The days of crowds numbering in the tens of thousands appear to be long gone, as only a few thousand showed up at this Naugatuck-Ansonia game in 2003—and the crowds keep shrinking.

Once upon a time, Thanksgiving football games were the end-all, be-all in the Naugatuck Valley. Here’s a sample agenda of a Valley Thanksgiving morning: Wake up around 8 a.m. (or earlier), wrap up in the warmest gear you can find, and head out to the game with the rest of the family while the turkey is busy doing its thing in the oven.
“It’s part of Thanksgiving around here,” says Naugatuck athletic director Tom Pompei.

The Woodland-Seymour rivalry’s largest crowd was in 2004 when the Hawks and Wildcats battled in Beacon Falls for the Naugatuck Valley League championship in front of over 4,000 fans.

“That’s part of my Thanksgiving. I think of my family and the meal, but I think of a 10:30 football game.”

It’s a tradition that has always started when children are too young to really even understand what’s going on.

“I know I went to the Naugy-Ansonia game since I was four or five when my father started taking me,” says Woodland coach Tim Shea.

In Naugatuck and Ansonia, thousands upon thousands once followed that ritual. A routine attendance at the Turkey Day classic was 12,000. Now, that number struggles consistently to reach 4,000.

“I think anywhere over 2,500 would be tremendous,” says Pompei of the potential attendance for this year’s edition, which will be for the NVL championship and a state playoff berth for Naugy.

2,500? I’m not sure I can speak on the behalf of those who have lived in this area far longer than I, but I’ll try—that number is pathetic, and I’m fairly sure most involved with the game would agree.

They say Thanksgiving football is a tradition, and it’s one of the finest, most special traditions the Valley has to its name. So why have people slowly let the games lose their luster?

Less than two decades ago, the crowds for the Naugatuck-Ansonia game were still reaching the tens of thousands. Heck, in 2001, the last time the game was for the league title, there were about 8,000 people at Veterans Field. But as Bob Dylan said, the times they are a-changin’.

Everybody seems to have their own reasons why Thanksgiving football is losing its place in the Valley.

Some, like Shea, who has coached at Woodland for nine years and played for Naugatuck in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, think it’s due to the movement of people.
“People don’t grow up in the town, go to school in the town, or move back to the town,” Shea says. “I think a lot of us now, once we get out of school, move on and move out. I think that hurts. There might be a lot of people who live in the town, but they don’t know what it means to play around here.”

Others, like Woodland athletic director Brian Fell, say the lack of popularity of the games is from the social behavior of society.

“I think the crowds have diminished in part due to the changing nature of social interaction in society,” Fell says.

“The Thanksgiving game used to be a community event where students, graduates and the community at large could meet, talk, hang out, and reminisce. I’m sorry to say, but it seems that social events like this are going the way of the barn-dance and neighborhood block party.”

But there might be another, simpler reason for the decline, at least in Ansonia and Naugatuck.

“We haven’t done our part in making that game of any importance in terms of league titles or state berths on the line,” says Naugatuck coach Rob Plasky. “We haven’t made it competitive; they’ve been beating us by big margins. The fan who comes home for the holiday would probably choose to stay with their family instead of go see a lopsided football game.”

Ansonia in 2006 (below) brought several thousand fans to their games, but the crowds seem to be shrinking by the year.

There’s no doubt the way Ansonia has gotten the best of Naugatuck of the last two-plus-decades—winning 22 of the last 24 games—has put a damper on the game’s allure. But shouldn’t a tradition hold up through even the dull and boring?

I say yes. Christmas happens every year, whether or not you got a bad gift last year. The ball drops in New York every year, even though we all know it’s going to light up big at midnight. It doesn’t matter how disappointing or boring—we enjoy them anyway.
I never played football, and even if I did, it wouldn’t have been in an era, unfortunately, where I got to play in front of 15,000 fans on Thanksgiving. Those who have had that chance can’t compare it to much else.

“My sophomore year in Ansonia there was a crowd of about 10,000 people,” Plasky says. “I was a special teams player and pregame you’re punting the ball 60 yards because you’re pumped. It definitely raises the kid’s level of adrenaline. If they can’t get up for an atmosphere like that, they don’t belong playing anything.”

Woodland in 2004 brought several thousand fans to their games, but the crowds seem to be shrinking by the year.

“In 1990, we got there and the place was empty,” Shea says, “but as the game went on, I got a chance to look up and it was pretty impressive to see that amount of people there for a high school game. It’s pretty impressive, for two small towns, how many people want to come out and watch football.”

But the number is no longer impressive, so a conundrum arises: Should the Thanksgiving games be preserved for the sake of a tradition that isn’t as strong as it once was or are they expendable to modify the state playoff system?

Despite the diminishing popularity of the games, most seem to be opposed to the notion of change.

“There have been so many kids who have put that jersey on and it’s meant so much, even when it hasn’t been for league or state titles,” Plasky says. “You’re missing a huge game there. That would bother me.”

“I tell these guys all the time: You seniors will remember your last Thanksgiving game,” Shea says. “I remember mine; we got buried. It brings a climax to the season, good or bad.”

The area athletic directors are split on the issue. Pompei says he would be “fiercely opposed” to getting rid of the game.

“This game is so meaningful to us,” he says. “That’s not something I want to play with.”
Fell is open to change, including integrating Thanksgiving football into the playoffs, but doesn’t think a change is likely.

“I like the idea of the Thanksgiving game becoming part of the playoff system, either by the state or by the league,” Fell says. “I don’t think we’ll see either of these ideas soon, though.”

The change might be imminent, though, if we don’t see more support for the games soon. This year is the perfect chance to get back in the mix if you’ve been out of it, so on Wednesday night or Thursday, leave the turkey in the oven, get off your keister, and get out to a game.

NAUGATUCK — There was no time left on the scoreboard clock as Ansonia raced off the field, heading to the locker room at the half. The referees ruled the clock should have stopped because Naugatuck had gained a first down, leaving one second before the break.

Naugatuck quarterback Tyler Conklin is tackled by a host of Ansonia defenders, including Tyler Wood (48) and Bobby Kinnebrew (40), in the Hounds’ 56-20 loss to Ansonia Thanksgiving morning at Veterans Field. The loss was Naugy’s eighth-straight to Ansonia on Turkey Day.

Senior Marty DeJesus barreled in from a yard out, and Anthony McKernan booted the extra point as the Ansonia coaching staff stormed the field to protest the referee’s call to no avail.

Naugy trailed, 28-14, but had the momentum heading down the hill into the locker room. It marked the first time since 2005 that the Greyhounds got on the scoreboard against Ansonia in the holiday classic, and there was hope among the hometown crowd that this could be the year.

That hope vanished quickly when Nick O’Connor took the opening kickoff of the third quarter and weaved his way 81 yards to the end zone, eluding several tackles along the way, for a game-changing touchdown.

“We had talked about stopping Ansonia to three-and-out to start the third quarter,” Naugatuck head coach Rob Plasky said. “Then if we could have came down and scored, it would have been an entirely different ball game. O’Connor never gave us that chance, as he returned the kickoff, and it pretty much slipped away after that.

Naugatuck quarterback Tyler Conklin is tackled by a host of Ansonia defenders, including Tyler Wood (48) and Bobby Kinnebrew (40), in the Hounds' 56-20 loss to Ansonia Thanksgiving morning at Veterans Field. The loss was Naugy's eighth-straight to Ansonia on Turkey Day.

“Playing from behind, your offense becomes predictable, and Ansonia took advantage, coming up with key interceptions that fueled their offense in the third quarter.”

Ansonia went on to pile up 28 points in the third quarter to run away with a 56-20 win over Naugatuck in their highest-scoring meeting since a 56-28 Chargers win in 1976.

Ansonia (8-2) secured a berth in the Class S state playoffs and lost, 24-0, to Northwest Catholic (9-1) Tuesday in a semifinal. The Greyhounds closed out the season at 4-6.

Naugatuck was up against the wall early, as the Chargers burst out of the gate, claiming a 25-0 advantage with 10:42 left in the first half. Bobby Kinnebrew, who piled up 115 yards on just six carries, scored on runs of 28 and 74 yards to put Ansonia in front.

Christian Sobin scored the first of his two TDs on an 11-yard burst, and game MVP Nick O’Connor fired a 19-yard scoring strike to Marty Lawlor, putting the Chargers in control.

The Greyhounds were hampered by six turnovers (four interceptions, two fumbles) but got a spark from Dashawn Wingate, who scampered 16 yards into the end zone with 7:02 left in the half, ending NHS’ series scoring drought that began in 2006.

The Naugatuck defense stiffened on Ansonia’s next possession, forcing the Chargers to settle for a 22-yard Mike Palmquist field goal that made it a 28-7 game.

The Greyhounds took over with less than a minute left, and Tyler Conklin hooked up with Jamaal Gee on a 40-yard pass play. Iman Farimani pounded ahead for a first down, and DeJesus stuck it into the end zone for a 28-14 score.

Three consecutive turnovers by the Greyhounds after O’Connor’s kick return touchdown turned the game into a rout, as the deficit swelled to 56-14 heading into the final quarter.

Conklin hit Matt D’Agnone on a 14-yard pass play to put the final points on the board in the 56-20 loss, sending 2,000 Turkey Day fans home and ending an up-and-down season for the Greyhounds.

SEYMOUR — Finally.

In one of the most incredible showings of offensive production in Woodland history, the Hawks ended a five-game losing streak to Seymour with a dominating, 55-32 win over the Wildcats on Thanksgiving Eve at DeBarber Field.

A pair of all-time performances paced the Black and Gold—both junior tailback Jack DeBiase and senior wingback Brandon Fowler enjoyed monster nights, accounting for seven of the Hawks’ eight touchdowns. DeBiase finished with a career-high 252 yards and four scores on 19 carries, while Fowler racked up 137 yards on just four carries with two touchdowns, along with a 78-yard TD reception. In all, the Hawks gained 546 yards of offense on only 31 plays.

Woodland junior running back Jack DeBiase (10) breaks through the Seymour defense on a kick return as junior Jake Pinho (3) holds his block. DeBiase rushed for a career-high 252 yards in the Hawks' 55-32 win.

“We came in here fired up,” Woodland head coach Tim Shea said. “We wanted to take over the tempo of the game and scoring as quickly as we did allowed us to do that. … Jack broke some long ones, but we’ve come to expect that kind of performance out of him, and were able to get Brandon involved again, which worked out really well for us.”

Trailing, 6-0, after a 25-yard touchdown run by Seymour’s Jacob Drozd on the Cats’ first possession, the Hawks quickly answered with a 42-yard gallop by DeBiase midway through the first quarter for the first of his four rushing scores on the night. He did the same halfway through the second, after the Cats took a 12-7 lead, by busting a 70-yard scoring run.

Woodland took a 27-12 lead into the half, after scoring twice inside the final three minutes of the second quarter. Petracca hooked up with Fowler on a 78-yard pass before senior wingback Tyler Slapikas sprinted 41 yards with 30 seconds remaining in the period.

The Hawks widened their lead in the third, as DeBiase and Fowler continued to control the game. DeBiase, the Naugatuck Valley League’s leading rusher, punched in his third score of the night on a 31-yard burst midway through the period, and on the next possession, Fowler sprung a 74-yard scoring run to make it 41-18. Incredibly, from the 6:14 mark of the second quarter until the 2:11 mark of the third, the Hawks ran just 10 offensive plays but scored 34 points.

Seymour attempted to make a comeback, scoring at the outset of the fourth on a 5-yard pass by Connor Shugrue then recovering an onside kick and securing another touchdown on a 1-yard sneak by Shugrue to close the deficit to 41-32 with 6:04 remaining.

Junior Chris D’Occhio came away with Seymour’s second onside attempt, leading to a 5-yard run for DeBiase’s fourth and final touchdown of the night. In fact, the junior’s last touchdown culminated the only Woodland drive of the night that lasted more than four plays, a telltale sign of how the Hawks’ offense utilized the big play all night.

For good measure, Fowler notched the final touchdown of his fine career on a 55-yard run with 56 seconds remaining to seal the 55-32 win for Woodland, the first time the Hawks have defeated Seymour since 2004, and the first time Woodland has ever defeated Seymour on Thanksgiving Eve.

Woodland senior Brandon Fowler (5) runs behind the block of senior Tyler Slapikas on one of his long gains on the night. Fowler had three touchdowns to help lead the Hawks to a 55-32 win over Seymour Wednesday night at DeBarber Field.

“I really don’t even know what to say,” Fowler said in the afterglow of the win. “It was the last game for us seniors, and it was really like a championship game for us. It was really important for us to win like that. It’s always one of our goals we set before the season to beat Seymour, and it feels great to finally do it.”

“We knew we needed a good game plan, and we came out and executed it,” Shea said. “It’s a huge turnaround for us from last year. We felt like we were going to turn it around in the offseason. We wanted to send the seniors out with a bang, and I think we did it.”

Quick Notes: DeBiase’s 252 yards rushing breaks the rivalry’s single-game rushing record previously held by Woodland’s Jon Murren (247 yards, three TDs in 2007) … DeBiase set the school’s single-season rushing yards per game mark, finishing with a 137.6 average, topping Pat Krakowski’s record of 125.3 per game in 2004 … Woodland’s 55 points is the most scored by the Hawks since their 56-12 win over Torrington on Oct. 5, 2007 and eclipses Woodland’s previous high score against Seymour by 20 points (set in a 36-35 loss in 2007) … DeBiase’s 22 touchdowns this season is fourth in school history, trailing Jeff Jones (27 in 2005), Will Volage (26 in 2007) and Pat Krakowski (24 in 2004), and his 1,376 rushing yards is second to Krakowski’s 1,503 in 2004 … Woodland finished with at least seven wins for the fifth time in eight varsity seasons and finished above .500 for the sixth time and has never had consecutive losing seasons … Woodland’s 23-point margin of victory is the second-largest in series history, bested only by Seymour’s 41-14 win in the inaugural matchup in 2003 … The combined 87 points in the game is a series record, breaking the previous record of 74 points (set in Seymour’s 46-28 win in the 2007 Class SS semifinal) … Mike Uszakiewicz recorded another sack, marking the fifth-straight game in which he recorded at least a half sack … This is the Hawks’ second-ever win at DeBarber Field and first over the Wildcats in Seymour (Woodland beat Holy Cross, 21-14, in the 2005 NVL championship at DeBarber) … Woodland’s only other win over the Cats did not come on Thanksgiving Eve, but the day after Turkey Day in 2004, as the game was postponed due to inclement weather.

The fire everyone knows about, the one that’s the flaming hub of a spirited Thanksgiving Eve pep rally, will take place Wednesday night, just hours before the Greyhounds host rival Ansonia. The one that players and alumni know about, the one that’s the flickering center of a pensive gathering, will take place just a few hours before the other.

It’s called The Burning of the Shoe, a tradition Naugatuck head coach Rob Plasky brought with him from Springfield College when he took the reigns of this already tradition-rich program in 2001. And it’s just what it sounds like: The Hounds gather around a burning cleat and just talk … and listen.

“It’s very significant of like the Olympics for your football program,” Plasky explained. “When they start the Olympics, they start it with the torch. And they keep the torch lit throughout the entire Olympics, and then once the Olympics are done, they move on. It’s really a major symbol for our senior class, who has had the torch lit from their freshman year, when they were there burning the shoe. … We allow the seniors to just stay there by themselves until that light goes out, until the shoe is burned, and there’s no more flame, while the rest of the team walks away while it was lit. And then once that light goes out, they have become members of the football alumni family.”

Plasky, of course, is an alumnus himself, a 1989 NHS grad, as are members of his coaching staff, including Chuck Rek, an ’81 alum. Some of Rek’s most vivid memories are of donning the Garnet and Grey—and they’re not all fond.

“I’ll never forget 1978, my sophomore year, my first game against Sacred Heart,” he recalled. “I put my head down and got planted right on my a–. And I said, ‘Wow. That’ll never happen again.’”

Anyone who’s met Rek knows it probably didn’t.

Naugatuck went 0-4 against the Chargers while Rek was in high school then beat Ansonia the next year and won the first state championship in school history. So besides one good butt-planting, there’d be reason for him be a little bitter about his time on the borough gridiron. Yet he keeps coming back, year after year, as a volunteer assistant.

“You have guys like Coach Rek here, who has dedicated so much time into this program because he knows what the program meant to him when he played here,” Plasky said. “… Loves the kids, loves working with the kids, knows what this program did for him, and wants to give that foundation back to the kids.”

Given Rek’s story, you might wonder, What’s the point of The Burning of the Shoe? There was no such thing when he or Plasky played, and its absence hasn’t made them any less dedicated to their alma mater.

“I just think there should always be something of importance,” Plasky explained, “especially for those kids that played four years in your program, that really put [in] their heart and soul, time, effort, and you just hope that they walked away with a solid foundation.”

And though The Burning of the Shoe is a relatively new addition to a Naugy-Ansonia tradition that dates to 1900, it’s starting to catch on with some of the old-timers.

“You get some alumni to come down, and they wish they had done something like that, but they come every year because they want to be a part of it,” Plasky said “And now the kids that played for us, we’re getting a lot more that come back each year for it. They look forward to that 3 o’clock burning of the shoe because they know what it meant to them.”

Fan support hasn't waned since the beloved Hawks beat Holy Cross, 35-0, in the 2004 Class SS state championship game.

Lou Poeta and Paul Brennan are lifelong residents of Beacon Falls. They remember the days when Woodland Regional High School didn’t exist. Heck, there was no consideration of a high school being built anywhere near Beacon Falls when they were in school. Back then, kids from town went to Laurel Ledge Elementary and Long River Middle schools together but often went their separate ways for high school.

Poeta and Brennan both picked Naugatuck High for the last years of their public educations. Given the opportunity, however, neither would have hesitated to exchange their years in the borough for a stay at Woodland.

“I’m sure everybody in town wishes they could have,” Poeta said. “You would have gotten to stay with the people you grew up with.”

“Absolutely,” Brennan agreed. “To continue the friendship with kids you went to middle school with and then through the next four years would have been great.”

For the pair, Woodland was constructed about 25 years too late. But the fact that they didn’t earn a diploma from the Region 16 institution didn’t mean they couldn’t support the football team when it hit the varsity field in 2002. Neither had sons on the football team, but they started going anyway.

“One of the biggest draws for me was that a lot of the kids on the team were kids that I coached in basketball,” Brennan explained. “I wanted to see them play on the next level.”

“It was the first time we had a high school here, and we wanted to support it and the kids,” Poeta added. “I knew a lot of the kids personally, like Jared [Katchmar] and everybody, so I wanted to go out and support them. I watched them grow up.”

****

From the start of the Woodland football program, many saw the Hawks as a way to unite the town. All Beacon Falls residents wanted was something to call their own.

“My whole mom’s family is from Beacon Falls,” Woodland head coach Tim Shea said. “They always said they wanted something to call their own, instead of having to be associated with Naugatuck or another school. The whole valley was always able to rally around sports, and Beacon Falls finally had the chance to.”

First Selectman Susan Cable, who was instrumental in the founding of the school, which opened in 2001, also noted the importance of having a football team to rally around.

“It brought the whole region together,” Cable said. “It made people realize that together, Beacon Falls and Prospect are one team. We celebrated as one and made people understand that we were a united region.

“People believe it brings excitement to the community,” she added. “We never had one place to go as a town. It provided unity and support for us. Now it’s a focal point of the community.”

The fan support of the Black and Gold is something that has never been doubted by anyone up or down the valley. In fact, Woodland fans were voted best in the Naugatuck Valley League in a 2006 Republican-American poll.

“The team brought many townspeople out to the games that hadn’t been to games in many years,” Brennan explained. “We were bringing the largest crowds in the league even to visitors’ fields. We had bigger crowds than even they did most of the time.”

****

Poeta and Brennan have not been supporters of the Hawks only. That would be a gross understatement. For years, the two have been part of a group of tailgaters that started in the school parking lot and migrated across Rimmon Hill to the Beagle Club in recent years.

“We started in the school lot with Tommy Muggeo and Tommy Deegan,” Poeta said. “It’s a good way to get together with everybody, and now we support the Lion’s Club by being at the Beagle Club.”

“I took it over when we went to the Beagle Club,” Brennan explained. “Basically, there was no concession stand when we first started, until we built it, and we’ve kept it going ever since.”

Both also join Naugatuck native Scott Merenda on the Hawks’ chain gang, a team which featured Mike Kingsley, until he joined the Woodland coaching staff this season. As Brennan says, “You can’t get a better seat in the house.”

“Oh, we’re much closer to the action,” Poeta echoed. “There’s more game involved after the plays. You can hear and see and smell everything now.”

Not only are Poeta and Brennan involved in Woodland’s home games, but also they always hit the road to support the Hawks—and “always” is no hyperbole. Poeta has missed only two NVL contests and a pair of games in 2002, when Woodland traveled to New York and Rhode Island; but he made the almost two-hour hike to Putnam for this season’s opener to join about 100 fans in cheering on the Hawks. Brennan wasn’t able to make it to Putnam or the out-of-staters, but has never missed a game otherwise, calling the “excitement of the game” too much to miss.

“I hope those games I went to at St. Bernard, Vinal Tech, and Bristol in 2002 pays off for the two NVL games I missed last year,” Poeta joked.

****

Both Poeta and Brennan have obviously seen their fair share of Woodland games, so their opinions about the best game they’ve ever been at are pretty sound.

“Seymour in 2004 was big,” Poeta said of the Hawks’ first NVL championship win the day after Thanksgiving. “You always like to beat the valley teams. You’ve got Beacon Falls and Prospect introduced to high school football by championship teams. Just to see the football we saw in those years, it would be like two lifetimes to pay that experience off. If the Hawks went 0 for their next 100, knock on wood, we’d still be right behind them.”

Brennan recalled Woodland’s 13-6 win in the 2004 Class SS semifinal over Hartford Public as one of his favorites.

“That was the best game I think I saw them play,” he said. “Once they won that game, we knew they were going to win the state championship. It was probably one of the most hard-hitting games I’ve ever seen.”

And both headlined Woodland’s Halloween Miracle against Naugatuck in 2003 as their favorite game of all. Sure, the 41-37 win might have been the biggest in program history to that point, but it might have held a little more meaning for Brennan and Poeta.

“You’re always going to be a fan of your alma mater, but being a fan of the team in the town you’re from is something special,” Brennan said. “I’m a Naugatuck fan unless they’re playing Woodland, like that night.”

Poeta put it a little more bluntly.

“The day Woodland was built was the day I forgot about Naugatuck!”

I think it’s safe to say Woodland’s got itself a heck of a tradition.

Opening night was storybook: The Greyhounds, coming off a 3-8 campaign, coached by a man who had been let go during the offseason, and having just lost a senior captain for the year, invaded DeBarber Field and upset Seymour, ranked No. 4 in the state at the time.

“I think it has to go along with resiliency,” said Rob Plasky, the head coach who won back his job in a messy appeal before the Board of Education, after the emotional win. “Along with myself trying to be resilient in the offseason … I think the kids were resilient too. Without a head football coach they were resilient, and they got it done. They took it upon themselves to work hard in the offseason.”

“This is number one,” gushed Mike Kennedy (see story, page six), the leader forced to the sideline by an ACL tear, when asked where the victory ranked in his career. “This is number one for my class and for all the younger classes. … We proved everybody wrong this first game. And we’re going to keep doing it.”

The thing is the Hounds didn’t keep doing it. They beat Torrington a week later but then blew second-half leads against Derby and St. Paul consecutively and were embarrassed by a 42-6 loss at Notre Dame-West Haven. During the three-game slide, Naugy suffered what can only be called an injury pandemic: Four concussions, a broken collarbone and so many thigh contusions that the Garnet and Grey might as well have become the Black and Blue.

Sophomore Jake Yourison’s rushing performance for the ages—332 yards and five touchdowns in a 35-14 win over Sacred Heart—provided hope that the season was turning around. But more injuries contributed to a disappointing home defeat to previously winless Kennedy, and the Greyhounds hurt themselves with turnovers in an L at Woodland.

DeJesus will be back in the lineup against Ansonia, but Plasky says, "One hit with Marty and he's done."

Five losses in six tries: It was hard for even the most optimistic Naugatuck fan to believe assistant coach Mark Swanson, when after the Hawks game he told a despondent Dan Mariano, “We’re going to win out.”

Then came the Holy Cross game. The Crusaders entered the contest 8-0, sitting atop both the Naugatuck Valley League and Class MM standings. Their defense had been positively stifling: 8.25 points per game. All week, players heard classmates predicting their obliteration.

Instead, the Greyhounds made their gutsiest showing of the season, keeping the Crusaders, who entered as the No. 10 team in the state, off the scoreboard in a stunning, 8-0 upset.

So here the borough gridders stand: 4-5 with archrival Ansonia (7-2) visiting Veterans Field on Turkey Day. The middle was lousy, no doubt, but the end still can be fantastic. Naugatuck has lost 20 of its last 22 meetings with the Chargers and has been shut out three years in a row. This group of seniors has never scored on Ansonia.

How realistic is a Naugy win for the first time since 2001? Well, Plasky says one Ansonia strength worries him more than any other.

“Right away I could say speed, and you can’t coach speed,” he said. “I’ve seen them on film, and they pose a lot of threat with their speed. When you have that on both sides of the ball, it can hurt you at any time. They could bust one at any time. And defensively, you’ve gotta just hope they’re not in a good position, because when they are, they could hurt you with their speed.”

The injury report is a mixed one: Expected to play are two-way linemen Aaron Echevarria (deep bone bruise) and Dan Mariano (elbow) and running back Marty DeJesus (thigh contusion), though Plasky concedes, “One hit with Marty and he’s done.” Definitely out are running back Andrew Cirino (broken collarbone) and fullback Jake Yourison (chronic back pain).

“We’ve done really well with [overcoming injuries], I think,” Plasky said. “I mean all our coaches are working their behinds off and preparing those kids for that spot. I mean every week, Coach [Chuck] Rek is introducing a new line technique to a new kid or new stunt to a new kid on the line, and Coach [Chico] Echevarria is doing the same thing offensively. Coach [Mark] Swanson [has] a new linebacking corps, I got a new secondary corps. Coach Hayward, of all of us, has the toughest job ‘cuz he has special teams, and every day he calls a special team out, it’s a different 11.”

Junior Tyler Conklin will make his second consecutive—and second career—start at quarterback. At six feet, four inches, Conklin has an easier time seeing the field than 5-8 classmate Erich Broadrick, who started 19 straight games, until last week.

“[Conklin] has an uncanny way of ball-faking that really, really sucks defenses,” Plasky said, “which is nice when you’re playing a Holy Cross or an Ansonia that fast flows.”

Broadrick, meanwhile, will help fill out NHS’ depleted fleet of running backs; he carried 22 times for 50 yards in the win over Holy Cross.

That win is, by the way, proof that the middle really doesn’t matter much.

“Like I said to the kids after the football game against Holy Cross,” Plasky recalled: “‘Forty years from now, you’re gonna remember the game that you just played last night and won—40 years from now. You’re not gonna remember your record; you’re gonna remember the night you beat Holy Cross when they were 8-0—8-0, and nobody gave you a chance. No one can take that from you.’”

If all goes well, the Greyhounds will remember Thursday’s contest 40 years from now too.

It’s been a while. This year, though, feelings are different in the Woods and around the valley. For the first time since 2005, the Hawks (6-3) will be the favorite against Seymour (1-8) when they hit DeBarber Field on Wednesday night. However, the toughest thing for Woodland might not be physically besting the Wildcats but getting past the mental block of losing its last five to its rival.

“I think a big part of it is making sure the guys know they can win,” Woodland head coach Tim Shea said. “I don’t know [if it’s been any one thing in the past]. Some years, kids have been hurt and some years the extra game took a little out of us. But on Thanksgiving, you throw the records out the window. The games have always been tight; they’ve just found a way to win.”

Woodland's backfield depth includes the versatile Fowler and will be the key to offensive success against the Wildcats.

Throwing out the records in this game might be the most important way for Woodland to avoid a season-deflating upset. The Wildcats are 1-8—in fact, this is the first time in series history that Seymour is even under .500 entering the matchup—and have been severely bitten by the injury bug and inexperience.

The Cats have, though, played better in recent weeks. After opening the season 0-6, Seymour beat Crosby, 41-26, before narrowly losing to Brass Division champion Wolcott and rallying in the second half of a loss to Ansonia. Shea knows Seymour is a quality opponent and his squad will need to play a fundamentally sound game to win.

“I’m sure Coach [Tom] Lennon has told them the same thing we have—that records don’t matter,” Shea said. “They’re a solid team, and we have to execute. We can’t turn the ball over, we have to capitalize on field position, and we can’t allow any big plays.”

Senior tri-captain Brandon Fowler is drinking the same Kool-Aid as Shea, as he also knows Seymour is a lot better than its 1-8 record shows.

“Their record isn’t a good representation of who they are,” Fowler explained. “Especially on Thanksgiving, records don’t matter. Everyone’s head has to be in the game for us to win.”

The game plan for the Hawks figures to be the same as it has been all season—pound the rock. Woodland features four backs with at least 230 rushing yards, including Naugatuck Valley League-leading junior Jack DeBiase (1,124 yards, 17 TDs), Fowler (350 yards, five TDs), senior Tyler Slapikas (341 yards, three TDs), and junior Chris D’Occhio (231 yards, five TDs).

The Black and Gold will also rely on a defense that gave up 163 points—fourth best in the league—during the season to slow a Cats offense that has finally picked up some momentum. Senior quarterback Connor Shugrue is back from injury and has thrown for four scores and rushed for four more, and senior Jacob Drozd leads the team in rushing, after being thrust into the position after injuries hit the squad.

As for motivation, it’s not only the fact that the Hawks can finish 7-3 and beat Seymour for the first time since 2004. Woodland takes it a step further.

“Coach Shea said it all week that we can be the second team to beat Seymour,” Fowler said. “It’s our last game as seniors at Woodland, and we can do something special. The history behind [being able to beat Seymour] and end up 7-3 is something we want.”

0 Times Woodland’s class of 2010 has defeated Seymour on the varsity level; this year’s Hawks can become only the second squad to knock off the Wildcats

2 Touchdowns scored by Seymour quarterback Connor Shugrue last year against the Hawks; he has recovered from an early-season injury and will play Wednesday night

3 Times Naugatuck and Ansonia met in 1904, the most ever in a single season; the teams went 1-1-1

4 Years of six in series history that either Woodland or Seymour qualified for the Class SS playoffs; this year will be the third in which neither will make it

4 Combined state championships for Naugatuck and Woodland; their opponents, Ansonia and Seymour, have 20 put together

5 Straight losses for Woodland against Seymour; the Hawks’ only win was in 2004

5 The Garnet and Grey’s longest winning streak against Ansonia, from 1912-17; the schools did not meet in 1915

11 Ansonia’s longest winning streak against Naugy, from 1939-49

11.4 Average margin of victory for Seymour in the last five meetings; the Cats have outscored Woodland 157-100 in those matchups

12 Yards Jeff Jones gained on a pass from Jared Katchmar to score the go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute left in a 27-22 win in 2004

13 Points scored by Seymour in the fourth quarter last year to clinch a 27-10 win over Woodland

14 Consecutive years in which Naugatuck was undefeated against Ansonia between 1905 and 1920; the Hounds’ record was 10-0-4 during the stretch

20 Fewest points Seymour has scored in a single game against Woodland, a 20-7 Wildcats win in 2006

24.3 Points, on average, by which Ansonia has beaten Naugatuck this decade; the Hounds’ only victory was a 14-13 win in 2001

35 Times Ansonia has shut out Naugatuck, six in scoreless ties

73 Points the Greyhounds scored against the Chargers, their most in a single game in the series, in a 1928 shutout victory

79 Points the Chargers scored in a 79-0 drubbing of the borough boys in 1936

142 Rushing yards gained by Woodland’s Jack DeBiase in last year’s matchup; he was the leading rusher in the contest and scored the Hawks’ only touchdown

1945 The last year in which the Naugatuck-Ansonia series was tied, 19-19-8

Hawks junior running back Jacke DeBiase is the NVL's leading rusher, but he says he'd trade his stats for victories.

If it were up to his dad, Jack DeBiase never would have played football at Woodland. Mark DeBiase attended Holy Cross and wanted Jack to play for the Crusaders. But, ultimately, it was Woodland that sold itself.

As a middle school student, DeBiase and his dad watched Woodland win state championship games. Those victories inspired DeBiase to play for the Black and Gold.

“I knew then I wanted to go to Woodland,” he explained.

Now, DeBiase is working to bring the Hawks back to championship glory. And he’s got them on the right track. The team finished 4-7 last year, struggled throughout the season and fell short of Woodland’s typical lofty expectations. This season, DeBiase has helped ensure history didn’t repeat itself.

The junior has rushed for 1,124 yards, scored 17 touchdowns and made 73 tackles in nine games. The Hawks are 6-3 and playing like a different team.

The turning point was the offseason.

“My teammates and I came together in the offseason and wanted to improve,” DeBiase said. “We’re getting back to where the Woodland football team used to be and showing that last season was a fluke.”

After a 4-7 campaign in 2008, DeBiase and his teammates recommitted to working hard during the offseason. "We're getting back to where the Woodland football team used to be ..." he says.

A starter since his freshman season, DeBiase plays with major responsibilities. On offense, he’s the primary fullback.

“In our offense, the ball goes through the fullback 90 percent of the time,” head coach Tim Shea said.

In his most recent games, DeBiase has made the most of his carries. Against Sacred Heart last weekend, DeBiase ran for 105 yards on 15 carries with a 39-yard touchdown run. The week before, DeBiase rushed for 143 yards on 16 touches with a 60-yard TD run in a win over Naugatuck.

“That was a huge win for us,” DeBiase said in an intense voice. “They’re a huge rival for us.”

On Oct. 24, DeBiase scored four touchdowns in a victory over Torrington.

On defense, DeBiase has performed at strong safety and, when called upon, also linebacker.

“Strong safety has traditionally been one of our most important tackling positions,” Shea said. “Jack is a tough kid.”
Shea said DeBiase’s qualities extend beyond the stat sheet. His football intelligence, winning-comes-first attitude and passion for the game serve the team well.

“He’s more than an X’s and O’s guy,” Shea said. “He has a great football IQ.”

That might be because DeBiase loves to learn about the game and makes adjustments week to week.

Shea said DeBiase’s protection of the football has improved, in part, because of his work in practice. DeBiase does just about anything to help the team win.

“Jack moved to linebacker for us three days before a game,” said Shea, who added that DeBiase was hard on himself for not playing better at a position he normally doesn’t play.

The team comes first. Even if it means he doesn’t get the ball on a particular play or playing out of position.

“I really don’t care, as long as the team wins,” added DeBiase, who is very aware of Woodland’s winning tradition.

Wednesday night, DeBiase and the Hawks have a chance to write the next chapter in a long list of memorable victories in the school’s brief, but successful history. It’s a chance for DeBiase to get his first win over Seymour.

“It’s a huge game for us,” he said.