For those of you stuck inside right now wondering if the beach is a good option on this overcast day, be sure to tune into The Final Score with Matt Levine on 1400 AM WSTC and 1350 WNLK AM (or online at wstcwnlk.com/). Lou Marinelli will be talking at 1:35 today with Lou Marinelli, head coach of the Fairfield County team, about the upcoming Hall of Fame Classic.

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... or if we can quote Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the retailer has got to be saying, "I'm not dead yet." But all the signs are there, and it looks like it's right around the corner.

What does this have to do with FCIAC football? Not much, except I posted something around Christmas about being the Starbury Sneaker Pimp. I'm wearing a pair right now, my foot is either falling asleep or just completely numb, but I love them anyway. Where else are you going to find a decent pair of sneaks for $14.98 (or $8.98, as they have been at least since November) ...<< MORE >>

Who knew the FCIAC Football Blog would be the most popular place in cyberspace to read about Cody Gifford? OK, at this second, the fourth most-popular place, but it's interesting to see what's going on here.

Click MORE and find out why Cody Gifford has become the most popular search term ever at the FCIAC Football Blog...<< MORE >>

It took a lot to cool off a hot receiver like Bunnell's Michael Easley. He was the go-to target for both quarterbacks, Rob Moir (who should have been the MVP despite playing one half) and Matt Coyne.

Several locals fared well last night at Rentschler Field, and you can get a little more of my take on the game - and photos - at the new site, LocalSportsFeed (check it out, I hope you like it). << MORE >>

Saturday will be a big chance to shine under the Rentschler Field lights for a bunch of Fairfield County's recently graduated seniors.  And unfortunately, it seems to be the best-kept secret game in the state. How does the CHSCA expect the annual Governors' Cup game to succeed without any publicity?

Well, here comes some from the FCIAC Football Blog, which plans to be in attendance to see Team Connecticut take on Rhode Island's best up at ...<< MORE >>

Don't judge Mikey Treschitta's overall score at the Pamby Motors Strongestman Competition by his time in the truck pull. He was the true guinea pig and team player for Ridgefield — and Bridgeport Central, Newtown, and Stamford. By agreeing to go first, he was able to show everyone else in the competition how to get the task of pulling a Dodge Ram 1500 down the Tiger Hollow track.


Here's Treschitta pulling the truck, talking about the ...<< MORE >>

Maybe you still haven't heard of him. But last season, as a sophomore, he had already caught the eyes of Boston College. Now it's camps with Syracuse and other schools this summer, and he hasn't even started his junior campaign.

Yes, Khairi Fortt, the Stamford High linebacker, is a legit Blue Chip recruit. And he was the most dominant athlete at the Pamby Motors Strongestman Competition yesterday up in Ridgefield. Here's what he had to ...<< MORE >>

Looking for info from today's Pamby Motors Strongestman Competition? Start with our sister site, LocalSportsFeed (the only media outlet that didn't phone it in). And click here for the Flickr page.

I questioned the event just a few short months ago, and I hope that didn't keep teams from coming. All the questions I raised about potential injury were moot. As strenuous as an event it was, it was trauma-free. Every event ...<< MORE >>

Wow — The Post's Sean Patrick Bowley goes on a six-day break and comes back with big news: Bunnell receiver Mark Harrison has given a verbal commitment to Rutgers. The 6-foot-5, 205-lb. Harrison just got back from a trip to the New Jersey school and had no problem giving head coach Greg Schiano his word.

Harrison is arguably the top receiver in the state, and showed it on many occasions last season at Bunnell. ...<< MORE >>

A lot of spring games have been played... and unfortunately I haven't seen any. Some teams that played games so far have had depleted rosters (I was talking with a New Canaan coach who said a lot of lacrosse players were missing, since their state championship game was played the same day, and I know a lot of Ludlowe baseball players were either starters or key players on the football team).

So who is looking good so far? Do we have any players who weren't on the radar screen last season and may be destined for greatness in '08? Is any school waiting for the next Hampus Hellermark to pop in for a year (I'm sure we won't know until August, right?).

This week I'm in Chicago for a conference. I'll be back Friday and may try and head out to some games.

        

On paper, the Fairfield County all-star team looks pretty darn awesome. Then again, so does New Haven's. And that's starting right up top at the head coaches — Lou Marinelli (Fairfield County) and Jeff Roy (Shelton).

No doubt that Fairfield will run the spread: After all, Marinelli's in charge and Charlie Westfal is one of the quarterbacks. The only problem is the team looks like a very running back-based team. Just looking down the roster, ...<< MORE >>

Enough of tonight's game — because when it's all said and done, slowpitch softball players have to go to work (or the prom — lol!) then next day, and go right back to their regular routine. And after tonight's game, we found out about Jason Paladino, a 13-year-old afflicted with Crohn's, and will walk June 17 to help find a cure. The proceeds are also going to help find a camp for kids with the ...<< MORE >>

I knew the day was coming, I circled it on my calendar, and I still couldn't prevent a Charlie Westfal-sparked comeback in our softball game tonight.

Bases juiced, none out, and we could put the game out. Then shortstop Westfal steals a base hit with a tremendous shoestring grab of a sinking line-drive in the hole, and doubles the runner off at third. Then I get up and hit into the third out, I'm sure, ...<< MORE >>

Believe it or not, some schools are already midway through spring practice. Schools could officially begin its first of 10 sessions (which includes any sort of Intersquad scrimmage) the day after Memorial Day. Others are starting this Monday. But one thing is on everyone's mind: Is this the last year that spring football will be allowed? ...<< MORE >>

A lot of people think I hate Ridgefield. And that's far from the truth. Right now, I couldn't be prouder of its boys lacrosse team. It faced the juggernaut known as Darien last night for the FCIAC title, and lost 13-9. But in the process it showed toughness and determination, and that it's more than Virginia-bound junior Matt White.

And here's something even better - Ridgefield packed the stands at McMahon's Jack Casagrande Field last ...<< MORE >>

It's reader mail time (lol)! I got an interesting e-mail last Sunday while I was away on business, and only got a chance to just write the guy back the other day saying "thanks for the e-mail." But with some teams' beginning their spring practices, it's an interesting concept: What if there was just ONE public high school in Stratford? How well would a combined Stratford-Bunnell football program fare with the rest of the state? ...<< MORE >>

I don't know if it's a compliment — and people see the FCIAC Football Blog as a great way to spread the word about upcoming events — or if people don't understand that I don't have the same reach as the daily and weekly newspapers. But I'm honored that some of the readers out there have asked me to give a shout out for their fundraisers (and I'm more than happy to do it). Click MORE to find out about three very worthwhile causes ...<< MORE >>

While Staples' prowess on the baseball diamond has nothing to do directly with football, the team is captained by Wreckers quarterback Mike Samela and coached by Staples assistant football coach Jack McFarland (who also happens to be the FCIAC Football Blog's only reader!).

Congratulations to the Wreckers, and here's more about Staples baseball from the sister site, http://localsportsfeed.com.

The Society of Professional Journalists' Connecticut Chapter has named the Connecticut Post's High School Sports Blog as its winner in the 2007 Excellence in Journalism contest in the Web: Online Commentary category.

Congratulations, SPB, on being named the God of All Bloggers, for Connecticut.

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I had an interesting conversation a few weeks back with a local athletic director, and was blindsided when he told me he hates blogs and everything about them, including the headaches they cause he and his coaches.

While I try to bring up topics at times that make people think, they sometimes turn into "pissing wars." And from my end, it's damned if you do, damned if you don't when it comes to monitoring comments.

Do ...<< MORE >>