Sports
Midway Through Football Season, Four Unbeaten Teams Remain
Darien is neck-and-neck with three other undefeateds as the FCIAC playoff race begins to take shape.
At the midpoint of the season, Darien (5-0) ranks as one four undefeated football teams in the FCIAC, joined in the hunt by New Canaan (5-0), Greenwich (4-0), and Staples (4-0).
Greenwich suffered a 51-33 loss to New London, but the out-of-conference loss doesn't count in the FCIAC race. Staples has played one less game because it was unable to fill its bye week.
The FCIAC uses a system similiar to the CIAC to determine team rankings. Clubs are awarded 100 points for each victory and 10 bonus points for each win achieved by an opponent it has defeated.
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New Canaan heads the standings with 600 points (120.0 average); followed by Greenwich and Staples, who are tied at 115.0; and finally Darien, with an average of 112.0.
Staples hosts Darien on Oct. 29, so one of those two teams will walk away with a loss. Other than that, there are no other head-to-head matchups of the unbeatens until after the FCIAC title game.
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Here's a look at the upcoming schedules for the four teams:
- Darien: Wilton, at Staples, Trinity Catholic, Bassick
- New Canaan: St. Joseph, at Wilton, at Stamford, Trumbull
- Greenwich: at Bridgeport Central, Westhill, McMahon, at Danbury
- Staples: at Trumbull, Darien, Fairfield Warde, at Westhill
One of two Thanksgiving Day games — New Canaan vs. Darien or Staples vs. Greenwich — could still be a matchup of undefeated teams, depending on how Darien vs. Staples shakes out. However, the Thanksgiving Day games don't count in the FCIAC race, as they fall after the championship.
Instead, the FCIAC title matchup will be determined after the games on the weekend of Nov. 11-12 (the contest is set for Nov. 18 at Trumbull's McDougall Stadium).
While it's too early to draw conclusions, there's a good chance three teams still will be undefeated after the games on Nov 12: New Canaan, Greenwich, and the Darien/Staples winner. Such a scenario could create an awkward situation, as only two teams can play in the FCIAC championship.
In last year's FCIAC championship game, Darien defeated Trumbull, 17-7
