Derby's "Iron Men"

This quiz, involves one of the best and most unusual Derby High School Football teams - state Class "B" champions in fact. Their season concluded with a near mythical tie against an Ansonia High team led by one of the greatest legends in Ansonia High history. Another thing that made the game so special - and one of the most bitter in the history of the game - is that it was played after the Thanksgiving Day game. The game had originally been cancelled on November 13 because of bad weather, and the two schools argued over a make-up date, but could not agree on a date. Some thought that bitterness over a rumored Ansonia report to state officials about an "ineligible" Derby player earlier in the season or a dispute over how the gate receipts would be split may have been the real cause.

Both teams were powerhouses on the state scene that year as Derby tied its opening game with eventual state co-champion Hillhouse 0-0 and then won 6 straight games and the Housatonic League title while giving up only 7 points all year and outscoring their opponents by a 154-7 margin. Ansonia had an equally impressive season as they won 6 straight games before losing a very controversial game to the other State co-champion Stamford 12-6. They steamrolled their opponents 205-24 and there was talk of a post season game in Miami, Florida.

Somehow, cooler heads prevailed and after arguing for more than a week, the schools agreed to play on December 4. The game more than lived up to its billing as one of the largest crowds to see a game up to that time (9,000) was on hand for the battle. Derby's incredible defense and Ansonia high powered offense neutralized each other and the final score was a 6-6 deadlock. What made the game so remarkable was that Derby's starting "11" proved to be its only 11 as there wasn't a single substitution made the entire game!

Four days later, Hillhouse (the team Derby tied 0-0) and Stamford (the team that beat Ansonia 12-6 on a controversial call) were named state co-champions. and shared the S. Paul Waskkowitz trophy symbolic of the overall state championship. Derby was unanimously selected as the State Class "B" champion.

Town officials and citizens were so happy with the team, that arrangements were made to seek a post season game in Florida resulting in an invitation from Winter Haven High. Ambitious fund raising schemes were well underway when it was suddenly announced that Winter Haven had withdrawn the invitation. A number of reasons were given, but there was some suspicion in Derby that the real reason was never stated. In any case, the curtain had come down on one of the greatest seasons in Derby history, and our simple question is - What was the year that Derby's "Iron Men" distinguished themselves on the gridiron?

The season of the "Iron Men" was: