Football season is coming to an end, which brings some schools to playoffs, but in Nanuet, our attention is more focused on our Little Brown Jug Game, better known as just The Jug – the ritual Nanuet versus Pearl River rivalry.
All Nanuet students know about the history of the Jug Game, and its importance to Nanuet culture, especially the student council.
“Our first win was in 1961, and we have 41 wins,” said Senior Class Representative Ryka Rohilla. “I think we could make that 42 this year.”
The Jug has always been a big deal, and Nanuet alumni felt the same anticipation and anxiety in their time at Nanuet, including an alum who now works as a substitute teacher, who wished to remain unnamed.
“I was in Nanuet from 2015-2019,” she said. “We lost once, when I was a junior in high school. The next two years after that loss, it was insane. All anyone wanted was to win the next year.
“I think the craze has definitely mellowed out a little bit since then,” she continued. “If you didn’t get to the game by a certain time, you weren’t allowed in because even the fields around it had reached capacity, and were just packed with people.”
“When we post, we don’t use the letter P, because Pearl River starts with a P. We use a red X instead in its place.”
— Cadence Mullings
In 2021, an Instagram account was created to represent the Nanuet student section, Black Sunrise. The page is used to inform students about games all throughout the year, but especially during football season. Students look to the page for the “game theme” which details what to wear to show spirit, such as Pink-Out for breast cancer awareness or Fright Night for Halloween.
This year, seniors John Gallagher and Cadence Mullings are in charge of the page.
“The role of Black Sunrise during Jug Week is to inspire school spirit,” Gallagher claims. “When we post, we don’t use the letter P, because Pearl River starts with a P. We use a red X instead in its place.”
“We just want to get everyone hyped up for the big game,” Mullings added. “The rivalry has always existed, and we’ve had the Jug for five years, and we want to keep it.”
The game is a huge deal off the field, but even more nerve-wracking and exciting for the football players who are striving to bring home the Jug for Nanuet.
“I think it’s the most important game of the year, and we have to win,” Wide Receiver Jonathan Diaz said. “The coaches are definitely more intense the week leading up to the game, and we work harder in practice for sure.”
The Jug is Saturday, October 21; make sure to be there in black and gold to suXXort this sacred Nanuet Knight tradition.