Mendham Snubbed in National ‘Best Rivalry’ Tournament

Organizing its second consecutive tournament, USA Today High School Sports is searching for the best football rivalry in the country.

But Mendham High School wasn’t added to the 2013 list.

The media outlet selected five high school football rivalries in each state plus Washington D.C. after a month of searching and having conversations with local media and state and school officials, according to its website.

Each state’s rivalry games were announced Monday afternoon and not a single team or contest in Morris County was selected. As chosen by USA Today, the top five contests nominated include:

• East Orange vs. Barringer (Newark)
• Millville Senior vs. Vineland Senior
• North Hunterdon vs. Voorhees
• Peddie School vs. Blair Academy
• Westfield vs. Plainfield

Season after season Mendham’s football team has played division and county rivals both in the regular season and playoffs. Battles against the West Morris Central Wolfpack, Morristown Colonials, and just-down-the-road Delbarton Green Wave often come to the forefront of football fans’ minds.

Just this past week, Mendham beat No. 3 seed Colonia in the first round of the NJSIAA North 2, Group 4 playoffs to set up a match for the ages against sister-school West Morris Central.  

USA Today’s full “best rivalry” competition can be found here.

Do you think Mendham was snubbed? Should the Minutemen football team have been part of the tournament in a contest with any of its rivals? Which of Mendham’s football opponents do you think qualifies for a rivalry?

Editor’s note: Patch was not contacted by USA Today during its selection process.