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Health & Fitness

Tigers Will Try to Keep the Train Rolling in Guilford Tonight

The Daniel Hand Tiger Football Team (7-3) will take on The Guilford Indians (5-5) at 7 o'clock tonight at Kanvanaugh Field. The Tigers are hoping that this annual Thanksgiving Eve match-up is not their final game for the year.  Despite three losses on the season, the Tigers are currently sitting at ninth place in the CIAC Class L rankings; the top eight move on to the playoffs.  To have any chance of moving up one slot, the Tigers will first have to get their eighth win tonight, and that will be no easy task.  

Guilford would like nothing better than to deny their rivals a chance to defend their Class L title.  A win for them would also give them a winning record for the year to add to their SCC Division II West title. Guilford is a run first type of team.  Seniors Joe Nault, Eric Zergiebel and Dave Knapp have combined for nearly 2,500 yards rushing for the season.  The Hand defense will have to be disciplined to contain all of the threats posed by Guilford's option offense.  

In their last game on November 15th, the Tigers edged Notre Dame of West Haven 21-20. Trailing 21-14 in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame scored with 14 seconds remaining in the game.  They then went for the win on a two point conversion, but a swing pass to Cam Tucker was stopped short of the end zone by Sam Katz. The Tigers then recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt to hold on to the one-point win on Senior Night.  

The weather is going to be pretty lousy all day today, but the rain is expected to end by 5 pm.  Game time temperatures will be in the mid-forties, but it will feel cooler with a stiff 14 mph breeze.  

Patch Player of the Week

No doubt, Sam Katz.  He saved the day and possibly a playoff berth for his team.  

Playoff Scenarios

Three teams have clinched Class L berths: New Canaan, Platt and Middletown. Daniel Hand's best chance to grab one of the five remaining slots (provided that they beat Guilford) could likely happen if Ansonia defeats Naugatuck or Norwich Free Academy defeats New London.  There is a good chance that both Naugatuck and New London could lose on Thanksgiving and that could propel Hand up even further to the 7th slot.  Getting there will also depend on bonus points; where Hand gets 10 points for every win of an opponent it has defeated.

Hand's remaining 50 bonus points on the line are: Likely- North Haven over Amity, Notre Dame over Hamden and Shelton over Derby; Possible- Fairfield Prep over West Haven; and Unlikely- Cheshire over Southington.  

There are several other scenarios possible with all the games left to be played. I have pointed out some of the likely paths for Hand, but if you really like the math and all the probabilities, check out Kyle Brennan's post on the Waterbury Republican's Red Zone - NVL Blog for a more detailed analysis.  





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