SEYMOUR — When the Ansonia and Seymour football teams clashed on the turf of DeBarber Field on Sept. 18, it was for the Hunt-Sponheimer Trophy.
That trophy is named after the former giants who coached the Chargers and Wildcats, the late Jack Hunt and Paul Sponheimer. As it turns out, the two schools weren't the only ones to recognize this rivalry.
In two of the past three years, the Ansonia-Seymour football game has been featured in the Great American Rivalry Series, which highlights top high school football rivalries across the nation.
In 2023, then-coach Tom Brockett led the Chargers past the Wildcats 34-14 at Jarvis Stadium. This year, Seymour battled back from a 14-point first-half deficit to win 21-14.
The win over the Chargers last Thursday was historic in multiple ways for the Wildcats.
“This is the first time we’ve beaten Ansonia at home,” Seymour coach Dan Dunaj said that night. “We had only beaten them four times in program history, and they were all down there.”
It was also the Wildcats' first win over the Chargers in 21 years.
Connor Shea, who scored all three Wildcat touchdowns, was the game’s MVP. He earned a trophy and a medal for his efforts. Seymour received hats, T-shirts and a plaque that quarterback Anthony Cortello showed off proudly.
Before the game, the Great American Rivalry Series honored the top scholar-athlete from each team.
Seymour’s Nick Glazer, who has a 4.0 GPA, is actively involved in the National Honor Society and student council. Ansonia’s Lawson Jahzari, a three-year varsity starter, is enrolled in all honors and dual-enrollment courses.
U.S. Marines from Marine Corps Recruiting Station Springfield (Mass.) were on the field with both players and their families to honor them.
“The whole night was a very special event,” Seymour athletic director Cathy Federowicz said.
On the day before the game, students participated in a chin-up challenge to see which school could do more of them, Federowicz said. On the day of the game, Great American Rivalry Series representatives hung up posters around the field and set up two booths, one where students could do more chin-ups, and another where the Marines could answer questions.
“All of it made the atmosphere of the rivalry game that much more special,” Federowicz said.
In 2023, Ansonia’s Machi Ingram was game MVP after carrying 28 times for 207 yards and three touchdowns. Ansonia’s Paul Palmer, now at UConn studying management and engineering for manufacturing, was the scholar-athlete for the Chargers. Seymour’s Trevor Burns, now at Worcester Polytechnic Institute playing football and studying mechanical engineering, was the scholar-athlete for the Wildcats.
“Great coverage for our athletes of what is a great rivalry,” Brockett, who is still Ansonia’s athletic director, said about being a part of the Great American Rivalry Series.
The Great American Rivalry Series was created in 2004. This year marks the 22nd season of games that are part of the series.
Seymour-Ansonia was the 24th game this season out of over 100 that will be celebrated.
Last week, the Great American Rivalry Series also attended games in Louisiana, Virginia, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Nebraska and New York. The series will also be at games in Vermont and Maine later in the season.