High School Football Week 5: Bye week for most but others look to stay unbeaten

This is a bye week for most teams in the area so it’s a lighter schedule than usual, but there are still some schools that have games scheduled.

Eight of the 11 teams in the Courant’s state coaches’ poll (there is one tie) are off this week. Hand, ranked No. 4, will host unbeaten Hillhouse. No. 9 West Haven and Newtown, tied for 10th, will also play this week.

Here are some games to watch:

Cheney Tech (4-0) at TRC (0-3) at Grasso Tech, Friday, 6 p.m.: Cheney Tech will try to keep its unbeaten streak alive when it travels to play winless Thames River Co-op (Norwich Tech/Grasso Tech/St. Bernard) Friday. Senior quarterback Andrew Alexander has completed 44 of 73 attempts for 573 yards and nine touchdowns and senior Dazhaun Copeland has four touchdown receptions and four rushing touchdowns for Cheney Tech , which handed Wilcox Tech/Kaynor Tech its first loss last week, 36-30.

Cheshire (2-2) at Foran (2-2), Thursday, 7 p.m.: Cheshire lost a tough one to last year’s Class MM champion North Haven last week, 16-10 in overtime. The Rams are looking to climb over .500 this week while Foran is looking to bounce back from a 41-0 loss to Notre Dame-West Haven.

Xavier (0-4) at Wilbur Cross (1-3) Friday, 6 p.m. : Xavier is looking to break into the win column this week after losses to Bunnell, ranked seventh in the Courant’s state coaches poll; Sheehan, Manchester and Fairfield Prep. Xavier lost its first three games by a total of 10 points.

Hillhouse (4-0) at Hand (4-0) at the Madison Surf Club, Thursday, 6:30 p.m.: Senior quarterback Paul Calandrelli has completed 38 of 57 passes for 587 yards and nine touchdowns, including three last week in a 52-29 win over Shelton last week for fourth-ranked Hand, the defending Class M champion. Senior Quinton O’Dea has seven of those touchdown receptions.

Capital Prep/Achievement First (3-0) at Coginchaug/East Hampton/Hale-Ray (2-2) at Coginchaug High, Friday, 6:30 p.m.: Capital Prep is looking to continue its winning ways after victories over Haddam-Killingworth, Cromwell/Portland and Valley Regional/Old Lyme to open the season.