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   Coach who put Millville on the map dies at 89 By GIUSEPPE UNGARO Staff Writer gungaro@thedailyjournal.com MILLVILLE -- Even when Anthony Barbose was a young child, he knew his father, John, the legendary Millville High School football coach, was different. "Oh God, yeah," said Anthony Barbose. "I knew when I was 6 years old, the way my father would interact with the players. He always had players around the house. They were part of the family." Many in Millville and surrounding communities felt they lost a family member Wednesday as John Barbose died at South Jersey Extended Care Facility in Bridgeton after an extended illness. Barbose, a Port Elizabeth resident, was 89. "It's going to be a huge void in a lot of people's lives," former Millville coach Tony Surace said. "It's going to be a huge void in my life." Barbose, who was born in Pennsylvania, arrived in Millville to teach and be an assistant football coach in 1947. He took over the program two years later, the first of 13 unforgettable years. Barbose united the city like no other coach before or since, as he built the Millville football program into the best in the state during the 1950s. Hordes of people would pack Wheaton Field. Some fans without tickets would climb on top of houses and buildings, overlooking the field, just to get a clear view of the action. The Barbose-coached Thunderbolts were best known for an astounding 31-game winning streak, which began in 1952 and didn't end until Thanksgiving Day against Vineland in 1955. It simply became known as "The Streak," a South Jersey record that stood for 40 years. "I was at a dinner last night in North Jersey, and the 1950s were brought up and a guy said, 'You guys won all those games in a row.'" Surace said. "The impact he had was to put Millville on the map, so to speak." Barbose coached 13 years and amassed an 85-27-4 record, which is second best in school history. However, his influence over the program is second-to-none. "John was a true friend, and I can't put a price on how much that means to me," said former football coach Dave Heck. "On top of that are his contributions. His contributions to Millville football are the measuring stick." Tommy Wickward, Millville's current football coach, said: "The tradition of Millville football starts and ends with John Barbose." Barbose was a kind, giving person by all accounts, but he also was a demanding coach who expected his players to always act accordingly on and off the field. The lessons Barbose dished out to mold quality football players also pertained to life. The lessons still stick with the players to this day. "It's almost a guide to life," said Berwin Kirby, who was a halfback and linebacker for Barbose. "You don't lie down when you get knocked down. You get back up." Barbose's impact reached farther than the gridiron or his football players. He was a history teacher; he started the tennis and wrestling programs; he became the school's athletic director. Millville Mayor James Quinn knew Barbose as a teacher and has followed his advice ever since high school. "He said, 'Jim if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything,'" Quinn recalled. "That's something I lived my life by," Ed Andrews, who played for Barbose, acknowledged that his former coach and teacher was the main reason he chose to be an educator. "I saw how he taught and how well he related to young people," Andrews said. "It inspired me, and I knew what I wanted to do at that time. I wanted to emulate him as a person, teacher and coach." Staff writer Ben Watanabe contributed to this report.

(Above) John Barbose discusses his football coaching career at his home in Port Elizabeth in this 2002 photo.

   Click here to see a nice artical about Johns career.

(Above) John Barbose stands next to a plaque naming John Barbose Stadium at Wheaton Field in this 2003 photograph.

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