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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.
...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. 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 Stateliners had used an ineligible
player, quarterback John Dornish, in the 9 games preceding the
Thanksgiving Day clash with Easton in 1934. 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.
... 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 has had 6 consecutive seasons with a 1,000
yard rusher. This 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. The six consecutive years represent a
school record.
... 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 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 practically
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.
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