By Andy Loigu

At Saturday afternoon’s home football game at Morrison Stadium, one of the most successful athletes in Hackettstown High School history, Doug Blake, was honored posthumously.

Blake died at the age of 70 on March 12, 2021. A member of the recently established Hackettstown Athletics Hall of Fame, Blake earned a dozen varsity letters in his four years at Hackettstown High School and earned All-State honors in three sports.

He was a four-year football starter and then was a Tiger at the collegiate level, playing for Princeton University.
In wrestling, Blake was a two-time state champion, at 157 pounds and then at 168 pounds, in 1967 and 1968. He had 38 wins and no losses during his junior and senior seasons.

In baseball, Blake pitched and played the outfield, well enough to get drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers while they were looking for the next Sandy Koufax. He chose to pursue an Ivy League education while playing football and baseball at Princeton instead. At Princeton, he led the nation in triples during his senior season on the diamond.

Professionally, he was an award winning member of the sales team for Pitney-Bowes until his retirement.
He excelled at everything he did.

Like the New York Yankees, Hackettstown High honors and recognizes and celebrates its sports stars and history with class and ceremony.

It would have been nice if the Tigers could have pulled out a win, but even though the young Hackettstown team gave it all they had, they lost 21-6 to visiting Lenape Valley.

Although Hackettstown is now 0-5, the Tigers are playing hard and hustling. With a young roster, they are building for a bright future, which may start next Friday evening when they host Newton.

They haven’t scored a defensive touchdown yet this year. When it happens, it may spark a big turnaround.

Running back Sam Burke gained an even 100 yards while Jackson Burke threw for 20, operating a run-first triple option offense, on a sunny Saturday. 

With Lenape Valley’s Patriots leading 14-6, the teams traded punts through the entire third quarter. As the fourth period started, the Patriots messed up a lateral pitch and the Tigers pounced on the fumble. With advantageous field position, the Tigers drove to the Lenape Valley 11, but alas, they fumbled and the visitors recovered.

Lenape Valley drove 98 yards, finishing the scoring drive with a six-yard run. The drive took several minutes off the scoreboard clock and tired out the Tigers’ defense, including several two-way players. The Tigers did not get the ball back until 2:02 remained in the game.

Don Smolyn, who coached the Patriots’ Wing-T wonder teams for 40 years is now retired, but the team is intent on carrying on the program’s winning tradition.

STREAKS TOP BOUND BROOK

Things went better for the Warren Hills Blue Streaks on Friday night, as they improved to 4-1 with a 33-20 win over visiting Bound Brook. Come Friday evening, Warren Hills will head east on Interstate 78 and take on Rahway.

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Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.