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Phillipsburg's historic
football program has produced many outstanding
teams, enabling the school to achieve a state-leading 600
victories. The Stateliners have had 4 perfect seasons
and 5 others in which they were unbeaten but tied.
Countless other outstanding teams have propelled the
long-time state power to 8 state championships and 23
conference crowns.
The following teams
represent the best the school has ever produced:
(1) 1949 (9-0)
and 2005
(12-0)
We know. A
tie is like kissing your sister. But this tie is merely an
admission that we cannot distinguish between two teams who competed
in different time periods where the style of play was so
different. We are sure of one thing: these two teams were
clearly the best in their respective eras.
(1) 1949
(9-0) The 1949 team has long been considered the
greatest team in P'burg history. Coach Frank Klein's
powerhouse blitzed its nine opponents by a combined tally of
235-81. Loaded with talented players, the '49 team was led by
All-State tackle Ron Exley and speedy All-State running back Russ
Dilts, an electrifying gamebreaker who later played at
Florida. Facing a brutal schedule, the garnet and grey beat
Pa. powerhouses Allentown and Bethlehem, stopped Morristown's 19
game winning streak (the Colonials had won 38 of 39), and snapped
South Jersey power Collingswood's 17 game winning streak. In
the highlight of the season, P'burg also upended prep school
powerhouse McKinley Tech of Washington, D.C. 49-35 in what has been
called the greatest game ever played at Maloney Stadium.
They capped off their stellar season by dominating a 7-1 Easton team
33-7, and were subsequently declared New Jersey state
champions. During a decade in which P'burg simply reloaded
year after year, this team was clearly the best of the
bunch.
(1) 2005
(12-0) The 2005 Stateliners went 12-0 for the first
time in school history, winning their 3rd straight Skyland
Conference title as well as the North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 state
title to cap off what has become known as " the perfect
season." In the process, they outscored the opposition
422-163, setting more than 20 school records. Ironically, it
was the first perfect season since 1949. This P'burg team was
blessed with outstanding skill position players, excellent line
play, spearheaded by All-State guard Eric Agnew, good speed, size,
and experience. Coach Bob Stem's Liners could play some nasty
defense as well, as they shut down 3 state playoff opponents and
Easton in their last four games to put the finishing touches on a
season for the ages. Not since 1949 have the Stateliners been
so talented.
(2) 1933
(9-1) Coach Art Pursell's powerhouse recorded an
incredible 9 shutouts in 10 games, losing only to defending
state prep school champion St. Benedict's 18-0. It was later
learned that the Newark school had used an ineligible player, and
thus forfeited the victory. Led by All-State center Harold
Bellis, who would later coach two unbeaten teams and win
one state title at P'burg, the 1933 team knocked off defending
state champion Asbury Park, unbeatens Allentown and Plainfield, and
once-beaten Bethlehem while outscoring the opposition 159-18. This
team's deep roster also included future All-State players Bill Van
Syckle, Paul Opdyke, and Sammy Moyer. The '33 team won its last
8 games by shutout, starting P'burg off on a 29 game unbeaten
streak which did not come to an end until the 2nd game of the 1936
season.
(3) 1964
(8-0-1) The 1964 Stateliners were very reminiscent of the
1960 team, but were even more dominant. This squad posted 6 shutouts
in 9 games, outscoring the opposition 224-46. The 1964 team featured
an experienced QB in Gregg Seifert, a solid running game
spearheaded by running back Steve Jeroloman and speedy scat backs
Jack Unangst and Dick Garrity, and a solid fullback in Sonny Wilson.
But the key to this Liner team was its excellent line play, led by
All-State center/linebacker George Hummer, who later starred at
Arizona State. Without question, Hummer is one of the most dominant
Stateliners this writer has ever seen at P'burg. A 0-0
tie with New Jersey power New Brunswick, led by All-State running
back Don Highsmith, was the only blemish on an otherwise brilliant
season.
(4)
1960 (8-0-1) Harold Bellis' 1960 team
captured the state championship outscoring the opposition 129-52
while posting 4 shutouts. Led by All-State tackle Tom Allen and
All-State fullback John Bronico, the highlights of the season
included snapping Northampton's 17 game winning streak and edging
unbeaten Easton 7-6 in front of 19,500 fans. P'burg football
historian Joe Marchetto described this team as not the most
talented, but one that "came to play." We're sure their
opponents would agree. Only a 0-0 tie with Bethlehem, who had lost
34-0 to Easton, kept the Stateliners from a perfect season.
(5) 1977 (10-1)
The 1977 Liners were the first P'burg team to win a
championship in state playoff action, beating Parsippany 26-0 to win
the North Jersey Section 2 Group 3 state title. The '77 team
featured running back Mike Ritz, the school's first-ever 1,000 yard
rusher. But once again its line play was the key, led by All-State
tackle Steve Searfoss, who later starred at Ole Miss. These Liners
posted 5 shutouts, outscoring their opponents 249 to 52. A 10-0 loss
to Pennsylvania power Bethlehem Catholic spoiled this outstanding
team's bid for a perfect season.
(6) 1982 (8-1)
The 1982 team has flown under the radar screen for 25
years. But there is no way this team's accomplishments can be
overlooked. Finishing 8-1 and shutting out an amazing 7 of its
9 opponents, only a heartbreaking 15-14 upset loss to Liberty kept
P'burg from a perfect season. These Liners outscored their opponents
261-22, an average margin of victory of nearly 4 touchdowns. Led by
2x All-State end Mark Klemka, P'burg tied for the East Penn
Conference title with Whitehall and Bethlehem Catholic. Had the
school not been ruled ineligible to compete in the New Jersey state
playoffs because of its all-Pa. schedule, this team had state
championship written all over it.
(7) 1942
(9-0-1) Led by 2x All-State tackle Earl "Turk" Reed, who
later starred at Rutgers, and All-State fullback Sonny Judson, this
juggernaut shut out its first 8 opponents and outscored the
opposition 195-12 on the season. Along the way, the garnet and
grey knocked off highly-rated South Jersey power Paulsboro,
once-beaten Asbury Park, unbeaten Newark Barringer and unbeaten
Bethlehem, led by NFL Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik. A 0-0 tie with
Pa. power Allentown in a driving rain storm did not prevent this
outstanding team from winning the Big 4 championship and being
crowned North Jersey co-State Champions with Bloomfield and East
Orange. The 1942 squad was without doubt another of coach Frank
Klein's annual gridiron machines.
(8) 2003
(9-1) The 2003 Stateliners are probably the most
talented squad in P'burg history to be eligible for the state
playoffs who did not win a state championship. Outscoring their
opponents 314-133, they were crowned Skyland Conference Delaware
Division champions. The 2003 team put up big numbers behind a big,
physical line and the brillant performance of All-State running back
Brandon Mason, who rushed for a school-record 1880 yards on the
season.The Stateliners capped off their season by knocking off an
11-1 Easton team ranked #1 in the Express-Times area by a 26-23
score. Only a disheartening 31-27 upset loss to Ridge in the 1st
round of the state playoffs, in which they led by 14 points,
prevented this team from winning yet another state title.
(9) 1990 (10-1)
The 1990 Liners were crowned East Penn Conference champions
following a 10-1 campaign, with their only loss coming to Bethlehem
Catholic 17-6. They outscored their opponents 257-86, posted 3
shutouts, and gave up 10 points or more only 4 times in 11 games.
Without question, the key to this team's success was tailback
Larrame Furman, the best running back in P'burg history. Furman, a
1st team All-State selection, capped off his career as the leading
scorer in P'burg history. Furman, whose promising career at
Louisville was cut short by injury, was named the MVP of the
Thanksgiving Day game with Easton for the 3rd time, and
was later named the Express-Times Player of the
Year.
(10) 1935
(10-0) and 1954
(8-1)
(10) 1935
(10-0) The 1935 team, coached by Art Pursell,
completed a perfect 10-0 season by outscoring its ten foes by a 195
to 24 margin. In the process, the team posted 7 shutouts. This
P'burg squad was led by Sammy Moyer, an All-State running back who
later earned honorable mention All-American honors at Lafayette, and
then served as head coach at P'burg from 1952-1953. P'burg put the
finishing touches on its perfect season by shutting out its last 4
opponents, climaxed by a 24-0 victory over Easton. For its efforts,
the garnet and grey were crowned Big 4 champions and were named
co-State Champions along with Bloomfield.
(10) 1954 (8-1)
Under the guidance of 1st year coach Harold Bellis, this
veteran P'burg team won its 1st 8 games, shutting out 6 of its
opponents. The club was led by All-State tackle Don "Rich"
DeGerolamo, considered one of the best linemen the school has ever
produced, and All-State fullback George Snyder. Bellis' club had
outscored its 1st 8 foes by a combined 189-20 margin. But a dismal
performance, including 8 fumbles, against an Easton team that had
won only 2 games prior to its encounter with P'burg resulted in a
7-6 Rover victory, one of the greatest upsets in the history of this
storied rivalry. The loss ruined a potential state championship
season for this outstanding team.
Honorable
Mention: 1918 (6-1), 1934 (10-0)*, 1941 (7-0-3), 1943
(8-1-1), 1944 (7-1-1), 1945 (8-1), 1951(7-1-1), 1958 (8-1), 1963
(7-1-1), 1983 (9-1), 1984 (10-1) *forfeited 1st 9 games for
using an ineligible player
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