Fairfield Prep, St. Joseph To Clash For State Titles On Two Fronts

Fairfield Prep and St. Joseph will take over the state on Saturday, when they star in their version of That Seventies Show.
 
It may feel like the Seventies, when their once intense rivalry began to blossom, as the schools battle for championships on two fronts in a remarkable convergence.
 
St. Joseph and Fairfield Prep will play for state titles in basketball and hockey, possibly the first time in Connecticut high school history that the same schools will meet for state crowns in multiple sports in the same season.
 
First up is the Division I hockey final at 2 p.m. at Yale's Ingalls Rink. Following the conclusion of that game, everyone will pile into their cars and drive up to the Mohegan Sun Arena for the Class LL boys basketball final at 8:15 p.m.

Saturday is shaping up to be a day like no other for these athletically-rich institutions.

The players, of course, aren't old enough to remember how intense this rivalry once was. But the games this  weekend represent an opportunity for their parents and long-time followers of the programs to relieve the glory days.

First-year Jesuits basketball coach Leo Redgate didn't play varsity basketball in high school, but he certainly was caught up in the rivalry as a student at Fairfield Prep in the early 1980s. It was the annual football game between the Jesuits and Cadets that stirred the most passion.

"You couldn't go anywhere in Fairfield and not know about the Fairfield Prep-St. Joe's rivalry," Redgate said. "It wasn't always just heated. It wasn't even personal. It was just incredible excellence in athletics. There was never a year where we weren't going at each other's throats for championships."

The schools have no history in hockey. St. Joseph is a young program and will be playing the Jesuits for the first time in that sport on Saturday. The basketball teams will be meeting for the first time since 1993, when Fairfield Prep joined the Southern Connecticut Conference.

"It reminds me of the good ole’ days," Fairfield Prep hockey coach Matt Sather said. "When I was a student, it was the biggest rivalry we had. Prep-St. Joe’s every year, our football games were wild. It’s nostalgic for me. Hopefully, we can sweep.”

Fairfield Prep junior basketball player Terry Tarpey, the Jesuits' leading scorer who is bound for a Division I college, says teachers have been telling him how special the rivalry used to be.

"A lot of the teachers and alumni at Prep are pumped for the hockey as well as the basketball," Tarpey said. "In a  couple classes, they talk about how this was the rivalry of the state and we're just excited to play." 

Fairfield Prep certainly has a basketball history with St. Joseph, although it's been mostly one-sided in the Cadets' favor. Redgate actually can't remember the last time the Jesuits won, suspecting it's been more than 30 years.

Boasting 13 hockey state titles, Fairfield Prep certainly will be the favorite in that championship game. But the Prep basketball squad will be the underdog going up legendary St. Joseph coach Vito Montelli, who is seeking his 10th state title.

But Redgate relishes the underdog role. Fairfield Prep's run to its first state championship game since 1997 has been crazy.

Redgate is a first-year coach with no previous varisty head-coaching experience who didn't even play the sport in high school. Now he's in the state final going up against a man who has been at it for 49 years. Could the story really end any other way?

"The saying goes, don't lace up the sneakers unless you are prepared to win," Redgate said. "My job is to make sure the guys are prepared to win. I hope there is a big enough crowd that my guys can feed off the energy, the emotion. Win or loss, I know it will be an experience they never forget. I want them to enjoy the moment."

Indeed, Redgate has showed that coaching is more than Xs and Os. He created a positive environment, asked his players to believe and they bought in. From day one, he talked about building confidence, an attitude, and now they are reaping the rewards.

"A lot of the guys were more excited in practice," Tarpey said. "A first-year coach, we didn't really know what to expect even though we had him as JV (coach). He lets us play and it's been good."

But Saturday will be the most difficult task to date. With a deep and talented roster that includes Division I prospects Timajh Parker and Oscar Assie, along with Jake Felton and James Jennings, St. Joseph has rolled over its last two opponents  McMahon (89-73) and Glastonbury (62-42). The Cadets are playing like the best team in the state.

"I think it's a privilege to coach against (Montelli), 49 years and to be playing for his 10th title, that's a title every five years," Redgate said. "I don't think people realize how miraculous that is. I guarantee it will never be done again. You'll never find a coach to last as long as Vito has."

For the Jesuits to have a chance to beat St. Joseph, Redgate pointed to three things: make a commitment to play the best defense of the season and compete on the boards and in the paint. He acknowledges that if the Jesuits get  hammered on boards, it will be a long night.

But win or lose, he senses that the success of the basketball team is creating the type of spirit he remembers experiencing as a young boy while watching the Prep-St. Joseph football games. 

"If we lose, I assure you we won't go down without a fight," he said. "But if we win, I also assure that it will be awfully fun to watch. I thing the kids are really excited about it, and they're hearing all these wonderful stories of years'  past. I think that is what makes it a fun experience."