By Michael Letendre 

BRISTOL – We’re back to Friday only football in the Mum City as Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern survived a couple Thursday night encounters over the past two weeks.

But it’s back to the Friday grind as the Rams look to keep the possibility of a home playoff tournament contest alive while the Lancers have an epic road challenge against one of the state’s best programs.

Central stays home to square off against double-tough RHAM while Eastern draws the top ranked squad in Class S, Bloomfield.

This is going to be a fun Friday and here’s what to expect between the Bristol schools: 

Bristol Central (6-1) vs. RHAM (3-4)

Location: The turf field at BCHS
Day and Time: Friday, 6:30 p.m.
All-Time Series: This is the fourth all-time showdown between the programs with the Rams holding a 2-1 edge.

Last Encounter…On November 2, 2019, Central spun RHAM by a 34-0 tally – the program’s only shutout that season. Over the encounter, the Rams’ Shawn Rodriguez rushed for 215 yards on 28 carries that resulted in four rushing touchdowns.

Last Week…Central plastered Edwin O. Smith by a 44-8 final while RHAM made a tremendous comeback to topple Plainville, 25-21 – possibly damaging the Blue Devils chances at a postseason bid.
Casual facts…The defense is back, the defense is back!…After two weeks of having opponents combine for nearly 100 points, it was back to business against Smith – allowing just eight points over forty-eight solid minutes of defense. It was Central’s third game of the season in which the program allowed fewer than nine points in a game…Victor Rosa did a little of everything for his squad against Edwin O. Smith, combining for 380 yards in rushing and passing offense to overwhelm the Panthers. Expect more of the same against the Raptors who have played plenty of up-and-down ball in 2021…Currently, Rosa has rushed for 1,764 yards this year and the senior could move up to fourth all-time in single season rushing yards with a big showing against RHAM…Credit Central’s duo of Dan Lauretti and Malachi Jones in getting the Rams’ defensive woes under control – leading to a huge showing in Storrs…That defense needs to pay attention because the Raptors have some players that can catch the ball and a tall QB that can pick spots out all over the field…Running back Max Nylen is another elusive weapon RHAM will employ as he exploded for four touchdowns against Plainville the previous week. Shutting him down goes a long way…On the flip side, Central’s offensive tandem of Tre Blair, Damion Glasper, and Justin Despins will frustrate the Raptors defense on Friday and if Rosa makes a pass or two count, things are really going to open up on the field…It’s senior night for the Rams in Bristol and expect plenty of emotion and a big game by Central – looking for a seventh straight victory.

Bristol Eastern (3-4) at Bloomfield (7-0)

Location: from the Phil Rubin Stadium- Turf Field & Track
Day and Time: Friday, 7:00 p.m.
All-Time Series: Eastern has never lost to Warhawks, going 2-0 against the squad over the years.

Last Encounter…Back on September 17, 2010, the Lancers were in a slugfest against Bloomfield but managed to hold on to a 42-36 victory from Muzzy Field in Bristol. 

Last Week…Bloomfield belted Farmington by a 48-7 final from Farmington high school while Eastern fell to South Windsor in overtime, 23-22, in Bristol. 

Casual facts…Bloomfield is talented, deep and can play both sides of the ball with the best teams in the state…Since Bristol Central allowed the team just seven points in a narrow 7-6 Week 1 win by Bloomfield, the Warhawks have scored 291 points over their past six games. That’s an average of 48.5 points-per-game…Eastern’s defense will be sternly put to the test early an often…On the flip side, Bloomfield’s defense has been superb, yielding 34 total points for an average of 4.9 ppg. That’s an incredible tally…Pick an offensive position and the Warhawks’ are stacked…Sophomore signal caller Darrien Foster is an extreme talent, passing for over 900 yards and 13 touchdowns – getting picked off only four times all season…His favorite receivers are Trevon Ortiz, Robert Dunkley, and Jose Feliciano – combining for 536 receiving yards and eight touchdowns this year…On the ground, Conellius Patrick (917 yards, nine TDs) and Dallas Rose (930 yards, 16 TDs) are an amazing 1-2 punch as Bloomfield has the weapons to score against anyone…Eastern has been in all of its seven games this season and will rely heavily on senior back Alex Marshall against Bloomfield…Marshall has been nothing less than sensational in 2021, officially compiling 1,320 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns over a very busy campaign, getting plenty of help from a solid offensive line…Brady Brown has been churning out the yards to date and putting Rayshon Andrews in more ground game situations has been an excellent move as well…QB Kamden Laprise’s offensive game is improving by the week while getting Conor McCormick and Connor Gimpl back for the injured list will also help on both sides of the ball down the stretch…Eastern kept the miscues down to a minimum last week, making a huge fourth quarter comeback to nearly topple South Windsor in the end…But this is a stern challenge for Eastern against a big, hungry Bloomfield defense…Stops by Jeremy Kolloverja, Austin Shorette, Josh Aubin and Marshall will be critical if Eastern wants to keep this a close game.