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Marauders end Bergen Catholic's season with 42-24 win
Dan Long, November 22, 2009

Bergen Catholic got their second shot at St. Peter’s Prep, but just like the first time around the Crusaders could not find a way to beat the Marauders due to turnovers and missed opportunities. In an exciting and hard-fought semifinal game, BC lost 42-24 and was eliminated from the Non Public Group 4 Playoff, ending their season with an overall record of 8-3.

The Crusaders again found themselves trailing early in the game against St. Peter’s. Just as the Crusaders fell behind 20-0 in the regular season, BC fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter to the sixth-seeded Marauders. St. Peter’s Prep scored on their first offensive drive on a 29-yard touchdown pass on a third and long situation that went just over the head of Tanner McEvoy into the endzone. BC would throw an interception on their first offensive play and SPP would cash in on the BC turnover thanks to a 15-yard touchdown run by Savon Huggins.

In the opening seconds of the second quarter the Crusaders finally got on the board thanks to an option toss from Mike Halligan to Chucky Wingate from 2 yards out, and the Red & Gold pulled to within one score 14-7.

BC’s defense made their first stop against the potent Prep offense and got the ball back in great field position after a shanked punt. The visiting Crusaders tied the score at 14 points apiece behind a powerful run straight up the middle by Doug Rigg from 12 yards out. At that point momentum was all on the Crusaders’ side, but the lead would again shift back to St. Peter’s in the 2nd quarter.

Prep moved the ball down the field behind the fearsome running style of Savon Huggins, who combines size with game-breaking speed. A QB sneak by Raph Oritz reclaimed the lead for SPP at 21-14 with 2:30 minutes left in the first half of play. But BC would answer with a quick scoring drive of their own, and Halligan’s 8-yard touchdown run to the far pylon brought a 21-21 tie with 40 seconds left in the quarter.

This had become a shootout, and 40 seconds remaining on the clock was way too much time left for an SPP offense that was fantastic all afternoon long. Behind 5-wide receiver sets, SPP methodically took the ball down the field and punched the go-ahead score into the endzone on a Huggins 1-yard run with time expiring to close out the first half at 28-21 in favor of St. Peter’s Prep.

Bergen Catholic had to feel confident coming out of the locker room, knowing they had scored 21 points in the 2nd quarter and would be receiving the kickoff to start the 3rd quarter. And BC’s offensive confidence was apparent on the initial drive as the Crusaders easily traveled down the field and into the red zone. But then a fumbled exchange between Halligan and Rigg killed BC’s chance to tie the game and SPP took over deep in their own end. Both teams would go on to trade offensive series that resulted in no points. BC still trailed by 7 going into the final quarter at Caven Point.

BC would open the scoring in the 4th quarter behind Mike Halligan’s 34 yard field goal that pulled BC to within 4 points at 28-24 with over 7 minutes remaining in the contest. That would prove to be the closest that BC would get as the Marauders salted away the win behind a time-consuming drive that was capped off with another Huggins touchdown run to give SPP a 35-24 lead. Halligan would have a pass intercepted by Gianni McLaughlin and returned 72 yards to put the final nail in the BC coffin at 42-24.

Despite their great efforts, the Crusaders could not overcome the 4 turnovers they suffered on Saturday afternoon, and against such quality competition as St. Peter’s Prep, you cannot give away possessions and keep points off the scoreboard. Congratulations go out to a tremendous BC senior class that led with class all season long in an exciting season. Be sure to look for our season recap article later in the week.

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 the Bergen Catholic football and soccer teams, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

<a href="http://www.maxpreps.com">MaxPreps High School Sports</a>

Revenge is Near

BC gets second shot at St. Peter's Prep this Saturday
Dan Long, November 20, 2009

After enduring a cruel end to their September 26th 26-23 loss to St. Peter’s Prep, you could see it in the faces of the Bergen Catholic players that afternoon, especially as the Marauders danced in front of them as if they had won the state crown. BC wanted another shot at St. Peter’s and finally their prayers have been answered. The seventh-seeded Bergen Catholic Crusaders (8-2) will pack up the bus and travel to Jersey City this Saturday afternoon to take on sixth-seeded St. Peter’s Prep (7-2), with a place in the 2009 Non Public Group 4 title game at stake.

In their first meeting the Crusaders seemingly forgot to set their alarms for their home opener at Crusader Stadium, as they were sleepwalking through much of the first half of play. The energized Marauders, coming off a season-opening loss to St. Joseph Prep of Philadelphia, took advantage early against the stagnant BC unit, grabbing an early 20-0 advantage midway through the 2nd quarter of play. While BC managed to come all the way back to eventually take a 23-20 lead into the 4th quarter, SPP regained the lead on a fluke passing play that went through the hands of a BC defender and into the one-handed grasp of a SPP wide receiver just shy of the endzone. To make matters worse for the Crusaders, the Red & Gold easily moved the ball down the field on the ensuing drive, and everyone in attendance that day could tell BC was destined to find the endzone again. That is until a tragic fumble occurred and essentially ended BC’s hopes at an incredible come-from-behind victory.

While the St. Peter’s Prep players danced and gloated on the Crusaders’ home turf, the BC seniors watched and seemed to file the moment away in the back of their minds. Waiting, hoping, wanting another shot at redemption, another shot at the Marauders.

BC will get their chance in the biggest game of their season in the state semifinals. And as fate would have it, the two teams match up with so much on the line, with a chance to return to Giants Stadium and a possible revenge game for both against Don Bosco Prep dangling in front of both teams. The Crusaders have been the better team since that Week 3 loss in Oradell, and actually put up a fight in Ramsey this season against Bosco, compared to the 42-9 blowout that the Marauders took on the chin two weeks ago.

This Saturday we will find out if BC has finally put that late September loss behind them and is ready to brave another hostile environment in search of a return to the Meadowlands where their 2009 season campaign began. It should be a tremendous game between two talented teams that do not like one another, and we’ll see if BC will be the ones dancing on the SPP turf this time around.
Keys for a Crusader victory:

1. BC must come out strong early on both sides of the ball as SPP is a quick-starting team and do begin to wear down as the game progresses due to their big size on the lines

2. BC must take away the SPP passing attack that hurt them in Week 3, by having the safeties remain in the secondary and not always charging into the middle to stop the SPP running game

3. BC must pass the ball to establish their running game like they did in the 2nd half against SPP. Despite windy conditions at Caven Point, BC will only win this game with big plays through the air to Tanner McEvoy and Cam Dickerson.

4. BC must exploit their clear advantage on special teams again as they returned a punt for a TD and caused a safety on a punt rush against SPP in the regular season. Big-time special teams plays change the momentum in games, and this unit could give BC a big edge on Saturday.

A Reminder to all BC fans: You can listen to the game live on the BC Radio Network by visiting www.dlsportsmedia.com on gameday or later in the week on the free archives.

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 the Bergen Catholic football and soccer teams, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

Irish Eyes Smiling No More

Bergen Catholic romps over second-seeded Notre Dame, 45-13
Dan Long, November 16, 2009

So much for home field advantage outside of North Jersey. On Sunday afternoon Bergen Catholic became the third parochial school from North Jersey this weekend to travel down the turnpike and easily defeat a Central or South Jersey team in the Non Public Group 4 quarterfinals. The 45-13 final marks BC’s third straight playoff win versus the Fighting Irish in Lawrenceville, and sets up a classic semifinal matchup in Jersey City next weekend against the St. Peter’s Prep Marauders.

Bergen Catholic (8-2) did not waste any time getting their offensive fireworks going against previously unbeaten Colonial Valley Conference champion Notre Dame (9-1). On the third play from scrimmage, BC quarterback Mike Halligan lofted a perfectly thrown pass to a wide-open Cam Dickerson who hauled in the pass and sprinted 40 yards to score BC’s first touchdown. BC led 7-0 just 23 seconds into the game, and the Notre Dame patrons -- many who had yet to find their seats in the bleachers -- were shocked to say the least.

The Crusaders even tried some trickery on the ensuing kickoff by successfully completing an onside kick, recovering the ball in Notre Dame territory. The Red & Gold could not take advantage of this quick second offensive possession and had to punt the ball to the Irish deep in their own end.

Notre Dame began to punish the Crusader interior defensive line with physical runs by quarterback Anthony Perna and star tailback Ransford Quarrie. After a couple of short gains, Perna broke through the BC front line, past the linebackers and secondary, and jetted 56 yards down the ND sideline for the game-tying score with 7 minutes remaining in the first quarter.

The BC offense struggled to find a rhythm on their next possesion and were forced to punt the ball back to Notre Dame. The Irish themselves stalled out on offense because of tremendous pass coverage by the BC defense, forcing a ND punt. This time around late in the first quarter, the BC offense regained its scoring touch on the back of its potent passing game. Quarterback Mike Halligan set up a perfectly-called screen pass to Karl Bostick, and the junior running back took the pass and scampered down the BC sideline, bulldozing over the final Notre Dame defender at the 2-yard line and into the endzone to reclaim the lead 14-7 with just over a minute left in the 1st quarter.

The Crusader defensive unit began to exert its will on the Notre Dame offensive line, pressured Perna into rushed passes that fell short of his receivers in the midst of desperation. Another ND punt gave the BC great field position, and another opportunity for 1st half points. BC marched down the field, mixing their dominant passing game with a rushing attack that caught the Irish defense scrambling in their pass coverage. BC would score their first rushing touchdown of the afternoon midway through the second quarter thanks to a last-second lateral by Halligan to his tailback Doug Rigg that allowed Rigg to find the endzone from three yards out. BC had their biggest lead of the afternoon at 21-7.

While the BC offense was clicking, the Notre Dame offense was faltering on the field. The only positive yardage came when Perna scrambled on broken passing plays, but even those yards began to disappear as the game went on. ND was forced to punt the ball back to BC late in the first half with just about two minutes on the clock and BC with all of its timeouts, allowing the Crusaders one final shot at putting points on the board before intermission.

BC managed the clock beautifully, moving down the field behind key third-down passes over the middle to Chucky Wingate and John Maughan. BC then set up for a 26-yard field goal which Halligan successfully converted just before the half ended. BC led 24-7.

Notre Dame received the ball to start the 2nd half, and on their first offensive drive fumbled the ball back to BC in their own end. With the BC offense smelling blood in the water, Halligan took off on first down behind the left side of his offensive line and jogged 33 yards to paydirt to give BC an imposing 31-7 3rd quarter lead. The Crusader defense would again frustrate the Irish offense and got the ball back immediately in the hands of their offense.

On a simple, but deadly, wide receiver screen pass in front of the BC sideline, Tanner McEvoy made one ND defender tackle nothing but air, streaked 50 yards down the sideline and went air-born from 5 yards out to land in the endzone for a touchdown. It was now 38-7 with over 8 minutes left in the third quarter, and some fans began to vacate the stands in Lawrenceville.

The Crusader offense would again strike through the air as backup quarterback Anthony LiGregni lofted a perfectly thrown ball to Chucky Wingate on fourth down to extend the BC blowout to 45-7 with 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. A 4th quarter TD run by Anthony Perna allowed Notre Dame to score their second TD of the game but ended the scoring on the day at 45-13 in favor of the visitors from North Jersey.

So much for an undefeated regular season and all those precious power points.

BC now gets the opportunity they've been asking for since Week 3 of the regular season -- another shot at St. Peter’s Prep. With SPP head coach Rich Hansen watching from the ND stands on Sunday afternoon, he had to think this was a much better Bergen Catholic team then the one his team played in Oradell earlier in the season. BC is a much more confident and battle-tested team since their heartbreaking loss to the Marauders. The opportunity has now presented itself, and a chance at revenge is on the horizon in Jersey City next weekend. A trip to Giants Stadium awaits the victor.

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 the Bergen Catholic football and soccer teams, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

Win or Go Home

Crusaders open the playoffs on the road at Notre Dame on Friday night
Dan Long, November 11, 2009

The postseason has arrived, and Bergen Catholic (7-2) has garnered the #7 seed in the Non Public Group 4 Playoffs, and must travel on the road for the first two rounds of the playoffs in order to find their way back to Giants Stadium for a return to the championship game. But before the Crusaders can even dream of a possible rematch with Don Bosco Prep in the Meadowlands, the Red & Gold must set their sights on their quarterfinal opponent in the #2 seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-0) from Lawrenceville.

Notre Dame's Anthony Perna (12) and Ransford Quarrie (21) have scored a combined 34 TDs for the Fighting Irish.

These two programs have met twice before in the playoffs, with each of the two meetings going BC’s way in 2002 and in 2003. BC had to travel on both occasions to ND, which is located right outside of Trenton, and the Crusaders prevailed in the semifinal round in 2002 with a 26-14 victory in swamp-like conditions, and then again in a 2003 semifinal with a narrow 21-14 victory over ND.

Notre Dame will look to snap its postseason losing streak at home to the Crusaders behind their strong running game and solid team defense. Notre Dame is led by senior tailback Ransford Quarrie who has rushed for over 1,000 yards on the season and a team-leading 16 touchdowns. Quarterback Anthony Perna is the second-leading scorer on the team with 10 rushing scores, and he has also thrown for 8 touchdowns through the air. While Notre Dame’s offense has been able to put points on the board, the Irish defense has rarely allowed points during the season.

The stout Fighting Irish defense has allowed only 10 points a game on average, and the most points they have surrendered in a single game was 22 points. They are sure to be challenged by BC’s explosive offense, which will easily be the best offense Notre Dame has played all season long. ND will look for big plays from its secondary led by the efforts of Mike Devitto, Konrad Mims, and Erik Troast, who all will be responsible for trying to slow down the BC aerial attack.

Despite being the lower seed, BC will be the clear favorite in their first round matchup, and a victory might set up a potential revenge game with St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City next weekend in the semifinals. But BC must make sure that they are not caught looking ahead, or Irish eyes will be smiling with a Notre Dame victory over the Red & Gold on Friday night.

Keys for a Crusader victory:

1. Load up the box on defense and make sure that Ransford Quarrie is not a factor in the game for Notre Dame

2. Keep rushing the ball on offense, as ND gave up 265 rushing yards last week and could be hurt by BC’s three-headed monster at RB, which will also set up the pass

3. BC must come out early and never allow ND and its home crowd to be into the game

A Reminder to all BC fans: You can listen to the game live on the BC Radio Network by visiting www.dlsportsmedia.com on gameday or later in the week on the free archives.

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 the Bergen Catholic football and soccer teams, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.
 

Redemption Road

BC defeats St. Joe's in Montvale for first time since 2003  
Dan Long, November 8, 2009

Every football fan knows the old adage that offense wins you games, defense wins you championships. If Bergen Catholic can replicate Saturday’s defensive performance against St. Joseph Regional during the playoffs, BC might be celebrating in Giants Stadium in early December. The Crusader defense scored two touchdowns and held the Green Knights offense to only one touchdown in an impressive 28-7 victory on Saturday afternoon. With the victory BC moves to (7-2) on the season, while St. Joe’s falls to (6-2).

LB Doug Rigg (23) lays the wood to St. Joe QB Devin O'Connor (12)
+More photos v. St. Joseph Regional

The game started with the St. Joe’s offense moving the ball methodically down the field into BC’s territory. With the way the Green Knights easily ran and passed the ball, it looked like they would open up the scoring on the afternoon. But the BC defense stiffened on third down and SJR was forced to go for it on 4th and 4 in BC’s end. SJR quarterback Devin O’Connor fumbled the snap, and despite his frantic attempt at diving on the loose ball, BC captain Brendan McGovern scooped up the fumble and rumbled with a BC convoy surrounding him 68 yards for a touchdown to give BC the 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

BC’s defense again returned on to the field and forced the Green Knights to punt the ball after a short offensive series. This enabled the Crusader offense to make its first appearance of the afternoon, late into the first quarter. BC worked the ball gradually down the field behind screen passes and power runs off tackle. This balanced offense finally wore the SJR defensive line down, and Doug Rigg became the beneficiary. Rigg sprinted through the trenches 44 yards to the endzone for BC’s second score and BC enjoyed a 14-0 lead at the end of one quarter.

The score remained at a BC 14-0 lead going into the half, but the Crusaders would get a chance immediately to increase their lead to start the second half. After receiving the opening kickoff, BC again used a balance attack to push the ball down the field into St. Joseph territory. The Red & Gold connected on their second long rushing touchdown on the afternoon when Spencer Kulcsar sprinted 36 yards down the near sideline and BC enjoyed its largest lead of the game with a 21-0 lead. But St. Joe’s was not willing to roll over and concede the game just yet and responded on their ensuing drive.

The Green Knights had a long kickoff return, helped out by an additional BC face mask penalty tacked on to the return. That gave SJR, a desperate team in search of its first score, a short field to work with after the return. Kamal Hogan, the star running back for SJR, led the home team down the field on a couple of strong runs, and finally capped the scoring drive off with a fluid 15 yard run up the middle of the field and pulled Joe’s to within 14 points of Bergen Catholic at 21-7 in the third quarter. The two sides would trade opportunities on offense, but penalties and huge third down stops stalled the offenses for each team. After three quarters, BC was still holding onto the 14 point lead it had at the half.

In one of the most crucial points in the contest, with about 9 minutes left to go in the game, St. Joe’s put together a well-oiled offensive drive. Seemingly every time that the home team was faced with a third down and long situation, the Green Knights found an answer to the BC defense and moved the chains. When a team has a player like WR Kai Dominguez at their disposal, that offensive answer is easy to find. Dominguez made highlight reel catches, one better than the next on the drive, and capped off one third down with a one-handed catch that the senior hauled in front of perfect BC coverage. But as was the case the entire afternoon in Montvale, whenever the BC defense needed to make a play, they would stand strong against Joe’s and make a stop. And one player who made a ton of plays on defense was senior captain Sam Shirak. Shirak sacked O’Connor 4 total times in the game and helped stymie the Green Knights drive deep in BC’s end. SJR turned it over on downs with under 4 minutes left in the game, and BC had the ball on offense and hoped to run out the clock.

With possession of the ball, BC could not manage to gain enough first downs to end the game, so the Crusaders were again forced to give the ball back to St. Joe’s up two scores late in the game. The Crusaders defense again decided to take matters into its own hands and on first down the Crusaders brought an all-out blitz up the middle against the SJR passing game, and forced the QB O’Connor to blindly throw the ball up the middle of the field. Waiting at the line of scrimmage was sophomore defensive tackle Hunter Kiselick, who made a tremendously athletic play, soaring up into the air and picking off the pass and returning the interception 25 yards for the score to seal the game at 28-7.

BC’s defense was exceptional all afternoon, and led the team to its first win over St. Joe’s since 2006 and the first win in Montvale since 2003. The Red & Gold will hope to take this kind of dominant defensive performance with them on the road, wherever they wind up playing, in the quarterfinal round of the Non-Public Group 4 playoffs next weekend.

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 the Bergen Catholic football and soccer teams, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com

Playoff Primer

BC-St. Joe's regular season finale promises to be a good one  
Dan Long, November 6, 2009

Bergen Catholic (6-2) gets another shot at a top parochial power in New Jersey when the Crusaders travel to Montvale on Saturday afternoon to take on the (6-1) St. Joseph Regional Green Knights at 2 pm. St. Joe’s has handed BC back-to-back losses the last two seasons, and the Crusaders are in search of a big rivalry win that would give the Red & Gold some momentum heading into the playoffs next week.

The Crusaders are coming off a dominant 49-0 victory over Eastside last week at home as part of BC’s Senior Day festivities. BC is well aware that the quality of their opponent this week is far different from the public schools the Crusaders have feasted on already this season.

The Green Knights have only one loss on the season, a 42-19 drubbing at the hands of St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City a couple of weeks ago. In that contest, St. Joe’s allowed over 300 yards rushing and three scores on the ground. The Green Knights, coached by former BC signal-caller Tony Karcich, have small linemen on both sides of the ball this season, something that BC will certainly look to exploit on Saturday. The BC offense will look to attack on the ground against the SJR front line, while the BC defense will key in on big-time offensive catalysts running back Kamal Hogan and wide receiver Kai Dominguez.

If BC wants to stop the two-game losing streak to their rivals from Montvale, BC will need big performances from their offensive and defensive lines, and have to use their no-huddle spread offense to tire St. Joe’s out on defense. Even though this game will not affect BC’s power point totals, the outcome would influence St. Peter’s Prep’s totals, and could set up an interesting playoff scenario where the Crusaders might have the #6 seed and the Marauders the #7 seed, giving BC a possible home playoff game in the semifinals if the two teams should meet later on in the postseason. But before we talk about playoff scenarios, the Crusaders just want to prove to themselves and the rest of North Jersey that they can defeat a big-time parochial rival, and continue building their momentum into the postseason.

Keys for a Crusader victory:

1. Run the ball early and often against the small SJR defensive line

2. Push the tempo with the no-huddle spread attack and wear down the SJR defense

3. Attack up front with the Crusader LBs taking away Kamal Hogan and the SJR run game and making SJR one-dimensional on offense

A Reminder to all BC fans: You can listen to the game live on the BC Radio Network by visiting www.dlsportsmedia.com on gameday or later in the week on the free archives.

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 the Bergen Catholic football and soccer teams, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

Ghostbusters

Crusaders celebrate Senior Day with 49-0 victory
Dan Long, November 1, 2009

Bergen Catholic treated all the fans at Crusader Stadium to a 49-0 blowout win over the Eastside High School Ghosts on Halloween afternoon. Four different BC seniors scored touchdowns on Senior Day, and the Crusaders improved their overall record to (6-2) on the year, while Eastside fell to (2-5).

The Crusaders scored early and often in the 1st quarter, a trend that has been developing throughout this season. BC first got on the board behind Doug Rigg’s 2-yard touchdown run that gave BC a lead it would never relinquish. Up 7-0 and following a blocked punt from their special teams, BC scored on a beautifully thrown touchdown pass from Mike Halligan to John Maughan that threaded the needle between two Eastside defenders in the back of the endzone. The score was Maughan's first touchdown reception of the year and gave BC a 14-0 lead.

Quarterback Mike Halligan (4) sets up a third quarter score behind the blocking of fellow seniors Ernest Wingate (82), Derek Weigel (75), and Chuck Seergy (66)
+More photos v. Eastside

Halligan was not done attacking through the air, hooking up with his favorite receiving target Tanner McEvoy on a wide receiver screen that the junior took to the endzone from 10 yards out to push BC's first quarter lead to 21-0. The TD pass marked Halligan’s 20th score through the air on the season, while also giving McEvoy his 9th touchdown reception in 2009.

The Crusaders would close out the first half behind a 2-yard touchdown run by Spencer Kulcsar and lead going into the half by a 28-0 margin. It was more of the same for BC to start the third quarter, as Halligan kept it himself from 6 yards out to score his 4th rushing touchdown of the year and made it a 35-point advantage for Bergen Catholic early into the second half.

BC would tack on two additional scores behind the running efforts of junior Karl Bostick and senior Antron Goodridge to cap the scoring at 49-0. The BC defense posted their first shutout of the season, and certainly made life a “Nightmare on Oradell Ave” all game long for the struggling Ghosts.

BC will have to wait another week before finding out the overall seeding for the Non-Public Group 4 playoffs, but before determining their first-round playoff destination, the newly-crowned Tri-County Conference Division 2 champs will travel to Montvale to take on another long-time rival in the Green Knights of St. Joseph Regional.

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 the Bergen Catholic football and soccer teams, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

"Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts"

Crusaders to honor seniors, host Eastside on Halloween afternoon
Dan Long, October 30, 2009

After going toe-to-toe with archrival Don Bosco Prep last week, Bergen Catholic (5-2) returns home for a meeting with the Eastside Ghosts (2-4) amidst BC's annual Senior Day activities. This game marks the Crusaders' playoff cutoff point, as playoff seeding is determined based on the power points accumulated during the first 8 games of a team’s season.

Eastside enters into the game on a humble one-game win streak after beating Clifton 27-7 in Paterson last week. Their only other win this season came in their season opener on the road against Union City on September 11th. The Ghosts are very young and have struggled to put points on the scoreboard this season, averaging fewer than 13 points per game, while allowing close to 22 points a game on defense. If they're hoping for an upset of BC, they'll need to play an absolutely perfect game on both sides of the ball.

After Eastside, BC has only a matchup against rival St. Joe’s remaining on their regular season schedule before they pack up the bus for their first playoff game and travel to a destination yet to be determined. On Halloween afternoon, Bergen Catholic hopes to continue a pleasant trend of quick starts on offense and defense against the Ghosts, getting every senior a chance of playing in the game on Senior Day.

Keys for a Crusader victory:

1. Harass the Eastside quarterback into making mistakes early and often on defense

2. Get the BC running game going and confident again after its no show vs. DBP

3. Make sure all the starters get their reps and then take them out for next week’s game against SJR in Montvale

A Reminder to all BC fans: You can listen to the game live on the BC Radio Network by visiting www.dlsportsmedia.com on gameday, or later in the week on the free archives.

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 the Bergen Catholic football and soccer teams, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

Crusaders not interested in moral victories

Comeback falls short, focus turns toward earning next shot at Don Bosco
Dan Long, October 26, 2009

On Sunday North Jersey was greeted with sunshine and a cloudless sky, a day after hurricane-like conditions enveloped the area and forced Saturday night's original 7PM kickoff to be postponed. The extra day was sure worth the wait, as high school football fans got to enjoy a great rivalry game between Bergen Catholic and Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey on a dry and sunny afternoon. But despite the great effort from a Bergen Catholic team not prepared to kneel at the feet of the much ballyhooed Bosco squad, the Crusaders fell for the second time in 2009 by a final score of 28-20. With the win, Bosco remains unbeaten at (6-0) and the Crusaders go to (5-2).

With perfect conditions, the Crusaders received an absolute perfect start to the game. On their first play from scrimmage, Don Bosco quarterback Gary Nova fumbled the snap and BC’s Chris Bush fell on the loose ball. The recovery gave Bergen Catholic the ball deep in Bosco’s end less than 15 seconds into the game. But after picking up only 2 yards on their first 2 plays, it looked like BC would not get a chance to put a touchdown on the board and may have to settle for a field goal. That was not the case as BC quarterback Mike Halligan threw a perfect 18-yard pass to Cam Dickerson in the back of the endzone on the third down. Halligan’s extra point was blocked by Steele DiVitto, but BC was jubilant to have cashed in on a Bosco mistake and gain an early 6-0 lead.

On their second possession, Don Bosco's offense worked its way down the field, but on a big third down play deep in BC territory, the Crusader defense held the Ironmen to an incomplete pass and forced a 30-yard field goal attempt by Aiden Murray which sailed wide to the left.

But BC went three and out on offense deep in its own end and gave the Ironmen great field position for their next drive. Bosco only had to travel 40 yards to score their first touchdown on a 4-yard run up the middle by Tony Jones. Murray’s extra point gave Bosco its first lead of the game 7-6 with just over 2 minutes left in the first quarter. BC would miss a 37-yard field goal, but the defense would force Bosco to punt the ball back. The Crusaders later would reclaim the lead in the second quarter when Halligan bought time scrambling outside the pocket and eventually connecting with Dickerson again with a 4-yard TD pass. Halligan’s extra point was good and BC was up 13-7 with 5:30 left in the first half of play.

Bosco’s offense soon began to find its groove, balancing strong runs with deadly passes across the middle, many of them coming in key third down situations. The drive set-up Jones’ second touchdown run, this time from 15 yards out and a 14-13 lead. While pinned deep in its own end, BC could not manage a first down on offense to end the first half, and had to punt the ball back to Bosco with under 2 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. Bosco took this opportunity and again found the endzone on a Tony Jones 17-yard score, converted on the extra point, and went into the half with an 8-point lead, 21-13.

As the second half started, many fans believed that Bosco would pull away from the Crusaders as they had in most of the recent meetings between the two rivals, and after the way BC started the second half, those people looked to be correct. A penalty on the kickoff forced BC deep in its end, and another penalty placed BC’s heels on its own goalline. The Crusaders never had a chance to move the ball, and punted after a three and out. Bosco took over in tremendous field position and could smell the blood in the water.

After a couple of great plays on defense, BC could not stop Nova from hooking up deep with wide receiver Jimmy Clark for 34-yards all the way down to the BC 1 yard line. Tony Jones powered through for his 4th score and gave Bosco its biggest lead of the day, 28-13, and many in attendance believed the rout was on. They were dead wrong.

The gutsy Crusaders continued to work up the field on offense, relying on wide receiver screen passes and crossing routes to move the chains. On a 4th-and-5 in Bosco’s end, and in search of a play to keep the game alive late in the 3rd quarter, Halligan connected on a perfect screen pass to Dickerson, who took it 29 yards to the house for his 3rd touchdown of the afternoon. BC went into the 4th quarter believing it could play with the 2nd-ranked team in the country.

After getting an interception earlier in the 3rd quarter that set up their third score and the fumble recovery to start the game, BC just needed another turnover to get the ball back and tie the game. After stripping Jones of the ball on two occasions, only to have it overruled on the field that  Jones had his forward progress halted, BC got the break they needed when Jones was stripped of the ball and Brendan McGovern recovered for BC.

BC had a chance to tie the game with a touchdown and a two-point conversion and the Red & Gold put together a couple of first downs and then took a chance throwing the ball down the field. With a visibly exhausted Tanner McEvoy streaking down the near sideline, Halligan threw up a wobbly pass for his favorite target, only to see Bosco’s Chris Brady settle in front of McEvoy and pick off the pass and end the drive. The Ironmen would salt away the game on the back of another huge connection between Nova and Clark, in addition to a big run by Jones.

In the end, a loss is a loss, and BC is upset that they didn’t take down their rival in Bosco when they had numerous opportunities in the game. One thing that BC must clean up are the self-inflicted wounds involving penalties, as the Crusaders accumulated over 100 yards in penalties in the game, something you can’t afford to do if you want to beat a team like Bosco. But if there is something to take out of this game for BC, it is that they can compete against Bosco and they don’t need an out-of-this-world performance to beat them. Perhaps the Crusaders will get another shot at the Ironmen in the near future, but they have some work to do first to set up that future rendezvous.

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 the Bergen Catholic football and soccer teams, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

Saturday Night Fever

Crusaders head to Ramsey to battle unbeaten Don Bosco Prep
Dan Long, October 23, 2009

In sports, there is nothing better than rivalry games -- Yankees/Red Sox, Army/Navy, Duke/North Carolina. For North Jersey football fans, the most heated football rivalry is unveiled in 2009 for the first time as the Bergen Catholic Crusaders (5-1) take on the Don Bosco Prep Ironmen (5-0) on Saturday night. The Crusaders look to continue its three-game winning streak with a victory over their rivals from Ramsey for the first time since 2004, and for the first time in the regular season since 1999.

Despite being on the losing end of the rivalry in recent years, the Crusaders will march into Granatell Stadium a confident team. Since their lone loss to St. Peter’s, BC has won three straight, averaging 47 points-per-game over that span. The starting defense has been staunch, allowing just two scores in three games. In order to slay the Bosco beast, BC will again need a huge effort from their offense to put points on the board while the defense must play a flawless game. BC might have an advantage when it comes to the special teams unit, as the Crusaders have capitalized in that area all season long and have produced points on kickoffs, punt returns, punt blocks, and have given the offense great field position to start their drives.

Bosco enters the game as the undisputed best team in New Jersey, and ranked as high as #2 in the country by USA Today. The Ironmen run a brutally efficient offense that has lit up each of their New Jersey opponents, scoring over 50 points on average against Passaic, Clifton, and Kennedy. The Ironmen defense may even be the better of the two units, as they have suffocated opposing offenses and have made life hell for opposing quarterbacks, recording 13 sacks in five games in addition to their 13 turnovers forced on the year. If BC wants any chance of the upset, the Crusaders are going to have to find a way to solve this stingy unit, and score early and often on Saturday night.

No one will give BC a shot come Saturday, as Bosco will check in as the heavy favorites. But BC doesn’t care what the newspapers write, or how highly ranked their opponent may be. The beauty of rivalry games is that anything can happen, especially between two teams that know each other well and where the feeling of dislike is mutual. We’ll see if the Don Bosco winning trend continues on Saturday, or if Bergen Catholic is finally able to snap the streak and beat the team that has bedeviled them for close to a decade.

Keys for a Crusader victory:

1. BC needs to score early in the game, even on its first possession, to prove to themselves they can match up with the highly touted Ironmen defense

2. BC needs to win the battle on the offensive and defensive lines, creating time for Mike Halligan to throw the ball down field while also giving DBP’s offense no time to operate

3. BC has to find a way to mix the running game effectively into the offensive game plan in order to set up bigger plays down field with their passing attack for scores

A Reminder to all BC fans: You can listen to the game live on the BC Radio Network by visiting www.dlsportsmedia.com on gameday or later in the week on the free archives.

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 the Bergen Catholic football and soccer teams, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

Running Away With It

BC rushes for 5 TDs in 49-6 rout of Hackensack
Dan Long, October 18, 2009

In front of a sparse crowd on a cold, rain-soaked October afternoon in Oradell, Bergen Catholic flexed its offensive muscles yet again against a public school opponent, humbling Hackensack to a 49-6 defeat. BC improves to (5-1) on the season after its third straight win, while Hackensack falls to (2-3) after the loss.

BC started the game on defense and forced Hackensack to go three-and-out, getting great field position at the Hackensack 40-yard line thanks in part to a short Comet punt. BC moved the ball fluidly down the field, and struck first on the afternoon when junior running back Spencer Kulcsar ran straight up the middle for 5-yards for a rushing touchdown to give BC a 7-0 lead.

The BC defense routinely frustrated the Hackensack offense, shutting down their predictable running attack, and not allowing QB Malik Bush anytime to find wide receivers down the field while standing in a shrinking pocket. Hackensack punted away to BC again, and the offense quickly went back to work. This time Doug Rigg found the endzone for the first time since the September 11th season opener against Iona Prep, when he made a terrific play, spinning from the grasp of at least two Hackensack defenders and maintaining his balance the entire time to run 38 yards for a score and extend the BC lead to 14-0 in the first quarter.

While the BC defense was miserly, the BC offense was munificent in terms of spreading out the scores to five different Crusaders. Mike Halligan threw his 14th touchdown pass of the year when he lobbed a 7-yard touchdown pass to Tanner McEvoy in the far corner of the endzone. The reception by the junior wide receiver was his 8th TD catch of the season. BC would add another huge TD run of 38 yards by Kulcsar, a gorgeous 36-yard TD connection between Halligan and junior Cam Dickerson, a 17-yard TD run by junior Karl Bostick, and finally senior Nick Marinaro earned his first ever varsity score on a 16-yard jaunt to the far side of the field.

In only 24 minutes of play, Bergen Catholic had scored 7 touchdowns on its 9 offensive possessions, while the Red & Gold defense forced Hackensack to have -1 yards of total offense in the first half. At the half the scoreboard read 49-0, but it didn’t even feel that close. With the BC reserves playing the entire second half, Hackensack would prevent the shutout with a late TD run, and after a failed two-point attempt, the final score was 49-6 in favor of the home team.

Now the real test comes for BC, the game everyone circles on their calendars when the schedule comes out each year … Bergen Catholic vs. Don Bosco. Now we see if this BC offense that has scored 47 points-per-game in their last three wins, can produce against the best defense around. We’ll also find out if BC’s staunch defense can hold it’s own against a Bosco offense which has led the Ironmen to the #2 ranking in the country according to USA Today. We’ll find out soon enough, but for now, BC seems to be clicking on all cylinders after their first home win of the season on Saturday.

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 the Bergen Catholic football and soccer teams, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

Home Sweet Home

BC to host Hackensack at rain-soaked Crusader Stadium
Dan Long, October 16, 2009

Bergen Catholic (4-1) returns home to Crusader Stadium for only the second time in the 2009 season as they face-off against Hackensack High School (2-2) in a Tri-County Conference Division 2 game on Saturday afternoon. BC will be in search of their first win at home this season, and will want to build on the momentum they have gained in their last two games where they have outscored their opponents by a 93-28 margin.

In their 53-14 victory last week over Bergen Tech, the Red & Gold scored touchdowns on offense, defense, and special teams. BC opened the scoring on a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown by Mike Mattia. After a Mike Halligan TD run gave BC a 14-0 lead, Halligan would proceed to throw 5 first-half touchdown passes, with 4 of the passes going to Tanner McEvoy and the other landing in the hands of Cam Dickerson. At the start of the second half Chucky Wingate returned the kickoff 92 yards for a TD, a BC record, and the Crusaders finished with yet another emphatic victory on the season.

Tanner McEvoy (9) cruises past Bergen Tech with help from Cam Dickerson (17)
+More photos v. Bergen Tech

The Crusaders are averaging over 40 points per game on offense, and the starting defense has only allowed one touchdown in each of the past two games against Ridgewood and Bergen Tech. BC’s special teams has been amazing, blocking punts, recovering fumbles, and now returning punts and kickoffs for scores this season.

Hackensack comes into Crusader Stadium winning their last two games against Bergen Tech and Eastside, after starting off their season with back-to-back losses against Ridgewood and Passaic Tech. The Comets are a very young team and are led by sophomore quarterback Malik Bush, a former BC student and member of the 2008 Bergen Catholic freshman team who transferred to Hackensack mid-year. To stay with the Crusaders, Hackensack will have to produce big-time numbers with their running game on Saturday afternoon and in the process keep the high-powered BC offense off the field as long as possible.

Keys for a Crusader victory:

1. Stack the box, shut down the Hackensack run game, and make Bush beat them passing

2. Establish the running game early allowing the BC backs enough reps to prepare for next week

3. Make sure the starters who didn’t play last week get sufficient time in the 1st half before playing the reserves

A Reminder to all BC fans: You can listen to the game live on the BC Radio Network by visiting www.dlsportsmedia.com on gameday or later in the week on the free archives.

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 the Bergen Catholic football and soccer teams, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

Over-Knight Delivery

BC's McEvoy hauls in 4 TDs in 53-14 Crusader romp over Bergen Tech
Dan Long, October 10, 2009

In a game that honestly neither team was excited about coming into Saturday afternoon, Bergen Catholic dismantled Bergen Tech by a final of 53-14 in Hackensack. The Crusaders yet again used a prolific passing attack to spearhead their offense, and scored the Red & Gold's highest point total this season.

Bergen Catholic (4-1) opened up the scoring on the afternoon thanks in part to their pressure defense. On a third and long situation for Bergen Tech (2-3), an underthrown pass was picked-off by senior Mike Mattia. Mattia returned the interception 45 yards down the Bergen Catholic sideline behind a convoy of blockers for a touchdown and an early 7-0 BC advantage. After another short series on offense for Bergen Tech, the Knights fumbled their first punt and the ball was recovered at midfield by John Maughan. This signaled the first time that the BC offense would get a chance to touch the ball.

The Crusaders offense is rolling at this point in the season, coming off a performance against Ridgewood that saw the Crusaders score touchdowns on 6 of their 7 possessions when the starters were in the game, and this would not change on Saturday. BC’s Mike Halligan took an option keeper 18 yards for a rushing touchdown that extended BC’s lead to 14-0 midway through the first. BC would get the ball back after another three-and-out for the Knights offensive unit, and found the promised land through the air on a wide receiver screen pass hauled in by Tanner McEvoy. McEvoy cruised down the BC sideline for the score, eerily similar to Mattia’s interception return. After the missed extra point, BC led 20-0, the third 20-point first quarter this season.

Halligan and McEvoy were not even close to being done connecting as a one-two punch on the afternoon. With incredible passing protection set up by the offensive line of Chris Bush, Chuck Seergy, Al Bruno, Taylor Bishop, and Zach Sparber, Mike Halligan had all day to find his open wide receivers. In the opening seconds of the 2nd quarter, Halligan again hooked up on a screen pass to McEvoy, who broke through one failed tackling attempt and simply jogged in another score from 46 yards out and a 27-0 BC lead. The pain would continue for the overmatched Knights as Halligan found McEvoy for the third consecutive time. This time McEvoy soared over his diminutive defender and did a high wire act in the back of the endzone for his third touchdown of the game.

Bergen Tech finally got on the board on a powerful 76-yard TD run by Pete Rocchio, but after that score the Knights were silent for the rest of the half. BC responded with another score when Halligan threw a beautiful pass down the seam to Cam Dickerson who got past the secondary and landed in the endzone for his second TD catch of 2009. BC was up 40-7, but still wanted more before breaking for halftime. Bergen Tech unsuccessfully tried to move the ball through the air on their last drive before the half, but the BC defense made sure not to allow any more scoring opportunities for their Hackensack hosts. A punt gave BC the ball in great field position, and eventually the fourth scoring hookup between Halligan and McEvoy to close out the first half in favor of the Crusaders 46-7.

And just when you thought BC could not produce in any other way to score on Saturday, Chucky Wingate made believers of the fans in attendance with his jaw-dropping 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to start the 3rd quarter. Bergen Tech managed to score a late 4th-quarter TD on a QB sneak against a BC defense comprised mostly of sophomores, but the Crusaders marched off with a decisive 53-14 victory.

The Red & Gold will have to prepare for another Tri-County Conference game this weekend against Hackensack as BC returns home for only their second game in Oradell all season long.

ABOUT DAN LONG
Dan Long graduated from Bergen Catholic in 2003  coined the immortal phrase Crusader Crazies for the raucous BC student section. He is currently the radio voice of the Bergen Catholic football and soccer teams, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

The Battle of Bergen

Crusaders set to take on Bergen Tech Knights today
Dan Long, October 10, 2009

With the St. Peter’s loss clearly in the rear-view mirror after last week’s dominant win over Ridgewood on Friday night, Bergen Catholic (3-1) takes its show on the road for a Saturday afternoon joust with the Bergen Tech Knights (2-2) in Hackensack.

BC blew past the Maroons last week thanks to their suffocating defensive pressure which stymied the Ridgewood running attack early in the game. Once given the ball, the Crusaders didn’t waste any time scoring 40 points in their first 7 possessions. The Crusaders were led by the outstanding efforts of quarterback Mike Halligan, who threw for 4 touchdowns in the first half alone.

This week BC will again try to keep the good times flowing on both sides of the ball. The offense has shown its dominance in most recent weeks with the passing attack, but BC will surely put an emphasis back on establishing the running game that has not been the primary attack the last two weeks. Look for the “BC Hydra” running trio of Doug Rigg, Karl Bostick, and Spencer Kulcsar to get a lot of touches this weekend.

On defense, the Crusaders will look to use its team speed to shut down the Bergen Tech running game. BC would love to be able to force more turnovers on defense as the team only enjoys a slim +1 turnover margin. While BC has been able to recover their fair share of fumbles (6), the Red & Gold have only picked-off (2) passes, both by safety Shutang Mungwa.

Finally the special teams unit has been terrific this season in making their presence felt in every game. BC blocked two punts against Ridgewood, both by John Maughan, and the previous week returned a punt for a TD by Tanner McEvoy. Expect BC to exploit this weakness for Bergen Tech on Saturday.

Bergen Tech checks into the game with back-to-back blowout losses to Passaic and Hackensack, after starting their season 2-0. While BC is not overlooking the BT Knights, they are aware that they need to continue to gain confidence and hone their precision in all facets of the game before their showdown in Ramsey in two weeks.

Keys for a Crusader victory:

1. Establish the running game and have the main backs gain their confidence back

2. Cut down on the dumb penalties as BC is averaging 7 penalties a game

3. Make your statement early with the starters and get your reserves great varsity experience

A Reminder to all BC fans: You can listen to the game live on the BC Radio Network by visiting www.dlsportsmedia.com on gameday or later in the week on the free archives.

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

Browse and download outstanding Bergen Catholic Crusaders game photos like the one below -- over 600 of them! -- courtesy of Mike Scheuring: Gallery I | Gallery II

Turner Sports Photo Galleries: v. Iona Prep | v. St. Peter's Prep | v. Ridgewood

Friday Night Fireworks

Bergen Catholic aerial attack throttles Ridgewood, 40-14
Dan Long, October 3, 2009

There were probably several fans who went to the BC-Ridgewood game on Friday night in Palisades Park expecting to see a close game between a non-public and public school from North Jersey… problem was that game took place in Wayne. Bergen Catholic showed absolutely no signs of a letdown from last week’s game against St. Peter’s Prep, as the Crusaders took apart the Ridgewood defense all night en route to a 40-14 rout.

While Ridgewood got the ball first on offense to open the game, the BC defense made a statement early on against the Maroons rushing attack that averaged close to 300 yards rushing for its first two games of the year. The Crusaders forced the Maroons to go three and out, and then deflected the Ridgewood punt to set up BC at the Ridgewood 40 yard line for their first offensive series. BC unleashed their unmerciful no huddle offense, using running plays from Doug Rigg, Ernest Wingate, and passes from Mike Halligan to move the ball down into the red zone. When faced with a 4th-and-6 from the Ridgewood 20 yard line, BC went for it by having quarterback Mike Halligan run the option to the far side of the field and then lateralled the ball to Tanner McEvoy, who cut outside and then inside for the first touchdown of the evening and gave BC a quick 7-0 lead.

BC again forced Ridgewood to go three and out on offense, and brought the pressure on the punting unit again, this time forcing another high snap which the Maroon punter had to run with to his horror, before being tackled down again deep in Ridgewood territory. BC capitalized on the great field position as Halligan threw a short pass to McEvoy on the near sideline, and when McEvoy turned around with the ball and saw no defender near him, he sauntered into the endzone for his third TD reception of the season and his second score of the night. BC led 14-0.

Whenever Ridgewood would get the ball on offense in the first quarter, BC seemed to bring even more pressure with every drive. When forced to punt for the third time in a matter of minutes, BC again got a piece of a punt and was set up for another scoring opportunity in the opening frame. Mike Halligan wasted no time in getting a wide receiver screen pass in the capable hands of Nick LaTesta in the slot, and the junior raced into the endzone thanks to great perimeter blocking by his BC teammates. I don’t even think the lights were fully warm yet at the field, but BC had already enjoyed a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.

Ridgewood did manage to finally score in the second quarter and capped off an impressive 95-yard drive with a 3-yard TD run by quarterback Matt Grundy. But just when some fans began to think that they might indeed have themselves a ball game on Friday night, BC squashed any hope of a Ridgewood comeback.

The BC offense, which had looked unable to tie their own cleats last week in the first half against SPP, operated like a veteran surgical unit, dropping pinpointed passes in between the secondary, while at the same time creating mammoth holes in the trenches for the running game. Mike Halligan must not have heard a thing on Friday night, as he was seemingly in the zone against Ridgewood. The senior QB finished his night throwing TD passes to fellow senior WR Bill Leonard, and then capping off his aerial attacks with a gorgeous 33-yard to Chucky Wingate who made a highlight reel over-the-shoulder catch in the back of the endzone to give BC a 34-7 lead at the half. Halligan finished 9/14 passing (64%) for 123 yards and a remarkable 4 TDs.

The Crusader starters came out to start the first possession of the 3rd quarter, which they used to march down the field until Karl Bostick ran in a score from 4 yards out to give BC its last score of the night. Ridgewood would tack on a late garbage-time TD to cap the night’s scoring at 40-14, in favor of the team from Oradell.

BC looked tremendous on both sides of the ball, as the offense regained its high-powered form running a ridiculously fast-paced offense that caught Ridgewood flat-footed. The BC defense stuffed the run early on, and only gave up a couple of big rushing plays later when the game had already been decided. The fireworks were on hand on Friday night, but they were only launched from the BC sideline.

The thing that must have pleased the BC coaching staff following Friday’s game against Ridgewood is how BC brought a business-like attitude to the field on Friday. They were a team that acted like they wanted to get back on the field immediately after losing last week, and Ridgewood happened to be the unfortunate opponent in their way. It also didn’t help matters that BC had been ranked below the Maroons in this week’s Record’s Top 25 listing.

BC made a big step on its road to recdemption, and will continue to look to make big gains in confidence and its play next week against Bergen Tech. BC continues to thrive under the lights on Friday nights, but as well all know, the lights will be at their brightest in a couple of weeks in Ramsey.

ABOUT DAN LONG
Dan Long graduated from Bergen Catholic in 2003  coined the immortal phrase Crusader Crazies for the raucous BC student section. He is currently the radio voice of the Bergen Catholic football and soccer teams, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

Time to Get off the Mat

After tough loss, BC looks to rebound against Ridgewood
Dan Long, October 1, 2009

In a boxing analogy, Bergen Catholic suffered a hard blow to the midsection that knocked the Oradell heavyweight contender down to the mat. Now we’ll see if the contender will bounce right back off the canvas to continue the season-long fight.

After being dealt a hard blow in their 26-23 loss to St. Peter’s Prep, the (2-1) Crusaders will look to get back on track against the (2-0) Ridgewood Maroons on Friday night under the lights in Palisades Park.

Bergen Catholic does not get any more time to reflect on their first loss of the season, as they have to take on one of the better public school programs in North Jersey in long-time rival Ridgewood. The Maroons are a power running team that uses its punishing Wing T approach to frustrate opposing defenses with runners who are relentless from the line of scrimmage. Ridgewood is led by the talented twins, Matt and Richard Biagi at fullback and tailback, and also uses Tony Ahn and quarterback Matt Grundy to fuel their running attack.

Ridgewood is averaging just under 300 rushing yards a game after their first two contests, both wins, against Hackensack and Clifton. In order to pick up a victory, the BC defense, which looked mortal last week against Prep, will have to win the battle at the line of scrimmage, something BC was able to do much of the 2nd half against SPP.

If BC has any hopes of hosting some playoff games at Crusader Stadium next month, the Red & Gold cannot afford to be tripped up in any game leading up to their Rumble in Ramsey later on this month against Don Bosco. The Crusaders will show if they really are a true contender this year with their play Friday night against a very good Ridgewood team that would love nothing better than to hand another loss to their parochial nemesis.

Keys for a Crusader victory:

1. Get a fast start against Ridgewood to get the taste of the SPP loss out of their mouths

2. Establish a groove with the running game.
-The 3 BC RB’s were held in check last week and it would behoove BC to get them all confident again running the ball.

3. Let Tanner McEvoy take over the game by throwing more his way.

A Reminder to all BC fans: You can listen to the game live on the BC Radio Network by visiting www.dlsportsmedia.com on gameday or later in the week on the free archives.

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 the Bergen Catholic football and soccer teams, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

Homecoming Heartbreak

Crusaders suffer tough late-game loss to St. Peter's Prep
Dan Long, September 27, 2009

Well football can certainly be cruel, and Bergen Catholic fans found out the hard way on Saturday. In a game that was billed as being a playoff-like matchup in Week 3 of the season, Bergen Catholic and St. Peter’s Prep certainly did not disappoint the large crowd of fans in attendance on Saturday afternoon in Oradell, as the visiting Marauders pulled out an exciting 26-23 victory over BC. With the victory St. Peter’s goes to (1-1) on the season while BC suffers its first setback and falls to (2-1).

St. Peter’s Prep came out as the hungrier team from the onset, trying to make up for their 40-28 loss to St. Joseph Prep of Philadelphia at Rutgers Stadium in week one. Prep moved the ball down the field via a potent passing attack spearheaded by quarterback Raphael Ortiz and star wideout Corey Davis. Ortiz capped off the drive with a short 6-yard TD pass to make it 7-0 in favor of the Marauders.

BC could not do anything with their first offensive possession and were forced to punt it away. St. Peter’s again took the ball on offense and marched down the field, again finding openings in the BC secondary with pinpoint passing from Ortiz. Prep struck for their second passing touchdown of the afternoon when Ortiz lobbed a beautiful pass to the back corner of the endzone to Corey Davis whose reception gave SPP a quick 14-point advantage.

The Crusaders did not help matters by throwing an interception in their own end on their next offensive play and giving St. Peter’s a chance to tack on more points in the opening quarter. BC was fortunate to see SPP miss a long 43-yard field goal but still could not get out of its own way on offense.

Mike Halligan threw his second interception of the game -- and of the season -- when Corey Davis made a diving play in Bergen’s end of the field. The Marauders capitalized this time on the miscue, and eventually capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Ortiz. When the extra point was blocked, BC was left staring at a 20-0 deficit with a couple of minutes remaining before halftime.

The Red & Gold finally got a spark against their Jersey City foes when a punt sailed over the St. Peter’s punter’s head which resulted in a safety rewarded to BC. After the ensuing kickoff, BC was able to connect on several long passing plays, including a long 26-yard hookup from Halligan to Ernest Wingate. BC finally found the endzone when Halligan lobbed a perfect jump ball for Tanner McEvoy who used his clear 6'5" height advantage over the 5'9" Corey Davis to cut the Marauder lead to 20-8 at the half.

The second half saw both teams trading short offensive possessions, and led to SPP being force to punt from its own side of the field with a couple minutes left in the 3rd quarter. BC was in need of another spark, and they got it from the amazing McEvoy. The junior returned the SPP punt 57-yards, through seemingly the entire Prep special teams unit and a bevy of flailing tackle attempts to pull the Crusaders within 5 points, 20-15.

BC’s defense was outstanding in the second half, routinely forcing Ortiz to move around in the pocket and stifling the Prep running attack which was so successful in the first half. After forcing Prep to punt it back to BC, the Crusader offense again showed signs of life when given a chance to operate. Doug Rigg carried the load in the second half pounding the football and moving piles, while Mike Halligan started to use his feet to move the offense forward.

On a huge 4th down and 6, Halligan found McEvoy on the near sideline to keep the drive alive in SPP territory. After a couple of great runs, BC finally scored on a Halligan TD run, who then threw to John Maughan for the 2-point conversion to give BC its first lead of the afternoon 23-20.

Just when BC fans believed the Crusaders had finally gained control of the game and would pull out a thrilling comeback in Oradell, the Marauders decided to rewrite the storybook ending. The key play of the game happened when Savon Huggins fumbled for SPP in front of their sideline in Prep territory. One official motioned that BC had in fact recovered the ball and would be in great field position to extend their lead. But as the BC defense triumphantly ran off the field, the lead official corrected his partner and motioned that the ball would remain with Prep. After that, Mr. Momentum found a new address.

St. Peter’s Prep continued to drive down the field with the deciding play being a long pass from Ortiz to Sheldon Royster. Royster caught a deflection off of cornerback Mike Halligan’s hands on what looked like a sure interception. That set up a Savon Huggins 2-yard run and Prep regained the lead at 26-23.

BC had 5 minutes to work with and began to move the ball efficiently down the field. It looked as if BC would no doubt score on the drive; it was just a matter of how much time the Crusaders would leave for SPP to use to end the game. The final drive met a tragic end for BC when Maughan caught a pass on the far side of the field and fumbled the ball away trying to gain extra yards. St. Peter’s managed to convert a huge 3rd down to salt away the game and pick up an enormous victory on the road and a victory that may impact playoff seeding down the road in Non-Public Group 4.

Despite the gut-wrenching loss, the Crusaders must look to regroup and rebound in the upcoming week as Bergen Catholic (2-1) will take on the Ridgewood Maroons (2-0) at Overpeck Park this Friday night. Fans will be able to hear all the action against Ridgewood this week on the BC Radio Network.

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

Get Ready for some Home Cookingg

Marauders of St. Peter's Prep to visit Crusader Stadium on Saturday
Dan Long, September 23, 2009

Bergen Catholic finally gets to play its first game at Crusader Stadium after opening the 2009 season with consecutive road games at Giants Stadium and in West Haven, Connecticut. The Crusaders hope that the home cooking tastes just as fine as their feasts on the road, as the Red & Gold have devoured their first two opponents Iona Prep (NY) and Westfield (MA) by a combined score of 87-9. Now, BC is faced with yet another big-time contest, this time against a New Jersey state rival in St. Peter’s Prep of Jersey City.

Last weekend, the Crusaders continued their Northeast traveling show by going to the Nutmeg state to take on Massachusetts power Westfield Bombers. I guess the Bombers needed to be refueled early on, because they did not come close to taking off against a Crusader team that avoided any sort of a trap game in Week 2. BC exploded for 34 points in the 1st quarter of play, and just manhandled Westfield all over the field in Connecticut.

The swarming Crusader D stuffs yet another Bombers rushing attempt vs. Westfield