Looks like Derby and the NVL will finally get to tie the knot.
After years of being turned down by league’s brass, it looks like Derby will finally be invited into the Naugatuck Valley League, according to a report in the Waterbury Republican-American, the NVL’s unofficial paper of record.
Apparently, the exclusion of St. Paul-Bristol from the recent conference shake-and-bake that has destroyed and is destroying the Nutmeg football league and the NWC, has given the NVL the impetus it needs to expand to a an even 14.
That would solve tons of problems: It would give Derby a home in a conference it believes is much more suited to its geography and level of competition (but what about wrestling? the NVL doesn’t have it). It will likely rekindle the now five-years dormant rivalry with Ansonia. It will also give St. Paul a legitimate conference in which to play, especially for Jude Kelly and his fledgling football program.
It (should, but you never know with the NVL) open the league up to out-of-conference scheduling, something that’s been a burr in the seats of many league coaches. Nick Augelli of Crosby hoops and Tom Brockett of Ansonia football to name a couple
As for the SCC, it accommodated Derby, its smallest member, to the point of ridiculousness. In some sports, the Red Raiders didn’t play a true league schedule a few sports. As for the sports that did, they were almost warts on the SCC’s otherwise robust face. So, despite the league’s best efforts to help one of its founding members, this is an overall improvement.
In the highly likely scenario that the Derby Board of Education, (which will discuss and then vote on the matter in the coming days, according to the report) will approve the jump, the SCC will only take a hit in football, where a 20-team league now contracts to 19.
The seismic waves of league shakeup have officially hit Southern Connecticut.
The SCC is now on the clock. The SWC and FCIAC are waiting for your next move.
Resident NVL defender here to offer you some of my thoughts on this:
- This won’t do much to improve the stature of the NVL football league in the minds of most people, but it really is a decent move. I am not saying these teams are powerhouses by any stretch. They are not. But give me them over Wilby and Sacred Heart any day.
- From the 1960s to the early 1990s, Derby was one of the elite programs in this state. But for a variety of reasons, they have fallen off. St. Paul had an excellent record this past season, though their schedule was not very strong. Jude Kelly is a legend. If the league had to expand, they could have done worse.
- This will be a great opportunity for those who say any team (Derby, for example) could jump in the NVL and automatically win 7 or 8 games in football. Of course, that is an easy statement to make when there is no chance of you ever being proved right or wrong. Now we will get to see how Derby fares.
- The return of the Ansonia-Derby game and the Seymour-Derby game is a good thing for all those involved. These teams should play each other. It will spark some more interest and those games will draw crowds. Not just in football either, but in all sports.
- I do not see how the NVL expanding will lead to out of league play in football. Maybe in the 20 game sports, but not football. If anything, wouldn’t this expansion make out of conference games even less likely in football? If the NVL would not allow out of conference football games when they were a 12 team league, why would they allow it when the league now has 14 teams and even more possible opponents?
Rob, I believe Derby is banking on keeping its Thanksgiving Day game with Shelton. In this situation, I think St. Paul would have to keep its out-of-league game. Perhaps that’s the only thing that will change.
However, with a league size that now demands two divisions to crown a true champion, there is some logical wiggle room to allow for an out-of-league game in an 11-game season like everybody else.
I’ve been wrong before, but at least the NVL cannot mandate everybody play everybody (unless we expand to a 13-game regular season :)
Rob,
who the hell said derby could win 8 games in the NVL? Please find me that post and the drugs that person is on. I think the NVL sucks in football as much as the next guy, but Derby…8 games?
I read in another publication that the league could be broken into three divisions if they find a third team willing to enter the league.
With one Division being Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, Woodland and Naugatuck. Second Division all the waterbury schools and third division torrington, wolcott, watertown and st paul and the other team. As for out of league play you could follow what the swc does for basketball and i believe baseball. Play all teams once in league for league standings. The league picks 2 teams you play twice once in league once out of league, then you get three out of league games.
Now that my nephew has concluded his high school football career, I am looking forward to expanding my horizons by attending my first Derby-Ansonia game. I know that in the good ‘ol days this game would have 8000 fans in attendence. Hopefully, Derby can have a larger squad than they have had in recent years and will give the Chargers a competitive game once in a while.
derby will find it hard to deal with the nvls speed in football.they will be fodder for the best basketball leaugue in the state.theyll be compettive in baseball,soccer.dont know much about st.pauls.its a numbers addition but the quality is very questionable.the only good thing to come out of this-is the valley rivals are reconnected.but if you look at the past 30 years that might not be a good thing.cant wait for the first crosby -derby basketball matchup
The real winner here will be the company that makes the banners with the names of all the schools in the league. Derby is probably too cheap to get a new banner, though. They’ll just make themselves one with a big piece of cardboard and a Sharpie. That should hold them over until the NVL kicks them out in 2 years for wasting Crosby’s gas money by making them drive to Derby and sit their starters for 3 quarters of hoops. Pencil them in for a 3 win football season and 1 win basketball. However, tell that company to start stitching the Best NVL Wrestling Team banner immediately.
Derby will add to the Valley rivalry but the league has taken a step backwords as far as competition is concerned. Actually having St. Paul in the league might open up the stagnant offenses the valley teams have and are noted for. Using the spread offense will force the other teams to get up to the times. Look at all the State Champions this year and most of them used the spread offense. Jude Kelly can really upgrade that program in a few years-and remember they can recruit if they want to. In two years Ansonia will be forced to go to the spread-you can pound the ball against average teams but against good teams you will need more diversity. Torrington should drop out of the league-I saw forty teams this year and they were by far the most inept and they won four games in the NVL-what does that tell you.
Derby will bow out of the Thanksgiving game with Shelton you can count on it. The skill gap between Shelton and Derby has never been this big. The two schools have not played in Baketball in 10 years and baseball in at least 4 years. It is only a matter of time until Derby looks for a thanksgiving game they can win.I would much rather see a Shelton/Amity or Shelton/Trumbull Thanksgiving game.
What kind of rivalry can Derby bring back to Valley Football?They bring 50 people at best to the Shelton game the last 5 years.As Ray Brown said numerous times in all his posts this year they STINK!!!!I can’t wait to see the attendence at a Derby/Sacred Heart game.Under/Over 100.
St.Paul’s are they from Minnesota?What a joke.
DERBY LOST ITS OPENER TO NORTH HAVEN BY 60 POINTS—–NORTH HAVEN? THEY ARE GOING TO PLAY A NVL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE?YIIIKES
pauley walnuts,you must not get out and see any NVL games because for the last few years Holy Cross and Woodland won state championships using the spread. nobody spread anybody any further then crosby this year.Their QB set the record for passing TD’s in a season,GET A CLUE
lol “dino” the day crosby sits their starters for 3 quarters in hoops is the same day i quit drinking, find jesus, and get in touch with my emotional side, and we can meet right back here at half past impossible.
auggelli doesnt sit those kids up 30 in the 4th, let alone the first half
vinny that would be best case but dont bank on the waterbury AD’s voting that through… the basketball coach’s will go insane if you try and stick them all in the same division
yea derby is really going to struggle with this move, especially in basketball. it really could be a while before they even win a league game. its great for the rest of the teams like ansonia, naugy and seymour who can use the 2 easy wins to get into the tourney every year
i cant even beleive this it benifits not one sport from derby the choice completely revolves around football and old rivelries