A new era is about to begin for the Derby/O’Brien Tech co-op football team. And it’s one that may help the program return to its glory days of the 1980s.
When the Housatonic League folded, Derby joined the Southern Connecticut Conference. There, it was the smallest school in the 20-team mega-conference, and it lost all its Valley rivals with the exception of Shelton.
But Derby left the SCC at the end of last school year, and joined the Naugatuck Valley League. Not only will the Red Raiders play against schools like Ansonia and Seymour, but the SCC allowed Shelton to retain Derby as its Thanksgiving rivalry game.
So Derby gets the best of both worlds, and it’s caused interest in football to spike at the school.
“We usually get 25 or 27 kids coming out, not including the O’Brien Tech kids,” fifth year head coach Carmen DiCenso said. “This year we have a big sophomore class, so we have about 40 Derby High School kids on the team.”
C‑DL Angelo DiSorbo says he’s seen the enthusiasm for football grow at the school, especially after the announcement that Derby would switch leagues.
“Right now we’re looking good,’ DiSorbo said. “We’re heading in the right direction, and if we can win some games we can bring that tradition back.”
The Rundown
The numbers are growing, DiCenso said, but the depth has not.
Derby/O’Brien Tech’s starting 11 will go both ways, with two defensive backs rotating in to spell some of the starters, and one tight end coming in on offense depending on the set.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” DiCenso said. “We’re not quite there yet and we don’t have a lot of depth.”
The Red Raiders will be led by four senior captains: DiSorbo, RG-LB Rich Gonzales, WB-DB Linbery Cousley and FB-LB Mark McCormack.
Rounding out the starting line-up for Derby/O’Brien Tech will be RT-DL Ennis Bukalo, LG-DL D.J. Brai, LT-DL Jesse Gilbert, WR-DB D’Ron Conyers, QB-DB Ray Kreiger, WR-DB Jacob Tomczak , WR-DB Rashawn Hendricks, TE Zack Salazar, DB Tyler O’Conner and DB Nick Slowik.
“They’re all good kids with good attitudes, and they’ve been working hard all summer,” DiCenso said. “We’re proud of them. No matter what the outcome is, we can’t say they didn’t work.”
Krieger took over as the starting quarterback last season for the fifth game of the season, and completed 49 percent of his passes.
Conyers was the team’s leading rusher in 2008 with 627 yards and seven touchdowns. Cousley followed with 561 yards and four touchdowns.
The Pride Is Back
Even with the enthusiasm and the number of returning veterans, DiCenso says it will take a while to get Derby back to its glory days of the 1980s, when it had a 32-game win streak, three number-one state titles, and numerous Housatonic Valley League championships.
But he thinks success can help to breed success.
“What we’re trying to do is just rebuild this program, to get more kids out and get back to those days,” DiCenso said.
Tim Parry publishes the FCIAC Football Blog.
