Bergen Catholic Football The Official Home of the Bergen Catholic Crusaders

2013 Crusader Football Camp

Join Nunzio Campanile at the 2013 Crusader Football Camp this summer at Bergen Catholic!

ORADELL---The 2013 Crusader Football Camp will be offered over two weeks this summer at Bergen Catholic for all athletes ages (8 to 14). The camp focuses on developing skills, sportsmanship & success for the future football stars of tomorrow.

The camp will feature two separate sessions in Oradell:

July 15-19

July 22-26

For more information and to sign-up for the 2013 Crusader Football Camp, please open the camp brochure in the following link:

2013 Crusader Football Camp Brochure

Reflecting on a Wild Season

The 2012 Bergen Catholic Crusaders will be remembered for their share of classic games

ORADELL---The 2012 Bergen Catholic football season can be best summarized as an absolute roller coaster ride, with the high and lows coming with every snap of the ball.  The season ended last Friday night with another painful close loss, but the year cannot be examined just with the result of the championship game, we must all take time to step back and be witness to how extraordinary this season was in the context of the program's history.  We can then be able to see the good alongside the bad, and realize the part this season will play for the future of the Crusader football program.  It was one wild ride, and in the end it speaks to character of the young men who so proudly represented Bergen Catholic each and every time they stepped onto a football field.

BC was able to humble St. Anthony's, the reigning state champs in New York in their season opener, before handing Bishop Gorman their only defeat of the 2012 season in their own backyard and on national television.  The pouring in of alumni support from around the country was incredible for the players and for the program, and spoke to the immense pride and passion that exists for BC football, especially now as the Crusaders have branched out to the national stage.  If fans around the nation had never heard of Bergen Catholic before this season, this year's team has successfully put the BC football program on the map thanks to their tremendous game in Las Vegas.  But as the Crusader faithful were sky high after that win in the desert, we all experienced a crushing low the following week back in the Garden State against a long-time rival.

Thanks to a blistering start which saw St. Joe's jump out to a (21-0) lead in the first half, the Crusaders had to claw their way back into the game, which they did, and eventually took a lead on the road in the second half.  The teams traded scores, but it looked like BC was primed to take a commanding lead late in the contest before a fumble changed the entire complexion of the ball game.  Despite this crushing set back, BC still was resilient enough to force overtime.  In OT BC came up one point shy of forcing double overtime, and had to stomach a cruel loss in Montvale, which left BC's ego bruised and beaten for the first time in the year.  That game would prove to be a microcosm of the entire 2012 season.

BC got healthy in their following two home games against Passaic County Tech and DePaul Catholic, defeating these two Wayne schools with relative ease, as the Crusaders attempted to regain the same swagger they displayed on the national stage earlier on in the season.  But just as it looked like BC had righted the ship, they produced a lack-luster performance at Crusader Stadium against Cocoa High School from Florida, which still proves to be the one head-scratching game from the season, and the largest loss of the year for the scarlet & gold (10 points).  BC desperately needed a week off to clear their minds and get re-focused on the season at hand, especially with a match up against archrival Don Bosco Prep waiting in the wings.

As part of an emotional and classic contest, the Crusaders and Ironmen played in front of over 7,000 fans at Overpeck Park as the highlight of the Bergen County Fair.  Bosco forced two late BC turnovers which proved to be the difference in the game, and once again left the Crusaders wondering what they needed to do to finally beat Don Bosco Prep.  BC needed to regroup quickly, as they had a date with Friendship Academy awaiting them down in  Washington D.C. the following weekend, and the Crusaders were in desperate need of a victory.  Following the crippling events of Hurricane Sandy, BC journeyed down to the nation's capital to take on a team that was littered with extraordinary talent and hungry to make amends for their loss to BC in the previous season.  Despite a chaotic chain of events late in the game, BC once again had the character and poise to force overtime with a late field goal, and would claim victory in OT thanks to a defensive stop and an offensive score.  This emotional victory fueled BC into the playoffs, and had them playing their best football of the year.

Notre Dame didn't stand a chance in the Non-Public Group 4 quarterfinals, as the Crusaders played their most complete and well-rounded game in quite some time as they prevailed (63-0) at home.  BC marched confidently into their Thanksgiving day match up with Paramus Catholic, and used forced turnovers and savvy 4th down execution to get past the Paladins on the road.  That set the Crusaders up with yet another shot at the six-time reigning state champion Ironmen, a foe that had not beaten in eight long years.  In front of yet another large crowd under the lights in Ramsey, BC received a perfect start to their game and jumped out in front (21-0) in a blink of an eye.  After responding with two consecutive scores, DBP had closed to withing one score late in the game and had their fans believing that another epic win over BC was in the cards, but the Crusaders would crush these hopes at a comeback thanks to a Bryan Smith interception and JJ Kulcsar touchdown catch.  The celebration which followed the game will forever be remembered as being epic for the entire BC community, and made grown men cry in jubilation.

Oh what a difference a week makes.

Last Friday the Crusaders followed a familiar script from their 2012 season of falling behind early, only to rally later and put themselves in a position for a victory.  The roller coaster ride of a state final ended yet again in despair and dejection, rather than celebration and exultation.  The dream ending was not meant to be that night, but this season will be remembered for the amazing amount of close games which left us all breathless.  The touchdowns, the ESPN-shown catches, the interceptions, the kickoff recoveries, all of these made for an incredibly special season in Bergen Catholic football history.

I would like to thank all the BC coaches and players for allowing me to take this crazy ride with them, from the summer time until the state final at MetLife Stadium.  They provided me with an in-depth look at their amazing commitment and love for the BC football program, and each and every person affiliated with the program have honored the BC name with their actions.

I would like to thank all the BC parents, families, and friends who have sacrificed so much so that their excellent student-athletes can wear the scarlet & gold each week, and compete against the best in the nation each and every week.  Your support inspires me to do more at BC, and furthers to strengthen my belief in the special quality that is inherient in every Bergen Catholic parent.

While this season may not have ended the way we had all hoped for, it will still go down in history for the extrordinary moments and people it produced.  We were witness to Jon Germano and JJ Kulcsar each rewriting the offensive record books in Oradell, and saw a senior class finally lead the Crusaders to a win in Ramsey over Bosco.  What this team leaves is a foundation for the future, and a model that the younger Crusaders need to follow in order to get all the way back atop the Non-Public Group 4 mountain.

Future Bergen Catholic champions are being forged from the fires of the 2012 football season, and these leaders will return stronger and more confident thanks in part to what they endured this past fall.  This will be remembered as an extremely special season, and I wish everyone the best for the Holiday season and in the New Year.

Don't hang your heads BC fans, for tomorrow belongs to the Crusaders.

ABOUT DAN LONG

Dan Long graduated from Bergen Catholic in 2003 where he was the Sports Director of BCTV and coined the immortal phrase "Crusader Crazies" for the raucous BC student section. He is currently the radio voice of Bergen Catholic football, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

Opportunity Knocks for BC Seniors

Friday night proves to be the chance at greatness for this season's BC senior class

ORADELL---For the Bergen Catholic senior football class, Friday night will be a culmination of four extraordinary years of experiences donning the scarlet & gold on the football gridiron.  In this season alone, the seniors have helped to rewrite the BC record books, seen the program emerge on the national stage with an impressive victory broadcast around the country, produced a miraculous play that has gone viral on the web and on ESPN, and have been the ones to finally snap the 8-year losing streak to Don Bosco Prep.  There is only one more thing needed to cement the seniors' place in BC football history: win the 2012 Non-Public Group 4 state championship.  Tonight, the Crusaders will get their shot at program immortality in front of thousands of fans at MetLife Stadium.

The road to the Meadowlands has had its fair share of bumps on the way.  After returning home from a scintillating victory against Bishop Gorman, the Crusaders suffered a heartbreaking overtime defeat in Montavle by a single point to St. Joseph Regional.  Then Crusader fans were left scratching their heads after a listless performance against Cocoa High School left the Crusaders with a rare loss at home, and already with 2 defeats on the season.  Couple that with another close loss against Don Bosco Prep in front of over 7,000 fans at Overpeck Park, and the Crusaders had their egos bruised and staring at a (4-3) overall record heading into their final game before the playoff cutoff. Following the events of Hurrican Sandy, these Crusaders have not been the same, and that has been a testament to the leadership of the BC senior class.

Following the devastating storm which ravaged the Garden State, BC took to the field for practice as they still had to play a game when the rest of the state suspended play.  The team traveled down to the nation's capital to take on a Friendship Academy side littered with Division I talent, and looking to make amends for their own poor performance the week before against Paramus Catholic at Rutgers University.  With a game full of momentum swings, the Crusaders found themselves trailing late in the game, and with everything pointing towards a third straight defeat on the season.  But the BC senior class would not allow this to happen, and instead drove down the field before tying the game on a Ryan Rose field goal.  The BC defense would shut the door in overtime, and allow the offense to deliver the walk off score that sent the Crusaders back north with an emotional victory.  This clutch victory changed the season, and seemed to wake up the sleeping giant in Oradell that so many were expecting to see after impressive wins against St. Anthony's and Bishop Gorman to begin the year.

With a week off under their belts, the Crusaders produced an amazing all-around performance in the quarterfinals against Notre Dame, shutting out the Irish (63-0) at Crusader Stadium.  Then came a much ballyhooed match up at Paramus Catholic on Thanksgiving which saw the Crusaders weather a spectacular performance from Jabrill Peppers, on their way to a two touchdown victory.  Most recently, BC took out eight long years of frustration with a solid (28-14) win in Ramsey, and helped them punch their ticket for their third straight appearance at MetLife Stadium.  Just when you think BC is up against it, they have always found a way to bounce back and stay the course thanks to their senior leaders.  The team is playing its best football of the season because of the confidence and trust shown to them by the hard-working BC coaching staff, who knew that through the tough times this season, the team would ultimately emerge as a battle-hardened squad.

Friday night presents the Crusaders with a chance to make their own history as a senior class and as a team as a whole.  A victory would forever identify the class of 2013 as being the ones who brought back the championship trophy to Crusader Country for the first time since 2004.  This team would carve its own niche in BC football lore as the 17th state championship team to ever walk the halls.  A win would cap off the most demanding schedule in program history in perfect fashion, and put BC back atop the Non-Public Group 4 mountain.  For these seniors who have helped to rebuild the program in head coach Nunzio Campanile's model, Friday night is a chance at greatness and immortality as a class, and a fate that these young men deserve.

They are stewards of Crusader history, and are respectful of those who have put on the BC jerseys before them.  The seniors see the big picture, and have always understood that they play for all their families, friends, and alumni.  They compete to honor the tradition that is alive all around Crusader Stadium, while at the same time try to place themselves in the pantheon of Crusader championship teams and players.  It is about one thing, and that's getting a ring.

So, as they take to the field one last time as Bergen Catholic senior football players, these band of brothers understand the enormous sacrifices that each have paid to be at this point in time, and to be at the edge of glory.  All the devoted time, the aches and pains, the highs and lows, all of it has been done to get this one last chance at greatness and a chance to be the best.  This Friday night the BC class of 2013 will represent Bergen Catholic on the grandest stage imaginable in NJ high school football, and you can expect them to produce the same type of championship performance that has epitomized this team all year long.

It's time for this BC senior class to leave with a bang, along with some new hardware on the bus ride back to Oradell.

Deus Vult.

ABOUT DAN LONG

Dan Long graduated from Bergen Catholic in 2003 where he was the Sports Director of BCTV and coined the immortal phrase "Crusader Crazies" for the raucous BC student section. He is currently the radio voice of Bergen Catholic football, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

Know Your Title Foe: Paramus Catholic

The Crusaders have made it back to MetLife Stadium for the third straight year, and for the first time in recent memory BC will not face Don Bosco Prep on the opposing sideline.  This will be the first time since 2001 that BC will play someone other than the Ironmen in the title game, back when the Crusaders defeated Delbarton in the 2001 state final (10-9) at Rutgers University.  On the 20th anniversary of their previous postseason showdown in "The Game of the Century", BC will lock horns with Paramus Catholic, a team they faced less than two weeks ago on Thanksgiving.

Paramus Catholic (9-2): having beaten Delbarton (36-23), DePaul Catholic (35-13), Demarest (54-7), Ridgewood (42-10), St. Joe's (44-35), Friendship Academy (DC) (37-20), Northern Highlands (55-7), Paul VI (49-9), and St. Peter's Prep (21-0).  Their two losses were against Don Bosco Prep (31-8) and Bergen Catholic (35-21).

The Paladins bounced back from their Turkey Day loss at home to BC with a dominant defensive performance in their (21-0) shutout victory against St. Peter's Prep in the semifinals last weekend in Paramus.  The victory punched PC's ticket to their first state championship game since 1997, which also happens to be their lone state title in program history.  In order for PC to claim their second ever football trophy, these players need to shine on the biggest stage come Friday night.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

# 5 Jabrill Peppers (QB/RB/DB)-Just like Bergen Catholic, Peppers will be making his third consecutive appearance in the state finals at MetLife Stadium, and would love nothing more than to leave with his third consecutive state title.  The dynamic Peppers ran for 232 yards and 3 TDs against BC on Thanksgiving, with most of that damage being done in the first half of play.  If there was one player in the state who could take over a game by himself it would be PC's #5, and you can expect that Peppers will be on the field for at least 90% of the game on Friday night.  He will make his share of jaw-dropping plays, but BC must make him earn it with prolonged drives, rather than with huge game-breaking runs.  Peppers may need to run for even more yards this time around in order to help his team win, and may look to assert himself even more on defense as a game changer in the secondary.

#10 Marquise Watson (SR-MLB/FB)-Watson had a great game against BC last time, accounting for a game-high 16 tackles and was routinely in Jon Germano's face in the backfield with his barrage of blitzes.  On offense, Watson will be called on again to be the primary blocking fullback for the Paladin wildcat offense.  If Watson can once again find success in getting routinely to the quarterback, he may be the deciding factor in slowing down the Crusader passing attack, and forcing huge turnovers.  If BC can get a blocker on Watson's blitzes, that will open up the middle of the field for slants and crossing routes.  Watson is the emotional leader for the PC defense, and will be counted on to find a way to contain BC's opportunities on offense.

#51 Khylini Kennedy (SR-DE)-Kennedy is a pass rusher on the edge and has a way of breaking past blockers in order to get to the quarterback.  The Crusader offensive line will look for a better performance this time around against the Paladin defensive front, and if they can slow down Kennedy's pass rush abilities, that will open up chances down the field for Germano.  What makes Kennedy a duel threat is his ability to also stop the run, which BC could not truly get going on Thanksgiving against PC despite their 50 carries on the day.  Kennedy will need to wreak havoc and collapse the pocket in order to take some pressure off of his own secondary.

#1 Tyronne Washington (JR-WR/DB)-Washington may not get the same headlines as Keyon Washington, but he may be a huge factor for PC's chances on Friday night.  Washington will be lined up against either JJ Kulcsar or John Feaster when on defense in the Paladin secondary, and and will need to make some plays at wide receiver in order to prevent the BC defense from just loading up the box against the wildcat run formation.  Washington has the speed to run with BC's receivers, but will need to avoid costly penalties when jockeying for position down the field.  If the Paladin secondary can force some turnovers, they can easily swing the game's outcome in their direction, but they cannot take too many chances or they'll get burned for big BC plays.

THREE KEYS FOR BC

• Dictate the Tempo-If BC is able to get out to another fast start, it will be awfully difficult for the Paladins to play catch up considering their wildcat-based offense.  The BC defense has a chip on its shoulder after allowing so many rushing yards in the first meeting, and needs to play fast, physical, and smart while staying in their proper lanes.   The offense will continue to play at their fast pace and look to wear down the Paladins throughout the game considering how many PC players are playing both ways.  A fast start will just continue to fuel BC's confidence following last weekend's win over DBP, and may give them the chance to run out and never look back.

• Play Your Game-The worst thing that BC players can do on Friday night is to try to do too much.  The coaching staff has crafted the right game plan, and now the players have to just go out and perform the same way they have during their 4-game win streak.  They need to continue to play with a swagger and a trust in one another, and be loose.  They pressured Bosco into mistakes, and were able to take full advantage because of their attention to detail and execution.  Just because this is the title game at MetLife Stadium should not change things for the Crusaders, as they just need to go out and perform with a sense of urgency and purpose and use their strengths as a team to win.

• Finish What You Started-Since the sweltering summer months, a state championship has been this team's ultimate team goal, and now the Crusaders are 48 minutes away from accomplishing this dream.  From the game's opening whistle, BC needs to play as a team possessed by this end goal, and make sure to leave everything out on the field in all facets of the game.  The Crusaders are taught to compete whenever they step on a football field, and this must be done throughout the entire game, and not allow PC any chances to flip the game with momentum-turning plays and emotion.  BC's win last week means nothing if they cannot finish the job on Friday, and this team understands that fact.  This BC team is focused on the goal at hand, and now just need to finish what they started.

Everything is there for the taking for both sides, as we will have a new state champion in Non-Public Group 4 for the first time since 2005.  Will BC be able to use its experiences in big games to push past a PC team looking to cement its place in the pantheon of North Jersey football powers?  BC needs a great all-around team effort on Friday night, and they are prepared to deliver a championship-worthy performance.

ABOUT DAN LONG

Dan Long graduated from Bergen Catholic in 2003 where he was the Sports Director of BCTV and coined the immortal phrase "Crusader Crazies" for the raucous BC student section. He is currently the radio voice of Bergen Catholic football, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

Putting Up the Points in the Big Game

Jon Germano will look for one last great offensive performance on Friday night (Yelland photo)

ORADELL---Under head coach Nunzio Campanile, the Bergen Catholic Crusaders have been known for their high-powered offense, and their uncanny ability to generate a lot of points in a variety of fashions.  The BC offense has eclipsed the 50 point mark a total of 11 times in Campanile's 34 career games as the head of the Crusader football program, and the team averages over 40 points a game during this same tenure.  This Friday night, BC will once again look to deliver early and often on the scoreboard if they hope to capture their first state championship since 2004.

While the old adage has always been, "Offense wins games, defense wins championships", this Crusader team feeds off the momentum that the offense seems to generate.  The defense has grown by leaps and bounds in confidence in their last 4 games, turning opponents over regularly and putting the ball immediately back in the hands of the deadly offense.  But while the defense has been able to make a name for itself in the second half of the year, it has been the offense which has always kept opposing coaching staffs up at night.

The Crusaders have scored 460 points through 11 games, scoring at an average of 41.8 points per game.  When they get into a groove, no one can slow them down, as was evident in the 1st half of last week's game against Don Bosco Prep.  Sure they were handed short fields for two of their first three scores of the game, but the Crusaders still were able to find the end zone thanks to a new found running attack which routinely caught the acclaimed Bosco defense off guard, and did not have to settle for field goals because of an inefficient attack.  Late in the game, when in search of a game-sealing moment, the Crusaders went back to their vaunted passing attack, and the formidable duo of Jon Germano and JJ Kulcsar.  When BC is able to dictate the tempo on offense, very few teams can keep close.

Friday night's game will again provide the Crusaders with one final chance to dictate a game's tempo with their balanced offensive game plan.  Quarterback Jon Germano has played like the best offensive player in the state all season long, accounting for a total of 44 touchdowns this fall (35 passing, 9 rushing). It will be up to Paramus Catholic to find a way to fully disrupt Germano's ability to break down an opposing defense, whether in the air or on the ground.  The Paladins were able on Thanksgiving to routinely collapse the pocket enough to force Germano out of his comfort zone and either throw sooner than he wanted or just tuck the ball away and run.  Still, despite having a man in his face all morning long, Germano managed to throw for 278 yards and 3 touchdowns, while adding 40 yards of offense on the ground in the process.   BC's offensive leader showed his moxie in his clutch performance last week against the Ironmen, and will look to close out his career with a bang at MetLife Stadium on Friday.

In their last 7 championship appearances, the well has run dry a bit when it comes to point totals.  The Crusaders are averaging just under 14 points a game in those 7 title games, which explains BC's (2-5) record in that span.  In their previous three title appearances in the late 1990s, the Crusaders were able to average 41.7 points per game, and subsequently captured all three titles in 1996, 1998, and 1999.  It is huge to have a solid defense that can keep you in a game, but it is just as important to have an offense that can finish an opponent off as well.

The Crusaders certainly have the weapons on the offensive side of the ball, and their confidence is at an all-time high, but it does not mean that they will overlook their opponent.  Despite allowing 35 points to BC on Thanksgiving, the Paladins were able to force two Crusader interceptions in addition to a pair of turnover on downs deep in Paladin territory, and BC is well aware of PC's ability to bend and not break.  It is up to the receivers to run precise routes, the running backs to run down hill, and for the offensive line to own the trenches.  In order to win on Friday, the offense has to be able to do what they have done best this season, which is putting up a lot of points.

BC's offense has been able to put big numbers up on great teams, including the 59 points vs. St. Anthony's, the 42 points against Bishop Gorman, the 37 points against St. Joe's, and the 48 points against Friendship Academy.  They can catch fire at a moment's notice, and allow their defense to take more chances knowing that they'll have some points to work with during the game. Friday night is their last chance to make a statement, and to help power the school to the 17th state title in BC's illustrious football history.  This unit shares a special bond and trust in one another, and an unselfish identity that leads to a plethora of playmakers all over the field.  This mix of depth, talent, determination, and unselfishness has fueled BC to the finals, and the Crusaders will look for one more trademark offensive performance in order to help bring the hardware back to Oradell Avenue.

ABOUT DAN LONG

Dan Long graduated from Bergen Catholic in 2003 where he was the Sports Director of BCTV and coined the immortal phrase "Crusader Crazies" for the raucous BC student section. He is currently the radio voice of Bergen Catholic football, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.