Sofia Paloka and Brooke Holland, Centerfold Editors
@SPalokaCourant @bhollandCourant
The New Canaan-Darien rivalry began in November of 1928, when Babe Ruth played for the New York Yankees. However, the way in which the Turkey Bowl is celebrated by NCHS has undergone some changes over the years.
PRE-GAME WEEK:
In the days before the 2016 Turkey Bowl not much else is thought about; but were the weeks leading up to the 1974 Turkey Bowl the same? According to Melanie Berman, an NCHS graduate of ‘74, the week before the game was filled with Ram pride. “There was a lot of excitement heading into any game, but especially when it was against Darien; it was such a big rivalry,” she said.
Similar to the Rams today, the team had an amazing record. Another graduate of ‘74, and former NCHS quarterback Kevin O’Leary recollects the stellar performance of the Rams. “Like today, our team was consistently one of the top in the league,” Mr. O’Leary said. “We played in six consecutive FCIAC championship games.”
With an impressive 9-0 record, the 2016 football team shares the same pride in their success. Senior Spencer Williams, a quarterback for the Rams, is especially keen on defending their title as undefeated. “We’re really happy about our record, so the Turkey Bowl is a really important game for us,” he said.
Just as Ms. Berman spoke about the excitement in the halls, senior Gwyneth Thalacker also knows how hyped up the Turkey Bowl is today. “It’s Thanksgiving, we have a half-day, a short week, and everyone is looking forward to the game because it’s New Canaan vs. Darien,” she said. “It’s the biggest rivalry and the biggest sport, so it’s really exciting.”
Student Section:
An exciting part of attending sporting events at NCHS as a student is cheering in Bussy’s Bombsquad. However for Ms. Berman this rowdy group wasn’t a part of the excitement. “I went to the game with my family, including grandparents and visiting relatives.” she said. “We alternated sitting with friends and visiting family members, or we invited friends to sit with our family. I don’t remember the grades sitting together or even students being divided from the rest of the fans,” she said.
The cheering aspect of the student section was also different, and Ms. Berman remembers how it used to be. “We had many of the same cheers the cheerleaders use today, and we loved singing ‘Onward New Canaan’ whenever the team scored. I don’t remember a student leader for the cheers, however there was one for the band. It was the cheerleaders who initiated the cheering,” Ms. Berman said.
Junior Charlie Burns is a regular attendee at the football games, and can be found chanting along with the Bombsquad. “It sometimes gets a little crazy, but it’s a lot of fun because you’re around all your classmates and everyone is really excited about the game,” he said.
PLAYER TALK:
While the environment before the game and in the stands has changed over time, one thing that has stayed the same is the hunger the football team has to beat Darien. Mr. O’Leary recalls how much heart players put into the big game. “In 1974 the New Canaan-Darien game came about half-way through the season.” he said. “But, whether it was the first game of the season, a midseason game, or a season-ending game, it was important. We were excited to be playing against Darien, but then again, we were excited every week.”
Before the big day, Mr. O’Leary and the team took a breather. “Friday before the game would be a light day of practice,” he said. “Around five o’clock most of the players would go to John’s Best Pizza, on New Canaan Avenue in Norwalk. Usually, we would take it relatively easy on nights before the games. Afterwards maybe we’d go to a movie or a low-key gathering someplace.”
After a night of relaxing, the team woke up energized for the game. “Come Saturday morning, we were keyed up. Of course, we were keyed up for every game, so in a way, playing against Darien was just another game. But we were focused on the task at hand, and that was beating Darien.”
Traditions talked about by Mr. O’Leary are very similar to those experienced by senior captain James Freyre and his teammates. “We go in, watch our film, and coaches try and make it as normal as possible so that it just feels like any other game,” James said. “Pregame is mostly just kids listening to music, it’s pretty quiet. You have some chatter about game plans but nothing too big. And then after the game, if we win, it’s pretty lively, someone takes the stereo and puts on some music and then we all go to Vicolo’s pizza after.”
