The Battle of the Beater Board

Hackettstown and Warren Hills faced off in their one hundredth game on Friday, October 24. Prior to the Friday night game, Warren Hills led the series 50-43-6 and was looking to protect their 5 year win streak over the Tigers. 

Despite the rivalry between the two schools, there were moments of comradery and respect. Prior to the game, both Tigers and Blue Streaks alumni were noticed for their past successes. The Tiger and Blue Streaks bands performed songs together, including the National Anthem. Both cheer teams also performed together. 

The significance of this game caused high attendance. Many Blue Streaks and Tigers came to show their support for their respective teams and their e rivalry. The “Tiger Zone” was a place where many got together and celebrated the rivalry prior to the game. 

The game began when Warren Hills senior Mekhi Garret ended a five play 69 yard drive with a 10 yard rushing touchdown. On the second play of the Blue Streaks’ second drive, quarterback Cohl Stevens connected with junior Don D’Aconti for a 37 yard touchdown pass. After the Tigers went three-and-out on their next drive, the Blue Streaks moved the ball into the endzone in only 1:04 of gametime. Stevens and D’Aconti connected once again for a 13 yard touchdown pass to extend Warren Hills’ lead to 19-0 with 2:16 minutes left in the first quarter. 

Hackettstown cut the deficit to 19-8 when sophomore quarterback Carter Bujno found junior receiver Kolton Maney on a 25 yard touchdown pass and found senior receiver Myles Hatten for the two-point conversion. After senior Michael Duffner grabbed an interception on their own two yard line, the Blue Streaks drove 98 yards down the field to extend their lead before the half on a 39 yard touchdown pass from Stevens to senior Davey Rinehart. At the end of the first half, the Blue Streaks were leading 33-8. 

In the third quarter, Stevens found Duffner for a 14 yard touchdown pass, extending the Blue Streaks’ lead to 41-8. To start the fourth quarter, freshman Carter Grant found sophomore Carter Bujno in the back of the endzone for a 6 yard touchdown pass, making the score 41-14. Following the Tiger touchdown, Rinehart returned a kickoff 75 yards for a Warren Hills touchdown, extending their lead to 48-14. With 2:51 minutes left in the game, freshman Grant found the endzone once again on a 4 yard rushing touchdown. The final score of the game was 48-20. With their win, the Warren Hills Blue Streaks moved to leading the series 51-43-6, adding a 6th game to their win streak.

Top performers for the Blue Streaks included Cohl Stevens, who completed 13/21 passes for 214 yards and 4 touchdowns. The junior also rushed for 94 yards on 14 attempts. D’Aconti had 3 catches for 58 yards and 2 touchdowns, as well as rushing for 72 yards on seven carries. Rinehart had 3 catches for 52 yards and 1 touchdown as well as racking up 10 tackles on defense. 

Top performers for the Tigers included Carter Bujno, who completed 7/14 passes for 107 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Bujno also had a receiving touchdown. Carter Grant completed 5/6 passes for 90 yards and 1 touchdown, as well as his 4 yard rushing touchdown. Junior receiver Kolton Maney had 7 receptions for 135 receiving yards. Senior Captain and linebacker Matt Tyburczy had 14 tackles on defense. 

The Battle of the Beater Board is a great tradition that has lasted for 39 years with 100 total games. It is safe to say that every time this game comes around, it means a lot more for both sides. Both teams showed their compassion and love for the game of football, and both the Tigers and Blue Streaks look forward to battling it out in the future.