Don't ever believe Lou Marinelli.

Well, don't ever trust Marinelli when he downplays his New Canaan High School football team, as he did during the preseason.

"We graduated 28 seniors (half of which started)," Marinelli said in July. "Other than that, we're OK."

Marinelli also told the Connecticut Post that Darien, Greenwich and Staples were the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference favorites.

New Canaan won't be lying in the weeds after it shocked Hand last Friday, 21-14.

The Rams are the top-ranked team in the season debut of The Day's Top 10 state coaches' poll. They received six of 13 first-place votes.

Hand was expected to be the top team in Class L this year, as it returned 15 starters from last year's playoff team. It was ranked second in the New Haven Register's preseason Top 10 media poll and received a few first-place votes, too.

Northwestern-bound linebacker Zach Allen, defensive back Alex LaPolice and the rest of the Rams held the Tigers to 264 yards.

Southington received four first-place votes and is ranked second in The Day's poll. The Blue Knights, the reigning Class LL champions, are ranked first in the media poll and began the season with a 41-38 come-from-behind win over Glastonbury last Friday.

Defending Class S champion Ansonia received two first-place votes and is ranked third. Like New Canaan, it graduated a lot of players on offense, yet it thumped Oxford last Thursday 45-0. It was the Chargers' 44th straight win and they need six more to beat Cheshire's state record.

Fairfield Prep, last season's LL runner-up, is fourth and received the other first-place vote. Class L runner-up Darien is fifth.

See complete poll on page C3.

- Ned Griffen