Ray Lucas rolls with the surging Blue Tide

By JJ CONRAD

STAFF WRITER | The Record

HARRISON — Ray Lucas is seeing a culture change in Harrison.

The former Blue Tide, Rutgers and NFL quarterback remembers the days when Harrison was known more for its tough style of football, not for its perennially contending soccer program that has collected 25 state championships to date.“My culture was: teams knew coming into Harrison that they were going to get a team that they didn’t want to see,” said Lucas, a 1991 Harrison graduate. “Win or lose, they knew they’d be getting in an ice bath when they were done. That mentality had to be transferred. I’m not saying this is a bad thing — I love the soccer program. But these football kids have been tired of hearing about how Harrison is a soccer town. The mentality is the biggest thing.”

While it may have taken a while — it’s been 30 years since the program’s last football state title in 1986 — it appears the transition is underway in a program that hasn’t reached the state playoffs since 1989.

The Blue Tide have started 3-0 with wins over Hawthorne, Elmwood Park and Lyndhurst. They’ve outscored those three opponents, 87-12, and will look to remain unbeaten tonight at Queen of Peace as their chase for the NJIC Liberty division title heats up. They are currently tied with Pompton Lakes, which they will see Oct. 15, atop the standings.

This is unfamiliar territory for Harrison. Its last non-losing season came in 2003, when it finished 5-5. In the 12 seasons since, the Blue Tide have gone 24-94.

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