Earlier this year during the regular season of the Pee Wee Division of the Bi-County Scholastic Football League, The Secaucus Patriot team was leading in its game against West New York 12-0.
“Then West New York came back and tied us,” said Jason Elwell, one of the recreation football league’s coaches for Secaucus. “So you might say we have a grudge match coming up.”
The teams were slated to meet again Friday night, Nov. 21. The game had not yet been played at press time. It was to pit the champion teams in the football league’s American and National Divisions against each other at Englewood High School Football Field.
Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell said he and West New York Mayor Albio Sires had tried to secure Giants Stadium in East Rutherford to host the game – which had to be played on a neutral field.
“But our budget’s couldn’t afford it,” Elwell said.
Jason Elwell said Pee Wee level football plays by the same rules as high school football except there is more leeway as far as having two coaches to talk to the players on the field. What is being billed as the “Pee Wee Superbowl” brings together the top teams from each of the league’s two divisions. Secaucus finished with seven wins, one loss, and one tie. West New York finished with eight wins, no losses and one tie. These two teams tied each other in the regular season.
“This should be an exciting game,” Jason Elwell said.
Secaucus joined the Bi-County Scholastic Football League in 1997. Its Pee Wee team has played in the Superbowl once before and looks to repeat this year.
Meanwhile, Jason’s father, Mayor Elwell is looking to get bragging rights and has worked out a side bet with Mayor Albio Sires of West New York.
Both mayors were still in Atlantic City and working out the details of the bet during the League of Municipalities Convention at press time.
“Customarily, the mayor of the losing town gives something to the winning mayor that symbolizes that his town is about,” Mayor Dennis Elwell said. “If we lose, we could send a pig or a hundred pounds of beans to West New York. If West New York loses, then Mayor Sires would have to pick something from his town’s history.”