Newtown High School’s football team is scheduled to play Brookfield in the South-West Conference championship game at 7 pm on Thursday, November 21.

The Nighthawks, unbeaten at 10-0, are slated to face a Brookfield team that is 9-1, and 8-1 in SWC play. The Bobcats suffered their only loss at the hands of Newtown in a 35-7 outcome back on September 27. Brookfield advanced to the title game with a 28-26 win over Joel Barlow of Redding on November 15, and earned the opportunity to host the pinnacle battle since Brookfield High was previously selected as the neutral site for the game.

There is still plenty of pigskin action ahead for the Hawks after the big game. The annual Thanksgiving Eve battle between Newtown and Masuk of Monroe (7-3 overall, 7-2 in the SWC) is scheduled to take place at Masuk High at 7 pm on Wednesday, November 27. Although this game doesn’t have the same significance as did in each of the past three years when the rival schools carried the best SWC records into the contest, making it the championship tilt, there still is something on the line.

The Nighthawks, ranked No. 1 in Class LL, are looking to lock up the top spot in the state playoffs. Each of the top four schools will host its state playoff opener in the eight-team state playoff quarterfinal-round; the Nighthawks have ensured themselves of one of those home games, and are set to host an opponent to be determined at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, December 3.

Heading into their final games, Fairfield Prep holds the No. 8 slot and Staples of Westport is ranked ninth as those possible NHS first-round opponents vie to qualify, although there could be plenty of shakeups in the seedings in the final week of the regular campaign. West Haven, Norwich Free Academy, Glastonbury, Hall, Southington, and Ridgefield are the two through seven seeds, respectively — for now. Trumbull and Greenwich are on the outside and looking in, but could push their ways into the playoffs if everything falls into place for those teams.

In other words, there won’t be any telling which team will tangle with Newtown in the opening round of the state tourney until the Turkey Day stuffing is on the table.

Newtown has 1,510 points, accumulated by earning 100 points per win against all teams in the same class size as well as all conference opponents regardless of class size (900 points there), another 80 points from a nonconference win over Class M school Wolcott, and an additional 530 points for every 10 points picked up for the 53 combined wins of each of the opponents Newtown defeated.

The Nighthawks don’t necessarily need a win over Masuk to clinch the No. 1 seed, but West Haven has 1,370 points and can pick up another 180 with a Thanksgiving Day victory over eight-win Prep, and pass Newtown. Conference championship game results do not factor into state playoff ranking.

The state playoff semifinals will be played at a neutral site on December 7, with the championship tilt to be held December 13 or 14 at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain.

Playoff seedings are to be announced on November 29; visit casciac.org for updates.