WOODBURY — Friday nights during the fall season bring the same routine. The turf is lit up by the lights, and the bleachers continue to fill up as students and families enter the fan section. Once the game starts, the field is filled with cheers and whistles and cow bells for every touchdown. However, even as the season progresses, each touchdown is followed by multiple voices asking their friends: “Who was that? Who just scored? I can’t tell.” 

From the student section, it’s hard enough to see the numbers of the players on the field. With matching colors and helmets, it’s even harder to distinguish between the players. If you are lucky enough to catch the flash of a number before their back is turned, you don’t even know which of the five schools they belong to. 

Northwest United football belongs to the Connecticut Technical Conference, and its roster consists of five different schools. Nonnewaug, Shepaug, Wolcott Tech, Litchfield, and Wamogo athletes combine for football season to create a team that won the conference last season. 

This influx of out-of-district players is extremely important to the team. 

About five years ago, Nonnewaug football was a standalone program. Not only was it just Nonnewaug players on this team, but since there was a lack of players, the team did not have enough to create a varsity roster by 2019. It dropped to the JV level only, and that’s when school administrators came together to create Northwest United. 

“If we weren’t a co-op, we wouldn’t have a solid program and compete with those other programs in other towns,” said Nonnewaug athletic director Declan Curtin. “We have a great relationship with the other schools, these past three years [as a co-op] have been great.”

This co-op football opportunity has brought in one of the athletes from Shepaug, Reed Woerner. Woerner is a junior and starting wide receiver for NWU, and he also participates in other sports throughout the year where school rivalries unfold.

From a student perspective, it seems that the football team’s co-op is more of a brotherhood, rather than perceiving the out-of-district teammates as rivalries. 

“It was definitely a little weird [being teammates with former opponents] when I first started playing,” Woerner said. “But as time goes on, you develop friendships. It makes the rivalry during other sports seasons even more fun when you’re playing against some of your best friends.”

Curtin agreed. 

“The sum is greater than its parts,” Curtin said. “This is a brotherhood, and the bond that they have is that they’re one. They don’t see themselves as five separate schools; they’re one.” 

The team is undefeated so far and looking for another league title this year.

“By the end of the year, they will all be part of something special,” Curtin said. “That’s what happens when they win.”