A Friendly Football Wager Between South Windsor and Vernon Patches

Ah, high school football season. That special time of year when young men [and a young woman, in the case of South Windsor] gather on the gridiron to compete and learn valuable lessons of healthy lifestyles, hard work and fair play.

Aw, who are we kidding? It’s all about the friendly wagers.

Which is exactly what Vernon Patch Local Editor Chris Dehnel and his South Windsor counterpart Ted Glanzer have riding on the final game of the year between Rockville and South Windsor, which takes place on Nov. 21 at 6:30 p.m. in Vernon.

There’s an already healthy rivalry between the two teams, their combined 2-18 record from last year notwithstanding.

This year, Patch is adding a little bit more spice by having the losing side’s editor write a story about five things that make the winning side’s town better than the other. This is a harsh punishment, indeed. No one wants more work and even fewer want to actually acknowledge some place is better than their hometown Patch. It all adds up to sweet, sweet bragging rights for at least a year.

That, my friends, is what football season is all about.

Just one additional note: this is all done in good fun.

So, without further ado, here is the pre-season trash talk between Chris and Ted.

South Windsor

Look, Michael Stipe, the lead singer of the seminal alternative band R.E.M., said it best when he wrote the “Don’t Go Back to Rockville.” A lot of people don’t know that Stipe was talking about the high school in Connecticut and, at the 11th hour, removed the lyric, “It’s an awful place that kinda smells kinda funky.”

Evidently it wasn’t commercial enough.

Anyhoo, we don’t need angst-ridden, ancient college bands to do our talkin’ for us. This year, like last year, and every year going forward, South Windsor is going to take the "Rock" out of Rockville High. The Vernon school will heretofore be known simply as 'ville, as it is axiomatic that no opponent of the Bobcats actually rocks.

How awesome is South Windsor? Well, consider senior lineman Sam O’Dell and linebacker Tom Anderson anchoring the defense, with quarterback Jessie Lavoie, running backs Anderson and Cody Zitcus and lineman Andrew Wolf spearheading the spread option attack.

South Windsor is an equal opportunity team on top of that, featuring a female kicker.

Given all of the foregoing, not to mention last year’s 39-6 victory over ‘ville, my prediction is the following: South Windsor 46 - ‘ville -3. [I would have had it higher, but the CIAC’s ridiculous 50-point mercy rule is still in effect.]

Rockville

Two words for your Mr. Stipe to get this musical reference out of the way in a hurry ...

Gene Pitney.

Yep, the Rockville Rocket and his Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame Credentials were good enough to teach John Lennon and the boys a few things about music, and with that in mind, the Rams will be singing a happy tune when that turkey is served in November.

R.E.M., you say?

Let's call it Rockville's Exceptional Mission.

Oh, there's a mission in Vernon. We're talking a serious effort here to get that Bill Romanowski face back on the program and bring the Rams, as Coach Rob Scholtz puts it, "Back to where Rockville football belongs."

NFL alumni aside, the outlook is optimistic with Devon Charles and Trenton Shelton at running back with quarterback Dan Wheeler and linemen Geoff Barry Tim Wilson.

So you want music over there in South Windsor? Then consider this.

The times, they are a changin' and when all is said and done at the end of the season, it will be Rockville just a little closer to the glory days. 

Prediction?

Pain - for Ted.

Rockville 16, South Windsor 10.