Wall Honors 3 State Champion Football Teams

WALL, NJ — Thirty-five years after they donned uniforms and took their snaps on the way to a 33-game winning streak, they set foot on the gridiron again — this time to be honored for helping to start a tradition of excellence.

Members of the 1982 Wall Township High School football team, along with members of the 1983 team and the 2002 state championship team, were honored on Thanksgiving at halftime of the Wall-Manasquan game in Wall.

Wall won the back-to-back NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 3 titles amid a 33-game winning streak that extended from the 1982 season through 1983 and into 1984 under late coach John Amabile.

The 2002 Crimson Knights defeated Middletown South in the Central Jersey Group 3 title game in Chris Barnes's third year as head coach to cap a season where the only loss was on Thanksgiving to Manasquan.

Last year, as Wall was on its way to winning a fourth state championship (the Knights defeated Delsea in the South Jersey Group 3 final), the 1982 Wall team was being hailed as the greatest Jersey Shore football team of all time, in a reader poll "tournament" held by the Asbury Park Press. The 1982 Wall team received the most votes to claim the title. (Read more here.)

On Thursday, Wall fell to Manasquan 20-6 in the Thanksgiving rivalry game, evening the 18-year series at 9-9. But while the loss may have been a bitter moment, the memories of championships past and reminiscing with old friends and teammates surely made for a pleasant day.

Photos courtesy of Chris Rice and Fred Sprengel