Football: Shaun O'Hara charity game fills a void, pits seniors from Somerset and Hunterdon

HILLSBOROUGH – Team Rocky knocked off Team Otto 21-7 Wednesday night in the first Shaun O’Hara Foundation Senior Bowl at Hillsborough High School. That was the fun and easy part.

The No. 1 objective was saving the high school all-star football game pitting graduating seniors from Hunterdon and Somerset counties. A crowd of about 1,000 at Noonan Field was a very promising sign.

Hillsborough High School, Rutgers graduate and former NFL center Shaun O’Hara, who played with the Browns and Giants from 2000 to 2010, was a major piece in keeping the game going. The three-time All-Pro won a Super Bowl ring with the 2007 Giants.

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Now a father of three, O’Hara heard about the challenge of sustaining the game and lent his name and foundation to the event. Proceeds go to O’Hara’s foundation that assists families affected by Cystic Fibrosis and raises awareness to the illness to others.

The game was formerly known as the Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone Bowl named after the Raritan Borough legend and World War II Marine hero. The game began in 2013 at Bridgewater-Raritan High School and was played nine times but cancelled in 2023 because of funding issues and in 2020 because of the pandemic.

As time was running out on playing this year, the efforts of a core of area coaches led by Montgomery’s Zoran Milich, Hillsborough’s Kevin Carty and Watchung Hills’ and former Giant Rich Seubert saved it. Seubert, a 10-year Giant offensive guard, played alongside O’Hara with the ‘07 Super Bowl champs.

Seubert was instrumental with Milich and Carty and game executive Jim Ruh in moving the game south about 10 miles from the event’s original home.

Team Rocky – named for late Hillsborough athletic director Rocky Forte – was made up of players from Bridgewater-Raritan, Delaware Valley, Watchung Hills, Franklin and South Hunterdon. Team Otto – named for late Hillsborough football coach Otto Gsell –was composed of players from Hillsborough, Montgomery, Pingry, Hunterdon Central, Somerville, North Hunterdon, Manville and North Plainfield.

The families of both men were in attendance and recognized at halftime along with longtime Raider booster Bruce Wayne.

Ruh, a Hillsborough resident and executive director of the Foundation, and O’Hara were very encouraged by the atmosphere.

Ruh said he’d hope to have had the game played last year, but there wasn’t enough time.

“I think with this type of support I think we should be able to sustain it and do it again, the interest has been great, the kids have been really excited, and the crowd is good,” said Ruh, adding that the event is looking to add corporate sponsorship. “The participation has been great.”

O’Hara stood on the sideline to watch the game, taking pictures with plenty of fans and players. He also had a few words of encouragement in the post-game gatherings of both teams.

“It’s really cool to be back here and really neat to see these kids get a chance to suit up again as high school seniors and play one last time,” said O’Hara, a 1995 Hillsborough graduate. “You know it's great to see the support, the stands are packed, it’s unbelievable how many people came out to support this game and and these kids.

“The coaches did a great job of putting it all together and Jim Ruh for really kind of being the fire-starter with getting this game going, getting the ball rolling and getting all the logistics taken care.”

Bridgewater-Raritan’s Jack Bray and Dane Sorensen were named Co-MVPs on offense for Team Rocky. Delaware Valley defensive back Keith Polin earned defensive MVP for a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the opening half that gave his team a 21-7 lead.

“It was great to play with the guys again,” Sorensen said. “We had four or five Bridgewater kids playing with us, so Just to have the opportunity to play with our team again was really good.”

Polin had an interception for Del Val last season, but that one didn’t end in a trip to the end zone like the one in the O’Hara game.

“It felt great getting one in an all-star game like this,” said Polin.

Team Otto’s TD also came on an interception return as Hillsborough’s Nicholas Santa Barbara went 51 yards to tie the game at 7-7 with 6:32 remaining in the first quarter. Santa Barbara was defensive player of the game and Pingry’s Joshua Woodford offensive player for Team Otto.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Football: Somerset and Hunterdon play in Shaun O'Hara charity game