The Red Bank Register provided extensive coverage of Red Bank Regional’s 1975 state championship win over Hightstown. Below, 10 members of the 1975 team with RBR athletic director Del Dal Pra. (Click to enlarge)
They went 11-0 that year, and extended their winning streak to 28 games. But the capper of the 1975 football season for the Red Bank Regional Buccaneers was a hard-won, 46-44 victory over Hightstown for the Central Jersey Group II state championship.
“Those who were there are already calling it the greatest high school football game ever played in this state,” the Red Bank Register reported in the opening paragraph of a story about the contest.
Now, 40 years later, the Little Silver school is hoping to bring the players together again.
From a press release issued by the school:
Of the many highlights in the history of athletics at Red Bank Regional High School, one of the most memorable was the 1975 season of the football Bucs — a campaign in which the “Impossible Dream” team attained the Central Jersey Group II Football State Championship. Now, more than 40 years later, team member (and RBR athletic director) Del Dal Pra is extending a special invitation to all fellow teammates and their families, to attend a special ceremony in their honor.
Scheduled for 6 pm on Friday, October 2, the ceremony will be conducted at 6 pm at the school’s new fitness center, located adjacent to the football stadium at 101 Ridge Road on the RBR school campus. The event will be conducted at halftime during the home game in which the Buccaneers host the Neptune Scarlet Fliers.
“Sometimes things get missed,” Del Dal Pra comments. “It occurred to me when I attended the Class of 1975 40th reunion that this great feat in RBR sports history was not visibly displayed on our grounds.”
“So we are about to remedy that, and are hoping all former football team members receive the message to attend this ceremony. We will proudly re-introduce them to the community as a commemorative banner is placed on our stadium field…better late than never!”
The history of this team dates back to the beginning of the Shore Conference, and before state playoffs were even held. The team was riding a 27-game winning streak from 1973. While the inaugural year of playoffs took place in 1974, RBR’s football team was not invited to the championship (since two other teams had also achieved perfect records.)
But when the Bucs continued their winning streak with a third perfect season, RBR played the Central Jersey Group II state championship game against the Hightstown Rams. That championship game, in which the Bucs prevailed by a score of 46-44, is still considered the greatest in NJSIAA Playoff history.
RBR invites the community to get involved in helping to garner as much participation as possible from the champions of the Impossible Dream team in this special event. For more information, contact Del Dal Pra at [email protected] or call (732)842-8007.
