First on Thursday's Menu: The Turkey Bowl

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Following another ugly incident involving members of the Darien football team on the eve of the Turkey Bowl, New Canaan will host the Blue Wave on Thursday with a berth in the Class L state playoffs on the line.

The contest is set for 10:30 a.m. at Dunning Stadium.

According to the Darien News, two Darien players have been suspended for Thursday's game as a result of a Friday night fight at a teenage drinking party.

Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper reported on its website that the victim received "a concussion, a broken bone in his neck, facial lacerations, and had surgery Wednesday repair his broken nose."

The newspaper said the suspended players were "one of the star receivers and a defensive lineman," and that the suspensions were for allegedly attending a party where alcohol was served to minors.

Last year, five Darien players were suspended for the Turkey Bowl followed an incident of vandalism at New Canaan High School in which portions of the building were spray-painted blue.

The annual Thanksgiving Day clash between Darien and New Canaan is the oldest in the FCIAC, dating to 1928, and there is plenty at stake.

Since each team has a loss, the contest essentially will serve as play-in game for the Class L state playoffs: the winner gets in, the loser goes home.

Darien, which is 10th in the Class L rankings, actually could win and still be left out if things don't break right for the Blue Wave in other games around the state. But the loser definitely will be eliminated, meaning that unlike last season, both the Rams (8-1) and Blue Wave (8-1) will not be in the postseason.

New Canaan (sixth in the Class L rankings) leads the all-time series 47-33-2, including a 12-4-1 mark since the game was moved to Thanksgiving in 1994.

The Rams have won the last eight meetings, including two victories in 2008 -- 28-20 in the FCIAC championship and 26-7 in the  Class MM state finals. New Canaan is 9-0-1 in the previous 10 contests with Darien's last win in the series coming in 2001 (24-21).

Lou Marinelli, who earlier this season won his 250th game as New Canaan's coach, has a 20-11-1 career mark against the Blue Wave.

Entering the final week of the season, Darien (1,040 points) trails Notre Dame-West Haven (1,080), North Haven (1,070) and Farmington (1,050) in the Class L rankings.

However, the Blue Wave would gain 180 points by beating an eight-win New Canaan team and also have another 30 guaranteed bonus points in their back pocket, so a win would take Darien to 1,250. Darien would pick up an additional 20 points if Bassick beats Bullard-Havens and Danbury upsets Ridgefield.

Here are the potential max-out totals for the other teams: Notre Dame-West Haven (50 bonus points available, 1,260), North Haven (40, 1,280) and Farmington (60, 1,270). And all three have winnable games: Notre Dame (7-2) takes on Hamden (1-8), North Haven (8-1) plays Amity (4-5) and Farmington (8-1) has Plainville (5-4).

Of course, first the Blue Wave would have to find a way to beat their archrivals for the first time in a decade.

New Canaan, which has been in five consecutive state championship games, boasts a potent offense led by senior quarterback Matt Milano, who has passed for 2,064 yards and 26 touchdowns while throwing only three interceptions.

Patrick Newton (44 receptions for 634 yards), Connor Kilbane (41-457) and Peter Kraus (33-383) each have seven touchdown receptions for the Rams, who like to spread it around.

New Canaan's only loss came on Nov. 5, when the Rams were upset by Stamford, 36-29, their first defeat to the Black Knights since the 1970s. Milano was knocked out of that game with a migrane headache but returned the next week to throw three TD passes in a 49-13 victory over Trumbull.

While he doesn't get as much attention as Milano, Darien junior signal-caller Henry Baldwin also is having a fine season in his first year as the Blue Wave's starter, passing for 1,634 yards and 24 TDs. Peter Gesualdi is Darien's leading rusher with 404 yards and nine TDs.

Darien's only blip came in a 42-23 loss at Staples on Oct. 29, a game in which the Blue Wave surrendered 28 points in the third quarter after holding a 17-7 lead at the half.

However, Darien rebounded to defeat Trinity Catholic (49-21) and Bassick (35-8).

Quarterback Charlie Westfal, a member of New Canaan's 2007 state championship team, recently was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year after a stellar senior season at Washington&Lee.

A second team All-ODAC selection last season and the ODAC Rookie of the Year in 2008, Westfal led the conference in passing efficiency (178.7 rating) and was sixth in rushing (73.8 ypg).

He completed 84-of-140 passes for 1,484 yards and 15 touchdowns with just four interceptions, and rushed 138 times for 738 yards and eight touchdowns.

Westfal, the first Washington and Lee player to be named the ODAC Offensive Player of the Year since 2002, finished the season with 2,222 yards of total offense, the third-best total in school history.

Westfal completed his career with a school-record 6,987 yards of total offense.  He also threw a record 45 career touchdown passes and finished fourth all-time in passing yards (4,710) and fifth all-time in rushing yards (2,264).

Washington and Lee completed the 2011 season with an 8-2 overall record and a 5-1 mark in ODAC play.  It marked the first time the Virginia school has had consecutive eight-win seasons since 1960-62.

WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS

No games scheduled

THURSDAY'S SCHEDULE

Football

Darien at New Canaan, 10:30 a.m.

STANDINGS

• Football

• Boys soccer

• Girls soccer

Field hockey

Girls volleyball