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Thanksgiving Day football games in the Patch.com immediate area should make up for a season-long litany of Eastern Connecticut Conference mismatches … after Montville plays at overmatched St. Bernard Thanksgiving Eve at 6:30.

There is not one big favorite in any 10 a.m. game: Waterford at East Lyme, Ledyard at Fitch, Norwich Free Academy at New London, nor Stonington at Westerly. All four should provide plenty of competition and large crowds – the type of atmosphere one could expect in the CIAC playoffs, which begin Nov. 30.

Here is a capsulated preview of each game.

Ledyard (6-3) at Fitch (6-3)

While both teams entertained playoff hopes early, both will likely play for other prizes – a 7-3 record and the best Turkey Day game trophy, Colonel Ledyard's Sword.

Fitch opened at 4-0, including a 24-14 upset of Montville on a rainy September night when Tyler Girard-Floyd sustained an injury. The Falcons have stumbled of late with their own injuries, but talented running quarterback Derek Baldoz should play after missing the 21-0 loss to East Lyme with a concussion.

Senior fullback Alan Anderson (734 yards) and sophomore Saffwan Davis, a former youth football star who gained over 100 yards in his first sustained offensive action against Plainfield, give Fitch a solid running game. Tim Hale leads Fitch's defense as one of the area's best linebackers.

Ledyard coach Jim Buonocore expects 1,000-yard rusher Alex Manwaring to return from an ankle injury after missing two games. Fullback Ryan Pementil has shone in his absence, rushing for 350 yards in two games.

"Ryan has done an outstanding job as the feature back," Buonocore said. "Tight end Nick Polonsky, coming off a three-touchdown game against Branford, has developed into Ledyard's top deep receiving threat for quarterback John Trudel (15 TD passes).

Lineman Desmond Gray, linebacker Brendan Sullivan, safety Connor Sweet and Trudel, who had an interception last week, have keyed Ledyard's defense recently in the absence of Manwaring, the team's leading tackler at linebacker.

Ledyard has won the last three games in the series in decisive fashion. Fitch won in 2005 and 2006 when Buonocore was its coach. Fitch's 17-13 win over Ledyard in 2005, coupled with Wethersfield's upset of Newington, lifted the Falcons into the Class L playoffs with a 7-3 record. Buonocore hopes a win and outside help does the same for the Colonels.

"Our goal has always been to play our best in the last game, whenever that may be," he said. "We're still alive, so we'll see what happens."

East Lyme (5-4) at Waterford (6-3)

You often hear the phrase, "These two teams don't like each other," attached to a football game pitting rivals. Name a Thanksgiving Game with two teams who show indifference to each other, and I'll show you a matchup devoid of passion, history and intensity.

East Lyme versus Waterford stands certainly in the rabid rivalry column.

When an East Lyme player, since graduated, was quoted last year as saying, "We don't like Waterford" in a preview story, he later had to apologize and clarify that he meant nothing personal, stating East Lyme didn't like Waterford as a town.

Waterford faithful bristled, but the Vikings enjoyed the last laugh with a 40-0 victory en route to a state playoff berth. East Lyme has walked the walk, winning 10 of the last 12 games in the series, reaching five playoffs, four state finals and winning once (2003) during the span.

The Lancers (2-8 last year) weren't equipped to pay back East Lyme last year, but the matchup projects as a toss-up this year. Waterford , No. 13 in Class M's playoff standings, needs to win and receive a lot of outside favorable results to sneak into the top eight at 7-3. Regardless of the playoff picture, a win would be coveted, sealing one of program's better records in the last 15 years.

Senior Davonta Valentine, in his first year of football, has emerged as one of the ECC's best receivers, grabbing 31 passes from quarterback Richard Purdy. Backs Y-Kim Sheppard and Tyrell Robinson rank as one of the area's best running back tandems with over 600 yards apiece.

Despite struggling to replace the 22 seniors who paced the 10-2 record in '09, East Lyme has positioned itself for a winning season. The Vikings have won three straight, including a 21-0 blanking of Fitch Nov. 12. Wide receiver-linebacker Eric McGlone (43 receptions) stands 6-foot-4, 220 pounds and will test Waterford 's secondary. Backs Chris Kohansky and Colin Hecklinger are hard runners.

Montville (8-1) vs. St. Bernard (1-8)

Just two years ago, the Saints won this game on a last-minute Hail Mary pass. How quickly things have changed.

A strong senior class, buoyed by the transfer of four East Lyme players, strengthened former coach Marc Romano's team, which finished 8-3 in '08. The Saints have been in rebuilding mode since under new coach Sean Ladyga, going 0-10 last year and 1-8 this year. St. Bernard, however, is much more competitive this year, taking a decent Bacon Academy team into overtime before losing, 35-34.

Montville has been on a roll, winning six straight by an average score of 43-12. Senior Tyler Girard-Floyd (1,453 yards, 20 TDs) is a state player of the year candidate. Quarterback Troy Nunes (823 yards, 9 TDs, 1 int.) and receiver Rob Johnson (29 yard average per his 16 catches) will be tough to contain.

Montville's primary goal here? Avoid injuries at all costs. The Indians appear ticketed for the Class S's No. 3 slot in the playoffs Nov. 30. Woodland or Coginchaug look like possible matchups for a quarterfinal at MHS.

NFA (9-0) and New London (8-1)

Both teams have clinched CIAC playoff berths, but there is much at stake here.

NFA looks to finish undefeated and break a lengthy losing streak in this series. New London will be stoked to play its first home game at Cannemella Field, which has been under renovation. The new complex will include lights, a Field Turf playing surface and new bleachers.

Stonington (5-4) at Westerly (5-4)

Despite the fact Connecticut football is considered vastly superior to Rhode Island ball, Stonington has not enjoyed the upper hand recently against Westerly, save for two straight wins in 2007 and 2008. Westerly, a larger school than SHS, blanked the Bears, 30-0, last year

The Bears have rushed for over 3,000 yards, paced by James Connelly (1,150 yards) and Tyler Taveres (900), but Stonington has rarely run all over Westerly. Even during an 8-3 season in '08, SHS relied on a last-minute touchdown pass to pull out a win.

Stonington leads the rivalry with the most games played nationally, 68-65-17.