Doug Reilly
Senior Editor
This Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day battle between New Canaan and Darien at 10:30am at Dunning Stadium will mark the 83rd matchup between the two archrivals and the 18th “Turkey Bowl”, a tradition that began in 1994. Of the 82 games played to date, New Canaan holds a 47-33-2 edge over Darien and a 12-4-1 record in Turkey Bowl games, not having lost to the Blue Wave since 2001.
In recent years, the historic rivalry has seemingly intensified, especially after the two teams clashed in the 2009 FCIAC and CIAC Class MM Championship games in the span of three weeks. Also, last year’s spray painting vandalism of New Canaan High School by Darien students the day before the Turkey Bowl added fuel to the fire. “Though it meant more at the time last year, a lot of people are still holding a grudge over the spray painting and I think it will be expressed in the way we play on Thursday,” senior captain Bobby Distler said.
However, this year’s game holds a different storyline. Both teams, knocked out of FCIAC Championship contention, enter Thursday morning’s game with records of 8-1. In such a competitive CIAC Class L Division, New Canaan and Darien have yet to clinch a state tournament berth, even though they have just one loss each. The scenario is simple, win and you’re in, lose and you’re out. The winner of the 18th annual Turkey Bowl will earn a berth into the CIAC Class L playoffs, while the loser will fall short of the postseason and have their season come to an end. “There’s no better way to make it to states than by beating a team as talented as Darien, especially when they’re our biggest rival,” senior captain Thomas Rochlin said.
The Rams will look to repeat their performance in last year’s Turkey Bowl, where they defeated the then-FCIAC Champion Blue Wave by a whopping 42-14. Like last year’s team, the Rams depend on their high-octane offense lead by senior captain quarterback Matt Milano, the Rams’ all-time leading passer, to put points on the board and pressure on their opponents.
Coach Lou Marinelli’s college-style spread offense has given opposing coaches fits over the years, and he hopes to continue the same trend this week. Look for Milano to spread the ball around on Thursday to his senior receivers Patrick Newton, Connor Kilbane and Peter Kraus, as well as running backs, senior captains Bobby Distler and Kevin McDonough, and junior Louis Hagopian.
On the other side of the ball, the Rams haven’t been nearly as dominant. At times throughout the season, the defense has shown it can be vulnerable in the secondary. Teams like Brien McMahon and Stamford successfully exploited the inexperienced Rams’ defensive backs with the deep pass, making big plays, and that bodes well for Darien’s offense. “Darien has some very talented players on their offense and a solid offensive line,” Thomas Rochlin said. “We need to put pressure on their quarterback and keep them from making big plays because that is what has killed us this season.”
Led by junior quarterback Henry Baldwin, the Blue Wave operate under the Wing-T style offense, a run-heavy offense that thrives on the play-action pass. Junior running back Peter Gesualdi has been a threat in the backfield all season long for Darien and will look to find his way through a tough Rams defensive front. Linebackers Distler and McDonough, as well as senior defensive linemen Thomas Rochlin, Hunter Budd and John Brainard have had great success defending the run this season.
Key matchups to look for on Thursday morning will be the Darien running game against the Rams defensive front, and also Matt Milano against the Blue Wave secondary, especially early in the game, as the Rams have shown a tendency to come out flat in the beginning of games. “It’s going to come down to execution,” Bobby Distler said. “There is only so much you can practice, all you have to do is go out and execute. It’s going to be an exciting game and we’re looking to come out with a win and keep the Turkey Bowl unbeaten streak alive.”
In front of a capacity crowd at New Canaan High School’s Dunning Stadium, Thanksgiving morning’s Turkey Bowl at 10:30 will determine whether the Rams or the Blue Wave will earn a berth into the CIAC playoffs.
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