We’re counting down the top 10 Valley stories of 2009 — actually, the second half of 2009, because we launched in June.
No. 10: ‘Backyard Brawl’
Six years. That’s how long it had been since the Ansonia Chargers played the Derby Red Raiders on the football field.
For you and me, six years isn’t a long time.
For the high schoolers in Ansonia and Derby, it might as well have been a lifetime.
The seniors were just sixth graders the last time the two teams battled in the “backyard brawl.”
This year, with the inclusion of the combined Derby High/Emmett O’Brien team into the Naugatuck Valley League, the youngsters finally got a taste of the rivalry.
The Oct. 30 game was more about the pre-game festivities —the game day spirit — especially in Derby, where students had an old-school, rambunctious pep rally (see video).
Derby held its own during the first half, only to have the larger, more experienced Charger team run away with the game in the second. Final score: 44 – 14.
“This is a big rivalry. This is a big win for us,” said Ansonia’s Robert Kinnebrew after the game. “We played hard and we won.”
Ansonia, the best football team in the lower Valley, went onto the state playoffs, where they were defeated by Bunnell, 51 – 39.
Here’s a replay of the live blog the Valley Independent Sentinel published the day of the game:
