By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – Thursday night’s a great night for football…
Well, that’s not exactly how the NFL’s jingle goes but over the next two weeks, the Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern football squads will each have to compete on Thursday night.
The Lancers are up first this week as the program travels to East Catholic for a CCC Tier 3 versus Tier 4 challenge from the turf at Cheney Tech on Thursday (next Thursday, Central is at E.O. Smith. So, start saving up your Stop & Shop points for gas…).
And then on Friday, Central squares off against a suddenly struggling Tolland squad in Bristol.
These are not your typical opponents for the Mum City locals as the squads have very little history against East Catholic and Tolland.
And two new rivalries are about to form.
Central is looking for its fifth straight victory while Eastern is attempting to stop a three-game skid.
What should you expect during Week 7? Let’s look:
Bristol Eastern (2-3) at East Catholic (1-4)
Location: Cheney Tech high school, Manchester
Day and Time: Friday, 7 p.m.
All-Time Series: Eastern has battled East Catholic only once over the years. A decade ago (October 22, 2011), the Lancers belted the Eagles by a 35-7 final from Muzzy Field in Bristol.
Last Week…Each squad enjoyed the bye during Week 6. The previous week, East Catholic fell at RHAM (21-12) while Eastern dropped a heart-breaking 21-15 decision at home to Capital Prep.
Casual facts…East Catholic has struggled this season, with just a 27-26 overtime win at home against Montville on Week 3 of its ledger…The Montville game had plenty of controversy as claims were made against East Catholic students about spitting and the use of racial slurs towards Montville cheerleaders. But that’s another matter entirely…The Eagles were in its last two games against Lewis Mills (20-16, October 1) and RHAM, much like the Lancers have been more than competitive over their past three games…The Eagles allow opponents just 21.0 points-per-game while the offense – after two consecutive seven point showings – has come alive to date, averaging 18.3 ppg…Over the years, the program has been a big proponent of the double wing offense and it should be curious to see if that is used against the Lancers this time around…Eastern has been playing well over its three game winless streak, foiled by a couple big plays, fumbles and miscues in the red zone…However, expect improved play during this pivotal Week 7 challenge…Health has been an issue as well and the goal of the bye week was to rest and revive…The Lancers are going to look to cram the ball down the Eagles’ throats from the ground and expect Eastern back Alex Marshall (157 carries, 969 yards – that’s the official tally – and nine rushing touchdowns) to have another strong showing. He’ll be looking for his 1,000th yard and needs just 31 against the Eagles to get there…The Lancers have been great on the ground, posting 5.7 yards-per-carry this season…Brady Brown has done very well at QB this season as Eastern has 25 total receptions on the campaign…Defense has been the key to Eastern’s success as the squad has a combined 33 sacks and tackles-for-losses…Austin Shorette leads the squad in sacks with 3.5 while also turning in 8.5 tackles-for-losses. Just due to Shorette’s superior defense, opponents have lost nearly 43 yards in offense…If Eastern can get a couple quick scores in against East Catholic, the Kingstreeters have a great chance to get back to the pay window and notch the program’s 250th victory in the process.
Bristol Central (4-1) vs. Tolland (3-2)
Location: The turf field at Bristol Central high school
Day and Time: Friday, 6:00 p.m.
All-Time Series: This is the first time the Rams and Eagles have played each other.
Last Week…Central enjoyed the bye week while Tolland, due to COVID-19, played Avon in the school’s first ever home game with turf and lights – falling 7-3 on October 15. The week before, Central and Hartford Public combined for 100 points in a 52-48 win by the Rams from the Capital City.
Casual facts…After winning its first three contests, Tolland has fallen on hard times…Tolland scorched opponents for 97 points over the first three weeks but the Eagles have scored just 20 over its last two games – kicking in just a lone field goal in their loss at Avon…And Tolland led 3-0 midway through the third period but could not hold on against the surging Falcons…Tolland didn’t run with the ball a whole lot at Avon, picking up just 29 yards on 13 carries…QB Nathan Bowes went 11-of-25 for 112 yards but Avon’s defense did the job…Bowes made connections with Evan Albert, Malik Diaby and Matt Tybor and that group is going to have to deal with a speedy, and talented, Central secondary…Tolland’s defense is legit, allowing just 16.4 ppg but will be tangling against a Bristol squad that has posted 136 points over its last four games (34.0 ppg)…The victory for Central against Hartford Public two weeks ago was the program’s 300th all-time win and the Rams are looking for a fifth straight triumph, attempting to keep pace in the Class L postseason standings…Senior Victor Rosa raced around the turf at Hartford for 250 rushing yards and has 1,156 yards to his name already…Don’t forget, Rosa sustained an injury against the Owls and still belted the defense around. It’s hard to envision a healthy Rosa not toasting Tolland for a big game…And when Rosa wasn’t running with the ball during parts of that Hartford showdown, Tre Blair and Justin Despins picked up the slack…While the 48 points allowed by Public wasn’t what the Rams would have liked defensively, big tackles were made by Dan Lauretti, Johnny Rios – who had a tackle for a loss – and Ashton Zabka, among others, keeping the Owls from a 50-point outing and eventually preserving the victory…Central will have every chance to earn victory No. 5 and continue its very good season.
