If you can’t make it out to Rutgers Stadium tomorrow, tune into Ch. 9 at 3 p.m. and watch Rob Lombardo of Somers and Darlos James of Iona Prep represent the area in the first annual New Jersey vs. Northeast Classic.

The game organizers have put together an extensive web site, which you can view here.

Both teams have been practicing since Wednesday, both in and out of the Stadium. There’s a banquet tonight and the game kicks off tomorrow at 3.

Lombardo, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker headed to Navy, and James, a 5-foot-11 cornerback bound for Maine, are the area’s lone reps. Ex-NFL great Joe Theismann will be their head coach. Phil Simms will lead the Jersey squad.

The Northeast squad consists of players from New York, Virginia, Washington D.C., Delaware, Eastern Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Hampshire.

This games is obviously replacing the Governors Bowl, which was the New York vs. New Jersey all-star game that’s no longer being played. It lasted 11 years, alternating sites for the first 10 until New Jersey decided it no longer wanted to travel for the contest (usually Army). The Governors Bowl was a great event, in theory. But it was never properly publicized or organized.

New Jersey won 8 of the 11 meetings against New York. The New York wins, however, were bolstered by Edgemont’s Matt Bernstein (NYs first win in 2001), New Rochelle’s Courtney Greene and John Carrozza of John Jay (2004) and New Rochelle’s Ray Rice and Geoff McDermott (2005).