Section Nine Football

THE BLACK AND BLUE BOWL TROPHY GAME

This Friday night the Highland Huskies will host the Marlboro Iron Dukes in the big ‘Black and Blue Bowl’ game between two rivals that go way back to the late 1950’s in the days of the Ulster County Athletic League which turned into the Mid-Hudson Athletic League in 1980.

Football probably cannot find a better name for a rivalry, inclusive of the school colors ‘Black’ for Marlboro, and ‘Blue’ for Highland. The winner gets the trophy to safely put into its case for another year, signifying the pride and tradition of these Ulster County communities.

Marlboro has a long 13-game winning streak in this series entering this season’s contest, which commenced under first-year coach Rich Ward in 2010, followed by Brian Beck in 2018, and continuing today with coach Ryan Brooks. Highland had a good run from 2005-2009 and also through the nineties with coach Carl Relyea (1986-2015). Other Highland coaches that have contributed were Lem Atkins (1962-77), Ron Montalto (1978-79), Carl Ferraro (1980-85), John McFarland (2016-18), Joshua Tatum (2019), and currently Tom Schlappich. Let’s not forget Dennis Burkett (1974-86), Dave Onusko (1987-90), Walt Samselski (1991-1996), and Bob Koonz (1997-2009) for Marlboro. We will list several game scores going back more than 40 years for this great matchup. Anyone with more info may drop us a line at rockrich@optonline.net.

1977 – Highland 8, Marlboro 6
1978 – Marlboro def. Highland
1979 – Marlboro 30, Highland 0
1980 – Marlboro 20, Highland 16
1981 – Marlboro 12, Highland 0
1982 – Marlboro 16, Highland 8
1983 – Marlboro 28, Highland 6
1984 – Marlboro 12, Highland 0
1985 – Marlboro 20, Highland 2
1986 – Marlboro 16, Highland 15
1987 – Marlboro 8, Highland 6
1988 – Marlboro 20, Highland 0
1989 – Highland 28, Marlboro 20
1990 – Marlboro 35, Highland 6
1991 – Highland 20, Marlboro 0
1992 – Marlboro 14, Highland 0
1993 – Highland 13, Marlboro 7
1995 – Marlboro 6, Highland 0
1997 – Highland 21, Marlboro 0
1998 – Marlboro 28, Highland 14
1999 – Marlboro 42, Highland 0
2001 – Marlboro 36, Highland 0
2002 – Highland 13, Marlboro 7
2004 – Marlboro 28, Highland 14
2005 – Highland 33, Marlboro 19
2006 – Marlboro 16, Highland 12
2007 – Highland 13, Marlboro 0
2008 – Highland 21, Marlboro b6
2009 – Highland 47, Marlboro 8 … Highland 42, Marlboro 12
2010 – Marlboro 23, Highland 6 … Marlboro 29, Highland 6
2011 – Marlboro 29, Highland 7
2012 – Marlboro 34, Highland 0
2013 – Marlboro 39, Highland 28
2015 – Marlboro 62, Highland 0
2016 – Marlboro 59, Highland 3
2018 – Marlboro 60, Highland 0
2019 – Marlboro 56, Highland 3 … Marlboro 56, Highland 0
Spring 2021 – Marlboro 58, Highland 0
Fall 2021 – Marlboro 43, Highland 14
2022 – Marlboro 19, Highland 0

2023 UPDATE – Marlboro 13, Highland 0

THE BATTLE OF THE VALLEY (AKA ‘THE HELMET GAME’)

Way back before anyone in NY state could envision such a thing as a ‘State Tournament’ where teams from different regions could play to determine bragging rights, we deferred to our league rivals. The creation of Valley Central HS in 1960 (after two years of ‘Montgomery High School’) was a sign of changing times. From 1927-1957, the Walden ‘Knifetowners’ had two main football enemies: Goshen and Warwick. The teams fought for the ‘Little Three’ small village school title, which continued even after the OCL entered the scene (1953) through 1963.

Meanwhile, Wallkill battled in the trenches against UCAL and MHAL Ulster County foes like Highland, Marlboro, New Paltz, Rondout Valley, and Saugerties. Liberty also spent a short time in that league after temporarily exiting the Western Sullivan League.

Since the Mid-Hudson Athletic League and the Orange County League ended their respective football runs when the New York State Public High School Athletic Association prepared for a complete state tournament, this made new rivalries possible within the framework of sectional play. Wallkill and Valley Central are two programs that have found that special kind of competitive bond through both community and geographic location. Thus …. THE BATTLE OF THE VALLEY" is now an every-year matchup.

The signature trophy of the yearly winner is THE HELMET, which the athletes from both schools want as a symbol of local pride. Coaches Ron Introini of Valley Central and Dave DerCola of Wallkill agreed to kick off this special series in 2000, but we’ll give you the scores of all the documented games that the Panthers and Vikings have played since 1991, the year after both the MHAL and OCL ended in football. According to our records, Wallkill holds a 16-13 lead in the overall series, and a 13-10 edge since THE HELMET came into play in 2000. We’ll update this page whenever we get new results.

1991 – Valley Central 23, Wallkill 22

1992 – Valley Central 14, Wallkill 0

1994 – Our records from this season are a bit sketchy – anyone with info may e-mail rockrich@optonline.net

1996 – Wallkill 6, Valley Central 0

1997 – Valley Central 39, Wallkill 26

1998 – Wallkill 19, Valley Central 8

1999 – Wallkill 10, Valley Central 7

2000 – Wallkill 12, Valley Central 7 (first game for THE HELMET)

2001 – Wallkill 27, Valley Central 3

2003 – Wallkill 61, Valley Central 13

2004 – Wallkill 31, Valley Central 0

2005 – Valley Central 23, Wallkill 0

2006 – Wallkill 21, Valley Central 14 (OT)

2007 – Valley Central 21, Wallkill 7

2008 – Wallkill 14, Valley Central 10

2009 – Valley Central 38, Wallkill 28

2010 – Wallkill 20, Valley Central 14

2011 – Wallkill 43, Valley Central 33

2012 – Wallkill 23, Valley Central 22

2013 – Valley Central 42, Wallkill 24

2014 – Valley Central 28, Wallkill 27

2015 – Valley Central 31, Wallkill 19

2016 – Wallkill 21, Valley Central 7

2017 – Valley Central 42, Wallkill 21

2018 – Valley Central 55, Wallkill 21

2019 – Valley Central 47, Wallkill 14

Spring 2021 – Valley Central 22, Wallkill 19

Fall 2021 – Wallkill 7, Valley Central 0

2022 – Wallkill 14, Valley Central 7

2023 – Wallkill 25, Valley Central 20

THE DUSO LIST OF CHAMPIONS

By FEARLESS PHIL The old DUSO (Dutchess-Ulster-Sullivan-Orange)“city” football league made its debut in 1923 with the five teams that basically comprised it: Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Newburgh, Middletown and Port Jervis. Monticello, a DUSO member in other sports, gave the football league a try in 1926 and 1927 but found the level of play way over its head. Poughkeepsie dropped out after the 1928 season when, after a 13-0 home loss to Port Jervis, some angry Pokip fans went after a Port Jervis man whom they accused of spying on their team during the week. Since the man had driven some of the Port players to the game, fans and players from both schools got into a melee. Police had to give the Port folks a police escort out of town.

The result was an “athletic break” between the two schools. Poughkeepsie chose to leave the DUSO, earning them a lot of criticism even in their hometown. Eight years later (1936) Poughkeepsie returned to the DUSO. The Pioneers’ next hiatus from the league lasted from 1945 through 1950. Then, winning four titles along the way, they stayed put in the DUSO for 15 straight years. After getting pounded in ’64 and ’65, however, the Pioneers again rounded up their covered wagons and left for good. With the DUSO a four-team league again, the first murmurings of shutting down the league could be heard. With only three league games, the DUSO quartet was finding it increasingly difficult to fill out an eight-game schedule.

After the 1969 season Port Jervis left the DUSO for the OCL where the Raiders immediately found an eight-game schedule. Newburgh, Middletown and Kingston kept the DUSO alive for one final season in 1970. Middletown then went independent before joining the OCL in ’73. Meanwhile Kingston and Newburgh headed for the eastern side of the Hudson to play Section One ball until they each headed for the OCL in ’87 once the talk of a state tournament started turning into reality.

Here are the DUSO champions: 1923 – Poughkeepsie 1924 – Port Jervis 1925 – Port Jervis 1926 – Poughkeepsie 1927 – Poughkeepsie 1928 – Port Jervis 1929 – Newburgh 1930 – Middletown 1931 – Middletown/Newburgh (tie) 1932 – Newburgh 1933 – Kingston 1934 – Port Jervis 1935 – Middletown 1936 – Kingston 1937 – Middletown/Newburgh/Port Jervis (tie) 1938 – Port Jervis 1939 – Newburgh 1940 – Middletown/Kingston (tie) 1941 – Newburgh 1942 – Middletown 1943 – Newburgh 1944 – Middletown/Newburgh (tie) 1945 – Newburgh 1946 – Kingston 1947 – Port Jervis 1948 – Kingston 1949 – Newburgh/Kingston (tie) 1950 – Kingston 1951 – Newburgh 1952 – Newburgh 1953 – Poughkeepsie 1954 – Middletown/Kingston (tie) 1955 – Poughkeepsie 1956 – Kingston 1957 – Kingston 1958 – Kingston 1959 – Poughkeepsie 1960 – Poughkeepsie 1961 – Middletown 1962 – Middletown 1963 – Newburgh/Port Jervis (tie) 1964 – Middletown/Newburgh/Port Jervis (tie) 1965 – Middletown/Port Jervis (tie) 1966 – Middletown 1967 – Middletown 1968 – Newburgh/Kingston (tie) 1969 – Newburgh 1970 – Newburgh.

THE ORANGE COUNTY LEAGUE LIST OF CHAMPIONS

By FEARLESS PHIL While the old DUSO league was celebrating its 30th anniversary and the Port Jervis-Middletown rivalry was getting ready to play the premier “Battle for the Erie Bell”, the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association was introducing its “Village High School League” for the smaller schools with 11-man teams. The original league members were Highland Falls, Warwick, Goshen, Monroe-Woodbury, Cornwall and Walden. It took a few years for the Orange County League to catch on. Warwick, Goshen and Walden were far more concerned with their “Little Three” title, for example. The Goshen-Warwick rivalry dates back to 1896 and is the oldest in the section.

At the turn of the last century (1900-02), Chester, which is now re-entering varsity football play, was considered an area powerhouse… Cornwall fielded a team way back in 1905… The “Little Three” competition started in 1927… Warwick football historian George St. Lawrence reported that the Wildcats played Monticello in 1928, a year after the Sullivan school had left the DUSO. No wonder. In 1927 the Monties had lost to Port Jervis, 101-0! Highland Falls had played back in the late 20’s; Liberty and NYMA in the 30’s. Of course, several teams came and went from 1953-90. Pine Bush joined in ’58 only to leave in ’61 to join the UCAL where it won a title in ’69. In ’80 the Bushmen rejoined the OCL, but won no titles until sectional play in ’95… In ’58 Walden was replaced by Montgomery – probably just a different name for the same school since in ’60, Walden-Montgomery & Maybrook combined to form Valley Central… So, in 1961 the league consisted of Warwick, Goshen, Valley Central, Highland Falls, Monroe-Woodbury and Cornwall. Newborn Minisink Valley, with students drawn from the rural parts of the Port Jervis, Middletown, Goshen and Warwick school districts, started football in 1960. In ’64 the Warriors entered the OCL only to withdraw in ’67 and ’68. In ’69 Jim Wilson led them back into the OCL to win an immediate title.

‘69 also saw soccer power Washingtonville field its first varsity football team as a new OCL member. When the lack of teams started causing the DUSO to break up, Port Jervis headed to the OCL in 1970. Middletown came in 1973 while Newburgh and Kingston headed to Dutchess County and Section One until ’87 when they joined the OCL. Around ’75 Highland Falls started to go by its new name, James I. O’Neill. In 1981 Rockland County’s Pearl River became the OCL’s twelfth team. Remember, Rockland had been an important part of Section Nine until it moved over to Section One in the late 70’s. But Rockland schools never were a part of any football alliances with Orange, Ulster and Sullivan. Pearl River played here for just two seasons. With 12 OCL members and a 10-game schedule allowed by the state, 1981 saw the OCL split into two conferences, the large school American Conference and the small school National Conference, after much debate. NYMA (New York Military Academy in Cornwall-on-Hudson) joined the National Conference in 1989 and played there for two seasons. The section then went to divisional alignment.

Here are the OCL champs: 1953 – Highland Falls 1954 – Highland Falls 1955 – Goshen 1956 – Goshen 1957 – Walden 1958 – Warwick 1959 – Monroe-Woodbury 1960 – Highland Falls 1961 – Cornwall 1962 – Warwick 1963 – Warwick 1964 – Warwick 1965 – Cornwall 1966 – Warwick 1967 – Warwick 1968 – Valley Central 1969 – Minisink Valley 1970 – Goshen/Port Jervis (tie) 1971 – Port Jervis 1972 – Minisink Valley/Goshen (tie) 1973 – Goshen/Port Jervis (tie) 1974 – Monroe-Woodbury 1975 – Port Jervis 1976 – Monroe-Woodbury/Port Jervis (tie) 1977 – Goshen 1978 – Cornwall 1979 – Port Jervis 1980 – Port Jervis 1981 – Washingtonville (d. Port Jervis, NC Champ) 1982 – Monroe-Woodbury (d. Goshen, NC Champ) 1983 – Port Jervis (d. Monroe-Woodbury, AC Champ) 1984 – Warwick (d. Pine Bush, AC Champ) 1985 – Goshen (d. Monroe-Woodbury, AC Champ) 1986 – Port Jervis (d. Pine Bush, AC Champ) 1987 – Port Jervis (d. Kingston, AC Champ) 1988 – Monroe-Woodbury (d. Port Jervis, NC Champ) 1989 – Monroe-Woodbury (d. Port Jervis, NC Champ) 1990 – Warwick (d. Kingston, AC Champ) *AC = American Conference; NC = National Conference.

NOTE – Chester, Maybrook, Monroe, Montgomery, Pine Bush, and Tuxedo played 6-Man football in years just prior to the OCIAA.

THE WESTERN SULLIVAN LEAGUE LIST OF CHAMPIONS

By FEARLESS PHIL Like the UCAL, the Western Sullivan League (WSL) teams started out playing six and eight-man football. Jim Wilson remembers playing for Roscoe in the mid-50’s before going on to be a Little All-American at Ithaca College. In 1962 he returned to Sullivan County to coach Livingston Manor for two seasons before moving on to the OCL to lead Minisink Valley to its only two OCL titles. Delaware Valley, Eldred, Jeffersonville-Youngsville, Livingston Manor and Roscoe were the original members. NYMA joined in 1982 before moving to the OCL in 1989. Liberty was a member between 1984-1988.

Here are the WSL Champs: 1958 – Roscoe/Jefferson-Youngsville (tie) 1959 – Roscoe 1960 – Livingston Manor 1961 – Roscoe 1962 – Roscoe 1963 – Roscoe 1964 – Tri-Valley 1965 – Tri-Valley 1966 – Delaware Valley 1967 – Jeff-Youngsville 1968 – Delaware Valley 1969 – Jeff-Youngsville 1970 – Delaware Valley 1971 – Delaware Valley 1972 – Jeff-Youngsville 1973 – Jeff-Youngsville 1974 – Jeff-Youngsville 1975 – Roscoe/Livingston Manor//Jeff-Youngsville (tie) 1976 – Livingston Manor 1977 – Jeff-Youngsville/Livingston Manor (tie) 1978 – Tri-Valley 1979 – Livingston Manor 1980 – Tri-Valley 1981 – Jeff-Youngsville 1982 – Jeff-Youngsville (beat NYMA for a sectional C-D title) 1983 – Jeff-Youngsville 1984 – Tri-Valley 1985 – Tri-Valley/Jeff-Youngsville (tie) 1986 – Liberty 1987 – Jeff-Youngsville 1988 – Liberty 1989 – Roscoe (Class D champ) 1990 – Roscoe (Class D champ).