Want to make an old-time Valley sports guy nervous?
Ask him to name the best local high school football team of all time.
It’s a little like asking someone how much they weigh — not overtly rude, but a little risky.
But for the last few weeks, we’ve been chatting with former Valley coaches and players posing that very question — who fielded the greatest team ever?
Former Seymour High School coach Paul Sponheimer:Ansonia, 2006 or 2007
“I would have to say the ’06 or ’07 (Ansonia teams). Their coaches should probably be the ones to make the decision of which one (was the greatest).”
Watch Coach Sponheimer’s complete answer:
Bill Pucci: Derby, 1969
Valley Times Sports Editor Bill Pucci mentioned a bunch of teams he admired. One that stands out — and one that comes up again — the 1969 Derby team.
“They were the best team I’ve ever seen play,” Pucci said.
That team went 10-0 and was number one in the state at the time. They won 34 games in a row since 1966.
In one game versus second ranked Seymour, Derby was down 18-0 on their home field, Pucci said.
Seymour’s quarterback Mark Allen and receiver Dennis Rozum were leading the way to an undefeated season. But Derby came back and scored 21 straight points to win the game and gave Seymour their only loss of the season.
“They didn’t know how to lose,” Pucci said. “They always found a way to win.”
Frank Zuba and John DeFrancisco: Derby, 1969
Former assistant coaches for Derby High Frank Zuba and John DeFrancisco also said the ’69 Derby team was the best they ever saw.
They discussed the six Division I scholarship players that team had and the great balance of offense and defense.
Jack Walsh: Derby 1937!
Jack Walsh, president and C.O.O. of Valley United Way, took a trip back in time when he said the most interesting team he’s heard of was the 1937 Derby team.
Only having 25 players and rarely substituting the starting 11, the team overcame questions about ineligible players, political battles with rival schools and controversy with segregation.
Regardless of the fights they had to deal with off the field, the team was unanimously named as the State Class “B” champions.
They were invited to play a post-season game at Winter Park High in Florida. With the help of town officials and citizens, the team
raised money to compete in the game.
It was announced in the Evening Sentinel that Winter Park withdrew their invitation.
Various reasons were given as to why the team could no longer travel to Florida. The true reason was never stated until recently when Frank Saldamarco spoke with Walsh about the team.
Two African-American brothers, Smokey Goldson and Pokey Goldson, played for Derby and “this was an era when segregation held sway
throughout the South…”
“That team was two generations ahead of what was going on in the country,” Walsh said.
Here’s Walsh’s compete answer:
