By Andy Loigu

October was a great month for teams wearing blue, like the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Field Hockey Tournament champion Warren Hills Blue Streaks and the Warren Hills football team, who has remained the proud custodian of The Beater Board.

For coach Erica Chesniak’s field hockey team, it was a time of redemption. After suffering losses by 3-1 and 2-0 scores to North Hunterdon in Skyland Conference Delaware Division play, they finally defeated their nemesis by a 3-1 score on the road at North Hunterdon in the H/W/S championship final.

Rylie Wyckoff scored two goals to lead the Blue Streaks’ offense. Samantha Heinrich scored a goal and also assisted on a goal. Kaylie Perticari also assisted. Netminder Emma Fraumeni turned away Lions’ shots on goal five times.

Warren Hills heads into the state sectionals with a 15-6 overall record, 8-2 (behind only 9-0 North Hunterdon) in the Skylands Delaware standings.

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The Beater Board is still on display at Warren Hills High School in Washington after the Blue Streaks’ 57-14 emulsification of Hackettstown. 

Dylan Duerring  gained 234 rushing yards to highlight the Streaks’ dominant ground game. He scored five touchdowns, carrying the football on a pair of 15-yard runs, and runs of 20 yards, one yard and seven yards.

He told the press that he could not have done it alone. “I have the easy job, I just carry the ball,” he said. “My line, they have to move the big guys.”

Duerring also shined on defense, playing on both sides of the ball. He made nine tackles, including two sacks on which the Tigers suffered losses of yardage.

Going against Lions and Tigers, the Blue Streaks’ teams could relate to Baltimora’s 1986 hit song, Jungle Life.

The Blue Streaks gridders now have 50 wins in their series with the Hackettstown Tigers, which plays on for the 100th time next year. The neighboring districts have battled to six ties over the years.

Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.