Mud Bowl raises $30,000 for local organizations

North Shore Mudsharks of Peabody, Mass., won their first World Mud Bowl championship, defeating the defending 16-time champion Muddas Football Club of Amherst, 20-18, in the finals, but the real winners were local charities as nearly $30,000 was raised during the three days of football fun.This year's 13-game, double-elimination tournament was held Sept. 9-11, at North Conway's Hog Coliseum. and raised approximately $30,000 for local charitable organizations, including $1,700 for the American Red Cross' Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.Since the first Mud Bowl was held in North Conway in a cornfield in 1976, more than $430,000 has been raised for charities. Primary beneficiaries are the North Conway Community Center, North Conway Day Care and Carroll County Retired Senior Volunteer Program.Eight teams from New England participated. Respective records were: North Shore Mudsharks, champs (4-0); Muddas Football Club (3-1); 1999 champion Nashua Mud Gumbys of Nashua (2-2); 2001 champion Merrimack Mudcats (2-2); 11-time champion Mt. Washington Valley Hogs of North Conway, (1-2); the founders of the Mud Bowl, the Carrabassett Valley Rats of Kingfield, Maine (0-2) and Peabody Predators of Peabody, Mass. (0-2).In the 24th annual Tournament of Mud Parade Saturday, Sept. 10, Amoskeag Beverages, the parade and event sponsor, awarded the following prizes to the groups and the charities of their choice; Open Class: first: Imari and the Sahara Desert dancers of Bridgton, Maine ($250); second: Conway Area Humane Society ($150); and third: Christmas Farm Inn Trolley Group London double decker bus ($100).In the Team Class, winners were: first: Nashua Mud Gumbys Mud Time Machine, second: Muddas Football Club (Jen's Friends Cancer Society); and third; Merrimack Mudcats (American Red Cross).In the spirit award, the Muddas cheerleaders won first place, followed by the Mudbassadors of North Conway.Voted in as Mud Bowl Queen was Anna Paul of the Muddas cheerleading squad.The weekend was highlighted by perfect weather and the Mud Bowl Ball at Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway.The Mudsharks were buoyed by four players free agents, if you will who left the Muddas after last season to join the Mudsharks, including quarterback Dave Castro and perennial Mud Bowl MVP Adam Gillen, a former All American soccer goalie in college who plays defensive safety and wide receiver.Other former Muddas now on the Mudsharks include Matt Italia and Tim Swabowitz. Italia and Castro have now played on three Mud Bowl championship teams: the 2001 champion merrimack Mudcats of Franklin.; the Muddas and now the Mudsharks.Scoring for the Mudsharks in the close, exciting finals Sunday at North Conway's Hog Coliseum were Al Smith (two TDs and one interception) and Gillen.Scoring for the Muddas on passes from quarterback Jay Holder were Josh Phillips, both second generation Mud Bowlers; Chris Tarduf, and Holder, who ran in for the Muddas' third TD in the third quarter to put them ahead, 18-14.The Mudsharks went ahead 20-14 on a pass from Castro to Gillen.The Muddas were pressing with 36 seconds left to go in the final minute of mud but Smith snagged an interception to allow the Mudsharks to splash off to victory in the knee-deep mud.