Thanksgiving 2010

Firstly, Happy Thanksgiving to you all...up and down the valley! And what a great two days of football we'll have!!!
Tonight, Tom Fuller & Steve Gesseck call Wilby @ Sacred Heart from Municipal Stadium. I moved to this game because of the playoff implications surrounding the Hearts.(Possibly returning to the state's for the first time since 1991).
Tomorrow morning I will be joined by Steve Gesseck, Steve Croce & Tom Fuller for what could be a classic....the 111th meeting of Naugatuck & Ansonia. It has been a long time since we've heard a buzz about this traditional match up and we're really excited about broadcasting it.
Next, my most sincere thanks to you all for your kind words and for listening! When I returned to local radio after 20 years at the network level, I wanted to bring my experiences(working with Berman,Musburger, Schaap,Deford, Simms, Jackson, Theisman, Salisbury, Golic, et al) and level of work to you all and to high school sports. I hope I've have achieved that in some measure. Both Steve and I, and now Tom, love doing these games.
Finally thank you for your patience and understanding as I continue to battle back from my health challenges. Your words and support invigorate me....I am privileged to have you as listeners, supporters, colleagues and friends.

November 24, 2010 11:52 AM

Post Script on Naugatuck - Woodland

Quite a game Friday night at veterans Field between Naugy and Woodland. 
For those who were able to listen, you heard  a football coaching "clinic" by Coach Charlie Bertero.

By mid 2nd quarter he spoke how each team needed to "decide what it wants to do, run the ball or pass the ball...". The answer became very evident....so much so that by mid third he wondered when Naugatuck was going to make up its collective mind as to what it wanted to do. He also correctly pointed out passing inside the 15 yard line when your running game brought you inside the red zone was an exercise flirting with disaster.

Here's a reminder of something I wrote after the first week of this season......"Things to think about.....who will have the best scouts out there, what coaching staff will best utilize their scouting material and develop effective game plans". Now see young Mr. DiBiase's quotes about his pick 6.

Next, in regards to the nature of the game and which is the better team. The game was  still up for grabs at 19-6.....simply because of the skill players Naugatuck has......you can argue back and forth about this point, but most coaches would agree that until the game passed the 5 minute mark remaining in the fourth, there was a chance of Naugatuck throwing some quick points up on the board.


While the Woodland defense good, it was not the squad that brought victory to the Hawks. Those who truly understand the game know it was Woodland's OFFENSE that won this game. Go back and look at the time of possession.... especially in the second half. NVLSTATMAN can correct me, but as we entered the fourth or perhaps just a short time into the fourth Naugatuck had run just 7 offensive plays ! Woodland's offense chewed and chewed clock, wearing down Naugatuck's defense and keeping that high powered offense off the field, which then leads to the impatience displayed in play calling.

Finally….in attendance at Friday’s game, two of the three coaches who brought Naugatuck football to prominence. Charlie Bertero and Craig Peters. As Charlie gave his coaching clinc to the WATR listeners, I was told Coach Peters was doing to the same to those who watched the game with him. 

Copper Division Championship

Well, come Friday evening at venerable Veterans Field in Naugatuck we'll have a championship game! Woodland comes to the borough to face the Greyhounds in what should be a terrific match-up! This game is our WATR game of the week and we're very excited about the broadcast. The broad brush of this game says it'll be Woodland's defense challenging Naugatuck's offense........but I can't tell you how many times over the course of my 36 years of covering local, regional, national and international sports, what should be rarely turns out to be what goes down. SOMETHING always alters or changes the "what should be". This week, as of this writing, the weather may have something to do with how this contest turns out. Rain and cold are in the forecast, and many of you know what that means to the condition of the playing surface at Veterans Field. It bears watching.

Now, one reason for my personal excitement about our Friday night broadcast is that we will be joined in the booth by legendary football coach Charlie Bertero. Coach Bertero served as phys ed instructor, football coach, basketball coach and mentor at Naugatuck High in the 1960's til early 70's when he left to go on to be an assistant coach at UCONN, then as athletic director in various schools. He also was one of the driving forces in my life and how I ended up following my career path.


As a middle school student, my goal was to play football (wide receiver) for Naugatuck and then for an Ivy league College. I was fast, had soft hands, fearless, good height and loved to play the game. But God had another plan and in October of 1967, while running a crossing route, leaping in the air for a catch, my legs were swept out from under me.......after flipping over, I landed on the back of my head and neck....my 5th cervical vertebrae was shattered......a broken neck. My football career over. 


A year later, enter Coach Bertero, He was my PE teacher at NHS and knew of my great love of football, knew of my injury. Instead of just treating me as another student, Coach Bertero put me to work with his staff. For the four years I was a student at Naugatuck I was the film guy. Nearly every game I shot 8mm movie film  for the coaches. There were some games where I would shoot still photographs of specific formations or specific situations. His staff  of the late Ron Sobeleski, the late Ralph DeSantis, Lou Farrar and my good friend Bob Aquavia also embraced me, taught me the inner workings of football.... the why's & hows.......how to think a game through why to approach a game in a certain way. I was in high school, but in many respects I was in college taking  grad courses in football.  As I said earlier this lead me down my career path. And so, Friday evening I am honored that Coach Bertero has agreed to join Steve and me in the booth. I hope you too will join us by listening online at watr.com or over the airways...1320AM-WATR.