By Darin Hayes In the annals of American football history, few high school games hold a story as rich, unique, and deeply resonant as the 1939 National Championship clash between Garfield (NJ) High and Miami (FL) High. Penned by veteran sports journalist and author Hank Gola, City of Champions uncovers this remarkable gridiron memory, set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the ominous beginnings of World War II. Gola’s book, entitled “City of Champions,” delves into the 1939 National Championship High School Football Game, where Garfield High School from New Jersey triumphed over the formidable Miami High School in a dramatic clash held in the Orange Bowl.
A Championship for a Cause: The 1939 Orange Bowl Classic
In an era when a national high school football championship was almost unheard of, the game was devised by the National Sports Foundation, led by sportswriter Grantland Rice, to benefit the Infantile Paralysis Association—President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s pet charity. On Christmas Night, 1939, the two powerhouse teams met in Miami’s Orange Bowl.
Miami High, a dominant Southern powerhouse unable to find local competition, operated with the funding and crowds of a college program. Their opponent, the undefeated, unheralded team from Garfield, New Jersey—a town built on the muscle of Eastern European and Italian immigrants—made a life-changing train journey south from the cold North.
The game was a defensive battle, with the Cinderella team from Garfield prevailing by a field goal with just two minutes left. The winning score was set up by a play featuring one of the country’s most highly recruited players, Benny Babula. This victory, an upset over the vaunted Miami program, secured the title for Garfield and became a point of pride passed down through generations.
A Defining Moment for the Greatest Generation
City of Champions is more than just a football story; it’s a look at the “Greatest Generation in the making.” For the Garfield players, most of whom had never traveled more than 50 miles from home, the trip to Miami was a surreal, fantasy-like experience complete with palm trees and a celebratory parade.
However, the innocence of this high school glory was short-lived. The book follows these young men as they transition from the gridiron to the battlefield. The teamwork and grit learned on the football field were immediately applied in service as nearly every player from both rosters entered the military shortly after the game, fighting in World War II.
Gola shares heroic and heartbreaking stories, including that of Garfield’s John Grambowitz, who played a pivotal role in the victory with his defensive play but was later killed in a training accident before seeing combat overseas. Star player Benny Babula, despite a promising college career being cut short by a knee injury, went on to serve on a PT boat, earning two Purple Hearts.
Journalistic Excellence Meets Sports History
Author Hank Gola, a veteran journalist who covered the NFL (including the Giants’ two Super Bowls) and the PGA Tour (witnessing the rise of Tiger Woods), brings his meticulous research and engaging storytelling to this unique chapter of football history. Gola’s book dives into the formations of the era—such as the Single Wing and Miami’s Short Punt Formation—and features fascinating details, including a naked reverse that led to Garfield’s go-ahead score.
This book is an essential read for anyone interested in the intersection of American sports, social history, and the pivotal pre-WWII era. You can find the book, City of Champions, on Amazon or other major bookseller websites.