Neptune, Asbury Park won't play 90-year-old Thanksgiving football game after threat

The annual Thanksgiving Day high school football game between Asbury Park and Neptune will not be rescheduled, school officials said on Wednesday. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

ASBURY PARK -- A decades-old rivalry Thanksgiving Day football game between Asbury Park and Neptune high schools that was postponed on Tuesday will not be rescheduled and will end in a forfeit by Neptune.

The game was initially postponed after school officials said they "received a credible, criminal threat that there were individuals who wanted to come in and cause harm to people attending the game."

The Superintendent of Schools in Asbury Park, Lamont Repollet, said the two schools were working together to find a mutually agreeable date to play the game.

The 90th meeting between the two teams was scheduled to be played at 10:30 a.m. at Butch Burno Stadium in Asbury Park.

However, a revised statement released shortly before 2 p.m. on Wednesday by Repollet said the two schools couldn't come to an agreement on a date to play the game.

"Despite many efforts to reschedule the Asbury Park-Neptune Thanksgiving Day football game, we were unable to reach a mutually agreeable date that would have allowed the game to be played," the statement said. "As a result, Neptune has decided to forfeit. Although I know players, alumni and fans are disappointed, be assured that we will work together with the Neptune Township School District to ensure the safety of all involved in the future and to allow this longstanding Shore tradition to continue."

A message to Neptune Superintendent Tami Crader was not immediately returned.

Police and school officials have not elaborated on the nature of the threat.

Asbury Park police Sgt. Michael Casey confirmed police are investigating an "unconfirmed threat" but said he could not comment further.

Capt. Michael McGhee of the Neptune Police Department said he had no knowledge of a threat.

"We had no input on the cancellation," he said earlier Wednesday. "I still don't even know what that threat is. It's really not an issue to us. These things come through all the time. We had zero input on this decision."

Casey also said the Asbury Park Police Department did not advise the school district to cancel the game.

Neptune High School, which is winless this year, led the rivalry 48-37-4. Asbury Park is 5-4 this year.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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