By Andy Loigu

The first Hackettstown versus Washington (Warren Hills since 1967) high school football game was won by Hackettstown 15-6, back in 1906.

This year, in the two schools’ 100th meeting, Warren Hills won for the 51st time. The final score was a lopsided 48-20. That came as somewhat of a surprise, since both teams came into the game with 4-4 records, What the game lacked in suspense was offset by pageantry and spectacle, before the largest crowd to ever assemble at Morrison Stadium. Early Christmas lights and a colorful drone show were part of the ceremonial touches.

Back in 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1919 and 1920, Hackettstown did not have a football program. In 1917 the game was not played due to World War I and in 1918 a deadly pandemic kept the teams from playing. From 1929 to 1939 the Hackettstown Tigers roared to records of 9-0, 8-1, 8-1, 9-0, 5-1-3, 8-1, 7-1-1, 7-2, 7-0-1, 9-0 and 10-0, but did not play the nearby Washington Blue Streaks, who had several seven and eight-win seasons at the same time.

Since 1940 it has been an annual game.

The traditional offensive and defensive awards, for both teams, were selected by WRNJ radiocaster Marty Yudichak, a former coach who knows the game. They will receive trophies from the combined Washington and Hackettstown Rotarians at an upcoming luncheon.

The Streaks’ offensive spark was four touchdown passes (13-for-19, 225 yards) by quarterback Cohl Stevens. Scoring on paydirt passes were Dom D’Aconti twice and Davey Rhinehart and Mike Dufner. Stevens also ran for 105 yards, including a four-yard touchdown.

Rhinehart, always swarming around with a nose for the ball, and also scoring a 70-yard touchdown on a kick return, got the defensive standout honors for Warren Hills.He made 10 tackles and, for good measure, had 60 receiving yards on offense.

The Tigers’ offensive award goes to Kolton Maney, who blocked hard and scored a touchdown of 25 yards on a pass from Carter Bujno, who threw for 107 passing yards.

Matt Tyburczy made 14 tackles and was chosen for the Tigers’ defensive Player of the Game honor.

The Beater Board, which has been awarded to the winning team each year since 1986, remains in custody of Warren Hills

To celebrate the agricultural history of the county, this hay baling implement was chosen to be an appropriate trophy to reward the winning team. They wanted something like the widely known Little Brown Jug to be a showcase for the local teams, a trinket to play for..

In field hockey, Phillipsburg finished second in the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament this fall. They lost 3-2 to perennial power North Hunterdon in the final.

Now with a 12-7 record, the Stateliners go into sectional play, facing Mount Olive on November 4.

Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.