By Michael Letendre
Are you ready for some scholastic football this fall?
You know, 11-v-11 football that was missed last season due to the pandemic?
Next month, practice begins for all the squads in the state and the schools from the Nutmeg State are looking forward to getting the fall scholastic season back to normal with football on the schedule.
On the public school front in Bristol, both Central and Eastern have a full slate – 10 games apiece – including the annual Thanksgiving Day Battle for the Bell challenge.
It simply wasn’t the same last year at Thanksgiving without scholastic football on the docket.
And both programs are looking forward to the annual T-Day challenge to end 2021.
Central has super stud Victor Rosa at the helm of the program while Eastern could surprise if everything falls into place.
On Central’s schedule in 2021, the program plays some of the usual suspects while a few new opponents will be popping up.
All home games commence from BCHS at 6 p.m.
On September 10, the Rams travel to Bloomfield while a week later, South Windsor comes to town.
On September 24, Wethersfield invades the turf field at Central and then the Rams travels to Farmington to open the month of October.
Central has a Saturday challenge at Hartford Public (October 9) as the football field at the school still does not have any lights and then on October 22, Tolland travels down I-84 West to battle the Rams.
Speaking of gasoline usage, Central makes its way to Storrs on Thursday, October 28 to battle Edwin O. Smith in the shadow of Donovan Clingan’s new home of UCONN and on November 5, RHAM invades the Mum City.
Week 10 has Central traveling to Plainville to rekindle its long rivalry as the Blue Devils moved up to Class M this year.
And then its Thanksgiving against Eastern at 10:30 a.m. from Muzzy Field.
Speaking of Eastern, the Lancers also have a busy slate of games in 2021.
In an amazing change for the Lancers, the program will not have to tangle against Middletown or Windsor in regular season play.
The season starts with a home game against Edwin O. Smith on September 10 while seven days later, Eastern must get out its gas cards as the program travels to RHAM for a showdown slated for 4:45 p.m. in Hebron.
And then on Friday, September 24, Wilbur Cross comes to the city in a first against Eastern. That special contest commences at 7 p.m.
On October 1, Eastern travels to Plainville and then on October 8, Capital/Achievement – an opponent of Central’s over the past couple years – invades Alumni Field in Bristol.
In a special Saturday challenge on October 23, Eastern travels to East Catholic and then the following Friday (October 29), South Windsor is back in Bristol.
Eastern travels to Bloomfield on November 5, is home for Farmington on November 12 and then Thanksgiving ends the regular season from Muzzy Field.
The first contact practice for scholastic football begins on August 21 while the first scheduled contest takes place on September 9.
This year’s state tournament quarterfinals commence on November 30, the semifinals are played on December 5, and Finals will be scheduled for December 11.
