Easton Rotary was on the road as we travelled across the Pond for a visit with our Phillipsburg friends and the annual Football Luncheon. The dining room at Mainline was packed with Rotarians, school administrators, coaches, players, and cheerleaders. Phillipsburg Rotary President Debbie Shelly opened the meeting with a brief history of the Easton/Phillipsburg football rivalry.
This will be the 117th edition of an iconic series that dates back to 1905 (just like Rotary!). The game has always been played at Lafayette College and is expected to be a sellout once again. The game has twice been televised nationally by ESPN with each team managing to win once. Easton holds the series lead at 67-44-5 but the Stateliners have taken the last two games.
A special guest for the day was William Slavin who will be attending the game for the 89th time. Easton President Gordon Bigelow called our attention to the amazing Rotary Football Trophy that was hand-crafted by Terry Pundiak. Phillipsburg Senior Angelena DeMarco delivered a beautiful solo rendition of God Bless America.
Phillipsburg Athletic Director Kyle Fleming reminded us to not take the game for granted. Remember the emptiness we felt in 2020 when the game had to be cancelled. Phillipsburg Cheerleader Coach Mikee Ciavarella told us about the tradition of organizing a food drive where the squads from both schools cross the river to deliver Thanksgiving meals to needy families. Phillipsburg Football Coach Frank Duffy remembers playing in the big game. He claims to never really be surprised by the outcome because the players on both sides come from similar communities and are so passionate about this game.
Easton Athletic Director Matt Baltz heralded the exciting turnaround for the Rovers as they compiled an excellent record. Easton Cheerleader Coach Kim Stout spoke about the long list of traditions that go along with the game. She feels that if you are on the inside of these traditions looking out you can’t properly explain the feelings and if you are on the outside looking in, you can’t properly understand it. Easton Head Football Coach Matt Seneca is in his 2nd year of the tradition. Last year he feels he was baptized by fire and somewhat overwhelmed. This year he has been able to enjoy seeing everything and appreciates it more. A Senior Easton Captain spoke about what football means to him including meeting incredible people, being motivated on and off the field, accountability, leadership, working together, and the reward of reaching goals in football and life.
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