Giants' Victor Cruz Presents Brick Township With Football Town USA Title

BRICK, NJ — It's no secret that Brick Township has a football tradition that runs as deep as any in the state of New Jersey.

At Brick Township High School, the Green Dragons have won seven state sectional championships on the field. They have made 13 trips to the sectional finals. And they have dozens upon dozens of victories in the 59 years of the Green Dragons' existence. And, of course, the second-winningest coach in New Jersey football history, the beloved Warren Wolf.

Across town at Brick Memorial, the Golden Mustangs have won two state sectional titles.

Well, the two teams have one more title to add to that list: that of Football Town USA.

New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz stopped by Brick Township High School on Monday afternoon to present the title to the Green Dragons in an event that was kept hush-hush.

Football Town USA is a contest created by USA Football and the Giants "to celebrate and recognize cities in the Tri-State area with the most die-hard passion for pigskin." The program is sponsored by Chase.

In addition to the Brick Township football team and staff, Wolf, the second-winningest coach in New Jersey (his 361 wins were passed by Vic Paternostro of Pope John VI in 2009) was in attendance.

Brick Township beat out Manasquan, Phillipsburg and Middle Island, New York, for the title. Fan voting decided the title, which also comes with a $5,000 grant for equipment.

The contest included brief descriptions of the four finalist towns. For Brick, it said: "Brick is steeped in football tradition, dating back to the days of legendary Brick Township High School head coach Warren Wolf, who won an astounding 361 games during his 51-year tenure. Nowadays, there are two bona fide football powers within the city. Brick Memorial High School, which opened in 1980, captured section titles in 2003 and 2008, and played in the title game in 2015."

Here are the descriptions of the towns Brick Township beat:

Manasquan: Football is truly a community event in Manasquan. The season starts unofficially on Father’s Day with a team breakfast where, for the first time this year, three generations of former players were in attendance. The day before Thanksgiving, the town runs a parade on the eve of the school’s big rivalry game, featuring numerous local organizations. The passion for football runs so deep in Manasquan that a former mayor doubled as the high school football team’s videographer for 32 years. Manasquan is also home to legendary coach Vic Kubu, who captured 10 section titles for the program.

Phillipsburg: The biggest Thanksgiving football rivalry in New Jersey is so massive, it doesn’t just include the Garden State. Football-crazed Phillipsburg takes on Easton, Pennsylvania, every Thanksgiving in a showdown that brings fans flocking from both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The sport is so significant in the area that in 2009, Gatorade staged a “Replay” game. The unique event allowed players (and cheerleaders) that participated in a 1993 contest that ended in a tie to take the field and settle the score as adults. That game drew a crowd of 15,000. With 676 wins, Phillipsburg is also the all-time winningest high school football program in state history.

Middle Island, New York: There’s strength in diversity for Longwood High School, located in Middle Island, New York. The school draws from one of the largest districts in the state, playing home to students from seven different towns and municipalities, who come together under the Friday night lights in Middle Island. The bonds formed transcend the sidelines, as players routinely share meals with coaches and the stands are packed with alumni, teachers and former players. It seems as if the entire community lives by the mantra of the football team: "Pride, Spirit, and Heart.”

Here is the Brick Township video:

Main photo courtesy of Nicole Scardilli