Concluding my look at the 1st 60 years of varsity football at my alma mater, East Brunswick High School.
As Ken Burns might
have put it:
East Brunswick football has been played in 42 places. On Thursdays, and
Fridays, and Saturdays, and Sundays. On days designed to avoid playing on Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur. On Labor Day Weekend, and Halloween Day, and Halloween Night.
On Thanksgiving Day, and on the Friday, the Saturday, and the Sunday of Thanksgiving Weekend. In September, and October, and November, and, four times, in December, two of
them heartbreaking, two of them glorious.
2010: 6-4, .600
September 11, away to Monroe: Lost 18-21.September 16, home to Edison: Won 20-12.
September 24, away to J.P. Stevens: Won 35-0.
October 1, home to Woodbridge: Won 7-0.
October 15, away to Howell: Won 21-13.
October 22, home to Sayreville: Lost 6-41.
October 29, away to Piscataway: Lost 0-28.
November 5, home to South Brunswick: Won 24-12.
November 12, away to Brick Memorial: Lost 7-35.
November 25, away to Old Bridge: Won 34-6.
Monroe got their revenge for the preceding season, but we still had some good wins, enough to get into the Playoffs, the first time we'd done so in back-to-back seasons in 22 years. Unfortunately, we had to go to Brick to play Memorial, and, eager for revenge for the Snow Bowl, they pounded us. They went on to win the title.
So we went to Old Bridge, and, this time, we managed to stuff those turkeys. Best regular-season win for EB since... well, I would know, wouldn't I? Actually, it was probably the most satisfying regular-season win since we beat Old Bridge (then still known as Madison Central) in 1989. As they say in English soccer, "We beat The Scum!" (They also say a lot of other things about their rivals, most of which aren't printable in an article about high school sports.)
2011: 1-9, .100
September 9, home to Monroe: Lost 18-27.
September 16, away to Edison: Lost 32-40.
September 23, home to J.P. Stevens: Lost 20-35.
October 1, away to Woodbridge: Lost 13-42.
October 15, away to Howell: Lost 0-34.
October 21, away to Sayreville: Lost 13-47.
October 28, home to Piscataway: Lost 6-58.
November 4, away to South Brunswick: Lost 20-45.
November 12, away to West Windsor-Plainsboro North, of Plainsboro, Middlesex County: Won 42-22.
November 24, home to Old Bridge: Lost 20-40.
So we went to Old Bridge, and, this time, we managed to stuff those turkeys. Best regular-season win for EB since... well, I would know, wouldn't I? Actually, it was probably the most satisfying regular-season win since we beat Old Bridge (then still known as Madison Central) in 1989. As they say in English soccer, "We beat The Scum!" (They also say a lot of other things about their rivals, most of which aren't printable in an article about high school sports.)
2011: 1-9, .100
September 9, home to Monroe: Lost 18-27.
September 16, away to Edison: Lost 32-40.
September 23, home to J.P. Stevens: Lost 20-35.
October 1, away to Woodbridge: Lost 13-42.
October 15, away to Howell: Lost 0-34.
October 21, away to Sayreville: Lost 13-47.
October 28, home to Piscataway: Lost 6-58.
November 4, away to South Brunswick: Lost 20-45.
November 12, away to West Windsor-Plainsboro North, of Plainsboro, Middlesex County: Won 42-22.
November 24, home to Old Bridge: Lost 20-40.
And after back-to-back Playoff seasons, EB football comes crashing back down to Earth. The September 16 game was played the day before the Occupy Wall Street Movement began. At the end of the season, his 29th in charge, Marcus Borden resigned as EB head coach.
2012: 2-7, .222
September 7, home to South Brunswick: Lost 0-34
September 14, away to Sayreville: Lost 0-41.
September 21, away to North Brunswick: Won 14-0.
September 28, home to Monroe: Lost 0-27.
October 12, away to Manalapan: Lost 12-55.
October 19, away to J.P. Stevens: Won 33-28.
October 26, home to Edison: Lost 0-28.
November 9, home to Piscataway: Game Cancelled.
November 16, home to Freehold Township: Lost 7-15.
November 22, away to Old Bridge: Lost 0-34.
September 7, home to South Brunswick: Lost 0-34
September 14, away to Sayreville: Lost 0-41.
September 21, away to North Brunswick: Won 14-0.
September 28, home to Monroe: Lost 0-27.
October 12, away to Manalapan: Lost 12-55.
October 19, away to J.P. Stevens: Won 33-28.
October 26, home to Edison: Lost 0-28.
November 9, home to Piscataway: Game Cancelled.
November 16, home to Freehold Township: Lost 7-15.
November 22, away to Old Bridge: Lost 0-34.
Bob Molarz had won State Championships at Carteret, and started the football program at St. Joseph's of Metuchen. He seemed like the right coach to put EB back on the right path. But it never happened.
The November 9 game was scheduled for the week President Obama was re-elected. But it was canceled, because of rain, and with the Playoff schedule coming up, Piscataway didn't have an open date on which it could play this game.
2013: 1-9, .100
September 15, away to South Brunswick: Lost 7-42.
September 20, home to Sayreville: Lost 0-42.
September 27, home to North Brunswick: Won 14-12.
October 4, away to Monroe: Lost 0-44.
October 18, home to Manalapan: Lost 7-42.
October 25, home to J.P. Stevens: Lost 20-30.
November 1, away to Edison: Lost 0-41.
November 8, away to Piscataway: Lost 7-49.
November 15, away to Montgomery: Lost 22-44.
November 28, home to Old Bridge: Lost 6-35.
September 20, home to Sayreville: Lost 0-42.
September 27, home to North Brunswick: Won 14-12.
October 4, away to Monroe: Lost 0-44.
October 18, home to Manalapan: Lost 7-42.
October 25, home to J.P. Stevens: Lost 20-30.
November 1, away to Edison: Lost 0-41.
November 8, away to Piscataway: Lost 7-49.
November 15, away to Montgomery: Lost 22-44.
November 28, home to Old Bridge: Lost 6-35.
None of the 9 losses was all that close. Begging the question, How bad were North Brunswick that year? Pretty bad: They went 0-10.
2014: 4-6, .333
September 12, away to Piscataway: Lost 0-48.
September 27, away to North Brunswick: Lost 13-40.
October 2, home to Edison: Won 14-13.
October 10, away to South Brunswick: Lost 9-40.
October 17, home to J.P. Stevens: Won 30-26.
October 25, away to Marlboro: Won 35-12.
October 31, home to Sayreville: Won by Forfeit.
November 7, home to Monroe: Lost 3-34.
November 14, away to South Brunswick: Lost 14-39.
November 27, away to Old Bridge: Lost 9-40.
Losing the last 3 games by an average score of 38-9 was bad. But, due to a scandal that echoed the one at Penn State 2 years earlier, the football team at Sayreville had its season cancelled, and its remaining games forfeited. October 31 was supposed to be the day of its game against E.B. This enabled the Bears to get just enough wins to make the State Playoffs for the only time in the 2010s. Sayreville quickly recovered, as if the whole thing had never happened. But it did.
2015: 3-7 .300
September 11, home to Piscataway: Lost 7-24.
September 25, home to North Brunswick: Won 16-14.
October 2, away to Edison: Lost 26-28.
October 9, home to South Brunswick: Lost 0-31.
October 16, away to J.P. Stevens: Won 41-6.
October 23, home to Marlboro: Won 24-15.
October 30, away to Sayreville: Lost 13-33.
November 6, away to Monroe: Lost 0-24.
November 12, away to Hillsborough: Lost 16-20.
November 26, home to Old Bridge: Lost 7-20.
The Edison game went to 3 overtimes. We were a field goal in that game and a touchdown against Hillsborough away from being .500.
2016: 2-8, .200
September 9, away to Sayreville: Lost 18-46.
September 16, away to Piscataway: Lost 7-32.
September 23, home to Monroe: Won 48-7.
October 8, home to Marlboro: Lost 14-20.
October 14, home to South Brunswick: Lost 0-20.
October 21, away to Edison: Lost 21-42.
October 28, home to Freehold Township: Lost 21-36.
November 4, home to New Brunswick: Lost 21-35.
November 10, home to Perth Amboy: Won 34-0.
November 24, away to Old Bridge: Lost 7-35.
The October 8 game went to overtime. The November 10 game was played the week that Donald Trump was "elected" President.
2017: 2-8, .200
September 8, home to Sayreville: Lost 21-48.
September 15, home to Piscataway: Lost 0-35.
September 23, away to Monroe: Lost 19-21.
October 6, home to Marlboro: Won 28-14.
October 13, away to South Brunswick: Lost 13-42.
October 20, home to Edison: Won 35-12.
October 27, away to Freehold Township: Lost 14-17.
November 3, away to New Brunswick: Lost 14-20.
November 9, away to Hunterdon Central: Lost 24-28.
November 23, home to Old Bridge: Lost 0-49.
The November 3 game went to overtime. We were a field goal vs. Monroe, and a touchdown each against Freehold Township and New Brunswick, from being .500.
2018: 2-9, .182
September 7, away to Piscataway: Lost 0-41.
September 14, away to J.P. Stevens: Lost 10-23.
September 21, home to Ridge of Bernards, Somerset County: Lost 14-40.
September 28, home to Perth Amboy: Lost 28-48.
October 5, home to South Brunswick: Lost 14-27.
October 12, away to Edison: Lost 14-31.
October 19, home to Monroe: Won 53-31.
October 26, away to North Brunswick: Lost 0-36.
November 2, home to New Brunswick: Lost 34-38.
November 9, home to Colts Neck of Colts Neck, Monmouth County: Won 35-14.
November 22, away to Old Bridge: Lost 0-10.
Colts Neck High School opened in 1998, making it the most recently-opened opponent for East Brunswick. Despite the equine name of the town and the school, and its tradition of raising horses, they chose a cat name for their mascot, the Cougars.
2019: 4-5, .444
September 6, home to Old Bridge: Lost 14-17.
September 20, away to Monroe: Won 20-14.
September 27, away to South Brunswick: Lost 7-45.
October 4, home to Montgomery: Lost 7-42.
October 11, home to J.P. Stevens: Won 40-0.
October 18, away to New Brunswick: Won 17-14.
October 25, home to Hillsborough: Lost 7-42.
November 1, away to Perth Amboy: Won 17-6.
November 7, home to Sayreville: Lost 13-15.
A new head coach replaced Bob Molarz. For the 1st time, the EB football team had a former player as head coach: Andy Steinfeld, Class of '85, who had also been a longtime assistant coach.
This was also the 1st season that the NJSIAA eliminated Thanksgiving football, to schedule the Playoffs to their satisfaction. Schools had rebelled against that in 1990 and '91, but so many had already dropped the tradition that the will to stop it was gone. Most of the rivalries that were still being played on T-Day were moved to the 1st game of the season, thus spoiling Steiny's debut. Still, it was the Bears' best season in 9 years.
We were a touchdown against Old Bridge and a field goal against Sayreville from being 6-3. Had we gotten the win against Old Bridge, we probably would have made the Playoffs.
2020: 4-4, .500
October 2, home to J.P. Stevens: Won 41-0.
October 9, away to Old Bridge: Lost 20-35.
October 16, home to South Brunswick: Lost 3-35.
October 23, away to Perth Amboy: Won 42-18.
October 30, home to Montclair: Lost 17-31.
November 6, away to Sayreville: Lost 3-14.
November 14, away to New Brunswick: Won 14-7.
November 20, home to Plainfield: Won 21-20.
While EBHS remained in the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division for every other sport, for football, this season, they were moved into the new Big Central Football Conference, Division 5C. They have also been moved into South Jersey Group V.
The season got off to a late start before of the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 8 games were played, and we were lucky to have gotten any of them played. The November 6 game was played while we were still waiting for the final word on Joe Biden's win over Donald Trump in the Presidential election.
And this brings us up to the present day. Tonight, at 7:00 PM, we start Season 61 of Bear Ball. Go, Bears, Go! Andy Steinfeld's Green-White Army! We hate Old Bridge!
UPDATE:
2021: 8-2, .800
September 4, away to Old Bridge: Lost 24-27.
September 10, away to New Brunswick: Won 35-14.
September 17, home to Perth Amboy: Won 42-6.
September 24, away to J.P. Stevens: Won 43-0.
October 1, home to Watchung Hills of Warren, Somerset County: Won 21-9.
October 9, home to Monroe: Won 44-7.
October 15, home to Hunterdon Central: Won 20-12.
October 23, home to South Brunswick: Won 34-7.
October 29, away to Franklin: Won 20-14.
November 5, away to Toms River North: Lost 14-28.
The game at TR North was the Quarterfinal of the South Jersey Group V Playoffs.
2022: 1-8, .111
September 1, away to Hillsborough: Lost 6-42.
September 9, away to Monroe: Lost 14-24.
September 16, home to South Brunswick: Lost 14-29.
September 23, away to Old Bridge: Lost 7-24.
September 30, home to Sayreville: Lost 21-35.
October 7, home to Piscataway: Lost 14-42.
October 14, away to North Brunswick: Lost 0-26.
October 21, home to Phillipsburg, Warren County: Lost 0-28.
October 27, home to John F. Kennedy: Won 42-22.
The opener marks the earliest in the calendar year that EBHS has ever played. The consolation game against JFK marks the earliest in the calendar year that EBHS has ever finished a season.
2023: 1-9, .100
August 25, home to Franklin: Lost 12-27
September 1, home to Hillsborough: Lost 0-43
September 8, home to Monroe: Lost 20-21
September 14, away to South Brunswick: Lost 14-43
September 22, home to Old Bridge: Lost 28-30
September 29, away to Sayreville: Lost 9-41
October 6, away to Piscataway: Lost 14-54
October 13, home to North Brunswick: Lost 7-43
October 20, away to Phillipsburg: Lost 7-49
October 26, away to Jackson Liberty, Ocean County: Won 35-20
New record for earliest opener, 1st game ever in August. The South Brunswick game was a Thursday night, due to the Jewish holiday.
2024: 2-8, .200
August 29, away to Edison: Lost 0-27
September 6, home to Hamilton: Won 34-14
September 14, away to Franklin: Lost 0-34
September 20, home to Monroe: Lost 12-34
September 27, away to Old Bridge: Lost 7-31
October 5, away to Hunterdon Central: Lost 8-28
October 10, home to Piscataway: Lost 0-55.
October 18, home to North Hunterdon: Lost 0-35.
October 25, away to South Brunswick: Won 24-14.
October 31, home to John F. Kennedy: Lost 6-31.
A month before the season fired, Andy Steinfeld was fired as head coach, and replaced by assistant coach Matt Pazinko. The August 29 and October 10 games were on Thursdays, the former for an unknown reason, the latter due to a Jewish holiday. The 55-0 loss to Piscataway is the largest margin of defeat in E.B. history.
The Halloween loss was the day after the Yankees lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Had the Yankees won that game, with Game 6 being scheduled for November 1, the expansion of the Playoffs in both Major League Baseball and New Jersey high school football, and thus the pushing back of the regular-season schedule in the latter, would have meant that, for the 1st time ever, EBHS football would have finished its season before the Yankees finished theirs.
From November 5, 2021 to October 18, 2024, EB went 3-25.
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