2003 Class L Football Playoffs
Scoring summaries and game stories courtesy of The Hartford Courant, Bristol Press, Connecticut Post, Danbury News-Times, Manchester Journal Inquirer, Middletown Press, New London Day, New Haven Register, Norwich Bulletin, Stamford Advocate, Torrington Register-Citizen, Waterbury Republican-American.
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Scroll To The Bottom Of The Page For Final Playoff Point Rankings
Click Here For Class L Regular Season Results
*Denotes record includes league playoff game which is not included in playoff point rankings
FINALS
| Mon., 12/8 at 3 p.m. at Strong Stadium, West Haven |
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
OT |
Total |
| #1 Staples (13-1) |
6 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
|
18 |
| #3 Shelton (12-1) |
6 |
8 |
21 |
0 |
|
35 |
| Final |
First quarter
Sh-Tom Haney 65 pass from Scott Sember (kick failed)
St-D.J. Stefkovich 20 run (kick blocked)
Second quarter
Sh-Bill Manion 32 yard interception return (Manion pass from Sember)
Third quarter
Sh-Jeff Norko 83 kickoff return (Joe Czarnecki kick)
Sh-Norko 48 run (Czarnecki kick)
St-Kempton Coady 68 pass from Stefkovich (pass failed)
Sh-Norko 84 kickoff return (Czarnecki kick)
Fourth quarter
St-Kempton Coady 1 run (pass failed)
WEST HAVEN - Joe Czarnecki ran for 216 yards and Jeff Norko scored three touchdowns to lift third-seeded Shelton to a 35-18 victory over top-seeded and previously undefeated Staples-Westport in the Class L final Monday at Strong Stadium.
Norko broke the game open by scoring three times in the third quarter. He returned the second-half kickoff 83 yards for a score, had a 48-yard scoring run and added a 84-yard kickoff return to put the Gaels (12-1) ahead 31-12.
Shelton struck first on a 65 yard pass from Scott Sember to Tom Haney. Staples (13-1), which was trying to become the first state team to win 14 games in a season, answered back on D.J. Stefkovich's 20-yard run. However, Stefkovich was intercepted by Bill Manion and was unable to prevent the Shelton linebacker from bringing the pick back 32 yards for a touchdown midway through the second quarter. Manion also had nine tackles, a forced fumble and a blocked extra point in the game.
The game remained 14-6 until Norko's third-quarter eruption. The Wreckers also scored in the third quarter on Stefkovich's 68-yard touchdown pass to Kempton Coady. Coady added a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Coady finished with 95 yards rushing as he carried the bulk of the running load in the absence of senior tailback Jimmy Hughes. Hughes, who ran for 1,816 yards and scored 38 touchdowns, suffered a season-ending injury to his left knee in Tuesday's semifinal win over Windsor.
SEMIFINALS
| Tues., 12/2, 6:30 at Brien McMahon HS, Norwalk |
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
OT |
Total |
| #4 Windsor (9-3) |
7 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
|
14 |
| #1 Staples (13-0*) |
14 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
17 |
| Final |
S- Jimmy Hughes 1 run (Andrew kempler kick)
W- John Manning 63 run (Luis Miguel-Romero kick)
S- Matt Samela 60 pass from D.J. Stefkovich (Kempler kick)
W- James Weaver 3 run (Miguel-Romero kick)
S- Kempler 26 FG
NORWALK - Andrew Kempler kicked a 26-yard field goal with 21.3 seconds left to snap a tie and lift top-seeded Staples to a 17-14 win over No. 4 Windsor in a Class L seminfinal game Tuesday at Brien McMahon.
Kempler's game-winning kick was set up by the strong running of Kempton Coady, who replaced Stapes standout Jimmy Hughes after Hughes left the game with a knee injury on the final play of the first half. Coady carried the ball 18 times for 135 yards for Staples (13-0). John Manning finished with 84 yards and a touchdown for Windsor (9-3) while teammate James Weaver added 75 yards on the ground and a score.
| Tues., 12/2, 6:30 at Manchester HS |
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
OT |
Total |
| #3 Shelton (11-1) |
7 |
14 |
7 |
7 |
|
35 |
| #2 East Catholic/Cheney Tech (11-1) |
0 |
6 |
8 |
0 |
|
14 |
| Final |
S--Jeff Norko 67 interception return (Joe Czarnecki kick)
S--Czarnecki 13 run (Czarnecki kick)
EC--Dahna Deleston 4 run (kick failed)
S--Czarnecki 24 run (Czarnecki kick)
S--Norko 80 kickoff return (Czarnecki kick)
EC-Bryan Williston 5 pass from Dan Belli (Joe Hartigan run)
S-Czarnecki 1 run (Czarnecki kick)
MANCHESTER -- Joe Czarnecki rushed 33 times for 199 yards and three touchdowns as No. 3 Shelton defeated No. 2 East Catholic, 35-14 at Manchester High School.
Defensive back Jeff Norko set the tone for Shelton when he returned an interception 67 yards for a touchdown on the fifth play of the game.
With Shelton leading 21-6 at halftime, Norko returned the second-half kickoff 80 yards.
Czarnecki scored on runs of 13, 24 and 1 yards as Shelton finished with 247 yards on 45 carries.
Dahna Deleston (4 yard run) and Dan Belli's 5-yard pass to Bryan Williston accounted for East's touchdowns. East, which rushed 30 times for 108 yards, was paced by Joe Hartigan's 75 yards on 11 carries.
Class L Playoff Point Standings |
| Team |
Wins |
Losses |
Ties |
Points for Opp. Wins |
Points for Opp. Ties |
Wins Over |
Losses To |
Ties With |
Point Total |
Point Avg. |
| 1. | West Haven | 9 | 0 | 1 | 570 | 10 | Lyman Hall (M-5w,0t), Shelton (LL-10w,0t), Hamden (LL-5w,0t), Wilbur Cross (L-3w,0t), Daniel Hand (MM-9w,0t), Notre Dame-West Haven (L-5w,0t), North Haven (MM-2w,0t), Xavier (LL-4w,1t), Fairfield Prep (LL-9w,0t) | | Cheshire (LL-5w,1t) | 1530 | 153.00 | | 2. | Masuk | 11 | 0 | 0 | 550 | 40 | Fitch (L-5w,0t), Immaculate (S-9w,0t), Bethel (M-2w,1t), Pomperaug (L-9w,0t), Notre Dame-Fairfield (S-6w,1t), New Milford (L-3w,0t), Foran (SS-3w,3t), Stratford (M-7w,0t), New Fairfield (M-5w,1t), Joel Barlow (SS-2w,1t), Newtown (LL-4w,1t) | | | 1670 | 151.82 | | 3. | Windsor | 9 | 2 | 0 | 520 | 5 | Rockville (M-6w,1t), Southington (LL-7w,0t), Newington (L-3w,0t), Platt (M-6w,0t), Bloomfield (S-8w,0t), Wethersfield (MM-4w,0t), Hall (L-6w,0t), Weaver (MM-9w,0t), Glastonbury (LL-3w,0t) | Conard (L), Simsbury (L) | | 1425 | 129.55 | | 4. | Pomperaug | 9 | 2 | 0 | 440 | 40 | Bunnell (MM-9w,0t), Joel Barlow (SS-2w,1t), Foran (SS-3w,3t), Brookfield (M-7w,1t), Bethel (M-2w,1t), New Fairfield (M-5w,1t), Notre Dame-Fairfield (S-6w,1t), Stratford (M-7w,0t), New Milford (L-3w,0t) | Amity (LL), Masuk (L) | | 1360 | 123.64 | | 5. | Bristol Central | 9 | 2 | 0 | 370 | 15 | Xavier (LL-4w,1t), Conard (L-6w,0t), South Windsor (LL-6w,0t), Simsbury (L-5w,0t), Platt (M-6w,0t), Bulkeley (L-3w,1t), Maloney (MM-1w,0t), Newington (L-3w,0t), Bristol Eastern (MM-3w,1t) | New Britain (LL), Southington (LL) | | 1285 | 116.82 | | 6. | Windsor Locks/Suffield | 9 | 2 | 0 | 380 | 0 | North Branford (S-2w,0t), Old Saybrook/Westbrook (S-7w,0t), Valley Regional/Old Lyme (S-2w,0t), Tolland (SS-4w,0t), Gilbert/NW Regional (M-1w,0t), Coventry/Windham Tech (M-6w,0t), Housatonic/Wamogo (S-4w,0t), Ellington/Somers (SS-9w,0t), Stafford/East Windsor (S-3w,0t) | Cromwell (S), Hyde Leadership (S) | | 1260 | 114.55 | | 7. | Naugatuck | 8 | 3 | 0 | 350 | 5 | Kennedy (MM-0w,1t), Crosby (L-3w,0t), Wilby (MM-7w,0t), Watertown (M-3w,0t), Seymour (SS-8w,0t), Torrington (MM-7w,0t), Holy Cross (SS-5w,0t), Wolcott (SS-2w,0t) | Notre Dame-West Haven (L), Woodland (SS), Ansonia (S) | | 1155 | 105.00 | | 8. | Farmington | 7 | 4 | 0 | 280 | 20 | Rocky Hill (SS-4w,1t), Vinal Tech/Coginchaug (MM-6w,1t), Middletown (L-5w,1t), Northwest Catholic (S-2w,0t), Berlin (M-6w,0t), St. Paul/Goodwin Tech (MM-3w,1t), Plainville (SS-2w,0t) | Enfield (SS), Montville (SS), East Catholic (S), Avon (M) | | 980 | 89.09 | | 9. | Conard | 6 | 4 | 0 | 290 | 0 | East Hartford (LL-1w,0t), Southington (LL-7w,0t), Glastonbury (LL-3w,0t), Simsbury (L-5w,0t), Wethersfield (MM-4w,0t), Windsor (L-9w,0t) | Bristol Central (L), Weaver (MM), Bloomfield (S), Hall (L) | | 890 | 89.00 | | 10. | Simsbury | 5 | 5 | 0 | 330 | 5 | Manchester (LL-8w,0t), Rockville (M-6w,1t), Hall (L-6w,0t), Wethersfield (MM-4w,0t), Windsor (L-9w,0t) | Bristol Central (L), Conard (L), Glastonbury (LL), Bloomfield (S), Weaver (MM) | | 835 | 83.50 | | 11. | Hall | 6 | 5 | 0 | 200 | 5 | Newington (L-3w,0t), Maloney (MM-1w,0t), Bristol Eastern (MM-3w,1t), Glastonbury (LL-3w,0t), Wethersfield (MM-4w,0t), Conard (L-6w,0t) | Brookfield (M), Simsbury (L), Bloomfield (S), Windsor (L), Weaver (MM) | | 805 | 73.18 | | 11. | Norwalk | 6 | 5 | 0 | 200 | 5 | Trinity Catholic (S-1w,1t), Fairfield Warde (MM-4w,0t), Stamford (L-5w,0t), Bassick (L-0w,0t), Trumbull (LL-5w,0t), Wilton (MM-5w,0t) | Ridgefield (LL), New Canaan (MM), Bridgeport Central (LL), Danbury (LL), Brien McMahon (LL) | | 805 | 73.18 | | 13. | Middletown | 5 | 5 | 1 | 250 | 15 | Rocky Hill (SS-4w,1t), Berlin (M-6w,0t), Avon (M-4w,0t), Northwest Catholic (S-2w,0t), St. Paul/Goodwin Tech (MM-3w,1t) | Plainville (SS), Farmington (L), East Catholic (S), Enfield (SS), Xavier (LL) | Vinal Tech/Coginchaug (MM-6w,1t) | 790 | 71.82 | | 14. | Fitch | 5 | 5 | 0 | 290 | 0 | Griswold (SS-5w,0t), Montville (SS-6w,0t), Plainfield (SS-7w,0t), Norwich Free Academy (LL-6w,0t), North Kingstown (RI) (-5w,0t) | Masuk (L), Bloomfield (S), Killingly (S), East Lyme (MM), Ledyard (SS) | | 690 | 69.00 | | 15. | Notre Dame-West Haven | 5 | 6 | 0 | 170 | 5 | Naugatuck (L-8w,0t), Sheehan (M-0w,0t), Xavier (LL-4w,1t), North Haven (MM-2w,0t), Wilbur Cross (L-3w,0t) | Daniel Hand (MM), Fairfield Prep (LL), Cheshire (LL), West Haven (L), Shelton (LL), Hamden (LL) | | 675 | 61.36 | | 16. | Stamford | 5 | 6 | 0 | 110 | 10 | Harding (LL-4w,0t), Trinity Catholic (S-1w,1t), Trumbull (LL-5w,0t), Bassick (L-0w,0t), Westhill (LL-1w,1t) | Fairfield Warde (MM), Norwalk (L), Ridgefield (LL), New Canaan (MM), Danbury (LL), Bridgeport Central (LL) | | 620 | 56.36 | | 17. | Bulkeley | 3 | 7 | 1 | 100 | 5 | Wethersfield (MM-4w,0t), Fermi (MM-1w,0t), Hartford Public (L-2w,0t) | Weaver (MM), Newington (L), Platt (M), Bristol Central (L), Southington (LL), Maloney (MM), New Britain (LL) | Bristol Eastern (MM-3w,1t) | 455 | 41.36 | | 18. | Newington | 3 | 8 | 0 | 70 | 10 | Bulkeley (L-3w,1t), Bristol Eastern (MM-3w,1t), Maloney (MM-1w,0t) | South Windsor (LL), Hall (L), Windsor (L), Southington (LL), New Britain (LL), Platt (M), Bristol Central (L), Wethersfield (MM) | | 380 | 34.55 | | 19. | Wilbur Cross | 3 | 8 | 0 | 50 | 5 | Xavier (LL-4w,1t), Sheehan (M-0w,0t), Guilford (M-1w,0t) | New Britain (LL), Branford (M), Fairfield Prep (LL), West Haven (L), Hamden (LL), Amity (LL), Notre Dame-West Haven (L), Hillhouse (M) | | 355 | 32.27 | | 20. | Crosby | 3 | 8 | 0 | 30 | 10 | Watertown (M-3w,0t), Sacred Heart (S-0w,1t), Kennedy (MM-0w,1t) | Ansonia (S), Bristol Eastern (MM), Naugatuck (L), Torrington (MM), Seymour (SS), Wilby (MM), Holy Cross (SS), Woodland (SS) | | 340 | 30.91 | | 21. | New Milford | 3 | 8 | 0 | 40 | 5 | Joel Barlow (SS-2w,1t), Bullard Havens Tech (SS-1w,0t), Jonathan Law (M-1w,0t) | Notre Dame-Fairfield (S), Weston (SS), Newtown (LL), Masuk (L), Brookfield (M), Bunnell (MM), Immaculate (S), Pomperaug (L) | | 315 | 28.64 | | 22. | Hartford Public | 2 | 9 | 0 | 20 | 0 | Maloney (MM-1w,0t), East Hartford (LL-1w,0t) | Bloomfield (S), Fermi (MM), E.O. Smith (MM), Manchester (LL), South Windsor (LL), Rockville (M), Glastonbury (LL), Bulkeley (L), Weaver (MM) | | 220 | 20.00 | | 23. | Bassick | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | Wilton (MM), Ridgefield (LL), New Canaan (MM), Bridgeport Central (LL), Trumbull (LL), Harding (LL), Stamford (L), Norwalk (L), Fairfield Warde (MM), Danbury (LL), Trinity Catholic (S) | | 0 | 0.00 |
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