For the record, Derby left the SCC and joined NVL because they felt they were at a competitive disadvantage against bigger schools. They also though they’d fare better in a weaker NVL, playing against teams who’s socioeconomic and geographic make up we’re similar to theirs. That hasn’t quite worked out the way they’d hoped. They’re still toward the bottom of the league.
When you look at the traditional powers in CTHSFB, to me it comes down to coaching. Yes, the larger schools have an advantage in numbers, but there are still large schools that suck at football, like Danbury. When you look at New Canaan, Darien, Ansonia, St Joe’s, Windsor, Southington, West Haven, Shelton, even Hillhouse. They’re consistently in the mix because of the continuity in the coaching staffs. There may be small changes within the staff but the way they do things doesn’t change. Sure, they have great football minds and they prepare their kids as well as anyone, but they demand the most from their kids. They have high expectations every year and they hold their players accountable to that standard. Ansonia, for example, has coaches who have been on the staff for 40-years. Who better to teach kids the tradition of the program, then they guys who started it. It’s becomes part of the culture. The kids understand it and want to live up to that tradition. Not all small schools can compete with (I didn’t say beat) the big boys. You can probably count them on one hand. For the state as a whole, the district model is probably the best option. I think the biggest hurdles with that model have been getting teams to agree to end their traditional Thanksgiving rivalries and how it would impact schools that are already working with limited athletic budgets.
