While the big game was played in Atlanta yesterday, Guttenberg officials settled some scores on the grid iron at James J. Braddock yesterday during the “Mayor’s Bowl:’ in an intense inaugural game of flag football.
Both teams, Mayor Wayne Zitt’s squad and another compiled with Guttenberg police officers, played very competitively at James J. Braddock Park in North Bergen, and the match proved to be a physical one as both offenses worked hard to find the end zone.
Some tension erupted when the Guttenberg PD thought they had scored a touchdown to take the lead, but the sideline referee called the receiver down at the one-yard line.
They failed to punch it in from the goal line the next play as the defense held up, costing Guttenberg PD a vital touchdown that would prove to be a turning point in the game.
They got the ball back on the last drive of the game, and had another opportunity to take the lead as they had the ball in the red zone with 3 seconds left.
The quarterback stepped back into the pocket and threw to a receiver right in the middle of the end zone just passed the goal line, but a defender was able to deflect the pass, just out of reach of another receiver at the point of the tip.
That meant that Zitt’s team had done enough to hang on for a narrow 14-12 victory, to the delight of his enthusiastic teammates.
It was the very first matchup among Guttenberg’s elected and civil service officials and Guttenberg Mayor Wayne Zitt said in an interview after the game he hopes this will spark a new tradition.
“This is the first time, and we hope to do this every year; it’s an excellent opportunity to get to know each other and to build camaraderie with each other outside the work place,” Zitt stated.
