I have spent many days over the past few weeks talking with people associated with Carteret football from as far back as the 1930′s. I also dove into the archives and I’m ready to present ‘TheHistory of Carteret Football.’

This project would have never been possible without the assistance of former Rambler and program historian Mike Lynam, who has written a manuscript on the first 40 years of Carteret football.

THE BEST TEAMS
In the early days, 1929, 1934, and 1940 teams were regarded as the best in history.

In the modern era, the teams in 1976, 1992, and 1996 were regarded as the best with the 2012 team in a position to be considered in the same breath.

1929
The Ramblers finished 9-1, losing only to Hasbrouck Heights, 20-14, in the year’s second game.

The 1929 club was led by quarterback Joe ‘Ducky’ Medwick, regarded as the best all-around athlete in school history. Medwick would later go on to a Hall of Fame career in Major League Baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals.
By the way, it cost 25 cents to get into a Carteret game in 1929.

1934
A unique year in which the Ramblers finished 8-1.

After racking up a 7-0 mark, Carteretfell one point shy to Cranford, 7-6, to end the season.

But when sportswriters and members of the NJSIAA convened to pick Central Jersey, Group 2 champion that season _which was the way they did it in certain eras _ it was too tight to choose between Carteret and Freehold, so a ‘championship’ game was arranged.

Playing the game in Asbury Park, the Ramblers proved who was best with a convincing 19-0 victory.

1940
Only one of three teams in school history to finish unbeaten, Carteret fashioned an 8-0-1 mark.

With just a handful of players returning from a team that only won three games in 1939, head coach Francis McCarthy was painting a grim picture to the local newspapers prior to the season.

But when it was all said and done, Carteret had given up nine points all season. Linemen Mike Sawchuk, John Timko, and Steven Cherepon were credited with leading the stingy defense.

After going 8-0, Carteret suffered its only blemish with a 0-0 tie against Woodbridge in the final game of the season.

Offensively, running back Jackie Beech was a one-man wrecking crew, while 5-foot-7 Paul Kostinkavetz was a running/passing quarterback who had huge success, according to the Carteret Press newspaper.

It should be noted Carteret won sectional titles in 1940, ’41, and ’42, the only clubs to win three straight crowns in school history.

Two linemen, Timko and John Kolibas, played on all three teams.

1976
In coach Jim Gilrain’s 14th and final season, the opening day proved to be a good barometer as Carteret ripped part madison Central, 31-6, a Madison Central team picked as the pre-season team to beat in the local papers.

In the fourth game, however, the only blemish all season took place when Carteret had the ball on the Colonia 3-yard line, but could not punch in the game-winner on the last play as the score wound up 12-12.

The final record was 10-0-1.

Tim Fedroff, regarded by some as the best football player ever to come out of Carteret, was the quarterback of the club and a First Team, All-State pick.

Fedroff, who played at Maine before an injury ended his bright future, still remembers that day vividly.

“I had broken off two long runs during the drive and I was tackled at the 3-yard line with time running down,’’ said Fedroff, a Hillsborough resident whose son Tim Jr. was recently added to the 40-man roster of the Cleveland Indians. “We had enough time to huddle up, but when the kid came in with the play from coach Gilrain, he couldn’t get it out of his mouth right away, then there was so much confusion, so players just said to run a dive play. So I run the dive and they stuff it as the game ends. I know coach Gilrain had to answer a lot of questions about that.

“I wanted to run a roll-out to give me the option to run or pass and I found out that was the play Gilrain called, but there was just so much confusion. Back then, nobody spiked the ball, so we had to hurry because we had no timeouts left. It’s funny because that kid called me a few years ago and asked me if it was his fault. I told him it wasn’t, but he still feels bad about it.’’

Fedroff and the guys ran the table from there and beat Long Branch, 29-22, in the Central Jersey, Group 3title game in a game not as close as it sounds, according to Fedroff.

Long Branch featured a linebacker named Sam Mills, who went on to an All-Pro NFL career with the Saints and the Panthers. In an interview on national television during his career, the announcer asked Mills who was the toughest player he ever had to tackle. His answer was ’’Tim Fedroff.’’

Carteret averaged 29.4 points that season, while the defense recorded an incredible 33 interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries. Wiley ‘Bunny’ Tharrington had 11 interceptions by himself.

Other post-season award winners from that team included Leroy Hawkes, a running back who led Middlesex County in scoring, Tharrington, linebacker Mark Easterling, guard Dan Biel, tackle Bill Colgan, tight end Tom Molnar and wide receiver Victor Hrudowsky.

Other seniors included Greg Klimek, Ron Ziccardi, and AndyMcCormick, while OL Mike Rustemeyer, an underclassman who would go on to become one of the all-time greats, also played on that team.

“We really had it all, something you never see anymore,” said Fedroff. “We had a huge front line (350-pound tackle Gino Lauricella and 330-pound tackle Bobby Horn), a big fullback in Joel Milik, a big tight end in Tommy Molnar, incredible backs in Leroy Hawkes and Jerome Solomon and we had Bunny Tharrington coming in on third-down plays … it was a once-in-a-lifetime team.’’

The coaches were:

• Jim Gilrain (head)
• Mike Kushner
• Bob Turco Sr.
• Joe Torre
• Bill Dague
• Jim Robinson

1992
Led by ‘The Triumphant Trio’ which included halfback Dennis Burney and fullbacks Rob Wilder (240 pounds) and Ramon Montalvo (230), Carteret pounded the ball to the tune of 32.0 points per game.

‘The Triumphant Trio’ ran behind an imposing line of Jon Zimnicki, Jason Andrews, Tom Tierney, Rich Sheerin and Dan Shipman, while Keith Kapinos ran the team as a three-year starting QB.

The defense gave up a mere 50 points all season and recorded five shutouts, including a 14-0 decision over Princeton in the Central Jersey, Group 2 final.

In the championship game, the defense was challenged as Princeton broke off a 70-yard run on one of the first plays of the game. But outside linebacker Jon DeFelice took the proper angle and tackled the runner who appeared to have an easy touchdown.

A goal-line stand capped by a Sheerin interception followed and Princeton never came close to sniffing the goal-line again.

Every tier on defense was stacked, including DeFelice, Ryan Fogerty, and Sam Andujar at linebacker and rotating ends in Wilder, Sean Weiss, Bob Andrijov, and Eric Morgan.

Montalvo was an intimidating nose tackle, while Burney, Kapinos, and Billy Tharrington had everything under control in the secondary.

Named to the All-County Teams were Burney (23 touchdowns), Montalvo, Wilder, Morgan, Sheerin, Andrews, Kapinos, Tierney, Zimnicki, DeFelice, Tharrington, Andujar, and Paul Broncov.

The coaches were:

• Jeff Wiener (head)
• Bob Molarz
• Bob Turco Jr.
• Paul Nelson
• Dan Farrar
• Frank Diaco
• Mike Kushner

1996
Led by an offense that averaged 34.5 points per game, Carteret rolled through its first nine games, including a 14-6 victory over Asbury Park in the opening round of the Central Jersey, Group 2 playoffs.

In the next game, however, Carteret suffered a 42-41 defeat to Perth Amboy on Thanksgiving as the club finished two points away from perfection.

Trailing Perth Amboy 35-7 at the half, Carteret stormed back to tie the score at 35-35 midway through the fourth quarter. The game wound up going into overtime.

Carteret scored first in overtime but missed the extra point. When Perth Amboy scored in the OT, Mike Morton had blocked the PAT, but Carteret was flagged for offsides.

The PAT was then successful as Perth Amboy won.

Carteret was able to regroup and beat Long Branch in the sectional final, 8-0, to finish 10-1.

In the championship game, the defense stood out as it put together four goal-line stands to post the shutout.

With time winding down in a scoreless game, Carteret gave up a chance for a field goal and stared at fourth-and-four from the Princeton 10. Calling a play called ‘Wishbone 42 Power’, Alcides Vasquez hit the hole on the right side and scored with 2:20 left to play.

An offensive juggernaut, the Ramblers were led by QB Mike Morton, TB Vasquez, WR Mike Orlando, and a sophomore do-it-all type in the late Rashiem ‘Rock’ Reid, one of the all-time greats. The line was bolstered by Nick Mazan, Vincent Brake, and Rob Corrales.

The defense was menacing too with linebackers Kevin Freeman and John Panikiewsky leading the 3-4 set. Kenny Freeman and Mazan caused havoc at the end, Corrales at tackle, and while free safety Orlando had 10 interceptions.

The coaches were:

• Jeff Wiener (head)
• Bob Molarz
• Mike Kushner
• Paul Nelson
• Dan Farrar
• John Paczkowski
• Keith Kapinos
• Dennis Dubois
• Jason Malanda

2012
This team may be the most balanced of all the modern era teams.

If you want to stop the run, quarterback Tyler Rodriguez and his stable of receivers including Brandon Gilder, Eric Fruscella, and fullback Naji Johnson will burn you. Rodriguez has thrown for 1,669 yards and 22 touchdowns this season and 3,598 yards and 37 TD’s as a three-year starter.

But if you concentrate on shutting down the pass, the running game led by RB Jerod Johnson and protected by Brendel Castillo, Brendon Williams & Co., will run through or around you. Johnson became the school’s all-time leading rusher this season with 4,547 yards and the all-time leading scorer with 71 total touchdowns.

Carteret is averaging 37 points per game.

The defense features a group of old-time Carteret, lunch-pail players, including DT Cory Baccarella, DE Josue Romero, and LB Dan San Filippo.

The Coaches

• Matt Yascko (head)
• Keith Kapinos
• Danny Farrar
• John Dolan
• Mike Kushner
• Justin Muniz
• Nick Hrycuna
• Rich Martinez
• Jerry Derillo
• Mahdi Pettus
• Dan Morvay

It should be noted Carteret won the Central Jersey, Group 2 title in 2007 (9-3 record) with Al Tampa, BrianWilliams, and Byron Lewin showing the way.

Who better to ask than Mike Kushner, who was an assistant coach in 1976, 1992, 1996, and 2012.

“I would have to say the 1976 team,’’ said Kushner.“ They averaged close to 300 pounds on the line, they had skill kids, and they had Fedroff. All of our teams were very talented, obviously, but Fedroff just made things happen. He was a special player and with Hawkes, Tharrington and Milik … I think that was the best overall team.”

1940 (8-0-1)
Thomas Jefferson W 13-3
Union W 8-0
Long Branch W16-0
South River W 34-6
New Dorp (N.Y.) 40-0
Memorial (J.C.) W 41-0
Linden W 20-0
Perth Amboy W 20-0
Woodbridge, T0-0
Note: Thomas Jefferson is now Elizabeth

1976 (10-0-1)
Madison Central W 31-6
Kennedy W 41-14
Cedar Ridge W 36-0
Colonia T 12-12
Woodbridge W 15-14
Union W 26-21
J.P. Stevens W 22-16
Sayreville W 24-2
*Ridge W 48-15
Perth Amboy W 40-12
*Long Branch W 29-22
*-Central Jersey, Group 3 playoffs
Note: Madison Central and Cedar Ridge merged to form Old Bridge in 1994.

1992 (11-0)
St. Joseph (W.N.Y.) W 39-8
New Brunswick W 56-8
Spotswood W 39-14
St. Peter’s W 52-0
Highland Park W 16-0
Metuchen W 48-7
South River W 21-0
Dunellen W 29-6
Perth Amboy W 27-0
*Manasquan W 12-7
*Princeton W 14-0
*-Central Jersey, Group 2 playoffs

2012 (11-0)
St. Joseph’s(Metuchen) W 49-17
Raritan W 49-17
South Plainfield W 27-0
New Brunswick W 39-6
Woodbridge W33-12
Bishop Ahr W 41-13
Colonia W 27-19
Kennedy W 41-13
*Johnson W 24-21
Perth Amboy W34-0
*-Shabazz 20-14
*-Central Jersey, Group 2 playoffs

The following is by no means the definitive All-TimeCarteret Team.

This was a consensus I came up with after talking to six different men associated with Carteret football from as far back as the 1930′s to the present.

Different men had different opinions on certain players, so I went with a consensus to narrow it down to 60 names.

There will be so many outstanding players who will not be on this list who perhaps should be, so please keep that in mind.

There were no set criteria since postseason accolades were not available for each season as well as statistics. But I would rather have this list than no list at all.

This will be broken into 30 players from the Old Era and 30 from the Modern Era. The Old Era was heavily influenced by Moe Gasior, a former player, coach, and administrator who has been watching Carteret football games from 1938 as a young boy up to last Friday night and counting.

To our readers, if you feel a certain player(s) should be on this list, make your feelings known in the comment box. In a positive way, state why you think your player should be on. This way, more players will be recognized as part of Carteret High School lore, which is what this project is all about.

OLD ERA (1925-1975)
Joe Medwick (1930)
Jack Weilgolinski (1935)
Stan Kosel (1935)
Al Brechka (1938)
Doug King (1939)
Adam Gluchoski (1940)
John Timko (1941)
Paul Kostinkevitz (1941)
Jackie Beach (1941)
George Heil (1943)
Edwin Bergmann (1943)
Warren Matthews (1944)
Charlie Fazekas (1947)
Paul Bamburak (1948)
John Little (1951)
Jim Gilrain (1954)
Ron Helley (1955)
Eugene Carmichael (1957)
Nick ‘Kosty’ Kosciowiat (1958)
Ed Kukoski (1959)
Ed Mantie (1964)
Art McMahon (1964)
Peter Sowirka (1966)
Phil Chiera (1969)
John Spoganetz (1969)
Gary Greenberg (1971)
Ray Kinch (1972)
Bob Ringwall (1973)
Nick Ziccardi (1974)
John Akacki (1975)

NEW ERA (1976-Present)
John McNelis (1976)
Tim Fedroff (1977)
Leroy Hawkes (1977)
Wiley Tharrington (1977)
Mike Rustemeyer (1978)
Kevin Portington (1988)
Dennis Burney (1993)
Ramon Montalvo (1993)
Rob Wilder (1993)
Rich Sheerin (1994)
Corey Jones (1996)
Nick Mazan (1997)
Kevin Freeman (1998)
Mike Orlando (1998)
Mike Morton (1998)
Rashiem Reid (1999)
Brian Joseph (2000)
Mike Coghan (2000)
Anthony Crosson (2000)
Madhi Pettus (2000)
John Baumgartner (2001)
Danny Buitrago (2001)
Dan Mazan (2003)
Justin Henderson (2003)
Kevin Cherepski (2004)
Cedric Brown (2006)
Jason Worilds (2006)
Brian Williams (2008)
Byron Lewin (2008)
Jerod Johnson (2012)
Tyler Rodriguez (2012)

Joe Medwick, who grew up on 55 Union St., is still regarded as the best Carteret athlete of all time. Not only in Carteret history, but in state history, even though he graduated in 1930.

In football, Medwick turned down a scholarship to attend Notre Dame. In basketball, his record of 50 points in a single game was broken by Jose Rodriguez (51) in 2001.

But when Medwick played, there was a jump ball after every basket.

In baseball, well, let’s just say he is the last National League player to win the triple crown (1937) and he’s in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame after a long career with the St. Louis Cardinals. His towering moon shots at Overholt Stadium are still talked about in mythical tones.

In high school, Medwick was known as ‘Muscles’ and the” Hammering Hungarian’ but he later became known as ‘Ducky’ during his pro baseball days because of his waddling walk.

In Medwick’s time, it was not uncommon for kids in Carteret to quit school and go to work at U.S. Metals. Some even did both.

When Medwick had thoughts of leaving school, legendary coach Francis McCarthy literally went to the factory and grabbed Medwick, and got him back into school.

Medwick played semi-pro ball in the summers while in high school, using the last name King.

There are believed to be just three former Ramblers who played or are playing in the NFL.

The first was 1935 graduate Stan Kosel, who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Next was 1964 graduate Art McMahon, who would have a successful career with the Boston Patriots.

Jason Worilds, a graduate of 2006, is currently leading the Pittsburgh Steelers in sacks (five) as an outside linebacker.

“The football tradition in town is so heavily ingrained, that knowing you walked those hallways as a football player is an honor and something every player carries with them,” said Worilds, who has 10 sacks in his budding three-year career. “We all played with a blue-collar mentality and took so much pride in the game. I wore my Carteret wristband all through college and into my first mini-camp before it broke. I wore it with pride.”

Carteret is well known for its running prowess over the years.

Here are the best, numbers-wise:

1. Jerod Johnson 4,424 (2012)
2. Cedric Brown 4,135 (2006)
3. Brian Joseph 3,515 (2000)
4. Corey Jones 2,932 (1997)
5. Justin Henderson 2,471 (2003)
6. Dennis Burney 2,383 (1993)
7. Phil Chiera 2,380 (1969)
8. Byron Lewin, 2,379 (2007)
9. Alcides Vasquez 1,850 (1998)
10. Kevin Cherepski 1,750 (2004)

Carteret has won 14 state sectional championships, including four under the current playoff system, which began in 1974.
Here’s how sectional champions were selected prior to 1974.

In the early days, a panel of sportswriters as well as members of the NJSIAA would sit down, discuss each team’s season and award a winner for each section.

There was a period in the late 1920s and into the 1930′s when one man, Gus Falzer of the Newark Sunday Call, would collect all the information and award the section winners himself. That’s a lot of power.

There were also two systems put into use where sectional winners were chosen using a mathematical formula. One was called the Dickinson System, one was called the Colliton System.

In 1959, Carteret finished 6-2-1, while Highland Park was 9-0, but the Colliton System awarded Carteret the Central Jersey, Group 2 championship.

Some years, when things were so tight that a champion could not be decided, sportswriters would arrange to a ‘championship game’ played.

In 1934, for example, when the Central Jersey, Group 2 winner could not be determined, writers from the Jersey Journal and The Star-Ledger arranged for Carteret to play Freehold in the title game in Asbury Park. Carteret won, 19-0.

Believe or not, there were years when sportswriters would arrange to have games pitting two sectional champions against each other to decide a mythical state group champion.

In 1937, such a game was set up between 5-0-1 Carteret and 9-0 Audobon, which was the only unbeaten team in the state. In a game played at Collingswood High School, Carteret suffered its first loss of the season, 23-0. Carteret was still awarded the CJ 3 title.

CARTERET’S TITLES:
1929: Central Jersey, Class B
1931: Central Jersey, Class B
1934: Central Jersey, Group 2
1936: Central Jersey, Group 3
1937: Central Jersey, Group 3
1940: Central Jersey, Group 3
1941: Central Jersey, Group 3
1942: Central Jersey, Group 3
1956: Central Jersey, Group 2
1959: Central Jersey, Group 2
1976: Central Jersey, Group 3
1992: Central Jersey, Group 2
1996: Central Jersey, Group 2
2007: Central Jersey, Group 2

COACHING HISTORY
Carteret has featured 12 head coaches, with three of them lasting just one season and one lasting two seasons.

Sally McCarthy (1925) 4-2
John Casaleggi (1926) 1-7
Francis C. McCarthy (1927-1949) 106-79-12
Al Brechka (1950) 4-3-1
Doug King (1951-1962)47-53-5
Jim Gilrain (1963-1976) 75-51-4
Jim Robinson (1977-1982) 16-31-4
Joe Torre (1984-8484) 1-16-1
Bill O’Lear (1985-90) 18-34-2
Jeff Weiner (1991-1997) 57-11-2
Bob Molarz (1998-2005) 64-21
Matt Yascko (2006-present) 48-26
Total: 441-334-31

McCarthy, a graduate of South Amboy High School, became an iconic figure at Carteret where he coached the football, basketball, and baseball teams to numerous state championships and was also the long-time Director of Athletics.

McCarthy guided the Ramblers to eight sectional football championships in his 23 years as head man. He was also the man responsible for moving the Thanksgiving Day game to 11 a.m. in the 1930s, which it has remained to this day.

The very first team at Carteret was formed in 1925 with a total of 15 players suited up for the Blue and White, who didn’t even have a team nickname yet.

The head coach was a woman, Sally McCarthy, who was head of the physical education department at CHS.

McCarthy did not know her football all that well, so, as the person in charge of the team, she recruited Herman Gerke and Andrew Bodnar, two prominent men in town who were also sports enthusiasts, to help her.

Gerke and Bodnar then recruited Joe Weisman and WilliamHagen, who were playing for the Roosevelts, a semi-pro team in town. Weismanand Hagen pretty much ran the team.

The 1925 team finished 4-2 and was led by star fullback Pete’Babe’ Hermann, who would carry would-be tacklers on his back for extra yards, according to The Carteret Press newspaper.

Other prominent players included quarterback Moe Lehrer, halfback Joe Sexton, lineman Isaac “Chubby’ Nadel and 130-pound center RichardWexler.

Wexler, who went to become a prominent dentist, is 104 years old and still alive. Inducted into the Carteret Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008,Wexler e-mailed in his information and showed up for the induction from the West Coast. He was on the ball at 100 years old.

1925 Season
New BrunswickJV W 12-0
Millburn W 24-6
St. Mary’s (S.A.)W 10-0
Metuchen L 20-6
New Brunswick(V) L 14-0
Alumni W 12-0

1925 Notes:

* The first-ever game drew 700 fans in Carteret.

* The St. Mary’s game drew 1,000 fans in Carteret.

* Millburn was also in its first year of football.

* St. Mary’s is now Cardinal McCarrick.

* In the Metuchen game, Metuchen showed up late to Cartereta nd with darkness closing in, fans with cars were asked to pull up in the end zones and provide light with their headlights.

McCarthy was the coach for one year.

In 1926, Carteret became known as The Scoreless Wonders’ as it went 0-7 without scoring a point.

The final record, however, was 1-7 as Carteretbeat the alumni in the final game of the year.

The head man in 1926 was John ‘Baner’ Casaleggi, who was 21 years old and a former All-State player at Rahway. He lasted one year.

In 1925 and ’26, Carteret played at Brady’s Oval, which is now the site of the Carteret Shopping Center.

In 1927 and ’28, Carteret did not have a field to call home, so the Rambers played all their home games riverside Park Stadium in Rahway, which is now Veterans Field and is still the site of Rahway High football.

Playing on the road for those two seasons, legend says that’s how the nickname ‘Ramblers’ became known.

In 1929, Carteret played for the first time on the field which exists today. Designed mainly for baseball, the configuration of the field changed a few times over the years for football before settling on the way it is now.

In 1942, Walter Overholt Jr. was the first Carteret casualty of WWII. Following his death that same year, a ceremony was held to name the field in his honor. Overholt played football at Carteret and graduated in 1938.

For 70 years, the field at Carteret has been named Walter B. Overholt Junior Memorial Stadium.

You could not write a history of Carteret football without mentioning Walt ‘Moe’ Gasior.

A 1947 graduate of Carteret, Gasior saw his first Carteret game in 1938 as a kid, when his long-time best friend Doug King was the star player. The last Carteret game Gasior saw was last Friday night in the playoffs.

From 1938 through this year, Gasior witnessed every Thanksgiving Day game except one, when he was in the service in 1951. Stationed in Paris Island, South Carolina, Gasior said he was thinking about the game all day.

In college at Rutgers and in two other years in the service, he still attended the holiday game.

Gasior played football at Carteret his senior year, then became an assistant coach from 1954-64 before serving as Director of Athletics from 1964 to 1990.

After retirement, Gasior still attended many games each year as a committed resident of the town. Gasior has been to every home game this year and one away game.

The best athlete Gasior ever saw at Carteret?

“Well, I didn’t see Medwick play, that was before my time,” said Gasior, who was also the track coach at Carteret. “But the best I saw was Nick Kosty (Kosciowiat), who graduated in 1958. He was All-State in football, All-State in baseball, and he played basketball. Back in those days, the rules were very loose, so on a Saturday when he didn’t have a baseball game, we brought him over to the county track meet, and he won the high jump and long jump for us.”

* The first night game at Carteret was in 1941 when the school rented portable lights. It wouldn’t be until 2004 that permanent lights were installed.

* Bob Turco Sr. was an assistant coach on the 1976 championship team, while Bob Turco Jr., was an assistant on the 1992 championship team.

* The 1992 and 2012 teams each began the season with victories over St. Joseph _ ’92 over St. Joseph West New York, 2012 over St. Joseph Metuchen.

* The most consecutive losing seasons were only 7, from1980-1986

* The most consecutive non-losing seasons were 18, from 1991to 2008 (5-5 in2000)

* Carteret has been .500 or better in21 of its last 22 seasons.

* Sally McCarthy, the first coach, and Francis McCarthy, the legendary coach, were not related.

* The school’s gymnasium is named after coach Francis McCarthy.

The Greater Middlesex Conference was formed in 1986. Carterethas won division titles in:
1992 (Blue)
1994 (White)
1995 (White)
1996 (Blue)
1997 (Blue)
1998 (Blue)
2001 (White)
2002 (White)
2011 (White)
2012 (White)
11-0: 1992
11-0: 2012
10-0-1: 1976
10-1: 1996
10-2: 2004
9-1: 1929
9-1: 1995
9-1: 1997
9-2: 1998
9-2: 1999
9-2: 2005
9-3: 2007
8-0-1: 1940
8-1: 1934
8-1: 1941
8-1: 1968
8-1-1:1994
8-2: 1974
8-2: 1975
8-2: 2001
8-2: 2011

APPEARANCES: 21
RECORD: 17-16
YEARS IN FINAL: 6
RECORD IN FINALS: 4-2
LAST TIME IN FINALS: 2007
LAST CHAMPIONSHIP: 2007

1974 CJ 3 Final BridgewaterEast L 20-6
1975 CJ 3 First Franklin L 23-21
1976 CJ 3 First Ridge W 48-15
1976 CJ 3 Final Long Branch W 29-22
1992 CJ 2 First Manasquan W 12-7
1992 CJ 2 Final Princeton W 14-0
1994 CJ 2 First Manasquan L 25-14
1995 CJ 2 First Manasquan L 21-0
1996 CJ 2 First Asbury Park W 13-6
1996 CJ 2 Final Long Branch W 8-0
1997 CJ 2 First Manasquan L 21-0
1998 CJ 2 First Rumson W 41-7
1998 CJ 2 Semis Manasquan L 13-7 (OT)
1999 CJ 2 First J.F. Kennedy W 39-8
1999 CJ 2 Semis Manasquan L 34-6
2000 CJ 2 First Somerville L 19-0
2001 CJ 2 First Matawan L 36-14
2002 CJ 2 First Matawan L 18-15
2003 CJ 2 First Long Branch L 18-0
2004 CJ 2 First Somerville W 28-8
2004 CJ 2 Semis New Brunswick W 21-14
2004 CJ 2 Final Raritan L 35-12
2005 CJ 2 First Johnson W 27-0
2005 CJ 2 Semis Manasquan L 26-7
2006 CJ 2 First Gov. Livingston L 28-7
2007 CJ 2 First Delaware Valley W 13-7
2007 CJ 2 Semis Rahway W 19-14
2007 CJ 2 Final Rumson W 20-14
2010 CJ 2 First No. Plainfield W 27-20
2010 CJ 2 Semis Rumson L 36-0
2011 CJ 2 First Matawan L 28-14
2012 CJ 2 First Johnson W 24-21
2012 CJ 2 Semis Shabazz W 20-14

This rivalry began in 1927 with Perth Amboy winning, 13-0.

The first Perth Amboy-Carteret game was played on Nov. 14 in 1927. The first game played on Thanksgiving was in 1932 in Perth Amboy. It has been played on Thanksgiving ever since.

In 1941, heavily-favored Carteret had an 8-0 record heading into the contest, but Perth Amboy won, 16-0, before 13,000 fans in Carteret.

The game ended early as unruly fans broke through a snow fence and were standing on the field as Amboy was going in for another score.

In the 1940s, 1950s, and into the ’60s, this game drew more than 10,000 annually in Carteret. When the games were played at Perth Amboy, the capacity was 8,500 as fans had to turn away each year.

(Perth Amboy leads 45-39-2)
1928: Perth Amboy7-6
1929: Carteret 13-0
1930: Carteret 7-6
1931: Carteret 7-6
1932: Perth Amboy12-7
1933: Perth Amboy7-0
1934: Carteret 13-0
1935: Perth Amboy13-6
1936: Perth Amboy7-6
1937: Tie 13-13
1938: Perth Amboy14-13
1939: Carteret 14-0
1940: Carteret 20-0
1941: Perth Amboy16-0
1942: Carteret 16-14
1943: Perth Amboy20-6
1944: Carteret 13-6
1945: Perth Amboy19-7
1946: Carteret 25-0
1947: Perth Amboy26-7
1948: Carteret 18-7
1949: Perth Amboy25-7
1950: Carteret 19-6
1951: Perth Amboy34-13
1952: Perth Amboy7-0
1953: Perth Amboy14-12
1954: Carteret 13-12
1955: Perth Amboy20-13
1956: Perth Amboy26-0
1957: Perth Amboy26-20
1958: Carteret 25-0
1959: Carteret 34-0
1960: Perth Amboy2-0
1961: Carteret 29-13
1962: Carteret 14-0
1963: Carteret 40-0
1964: Perth Amboy14-0
1965: Perth Amboy41-6
1966: Perth Amboy45-0
1967: Perth Amboy26-8
1968: Carteret 21-12
1969: Carteret 14-6
1970: Tie 6-6
1971: Carteret 29-2
1972: Perth Amboy16-8
1973: Perth Amboy26-7
1974: Carteret 20-0
1975: Carteret 54-0
1976: Carteret 40-12
1977: Perth Amboy14-13
1978: Carteret 18-0
1979: Perth Amboy26-20
1980: Carteret 27-8
1981: Perth Amboy8-7
1982: Perth Amboy15-6
1983: Carteret 30-18
1984: Perth Amboy12-0
1985: Perth Amboy40-0
1986: Perth Amboy46-6
1987: Perth Amboy18-7
1988: Perth Amboy19-7
1989: Perth Amboy34-0
1990: Perth Amboy22-12
1991: Perth Amboy14-6
1992: Carteret 26-0
1993: Perth Amboy21-0
1994: Carteret 26-0
1995: Perth Amboy28-26
1996: Perth Amboy42-41
1997: Carteret 24-0
1998: Perth Amboy27-22
1999: Carteret 15-6
2000: Carteret 16-7
2001: Carteret 20-0
2002: Perth Amboy35-20
2003: Carteret 35-7
2004: Carteret 39-28
2005: Carteret 43-7
2006: Carteret 39-12
2007: Carteret 33-22
2008: Perth Amboy14-7
2009: Perth Amboy21-14
2010: Perth Amboy26-24
2011: Perth Amboy29-26
2012: Carteret 41-0
1925: 4-2
1926: 1-7
1927: 5-3
1928: 2-4
1929: 9-1
1930: 6-3
1931: 7-2
1932: 3-4-1
1933: 4-4
1934: 8-1
1935: 0-9
1936: 7-1
1937: 5-1-1
1938: 4-5-1
1939: 3-5-1
1940: 8-0-1
1941: 8-1
1942: 6-1-2
1943: 2-5-2
1944: 4-4
1945: 2-6
1946: 4-4-2
1947: 4-4-1
1948: 4-4
1949: 1-7
1950: 4-3-1
1951: 0-6-2
1952: 3-6
1953: 3-6
1954: 5-4
1955: 2-6-1
1956: 6-2
1957: 5-2-1
1958: 3-6
1959: 6-2-1
1960: 4-5
1961: 4-5
1962: 6-3
1963: 6-2-1
1964: 5-4
1965: 2-7
1966: 2-7
1967: 5-4
1968: 8-1
1969: 4-4-1
1970: 7-1-1
1971: 5-4
1972: 0-9
1973: 5-4
1974: 8-2
1975: 8-2
1976: 10-0-1
1977: 3-5-1
1978: 4-4-1
1979: 5-3-1
1980: 2-7
1981: 0-8-1
1982: 2-6
1983: 1-7-1
1984: 0-9
1985: 0-9
1986: 1-8
1987: 4-4-1
1988: 5-4
1989: 6-3
1990: 2-6-1
1991: 5-3-1
1992: 11-0
1993: 5-4
1994: 8-1-1
1995: 9-1
1996: 10-1
1997: 9-1
1998: 9-2
1999: 9-2
2000: 5-5
2001: 8-2
2002: 7-3
2003: 7-3
2004: 10-2
2005: 9-2
2006: 6-4
2007: 9-3
2008: 6-4
2009: 2-8
2010: 6-5
2011: 8-2
2012: 11-0
Totals: 441-334-31

Special thanks to Mike Lynam, Moe Gasior, Bob Molarz, MattYascko, Keith Kapinos, Mike Kushner, Jeff Weiner and Justin Muniz.