... Phillipsburg has had four former players who later played with a Heisman Trophy winner at the collegiate or professional level.  Former Stateliner great and NFL Hall of Fame center Jim Ringo played with Paul Hornung at Green Bay, former standout Bill Walsh played with Johnny Lujack and Leon Hart at Notre Dame, current P'burg coach Bob Stem played with the late, great Ernie Davis at Syracuse, and high school All-American linebacker Ned Bolcar played with Tim Brown at Notre Dame.  In addition, three of those former Stateliners- Walsh, Stem, and Bolcar- won national titles while in college, Walsh and Bolcar at Notre Dame and Stem at Syracuse. Finally,  three former Liners played in the Rose Bowl- All-American Ted Dailey and former player, coach and Athletic Director Walt Miller at Pittsburgh, and former Stateliner wide receiver and college tight end Tim Brewster at Illinois.

... The 1948 game between P'burg and Allentown, Pa. featured an unusual " 3 opening kickoffs."  The initial kickoff had to be redone because the two bands had forgotten to play the national anthem.  The second attempt was voided because the stadium lights went out while the kick was still in the air. The 3rd attempt was the charm. In the end, the 16,000 fans that crammed into Allentown's new stadium watched the Canaries beat P'burg 13-7.

...The game between Hackettstown and P'burg that took place on September 15, 1939 marked the first night home game Phillipsburg ever played. P'burg wanted to open the season using a newly-installed lighting system, but the original opponent, Newark East Side, refused to play a night game, so the game with Hackettstown was quickly arranged instead.  The lighting system was eventually replaced by a new system in 1956. The Tigers, led by legendary coach "Chot" Morrison, beat P'burg 32-7 behind the play of 2-time all-state fullback Joe Stanowicz, who later became an all-American lineman at West Point during the Glen Davis-Doc Blanchard era.

... Former Liner head coach Harold Bellis and current head coach Bob Stem have played prominent roles in establishing the statewide reputation of P'burg's football program.  A closer look at those roles reveals how many historic games the two legendary coaches have been involved in.  Bellis played in the 25th P'burg/Easton game in 1931.  After being named head coach in 1954, he coached in the 50th P'burg/Easton game in 1956.  In 1961, Bellis coached the Stateliners to their 300th win, a 42-18 victory over William Allen.  Stem played under Bellis in that 50th P'burg/Easton game in 1956, an 18-6 P'burg victory.  Stem was later named head coach in 1973, and in 1979, he coached the Liners to win #400, a 35-18 win over Allentown Central Catholic.  In 1981, the last year of his first stint as head coach at P'burg, he coached in the 75th P'burg/Easton game, a game which was attended by Bellis as a spectator. Stem returned as head coach in 2005, and during the 2006 season, he coached P'burg in the historic 100th P'burg/Easton game, which also was attended by Bellis.  And in 2007, Stem was at the helm when the Stateliners notched their state-leading 600th victory, a 21-7 win over Hillsborough. Once again, Bellis was in attendance, and he posed with Stem, former coaches Phil Rohm and Tom Dominic, and the Stateliner players for a picture honoring Phillipsburg's historic achievement.

... Former P'burg star running back Larrame Furman is the only player ever named MVP of the Thanksgiving Day clash with archrival Easton three times.  Furman garnered MVP honors on Turkey Day in three consecutive years from 1988-1990.  A first team all-state selection in 1990, Furman capped off his brilliant career at P'burg by being named the Express-Times Player of the Year.  He stands as P'burg's leading scorer  (298 pts.) and second leading rusher (3,515 yards)of all time.  Considered by many to be the greatest running back in Stateliner history, his promising career at Louisville was cut short by a serious leg injury.

... Playing football at a school with the history and tradition of Phillipsburg is an honor that all players cherish for their entire lives.  But for Stateliner football players in the graduating class of 2008, there was extra reason to be proud of their careers.  This group of Liners had the distinction of being part of four of the most historic events ever witnessed in P'burg's 100+ years on the gridiron.  In 2004, these Liners were part of P'burg's 100th year of football.  In 2005, they experienced  the " perfect season  ", a 12-0 state championship year which represents the greatest year in Stateliner history.  In 2006, they participated in the 100th game between P'burg and Easton.  And in 2007, they chalked up historic win # 600, giving New Jersey's winningest program  elite status nationwide.  Such a list of experiences and accomplishments in just four short years is almost mind-boggling.  Congratulations, fellas, on your historic journey through and into P'burg football history.

...Phillipsburg's first coach, Mike Maloney, was one of the original founders of the NJSIAA, the governing body that oversees scholastic sports in the Garden State.  As head coach from 1905-1931, Maloney's teams posted an overall record of 106-77-17.  His 1918 team was the first  team to be crowned New Jersey state champion .  Maloney also served as athletic director at P'burg.  His significant efforts in starting and running the football program earned him the distinguished title of " father of Phillipsburg football." Widely respected by his peers, Phillipsburg's stadium is named in his honor.

...Phillipsburg once put together a school-record 29 game winning streak.  After winning their final 8 games in 1933 (all by shutout), they proceeded to go 10-0 in both the 1934 and 1935 seasons.  A win in the 1st game of the 1936 season was followed by a crushing 50-0 loss to Bloomfield, bringing the streak to an end.  Incredibly, P'burg posted shutouts in 25 of the 29 games, outscoring their opponents 510-31 in the most dominant display of football in P'burg history. However, a dark cloud came over the program in the middle of the streak when it was discovered that the garnet and grey had used an ineligible player, quarterback John Dornish, in the 9 games preceding the 1934 Thanksgiving Day clash with Easton.  As a result, P'burg was forced to forfeit all 9 of those games, and thus, one of the greatest feats in P'burg history was negated.

... P'burg also had a 29-game unbeaten streak which started with the first game of the 1941 season .  The streak ended with a 7-2 loss to Easton on Thanksgiving Day, 1943.  During that span, Coach Frank Klein's charges won 24 games and had 5 ties.  The garnet went undefeated in 1941 ( 7-0-3) and 1942 (9-0-1).  The 1942 team was crowned New Jersey state champions, while the 1943 team finished with an 8-1-1 mark.  These three outstanding teams started P'burg off on the greatest decade of success in school history which was culminated with another state title in 1949.

... Phillipsburg once scored more than 100 points in a game, beating Washington 101-0 in 1918.  P'burg also beat Lincoln of Jersey City 99-0 that same year.  For the season, Phillipsburg outscored the opposition 336-13, with all 13 points being scored by Barringer in a 13-6 loss.  P'burg finished the season @ 6-1 and was named New Jersey's first-ever state champion.

...Former Phillipsburg head coach Phil Rohm was an All-American running back at Juniata College prior to his arrival at Phillipsburg in the early 1960s.  He served as assistant coach in football, basketball, and track, and also coached football at the former Phillipsburg Catholic High School.  Rohm was named head coach at P'burg in 1982, succeeding current head coach Bob Stem following his first stint.  From 1982-1986, his teams posted a 38-14 record, winning East Penn League titles in 1982, 1983, and 1984.  Rohm returned to P'burg in 1998, inheriting a struggling program which suffered back to back losing seasons in 1998 and 1999.  Under his guidance, the Stateliners recorded an incredible turnaround, tying for the Skyland Conference title in 2000, then winning a state crown in 2001 with a 10-7 victory over undefeated Montclair.  His final two teams in 2003 and 2004 finished 9-1 and 10-2, also winning Skyland Conference titles, giving him a record of 47-28 in his second term.  His overall coaching record at P'burg stands at 85-42 with six conference championships and one state title.

...The 1942 game between Phillipsburg and Allentown, which ended in a 0-0 tie, featured an incredible 30 punts, 17 by Allentown.  The game was played in a horrible rain storm which made  playing conditions treacherous.  The P'burg defense held Allentown  to 1 first down, 30 yards rushing, and 0-6 in passing attempts. The tie was the only blemish on P'burg's record as the garnet and grey were declared co-state champs along with Bloomfield and East Orange.

... Phillipsburg put together a school record 6 consecutive seasons with a 1,000 yard rusher from 2001-2006, a streak which ended in 2007. The feat was accomplished by Leonard Brice in 2001 and 2002, Brandon Mason in 2003, Justin Gaymon in 2004 and Art Wright in 2005 and 2006.  

... In 1969, Dieruff coach Jeep Bednarik pulled his team off the field and marched them into the locker room, refusing to finish the game with Phillipsburg because he " feared a riot." The Stateliners led 7-0 when the game was abruptly halted in the middle of the 4th quarter. The actions by the Dieruff coach possibly represent the poorest display of sportsmanship ever witnessed at Maloney Stadium.

... As far as can be determined, it appears that the Bronico brothers represent the most members of an immediate family ( father/sons or brothers) to have played football for Phillipsburg.  Jim (end, 1953), Tom (fullback, 1956), John (fullback, 1960), and Bob Bronico ( end, 1963) all competed on the gridiron for the Stateliners, with John being named 1st team All-State as a member of the 1960 State Championship team.  The historical trend of multiple family members wearing the garnet and grey, at times spanning several generations, has been a key factor in Phillipsburg's maintaining a 100+ plus year tradition of excellence on the football field.

... The 1933 season saw Phillipsburg finish with a 9-1 record which included shutouts against all 9 teams it defeated. The lone loss was an 18-0 defeat at the hands of St. Benedict's Prep. The Newark school later forfeited the victory, however, because it used an ineligible player. In effect, the Stateliners finished with a perfect 10-0 season.

... Former Phillipsburg and Syracuse standout and perennial All-Pro Jim Ringo is the only Phillipsburg player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ringo played for legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi with the Green Bay Packers before finishing his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. Phillipsburg's fieldhouse is named in his honor.

... Legendary P'burg coach Frank Klein never played organized football on the high school or collegiate level.  Klein attended St. Joseph's parochial school located on the south side of Easton-- a school that did not field a football team.  He then attended Lafayette College where he did not participate on the gridiron.  Incredibly, Klein's lack of experience on the field was not a hindrance to him as a coach, where he produced an 84-20-9 record which included two unbeaten state championship teams in 1942 and 1949.  **Note:  Klein did participate in service football while serving in the U.S army at Camp Lee, Virginia.

... Former Phillipsburg all-State and high school all-American linebacker Ned Bolcar was named Parade Magazine Defensive Player of the Year in his senior campaign at PHS. He later led the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame to the 1988 national title, earning All-American honors as well as serving as captain. 

... In 1969, Phillipsburg quarterback Brian Dominic, one of the best quarterbacks to ever wear the garnet and grey, torched Easton with 11 completions in 11 attempts for 157 yards and 4 touchdowns, and ran for another score, leading the Liners to a 41-8 rout of the Rovers. Dominic's effort, which earned him the MVP award, ranks as possibly the greatest performance ever by a quarterback on Thanksgiving Day.  His 4 TD passes still stand as the record for the Turkey Day classic.

... In 1960, Phillipsburg's freshmen, junior varsity and varsity teams all finished their seasons undefeated. The Stateliners' varsity finished with an 8-0-1 record and was named North Jersey Section 2 state champs.

... Bill Walsh, an All-State center in 1944 at P'burg, had a distinguished career after graduating from PHS.  After starring at center for four years at Notre Dame, he later became an All-Pro center for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Following his active playing career, Walsh coached in the pros with the Dallas Texans, Atlanta Falcons, and the Philadelphia Eagles.

... Many football players face position changes when moving from high school football to the collegiate level.  But few players have ever had as unique a change of position as former P'burg coach Harold Bellis. An all-state center in 1933 at Phillipsburg, Bellis proceeded to play quarterback at Lafayette College. A position change as drastic as this one, which would be unheard of today, reflects on Bellis' versatility as a player as well as a skillful eye for talent on the part of his coach. Obviously, the knowledge of blocking schemes Bellis learned as a lineman and the field generalship he acquired as a quarterback were huge assets during his coaching career, where he fashioned an 86-29-10 record, including two unbeaten teams and a state championship in 1960.