovers
-- Ansonia picks off a Bloomfield pass. 14-13 Chargers with 6:42 left in half
-- Ansonia fumble recovered by Kerr, Bloomfield ball near midfield.
-- Bloomfield scores as Davien Kerr runs it in from 8 yards out but XP is blocked. Ansonia 14, Bloomfield 13 with 9:35 left in half
-- Bloomfield gets on board as Davien Kerr scores from 9 yards out Ansonia 14, Bloomfield 7 with 1:38 left in 1Q
-- Ansonia dips into the bag of tricks as David Cassetti takes the pitch and throws a 13-yard TD to Paul Palmer Ansonia 14, Bloomfield 0 with 6:19 left in 1Q
-- Bloomfield punts from the end zone and Ansonia takes over at the 24
-- Kaminski 1 yard TD run and Ansonia leads Bloomfield 7-0 with 10:27 left in first
-- Bloomfield defers Ansonia will receive
-- Two of the most storied small school football programs tangle, yet again, with a trophy on the line. Ansonia has won 20 CIAC championships, most for any program in state history. Bloomfield has won nine
-- This is the seventh meeting between the two programs in a state final. They've split the previous six meetings. Ansonia's last title win over Bloomfield was 34-12 in the 2006 Class S championship (current coach Tom Brockett's first season) and Bloomfield's last title win over Ansonia was 31-20 in the 2015 Class S final.
Who will be No. 1?
It's the question on everyone's mind this time of year, but even more so entering 2022's version of Championship Saturday.
There are six teams entering today who have legitimate chances to earn a No. 1 vote in the final GameTimeCT Top 10 football poll: Ansonia, Berlin, Fairfield Prep, Greenwich, Maloney and New Canaan.
Jeff Jacobs takes a look at the arguments each team has for No. 1, while SPB and Pete give their thoughts in this week's edition of the Meat Grinder podcast.