By Andy Loigu

In the first football meeting between the two schools since 1994, Warren Hills threw five touchdown passes in a 35-14 win over the visiting Big Red from Belvidere.

The official school nickname is the Belvidere County Seaters, but their loyal fan base, proud of their winning tradition, calls them Big Red.

Belvidere has more than held its own in recent competition with the Blue Streaks in sports like wrestling, soccer, baseball and softball, but for football Group 1 Belvidere and Group 3 Warren Hills are like David and Goliath.

The Streaks were leading a scrappy Belvidere squad 14-6 in Friday night’s game in Washington, when a fumble recovery by Tyler McCatharn gave Warren Hills a short field. Eight plays later, quarterback Kevin Farrell threw his third touchdown pass of the night, on a fade route to Justin Daniel deep in the end zone.

Farrell was 7 of 11 for 171 yards, flying the friendly skies. Just like the 7-11 stores, his receivers were open all night long.

Sophomore Luke Dugan finished up and completed 4 of 4 passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns.

The offensive line did an outstanding job of pass blocking and the running game helped keep drives going.

Looking back into history, Belvidere won that 1994 game 14-13, helping Big Red finish their season with a winning 5-4 record.

When the two teams were in the old Delaware River Conference, Belvy did extremely well in their battles with Warren Hills during the late 60s and the 1970s, winning nine of 12 games. Big Red won 14-12 in 1967, 21-12 in 1969, 28-0 in 1970, 6-0 in 72, 18-7 in 73, 6-0 in 74, 24-23 in 75, 8-7 in 76 and 7-0 in 77.

Warren Hills won 26-0 in 1968, 21-0 in 1978 and the teams played a 6-6 tie in 1971.

Belvidere’s nearest opponent in the county, in enrollment as well as geography, has been North Warren. However, the Patriots struggled to maintain a football program in the years from 1975 to 2008, while North Warren’s soccer program was tremendously successful. It is hard for a Group 1 to be great in both of those boys fall sports.

North Warren’s first winning season, 5-4 in 1979, is well remembered by longtime Blairstown boosters, because the five wins all were 6-0 shutouts. Among the victims were Hackettstown and Warren Hills teams which were not supposed to have any problems beating the undermanned Patriots. That’s why they play the games.

North Warren did not have another non-losing (5-5) season until 1998. Former Hackettstown player Marty Yudichak coached that team and did an outstanding job, giving life, spirit and hope to a program which had endured 18 consecutive losing seasons. Just keeping enough players interested to maintain the program was a challenge, much less winning some games.

Yudichak is now broadcasting high school football games live on WRNJ radio. He’ll be calling his alma mater’s traditional game with Warren Hills on Nov. 19.

By the way, North Warren shocked the experts one more time a decade ago, when the Patriots (with a small roster) crashed the party and won the opening game at the sparkling new Warren Hills stadium. Never underestimate those young men from the Blairstown and Knowlton area.

Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.