Opponents Once More

The communities of Keyport and Keansburg are not just connected in location, but also in the importance of high school football to the towns. The two Northern Monmouth County towns are so alike that their high schools have become football rivals. The annual game is played late in the season and each is intense as both teams play in the same division. While fans of Keansburg and Keyport will have to wait until October 29 for their teams to play, they will get a new form of the rivalry as ex-Keansburg and Keyport players will play this Saturday (June 18) during an alumni football game at Keansburg’s Titan Stadium.

OT Football organized the game and the former Keansburg and Keyport players will collide in a full contact game with the kickoff scheduled at 4 p.m. The teams began organizing back in February with Keansburg winning a coin toss to host the game. The oldest Titan dates back to the 70’s and the squad is led by captain Dennis O’Keefe and other Keansburg legends like Jim Luchina and Bill Hutchins.

Keyport has dominated the rivalry between the schools and will rely on Charlie and Rich Perez, who are captains of the team. Many of the former Red Raiders graduated in the 90’s including Evan Doucette, Pete Christathakis, and Greg Kemp. Former Temple running back Efrain Carrera returns to his alma mater to play in the alumni game.

Both teams are not just playing for pride, as they are raising money for the two school’s sports programs. General admission is $10 with kids 5 and under free.