Columbia High School
Annual Alumni vs Varsity Game
|
|
Year
|
Score
|
Winner
|
Alumni
Roster
|
Varsity
Roster
|
Notable Info
|
|
1st
|
1970
|
25-22
|
Alumni
|
|
|
First graduating class returns to scrimmage the Varsity. "The Alumni jump off to a 10-2 lead, but the Varsity players come back to take a 17 to 16 advantage before finally succumbing." (Larry & Paul Schindel) |
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2nd
|
1971
|
|
Varsity
|
|
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In 1971 the Varsity consisting mainly of the same players as the year before, defeat the Alumni. |
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3rd
|
1972
|
22-20
|
Varsity
|
|
|
The legendary '72 team returns against their high school counterparts. |
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4th
|
1973
|
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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5th
|
1974
|
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
|
6th
|
1975
|
36-12
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
|
7th
|
1976
|
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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8th
|
1977
|
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
|
9th
|
1978
|
23-22
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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10th
|
1979
|
33-14 (?)
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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11th
|
1980
|
|
Varsity
|
|
|
|
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12th
|
1981
|
|
?
|
|
|
|
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13th
|
1982
|
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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14th
|
1983
|
|
Varsity
|
|
|
|
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15th
|
1984
|
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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16th
|
1985
|
|
Varsity
|
|
|
|
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17th
|
1986
|
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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18th
|
1987
|
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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19th
|
1988
|
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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20th
|
1989
|
|
Varsity
|
|
|
|
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21st
|
1990
|
|
?
|
|
|
|
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22nd
|
1991
|
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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23rd
|
1992
|
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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24th
|
1993
|
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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25th
|
1994
|
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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26th
|
1995
|
20-20
|
tie
|
|
|
|
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27th
|
1996
|
21-19
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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28th
|
1997
|
21-5
|
Varsity
|
|
|
|
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29th
|
1998
|
21-11
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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30th
|
1999
|
21-10
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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31st
|
2000
|
21-15
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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32nd
|
2001
|
21-9
|
Varsity
|
|
|
|
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33rd
|
2002
|
21-19
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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34th
|
2003
|
21-10
|
Alumni
|
|
|
|
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35th
|
2004
|
21-15
|
Varsity
|
|
|
|
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36th
|
2005
|
24-22
|
Varsity
|
|
|
|
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37th
|
2006
|
21-19
|
Alumni
|
|
|
Pouring rain. Varsity ahead at half 11-7. |
|
38th
|
2007
|
21-11
|
Varsity
|
|
|
Varsity went up 7-0 and took half 11-3. Weather: low 40s and strong gusty winds. Approximately 36 alums gathered to play. A few more in attendance. '72 grad Joe Barbanel's streak lives on. There is a growing buzz for next year. The 39th Annual and the 40th Anniversary. |
|
39th
|
2008
|
21-17
|
Varsity
|
|
|
The CHS family had a competitive evening tonight. The Columbia '09 team took the first half 11-1. The playing time rotation amongst the Alumni was to play chronological order (beginning with the earliest classes first). First rotation saw John Newmark, '70, Joe Barbanel, '72, Ed Summers, '72, Robin Newmark, '74, Dave Paris, '79, Larry Anouna, '87, Alex Perry, '87. Three rotations in resulted in a hole for the Alums 0-9. The fourth rotation consisted mostly of the '08 class that won the UPA's HS Easterns championship last May. They only managed one point as the Currents closed out the half, 11-1. It was agreed-upon prior to the game that we would play with a strict chronological order in the first half and use the "super" teams in the second half. Second half saw younger athletic teams narrow the gap. Leading the charge was Emilio Panasci, '00 (currently plays for New York's PoNY) and Evan Padget, '05 (captain of Colorado Mamabird). Final score, 21-17 to the current team. One amazing second-half highlight that stands out was an Alumni score on an Ed Frowely, '03, catch in the corner of the endzone (nearest to the Rock) and inches from the brook. Ed's defender, senior Jordan Taylor, '09, narrowly missed the D on a horizontal layout only to find his body falling into the brook. More amazingly, Jordan landed and with his momentum jumped over to the other side of the brook. None of the alums can ever recall a similar incident happening. |
|
40th
|
2009
|
15-13
|
Varsity
|
|
|
The Maplewood police paid a visit around 10:30, reporting the neighbors were complaining about noise. They insisted on shutting the game down at 11pm. At 11 o'clock, the Varsity was ahead at 15-13. This is the Varsity's unprecedented third victory in a row ('07, '08, '09). Five wins in the last six years. All-time series record is 24-13-1. (1981 and 1990 results still unknown). In the first 20 years, the Alumni had won 13 times and the Varsity 6. In the second 20 years, the Alumni have won 11 times and the Varsity 7 times and together tied once. |
|
41st
|
2010
|
21-19
|
Varsity
|
The 70s:
Joe Barbanel, ’72
Ed Summers, ’72.
The 80s:
Alex Perry, ’87.
The 90s:
Jason Bass, ’98
Anthony Nunez, ’98
Paul Lacy, ’98
Ben Haim, ’98.
The 00s:
Emilio Panasci, ’00
Ed Frowley, ’03
Evan Padget, ’05
Will Watts, ’05
Jaryd Emmens, ’05
Stephen Panasci, ’06
Ryan Thompson, ’06
Eric Cooney, ’07
Zander Padget, ’08
Declan O’Connell, 08
Alex Holtz, ’08
Jeremy Golden, ’09
Jordan Taylor, ’09
Michael Brenner, ’09
Mike Sender, ’09
Josh Sender, ’09
Loren Whitaker, ’09
Ben Richardson, ’09
Eli Graves,’10
Tony Zhang, ’10. |
Evan Walter, ’11
Matt Wright, ’11
Caleb Williams, ’11
Sebby Kaiser, ’11
August Kaplan, ’11
Conor Albino, ’11
Brian Phillips, ’11
Marques Brownlee, ’11
Chris Aguerio, ’11
Lucas Snarski, ’11
Connor Thompson, ’11
Saul Graves, ’13 |
2010 was another classic. The Alumni threw their best punches and didn't hold back. The traditional chronological rotations were set aside in favor of a more competitive strategy, younger generations going first with the old guard mixed in on later lines, along with a consistent O line. Current team struck first and managed a two-point lead as early 3-1 but the Alumni’s youth-first strategy eventually paid dividends allowing the old school a 7-4 lead.
The current team played unafraid, however, breaking the Alumni’s O line several times to narrow the first-half lead to, 11-10.
Early second half, the Alumni played sloppily with a few careless drops and huck-aways, allowing the Varsity to charge ahead. The not-so-little-anymore kids ran off a 5-2 run forcing the alums to call a time-out. 28 strong joined together in a rare huddle. Coming out of the timeout, alums resolved to force straight up for the first few stall counts and then force backhand, taking away Columbia’s dominant forehands.
Varsity pushed ahead to at least 17-14 and then 20-15. Alumni tightened the rotation and brought it to within one at 20-19. Varsity wins what was probably the most competitive game in our 41 years, 21-19.
Surprisingly, the current team brought only 12 of their 23 person roster, but including 11 of the 13-person 2011 senior class. Evan Walter, ’11, becomes the first active player to win four Thanksgivings in a row for the current team
Johnny Newmark and Joe Staker from the class of '70 were there but didn't play. |
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