Shaun O’Hara Bowl coming back to Hillsborough, as standout seniors, coaches get ready for second annual All-Star showcase

For the second consecutive year, a Super Bowl champion is returning to his roots.

The Shaun O’Hara Senior Bowl – named for the former Hillsborough, Rutgers, and New York Giants standout and his foundation – will be played on June 11th at Hillsborough High School for the second time after kicking off in 2024. It replaces the Basilone Bowl, last played in 2022.

The Shaun O’Hara Foundation “focuses on creating awareness of life-threatening diseases for which there is little funding, helps to raise funds to support other 501(c) (3) organizations’ health and education initiatives”, with a focus on supporting research and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis.

Played by seniors all across Somerset and Hunterdon Counties, the game features 78 athletes from 15 different schools. They are broken into two teams, Team Otto and Team Rocky, each named after former Raider football pillars and Hall of Famers.

Click here to read our story with the full game rosters!

Otto Gsell – the namesake for Team Otto – was a longtime football coach at Hillsborough, becoming an assistant in 1987 and serving as defensive coordinator on state title teams in 1973 and 1980. He was head coach from 1988 to 1993, then moved back into an assistant role and head freshman coach under Mantz. He passed away in 2000, and was inducted into the Hillsborough Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014.

The inspiration for the Team Rocky name, Rocky Forte was inducted into the Hall in 2011. He was Athletic Director from 1978-2003, also serving as head wrestling coach for several years, but mainly oversaw the Raiders’ successful growth from a Group 2 athletic program in 1978 into a Group 4 by 2003, as the population in town exploded over several decades. He passed away in 2009.

Team Otto will be led by Hillsborough head coach Kevin Carty, while Watchung Hills head coach – and former teammate of O’Hara’s in New York – Rich Seubert will lead Team Rocky.

Many of the game’s players and coaches filed into Hillsborough High School for media day on Tuesday. Carty addressed the players and families in attendance, followed by former Raider and Shaun O’Hara Foundation chairman Jim Ruh, who had two sons play in the inaugural game in 2024. Then, it was O’Hara’s turn to address and rally the crowd in attendance. Click below to listen!

Click below to listen to O’Hara address the crowd at Tuesday night’s Shaun O’Hara Bowl Media Day:

Following O’Hara’s speech, each team’s rosters were announced and came together for photos .

Among the standout seniors playing in the game include Hillsborough running back Jackson Jankowicz, the winner of CJSR’s “Unbreakable Record Breaker” Award after scoring 31 touchdowns as a senior, and Bernards defensive lineman David Silva, the recipient of CJSR’s Leadership Award. Both spoke with CJSR about their high school experiences, chance to play one last high school game, and future plans.

O’Hara did as well, speaking about the event, coming back to Hillsborough, and the Shaun O’Hara Foundation.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel speak with former Hillsborough High School, Rutgers, and New York Giant standout Shaun O’Hara at Tuesday’s Media Day!

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel speak with Bernards defensive lineman David Silva and Hillsborough running back Jackson Jankowicz at Tuesday’s Media Day!