On the last Friday in February, more than 150 people gathered for a surprise tribute to Morris Sutter, a key member of Verona High School’s coaching staff in the 1960s and 1970s.
But it wasn’t just Sutter’s former athletes who turned out. They were there, of course, and you can see many former football players in the photos below, including Jamie Rotella, who flew in from Atlanta. The guests ranged from Sutter’s friends and teammates from his playing days at West Orange High School and George Washington University, to family and friends, VHS athletes who never played for him, band members and cheerleaders, as well as students from just about every class he taught, from phys ed to health.
“Morrie touched a lot of lives,” says Jim Battista, a member of the class of 1972 who helped organize the event with Carl McNamara and Bob DiTrani. “It was so nice to be able to say thank you for all he did.”
As they caught up with Sutter and each other, the guests also took time to sign a special football jersey: It was emprinted, of course, with a large number 37, the number Sutter always assigned to himself as he was lining out plays for his teams.
We’ve got a selection of the 200 photos that Dean Leuzarder took that evening below. If you want to see more, click here.
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