By Michael Letendre  

BRISTOL – Can we start getting excited about the return of scholastic football next month?  

Practices are soon going to be ramping up and that means the program at Bristol Central will be hitting the turf. 

The Rams will engage in their usual array of Central Connecticut Conference teams this season plus a game against a Connecticut Football Alliance opponent. 

Central will remain a Class L program and will look to rebound a bit from a 2-8 campaign (1-6 CCC Tier 2) which included a big Thanksgiving Day victory over Bristol Eastern last year. 

The Rams will be home for their Alliance football clash while enjoying four home showdowns from the turf field at Bristol Central overall.

And in the biggest game every season, Central and Eastern will collide on Thanksgiving  (November 23) in what will be another extremely competitive bout. 

Central, after opening the season at the always challenging Windsor program on September 9 (7 p.m.), the locals square off against longtime rival New Britain at Willow Brook Stadium during Week 2 (Friday, September 15, 7 p.m.). 

Central opens its home portion of its slate on September 22 against Fairfield Warde (7 p.m.) for its CT Alliance showdown bout. 

Eastern battled Fairfield Warde last season on September 23, falling by a 27-7 final.

Warde finished last season at 5-5 after a tremendous start to the season but the team faded late.

To end September, Central travels to Enfield for a CCC showdown (September 29, 6 p.m.).  

Over its final six games, in a weird quirk, Central plays half of its remaining games on Thursdays. 

The Rams host Berlin on Thursday, October 5 and after the bye week, Central takes a field trip to Manchester (Friday, October 20). 

Central completes play in October with a CCC confrontation against Wethersfield (October 27, 6 p.m.). 

Over the final month of the season, the Rams takes its best shot against Middletown on Thursday, November 2 while eight days later, Central plays its final road game of the season at Newington (November 10, Alumni Field, 6:30 p.m.). 

And don’t forget about the Turkey Day special against Eastern at 10:30 a.m. from Muzzy Field. 

Last season, the Rams defeated the Kingstreeters 13-6 and have won seven straight games against the Lancers. 

Four of its past five games against Eastern were decided by one touchdown or less. 

Practice officially opens on August 19 and expect Central to hit the 2023 season with zest. 

2023 CT Football Alliance Schedule 

Week 3 is going to see a busy slate of CCC squads battle programs from the SCC, SWC, ECC and FCIAC. 

Eleven programs from the CCC, including Central, will be hosting those crossover games that week. 

Overall, eighty-eight Alliance football games will commence in 2023. 

Here’s what Week 3 looks like over a big non-conference slate of games: 

Week 3 – CT Alliance Football Game Schedule (for the weekend of September 21-23) 

*Fairfield Warde (FCIAC) at Bristol Central (CCC)  

Here is the rest of the 2023 CT Football Alliance schedule for week three: 

CCC Alliance Road Games 

*Bristol Eastern (CCC) at Hillhouse (SCC) 

*Berlin (CCC) at Bunnell (SWC) 

*RHAM (CCC) at Guilford (SCC) 

*E.O. Smith (CCC) at New London (ECC) 

*Avon (CCC) at East Lyme (ECC) 

*Hartford Public (CCC) at Branford (SCC) 

*Northwest Catholic (CCC) at East Haven (SCC) 

*Rocky Hill (CCC) at Barlow (SWC) 

*Plainville (CCC) at Bethel (SWC) 

*Bloomfield (CCC) at Masuk (SWC) 

*Windsor (CCC) at New Canaan (FCIAC)  

*Manchester (CCC) at McMahon (FCIAC)  

*Wethersfield (CCC) at Shelton (SCC) 

*Glastonbury (CCC) at Cheshire (SCC) 

*New Britain (CCC) at Norwich Free Academy (ECC) 

*Enfield (CCC) at Westhill (FCIAC)  

*Platt (CCC) at Wilton (FCIAC)  

CCC Alliance Home Games 

*Stratford (SWC) at Farmington (CCC) 

*Lyman Hall (SCC) at East Catholic (CCC) 

*Notre Dame-Fairfield (SWC) at Lewis Mills (CCC) 

*Weston (SWC) at Tolland (CCC) 

*Greenwich (FCIAC)  at Maloney (CCC)  

*Staples (FCIAC) at Southington (CCC)  

*New Milford (SWC) at Middletown (CCC)  

*Danbury (FCIAC) at East Hartford (CCC)  

*Norwalk (FCIAC) at Hall (CCC)  

*Bridgeport Central (FCIAC) at South Windsor (CCC)  

*Stamford (FCIAC) at Simsbury (CCC)  

Finally, here is Bristol Central’s official schedule for the 2023 season:

Sept. 9 – at Windsor; Sept 15 – at New Britain; Sept 22. – vs. Fairfield Warde; Sept 29 – at Enfield; Oct. 5 – vs. Berlin; Oct. 20 – at Manchester; Oct. 27 – vs. Wethersfield; Nov. 2 – vs. Middletown; Nov. 10 – at Newington; Nov. 23 – vs. Bristol Eastern (Muzzy Field).