From The Bench: 1979 Class S State Champs: Unbreakable Bond

Today I met an old football teammate. We shook hands, hugged and smirked. It was our bond. Allow me to explain.

As the high school football season approaches I reflect on my junior year back in 1979 at North Branford High School. It was during double sessions on those hot days of August when the die was being cast for a bond that would still be with all us to today. The week of doubles would end with a scrimmage against West Haven and a battle in the “Pits”. This was where the lineman would go 1 on 1 against each other. When it was over the boys from the “sticks” had held their own with a big and tough West Haven team. Several more scrimmages, the summer ended, school started and the season was rapidly approaching. The time had come to face our rival, Hand of Madison. We had never beaten Hand, never been 1-0. I remember when we were in youth football we had witnessed good NB teams with great NB players fall prey to Hand. Witnessed Coached Salvati jog off the field 0-1… 5 times. Looking back maybe Hand had got into NB’s head. We were not going to allow that. That week in school and practice the word “if” was removed from our vocabulary. No one said “if we beat Hand” it was “When” we beat Hand. Friday night came and the game was cancelled due to a huge rainstorm and rescheduled for Saturday night. We had a walk-through in the gym and while my best friend and I were waiting for our ride home Coach Salvati came up to us and asked us if we were ready… we said we were and that we didn’t want to wait until tomorrow night. He smiled and said, “you guys will get your chance” and walked away. During the pregame warm ups I remember thinking we are about to play a game that other NB teams had played before us, 1974, 75, 76, 77, 78, all with the same result. It was now our time and we couldn’t wait for our chance to come. At 7:30pm our chance came and as the New Haven Register printed, “In 14 devastating minutes North Branford scored 4 touchdowns, it was 30-0 at halftime”. The game ended 37-6, we had beat Hand, we were 1-0 and the top of our division. We had ended the jinx and joined Coach Salvati as he jogged off the field an opening night winner. The bond grew stronger.

The season continues to roll on, coaches were pushing us towards perfection, mistakes were made but we learned from them. The crowds were larger at each game; on away games our side was packed more than the home team in some cases. The coaches, team, fans and community knew something special was happening. Each win strengthen the bond. By the time we were 9-0 we had beaten all 3 Milford schools, Foran 30-12, Milford High 22-0 and Law 66-6. The paper said “The T-birds are a pack of bloodhounds after an escaped convict, aroused as if they are rabid!” Finally game 10 vs. Morgan was for the Shoreline Title and a shot at the Class “S” State Championship. The bond had become so strong that by this time most of the team was wearing the same hairstyle… a crew cut.

At the old Crisafi field in East Haven, irony, Coach Crisafi was Coach Salvati’s coach in high school; on a cold November Friday night with over 3200 people in attendance we destroyed the Huskies of Morgan 35-6. The regular season had ended, we were 10-0, scored 495 points, scored 74 points in 1 game, gave up only 44 points (avg. 4 points per game) and we were ranked 8th in the state. “The metal was ready for the makers hand”.

On December 1 the die that was cast in the dog days of August was now an unbreakable bond among our team. At Bowen field, irony, Coach Savati played his college days on that field; we were going to make North Branford history. Our opponent was St. Joseph’s of Trumbull who proved to be one of the best teams we played that year. After 48 minutes of football it was our determination, our will, our bond that persevered in a 25-22 victory. We had completed all 3 of our goals for the season: Beat Hand, Win the Shoreline and Win the State Championship. We were 11-0, 5th in the state and ranked 22 in New England. Not bad for a bunch of kids from the “sticks”. Our Bond.

This bond is the reason that we all keep in touch, all attend team reunions, all greet each other with a handshake and a hug when we meet. It is this bond that helped us all get into the North Branford Hall of Fame and it is this bond that when we see each other we smirk and know that we are part of an elite group connected by lifetime bond that no one can break.

2019 will be 40 years, 40 years….. the bond is still strong.

And so my Thunderbird brothers I end with an inside joke from our away games:

“Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew

When I bit off more than I could chew

But through it all, when there was doubt

I ate it up and spit it out

I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way

For what is a man, what has he got?

If not himself, then he has naught

To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels

The record shows I took the blows and did it my way” (Lyrics By Paul Anka)

Mark Curcio

From the Bench