High school
The New London High School vs. Norwich Free Academy football game on Thursday ended the Whalers' state tournament ambitions and closed an undefeated season for the Wildcats. NFA triumphed in the traditional Thanksgiving game 28-7. According to The Bulletin, a couple of major touchdown drives and a solid defense kept New London from getting on the scoreboard until the final quarter.
The Wildcats finish at 10-0, while New London closes the 2012 season at 7-3. The record wasn't enough for a spot in the Class M CIAC tournament and, according to CIAC records, marks the first time the Whalers have missed a tournament since 2006. They last won a division title in 2008 when the team defeated Seymour in the Class SS showdown.
The game officially closes the high school fall sports action. The first scheduled CIAC winter competitions for New London begin on Dec. 8 when the girls' basketball team takes on Griswold in a 7 p.m. away game. The Williams School winter season starts on Wednesday with a squash game against the Hopkins School.
College
The Thanksgiving weekend made for a quieter week in the arenas at New London's colleges, but there were still a few competitions of note. Mitchell College and the Coast Guard Academy each had only one game in the past week, but it marked a major achievement for the Mariners. The Mitchell men's basketball team (3-0) defeated the Coast Guard Academy 88-71 on Nov. 20, marking the first time the team has defeated the Bears, who now stand at 1-2 for the season.
Connecticut College picked up a pair of ice hockey wins in the past week. The women's team (1-1-1) defeated Salve Regina 6-2 on Nov. 20 while the men's team (1-2) picked up its first win of the season by defeating Salem State 4-2 on Sunday. The Camels were less fortunate on the basketball court, where both teams are at 1-2 for the season. The men's team lost to Wentworth 63-51 on Nov. 20, while the women's team fell to WPI 66-57 on the same day.
