Crosstown rivals take field as teammates in Snapple Bowl XXIII
by WoodbridgeFootball.com / MyCentralJersey.com / NJ.com on 07/21/16
WOODBRIDGE- Usually when a John F. Kennedy or Colonia football player steps foot onto the historic Nicholas A. Priscoe Stadium they walk into a hostile crowd drowning them in boos.
The two schools have built a rivalry spanning over four decades with the crosstown rival Woodbridge football program, but on Thursday foes stepped onto the field as teammates and left the contest as friends.
READ: Snapple Bowl XXIII Game Story
READ:Snapple Bowl: Union County Notebook
The Woodbridge Township student athletes played alongside one another as they represented Middlesex County in Snapple Bowl XXIII.
Andrew Roberts (JFK), James Modica (Woodbridge), Tyler Santos (Colonia), Tracy Fudge (Woodbridge), Bashir Lauderdale (Colonia), Lee Tmburello (Colonia), Nate Lanier (Woodbridge), David McDevitt (Woodbridge) and Christian Cardosa (JFK) all capped off their high school playing careers in their home township in one final game.
“It’s cool playing with the people you played against for so many years and finally being on one team,” said Fudge who started the game behind center for Middlesex. “We’re like a family,” “We came together and we just meshed immediately, we all respect each other’s talents so that’s what makes us able to play with one another.”
The all-star game consisted of the best graduated seniors from Middlesex and Union County as they squared off to raise money for Children’s Specialized Hospital and the Lakeview School, a program of the New Jersey Institute for Disabilities.
While the game was for a good cause, emotions ran high in a gritty defensive matchup that didn’t see its first score until the beginning of the fourth quarter.
Middlesex’s four game winning streak ended on Wednesday as it fell to the Union County team 13-7. Although the Middlesex team lost, the hometown players still were able to make some remarkable plays.
JFK’s Roberts awed the crowd with a 36-yard run in the first possession of the second half. Roberts scrolled to the left making a few Union defenders miss in the backfield and then used his long 6-foot-2 stride to cap off his run down the sideline.
Although the drive didn’t end in a score for Middlesex, Roberts was just glad he was able to build some relationships with players from other schools.
“It’s a great experience,” said Roberts. “We came together in seven days, all these guys are like my brothers, it’s like having a second team.”
While relationships were built from players from different teams, it was the camaraderie and familiarity between the Woodbridge teammates that saw the teams only score of the game.
Fudge connected with wide receiver Modica for a 41-yard touchdown, as Fudge rolled out to his right and found his teammate wide open in the middle of the field.
“I’m thankful he threw it to me and I’m thankful I got the score,” said Modica. “(The Woodbridge Football Program) has taught me a lot about offense and defense, but on and off the field they taught me about everything.”
McDevitt also credited the program for molding him into the man he is today. The tough offensive lineman grew up watching the Woodbridge football program since he was a young kid as both his brothers previously played for the Barrons while his dad stood on the sidelines as an assistant coach.
Ending his high school career with a win in front of his entire family would have been the perfect way to go out but McDevitt is just thankful he got the opportunity to play on his home field one final time.
“It’s real special, I love this field, I spent four years on it, it’s just great playing on it one more time,” said McDevitt. “I’ve been looking to playing on this field since I was four or five years old ever since I could remember I always wanted to play Woodbridge football.”
TAKE PART
What: MyCentralJersey.com Snapple Bowl XXIII, New Jersey's most successful charity all-star football game.
Where: Woodbridge High School.
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, July 21.
Participants: Recently graduated high school senior players and cheerleaders from Middlesex and Union counties.
About the event
Beneficiaries: All proceeds from the game, which has raised more than $535,000 since its inception, benefit Children's Specialized Hospital and the Lakeview School, a program of the New Jersey Institute for Disabilities.
Practice venues: Woodbridge High School (Middlesex County All-Stars) and Union High School (Union County All-Stars).
Key dates: Middlesex County All-Stars visit the Lakeview School in Edison and Union County All-Stars visit Children's Specialized Hospital in Mountainside on July 18; Snapple Bowl banquet at Pines Manor restaurant in Edison July 20.
Tickets: Can be purchased at the gate for $10 or at each practice site during practices.
Previewing the game: Leading up to Snapple Bowl XXII, the Home News Tribune, Courier News and MyCentralJersey.com will feature at least one story daily, as well as videos.
Game coverage: Look for a game story, a notebook, a Middlesex County sidebar, a Union County sidebar, an A1 story, a photo gallery and video highlights from Snapple Bowl XXII in the Home News Tribune, Courier News and at MyCentralJersey.com.
Social media: Follow us via Twitter @MyCJ_Sports and @SnappleBowl for updates and to interact with reporters and Snapple Bowl XXII game director Marcus Borden.
