Turkey Day in September? No, Thanks! Plus, Oxford coach Joe Stochmal | The Meat Grinder (S6 E10)

The Meat Grinder

We knew it was coming and here it is. The Alliance brass has interrupted the season with their latest call to remove Thanksgiving Day as Connecticut's crown jewel of sporting events.

The idea: Dump a century's worth tradition in favor of a balanaced schedule based on class, 50% more (whyyy??) playoff teams, the ending the season before the wrestling mats get rolled out. A win for 12 schools' winter programs and 24 middling football teams, perhaps.

Naturally, our intrepid podcast hosts have their own opinions on this latest move to remove Thanksgiving Day football, and they lay out their pros and cons of this budding tradition of yearly CT high school football playoff ideas.

This week's special guest star is none other than JOE STOCHMAL, the only coach Oxford's ever known. His program is 8-0 for the first time and on pace to reach the state playoffs for the first time, even as they head to Jarvis Stadium to face unbeaten NVL rival Ansonia on Thursday night.

Stox gives us the lowdown on his program and, as a member of the CIAC football committee, shows us the roadmap on how playoff proposals become CIAC law. He also gives us his personal opinion on the Alliance proposal.

In the meantime, check out highights from a handful of Week 9's biggest games, including: No. 3 Maloney rallying past Southington; North Haven, sans coach Tony Sagnella, knocking off Matt Jeffery-less No. 2 Cheshire; and, finally, Choate's 17-14 victory over Avon Old Farms in the most anticipated Prep school game of the year, since last year.

It's a jam-packed and long episode. But, with this last full week of non-Thanksgiving football, why not spread our wings a bit?

So join us, won't you?

RUNDOWN

0:00 — Introduction.

2:00 — Turkey Day games in September?? No, Thanks: The Alliance playoff proposal.

20:07 — The Week 10 GameTimeCT Top 10 Poll (Nos. 10-8)

21:30 — Sagnella-less North Haven takes out Jeffery-less No. 2 Cheshire

28:33 — GTCT Top 10 Poll (Nos. 5-1)

29:55 — No. 3 Maloney rallies, holds off Southington

37:09 — Bunnell knocks off Notre Dame-Fairfield

38:27 — CLASS S playoff update:

39:40 — CLASS SS playoff update:

41:44 — CLASS M playoff update:

44:19 — CLASS MM playoff update:

46:36 — CLASS L playoff update

48:28 — CLASS LL playoff update

54:34 — Interview with OXFORD coach JOE STOCHMAL

1:31:24 — Shoutouts!

1:38:40 — Choate beats Avon Old Farms in anticipated NEPSAC unbeaten showdown

1:46:07 — Wrapping up

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