By TWT Sports Desk

Waterbury- Before Waterbury had multiple high schools, there was Crosby.

Founded in the mid-19th century, Crosby High School was the city’s original public high school, educating generations of Waterbury students as the city grew into an industrial powerhouse. For decades, Crosby wasn’t just a school — it was the school. Academics, athletics, and civic identity all ran through its halls, and its teams represented the entire city on courts and fields across Connecticut.

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But as Waterbury expanded in the early 20th century, so did its student population. Classrooms became overcrowded, and the city faced a turning point. The solution wasn’t just to build another building — it was to create a second identity.

That decision gave birth to Wilby High School.

Opened in 1920, Wilby emerged directly out of Crosby’s growth, drawing students, faculty, and energy from the same city but forging its own path. Named after a longtime Crosby principal, Wilby represented the next chapter of Waterbury’s public education system — and, inevitably, its athletics. Almost immediately, competition followed.

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When Crosby and Wilby first faced each other in sports, it wasn’t simply a matchup. It was Waterbury divided into sides for the first time. Neighborhood pride, school loyalty, and bragging rights were suddenly on the line. What began as a practical response to growth evolved into the city’s first and longest-standing rivalry.

Basketball became the heartbeat of that rivalry.

Over the decades, both programs built identities shaped by toughness, resilience, and community pride. Games between Crosby and Wilby were never just about standings or records — they were about legacy. Parents who once wore the uniform watched their children take the floor. Alumni returned. The gym mattered. The result mattered.

That history carries into the present.

When Crosby and Wilby meet on January 16th featured as our GAME NIGHT IN THE BRASS CITY- sponsored by Simon Sharrock – Dave Jones Realty, at The Bucks Hill Complex they’re not just playing a game — they’re continuing a story that started over a century ago. One school gave rise to the other, and together they created a rivalry that still defines Waterbury high school sports. GNIBC is simply the latest chapter in a tradition that has never stopped writing itself.

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