Van Blunk Gallery (1975)

Some Background on the 1975 Season (125-lb Division) as told by Football Player Brian Van Blunk of the 1975 Fairview Co-Championship Team. "There were two divisions in the Garden State League. This win against Barrington (I believe) clinched the division for us, with a 5-2-2 record. [See photo gallery, Editor.] We then went on to face Haddonfield who were 9-0. They were the favorite to win the Championship. They had blown out everyone in the regular season. They embarassed us in Haddonfield 20-0. But on December 7, 1975, (a day which will live in infamy), they took us for granted in the Championship game.

"It was played at Triton High School, and the temperature was somewhere around zero. I remember getting to the field and the Haddonfield players were all in their cars with the heat on, laughing at us as we got off the bus to exercise before the game. What really had me psyched (personally) was the fact that after living my entire life in Fairview, I was now a freshman at Haddonfield High School, but still living in Fairview. (My grandparents lived in Haddonfield and we used their address in order for me to attend school. We moved there the following year.) So, I had classes with some of these guys. It, for me, was like something out of a movie. You know: lower middle class kid moves to the rich stuck up town, where they all think you're beneath them. I couldn't wait to make them pay.

"And in fact we did. We didn't win the game, but neither did they. The 4th quarter ended with Haddonfield on our goal line. We stopped them every time. So, at the end of regulation play the score was 0-0. We played one quarter of overtime, with us on their one yard line. We tried 3 consecutive running plays up the middle but to their credit they stopped us. The game ended 0-0 with both teams being declared Co-Champions. The bus ride home didn't feel like we won anything, but we were supposed to get our butts kicked. The Haddonfield quarterback was in alot of my classes and wouldn't speak to me for weeks, he was so ticked off. I always did enjoy that. I remember sacking him in the game and telling him 'Not today rich boy.' He liked to make 'slum' references about Fairview, so to me this was way more than just a football game. Like they say 'You can take the kid out of Fairview, but you can't take Fairview out of the kid.' My Dad still says it may be the most exciting football game he ever watched. I'm proud to have been a part of it." Brian Van Blunk (April 10, 2006), with minor editorial changes.