2016 Connecticut Preseason Football Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

Video: Justin Plank, junior year highlights
See the Darien lineman in action


1. Darien
Head coach: Rob Trifone
2015 record: 12-0
Team preview

The CIAC Class LL champion Blue Wave were the No. 1 team in the state last season, and they have enough experience to both open this season at No. 1 and defend the state title.

Darien's front seven is going to be nasty. Starting tackle Justin Plank (6-foot-1, 290 pounds) and end Quinn Fay (6-3, 215) return to give the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference champions one of the state's top defensive fronts. Michigan-bound Andrew Stueber (6-6, 290) will be starting full-time at tackle after splitting time last fall. Linebacker Finlay Collins is back, too.

The Blue Wave must restock their defensive backfield and rely on new players for offensive touchdowns. Trifone believes the new starters will thrive because they saw a lot of playing time last year due to Darien mangling every opponent by an average of 35 points, Class L champion New Canaan excluded.

"Some of them played more time than the varsity starters because we were winning (by so much)," Trifone said. "That should pay dividends."

Brian Keating (center) and Stueber (tackle) return to the offensive front and will make the transition smoother for quarterback Brian Peters and the other new offensive starters.

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2. New Canaan
Head coach: Lou Marinelli
2015 record: 11-1
Team preview

Most teams wouldn't be ranked this high, if at all, after graduating all but six starters. The Rams aren't most teams, though. They're on a remarkable run, having won three straight Class L titles and nine state titles this century.

New Canaan's defense is in better shape than the offense thanks to tackles Jack Kircher (6-6, 220) and Dylan Miles (6-1, 250), James Freyre (middle linebacker) and Ryan O'Connell (defensive back). The offense will be almost all new, something that this program is used to doing. It always finds talented players who annually make the Rams one of the Connecticut's best passing teams.

New Canaan is the favorite to win Class L again until someone (finally) proves otherwise. A perfect 13-0 finish would also make Marinelli the state's all-time winningest coach (he's already won a state-record 11 CIAC titles). That would require New Canaan to snap a four-game losing streak to Thanksgiving rival Darien, however.

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3. Xavier (Middletown)
Head coach: Sean Marinan
2015 record: 6-4
Team preview There's no doubt this ranking will raise eyebrows (and roll eyes), as the Falcons are coming off what qualified as a "down" year. Consider, though, that they were experienced, and so ravaged by injuries that they were down to a third-string quarterback.

Xavier should be Xavier again, as it has its trademark skill and brawn up front. It returns six defensive starters, including all three linemen, most notably nose guard Alex Bates (6-1, 280) and end Niko Kvietkus (6-3, 245).

The Falcons' offense is always predicated on using a strong running game to beat down defenses. Fordham-bound running back/strong safety Glenn Cunningham (6-3, 215) averaged 5.1 yards. That average should increase this season, as four of five linemen return. Remember the name Will Levis, too. The junior quarterback has already caught the eye of Power Five programs.

Xavier's schedule remains as brutal as ever as a member of the Southern Connecticut Conference Division I, the state's toughest and most balanced division. It plays a very loaded West Haven, Massachusetts titan St. Johns (Shrewsbury) and two-time LL runner-up Shelton in weeks 2-through-4. It also faces traditional powers Hand (Madison), Fairfield Prep, L runner-up North Haven and Notre Dame of West Haven, too. The Falcons have the talent to persevere and contend for their sixth LL title in 12 seasons.

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4. Staples (Westport)
Head coach: Marce Petroccio
2015 record: 7-3
Team preview

It's risky to rank more than two teams from the same conference in the Fab 5, but the Wreckers are worth the gamble. They have more than enough talent back to compete for the FCIAC and LL titles.

Staples' strength will be its defense. Defensive end/tight end Ryan Fitton (6-5, 240) is a three-year starter and one of the state's best players (he's committed to UConn). Nick Roehm (6-3, 260) adds experience and strength to that line. Opponents such as Darien love to throw the ball, so the Wreckers are fortunate that safeties Brendan Massoud and Elliott Poulley and corners Julian Ross and Andrew Speed are veterans.

The Wreckers' offense shouldn't have any trouble gashing opposing defenses with their option offense. Speed starts his second year at quarterback, Fitton is an inviting target and Roehm is one of three returning linemen. Harris Levi and Poulley are part of a deep running back corps.

The back end of Staples' schedule is daunting, as it ends the season with Ridgefield (which beat it 31-27 last fall), perennial Class M contender St. Joseph, Darien (which beat it twice last season) and Greenwich.

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5. West Haven
Head coach: Rich Boshea
2015 record: 7-4
Team preview

A few of the state's top coaches were called for their opinions when putting the Fab 5 together. One coach had barely answered his phone before he blurted out, "West Haven," and before being asked any questions.

It wasn't easy ranking West Haven "only" fifth, as it has 14 starters back, including eight on offense. It also beat Xavier last year, too (a 35-27 win in Week 1).

The Westies love to run and have ridiculous depth at running back in Anthon Godfrey (1,064 yards, 17 touchdowns), Kyle Godfrey (891 yards, 18 touchdowns) and Chris Chance (544 yards, 7 scores). Tim McCarthy starts his third season at quarterback. Sheilan Velazquez (35 catches, 541 yards) is his top target. The offensive line needs to replace three starters.

Nose guard Byron Dickens (6-1, 314) will ruin many an opponent's day. He's the state weightlifting champion, runs a 5.3 second 40-yard dash and can touch the basketball rim. Inside linebacker Robert Hawkins is the top returning tackler (69 tackles).

West Haven, like Xavier, must fight its way through SCC Division I. It plays at Xavier in Week 2 and ends the regular season with blood rival Notre Dame of West Haven (a 2015 Class L semifinalist), North Haven, Hand, Shelton (which beat it in both the regular season and LL quarterfinals last fall) and Prep.