Last season, Maloney lost four of its first six games, but the Spartans’ early schedule was brutal and two of its first three opponents were New Canaan, which went on to win its third straight Class L title, and Staples, the 2023 Class LL champion.

They still advanced to the playoffs for the seventh straight year, losing to New Canaan 41-7 in the Class L quarterfinals.

This season, the early going has been a little better for Maloney. The Spartans are 4-0 heading into a tough Alliance game Friday against Fairfield Prep, ranked No. 6 in The Courant’s state coaches poll, at Fairfield University.

“We’re off to a pretty good start,” Maloney coach Kevin Frederick said. “I like the way our team is trending.”

While his first-year quarterback Eli Showerda, who’s 52-for-70 passing for 765

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