12Sep/10

Long: Dramatic win for Cardiac Crusaders

In what was one of the most exciting finishes in Crusader Stadium history, Bergen Catholic held on to beat LaSalle College High School 22-21 in front of a standing-room only crowd in Oradell on Saturday afternoon. With LaSalle driving deep into Bergen Catholic territory with 12 seconds left, BC senior linebacker Karl Bostick forced a fumble from LaSalle quarterback Matt Magarity, turning the ball over to the Crusaders, and preserving a dramatic first win in the varsity coaching career of new BC Coach Nunzio Campanile.

Neither team wasted any time putting points on the board, as each side scored touchdowns on their first offensive possession. On LaSalle’s third play from scrimmage, Magarity connected through the air with a wide-open Mike Piscopo, and the senior tight end rumbled all the way down to the Crusader 10-yard line. LaSalle found the endzone on a simple 7-yard touchdown toss from Magarity to his fullback Tim Wade that gave the Explorers a quick 7-0 lead on the road.

On their first offensive drive, Bergen Catholic methodically moved down the field , powered in part by a 50-yard sprint by senior Spencer Kulcsar that put BC into scoring position. The Crusaders put their first points on the board when senior Tanner McEvoy threw his first-ever varsity touchdown, connecting on a screen pass to junior running back Mike Gerst. BC would have to settle for 6 though, as junior Austin Devine’s extra point attempt clanked off the right upright and was no good.

Fans expecting a shootout after the first two drives were sorely disappointed as the defenses for both sides began to play well and dominate their offensive counterparts. When the BC offense got deep in LaSalle territory, the Explorers’ defense stiffened and turned the Crusaders over on downs. The same happened for LaSalle’s offensive unit when they had the ball at the BC 10-yard line with the final seconds of the first half ticking away. Thanks in part to a costly holding penalty, LaSalle chose to forgo the field goal attempt and instead threw for the endzone, only to see the pass intercepted by BC’s Kulcsar. That play closed out the first half with the scoreboard frozen at 7-6 LaSalle.

BC came out of the halftime locker room a determined bunch, running the ball on the first five plays of the second half, and finding creases in the middle of the LaSalle defense thanks to the sensational efforts of the BC offensive line. The Crusaders finally got their first lead of the game after McEvoy, with plenty of time in the pocket, found Kulcsar wide open on the far side of the field. The senior hauled in the pass, cut to the inside to juke past one defender, and ran into the endzone from 32 yards away. Coach Campanile elected to go for 2 points and the 7-point lead instead of attempting an extra point, and the conversion was successful on a McEvoy run behind the left side of his line.

But as was the case all game long, it once again became a seesaw affair. When it looked like BC was about to break away from LaSalle and potentially go up by two scores, the Crusaders would commit a couple of costly mental mistakes. On two third down-and-long situations, LaSalle was able to prolong their drives due to personal foul facemask penalties on BC. That new life led to an eventual touchdown run by LaSalle’s Jamal Abdur-Rahman and LaSalle pulled to within a point of tying the game. But after a BC offsides penalty was declined, Spencer Kulcsar shot through the middle and blocked Ryan Winslow’s extra point, preserving BC’s one point lead at 14-13.

Penalties again doomed a BC drive after the Crusaders received a sensational kickoff return by sophomore James Dawson all the way down to the LaSalle 30-yard line. The top team in Pennsylvania was given the ball back after a BC punt, and began to methodically pick apart the BC defense, many times on back-breaking third-and-long conversions. With perfect poise and precision, Magarity consistently found wide receivers Sean Coleman and Kevin Forster for big gains before finally connecting with Colin Buckley from 15 yards out on a crossing pattern in the middle of the endzone. The Explorers followed the Crusaders’ lead and went for the 2-point conversion, recapturing its 7-point lead at 21-14.

BC faced a fourth quarter deficit against one of the top teams on the East Coast. Pressure was staring Coach Campanile’s team square in the face and the Crusaders never blinked.

With under 9 minutes left in the game, the Crusaders marched down the field behind the sensational running of quarterback McEvoy. You would have never guessed that McEvoy was making his quarterbacking debut, as he was a calming influence for his offensive tro0p, taking what the defense gave him and never forcing a pass into coverage. That solid decision-making moved BC into the LaSalle red zone, where McEvoy darted a pass to Kulcsar across the middle of the field, and the dynamic senior proceeded to stop on a dime, shift his momentum from right to left, and find open running room into the endzone from five yards out.

Everyone in Crusader Stadium assumed that a game-tying extra point was about to happen with a little over 4 minutes remaining in the game. Everyone except for BC head coach Nunzio Campanile. Campanile decided to go for two and the lead, to the home crowd’s delight. With an empty backfield, Nunzio called for a quarterback keeper, and McEvoy easily got into the endzone behind the right side of his offensive line, then casually handed the ball to the umpire as his jubilant lineman patted him on the helmet. BC had regained the lead, but LaSalle had one final chance to steal the game on the road.

Facing two huge 4th down conversions on their final drive, Magarity connected with his favorite receiving threats in Coleman and Forster to move the chains and keep hope alive for the Keystone State visitors. After Sean Coleman scooped a low throw into his midsection, and Abdur-Rahman gained a yard on a bubble screen, LaSalle called the first of their two remaining timeouts with 12 seconds left in the game and the ball on the BC 15-yard line. Rather than send his kicker onto the field for a potential game-winning 27-yard field goal, LaSalle Coach Drew Gordon decided to take one last shot at the endzone before attempting a field goal with untested sophomore kicker Ryan Winslow.

With Crusaders fans biting their nails and holding their collective breath in anticipation of a game-deciding field goal, the Crusader Crazies instead became witness to a defensive play that may well echo on for the rest of the season for this Crusader team. On 3rd down-and-3, Matt Magarity dropped back to pass and pump faked to the near endzone, looking for Kevin Forster to get open. Excellent coverage by senior Nick LaTesta left Magarity holding the ball in the pocket and enabled lonebacker Karl Bostick to knife through the offensive line untouched, wrap Magarity up in a bear hug, and strip him of the ball. The ball wobbled free on the Crusader Stadium Field Turf, and a thousand-plus fans screamed for the players to take notice. BC plopped on the fumble and sealed the win with 5 ticks left on the clock. Crusader fans could officially exhale.

Tanner McEvoy took a knee from the victory formation, and the entire red-clad BC sideline erupted in jubilation, sprinting from the far side of the field to greet the offense in a dramatic moment of celebration. Nunzio Campanile was doused with his first Gatorade bath as a victorious varsity coach, and got to celebrate that special moment with his father Mike standing alongside him on the field. What a way to open up a new era at BC, with a dramatic home win over a national power.

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, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.

The Cardiac Crusaders

Bostick’s Forced Fumble Seals First Win for the Crusaders and Coach Campanile

ORADELL--In what was one of the most exciting finishes in Crusader Stadium history, Bergen Catholic held on to beat LaSalle College High School 22-21 in front of a standing-room only crowd in Oradell on Saturday afternoon. With LaSalle driving deep into Bergen Catholic territory with 12 seconds left, BC senior linebacker Karl Bostick forced a fumble from LaSalle’s quarterback Matt Magarity, turning the ball back to Crusaders, and preserving a dramatic first win in the varsity coaching career of new BC Coach Nunzio Campanile.

Both teams did not waste any time putting points on the board, as each side scored touchdowns on their first offensive positions of the game. On LaSalle’s third play from scrimmage, Magarity connected through the air with a wide open Mike Piscopo, and the senior tight end rumbled all the way down to the Crusader 10 yard line. LaSalle found the endzone on a simple 7 yard touchdown toss from Magarity to his fullback Tim Wade that gave the Explorers a quick 7-0 lead on the road.

Bergen Catholic proceeded to methodically move down the field on their first offensive drive, powered in part by a 50 yard sprint by senior Spencer Kulcsar who brought BC into scoring position. The Crusaders put their first points on the board when senior Tanner McEvoy threw his first-ever varsity touchdown pass on a running back screen pass to junior Mike Gerst. BC was not able to tie the game at 7-7 though because junior Austin Devine’s extra point clanked off the top right up right and was no good.

Fans expecting a shootout between both teams were sorely disappointed after these first two drives, as the defenses for both sides began to play and dominate their offensive counterparts. When the BC offense got deep in LaSalle territory, the Explorers’ defense stiffened and turned the Crusaders over on downs. The same happened for LaSalle’s offensive unit when they had the ball at the BC 10 yard line with the final seconds of the first half ticking away. Thanks in part to a costly holding penalty, LaSalle chose not to attempt a field goal and instead threw for the endzone, only to see the pass intercepted by BC’s Kulcsar. That play closed out the first half with the scoreboard still frozen at the same 7-6 LaSalle lead.

BC came out of the halftime locker room a determined bunch, as the first five plays of the second half were running plays that began to find creases in the middle of the field thanks to the sensational efforts of the BC offensive line. BC finally got their first lead of the game after McEvoy, with plenty of time in the pocket, found Kulcsar wide open on the far side of the field, and the senior hauled in the pass, cut to the inside to juke past one defender, and ran into the endzone from 32 yards away. BC and Coach Campanile elected to go for 2 points instead of an extra point attempt, and the conversion was successful on a McEvoy run behind the left side of his line.

But as was the case all game long, it became a seesaw affair, and when it looked like BC was about to break away from LaSalle and potentially go up by two scores, the Crusaders would commit a couple of costly mental mistakes. On two third down and long situations, LaSalle was able to prolong their drives due to personal foul facemask penalties by BC players. That new life led to an eventual touchdown run by LaSalle’s Jamal Abdur-Rahman, and LaSalle pulled to within a point of tying the game. But after a BC offsides penalty was declined, Spencer Kulcsar shot through the middle and blocked Ryan Winslow’s extra point, preserving BC’s one point lead at 14-13.

Penalties again doomed a BC drive after the Crusaders received a sensational kickoff return by sophomore James Dawson all the way down to the LaSalle 30 yard line. The top team in Pennsylvania was given the ball back after a BC punt, and methodically began to pick apart the BC defense, many times on back-breaking long third down conversions to wide receivers who were given space in a zone defense. With perfect poise and precision, Magarity consistently found wide receivers Sean Coleman and Kevin Forster for big gains before finally connecting with Colin Buckley from 15 yards out on a crossing pattern in the middle of the endzone. The Explorers followed the Crusaders’ lead and went for a 2-point conversion, where they also were successful and recaptured its 7 point lead at 21-14.

At this point BC was faced with a fourth quarter deficit against one of the top teams on the East Coast. Pressure was staring Coach Campanile’s team square in the face…and the Crusaders never blinked.

With under 9 minutes left in the game, the Crusaders marched down the field behind the sensational running of their quarterback McEvoy. You would have never guessed that McEvoy was making his quarterbacking debut, as he was a calming influence for his offensive troupe, taking what the defense gave him yet never forcing a risky pass in coverage. That solid decision-making moved BC into the LaSalle red zone, where McEvoy darted a pass to his tight end Kulcsar across the middle of the field, where the dynamic senior proceeded to stop on a dime, shift his momentum from his right to left, and find open running room into the endzone from five yards out.

Everyone in Crusader Stadium assumed that a game-tying extra point was about to happen with a little over 4 minutes remaining in the game. Everyone except for BC head coach Nunzio Campanile. With the guts of a burglar, Campanile decided to go for the 2-point conversion and to take back the lead, to the BC crowd’s delight. With an empty backfield, Campanile called for a quarterback keeper, and McEvoy easily got into the endzone behind the right side of his offensive line, and proceeded to casually hand the ball to the umpire as his jubilant lineman patted him constantly on the helmet. BC had retaken the lead, but LaSalle had one final chance to steal the game on the road with their offense.

Facing two huge 4^th down conversions on their final drive, Magarity connected with his favorite receiving threats in Coleman and Forster to move the chains and keep hope alive for the Keystone State visitors. After Sean Coleman snagged a low throw into his midsection, and Abdur-Rahman gained a yard on a running back bubble screen pass, LaSalle called a timeout and had the ball on the BC 15 yard line, still in possession of one more timeout in the game, and 12 seconds left in the game. Rather than sending his kicker onto the field for a potential game-winning 27 yard field goal, LaSalle Coach Drew Gordon decided to have one last shot at the endzone before kicking the field goal with his untested sophomore kicker Ryan Winslow.

With Crusaders fans biting their nails and holding their collective breath in anticipation of a game-deciding field goal, the Crusader Crazies instead became witness to a defensive play that might echo on for the rest of the season for this Crusader team. On 3rd down and 3, Matt Magarity dropped back to pass and pump faked to the near endzone, looking for Kevin Forster to get open. Due to excellent coverage by senior captain Nick LaTesta, Forster never got open and left Magarity holding the ball a little too long in the pocket. This enabled senior captain Karl Bostick to come through the offensive line untouched, wrap Magarity up in a bear hug, while stripping him simultaneously of the ball. With the ball wobbling free on the Crusader Stadium Field Turf, and a thousand plus fans screaming for the players to take notice of the loose ball, BC plopped on the ball and sealed the win with 5 ticks left on the clock.

Crusader fans, you can officially exhale now.

After Tanner McEvoy knelt down in the victory formation, the entire red-clad BC sideline erupted in jubilation, sprinting from the far side of the field to greet the offense in a moment of celebration. Nunzio Campanile was doused with his first Gatorade bath as a victorious varsity coach, and got to celebrate that special moment with his father Mike standing alongside him on the field. What a way to open up a new era at BC, with a dramatic win over a national power.

Tagged as: Austin Devine, Dan Long, James Dawson, Karl Bostick, Michael Gerst, Nick La Testa, Nunzio Campanile, Spencer Kulcsar, Tanner McEvoy 2 Comments

7Sep/10

Bergen Catholic Football Preview: Part I

Offense has potential to be "scary good"

In the first part of our season preview of the 2010 Bergen Catholic football team, Dan Long breaks down the Crusader offensive and special teams units and highlights some of the players to watch for on that side of the ball:

Quarterback

Upon losing Mike Halligan to graduation, this position became the greatest area of concern for the Crusaders, as Halligan had one of the best seasons ever by a BC QB throwing for 23 touchdowns and setting the school record for passing accuracy with a 68% completion percentage. In the 2010 season, the answer at quarterback will be senior Tanner McEvoy, arguably the best athlete at the quarterbacking position in Oradell since legendary quarterback Matt LoVecchio ran the offense in the late 1990’s.

McEvoy gets to return to his dream position of quarterback, a position he played on the BC freshman team 3 years. The past two seasons on the varsity level McEvoy has been BC’s top receiver and statistically is the school’s all-time leader at the position. With new BC Head Coach Nunzio Campanile’s arrival in Oradell, he has put McEvoy in position to touch the ball every down, instead of his usual 7-9 touches that he would have gotten lined up as a receiver. The senior signal caller possesses a deadly combination of amazing agility on his running plays, and a strong arm that can easily complete 50+ yard passes to his receivers down the field.

McEvoy is a gifted athlete who will continue to work on his decision-making abilities as a quarterback where he has been prone in the preseason to force passes into coverage that led to interceptions. There is a reason why Coach Campanile has already stated that he thinks McEvoy is the best athlete he has ever coached at the quarterback position, a high honor coming from a coach who has helped produce five straight First-Team All-State quarterbacks. It is not crazy to think that McEvoy may account for close to 30 touchdowns with his passing and rushing touchdowns this season if he remains healthy.

BC has the luxury of having experienced backup quarterbacks behind McEvoy in fellow seniors Anthony LiGregni and Joe Orsini. Both quarterbacks have experience running the spread offense the last couple of seasons at the JV level at BC. LiGregni has a strong arm, while Orsini has a quick burst through the line on designed running plays. Both seniors should see time this year and were effective during their times on the field this preseason leading the offense.

Running Back

BC returns two of their main backs from last season, and has the benefit of adding two additional offensive threats to their stable of tailbacks. BC will be led by senior Karl Bostick, a bruising tailback that is known for pushing piles, and added even more muscle this offseason. Bostick is a power back that also possesses breakaway speed when he reaches the second level. He will be joined by fellow senior Spencer Kulcsar who is coming off another sensational preseason. Kulcsar combines his blinding speed with a throw-back physical style that many BC fans will enjoy this fall. Kulcsar, a big play threat every time he touches the ball, and will also see time as a tight end and H-back for the Crusader offense this season.

The two newest Crusaders to the varsity squad are junior Mike Gerst and sophomore James Dawson. Gerst, the younger brother of former BC running back great Nick Gerst, displays the same lethal speed that his brother showed opponents running the ball. Once Gerst gets outside the tackles, he has a chance of not being caught on the sidelines, and thus will be BC’s biggest threat with the screen pass this season. Dawson is a transfer from Don Bosco Prep and does more of his work in-between the tackles and can bounce to the outside and finish runs with his remarkable speed. This season, Coach Campanile will have a fun time utilizing all of his various running back weapons on offense.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Arguably BC’s deepest position on the offensive side of the ball falls with the wide receiving position. The Red & Gold will be led by their star senior Cam Dickerson, who has emerged as one of the best receivers in the entire Garden State. Not only does Dickerson utilize his great size (6’3 205 lbs) against defensive backs, but he also possesses tremendous speed to finish off long receptions. Whether out-jumping cornerbacks on long balls down the field or displaying tremendous hands with patterns across the middle, Dickerson will have a chance to break all of McEvoy’s school receiving records this season.

Chucky Wingate is the highlight reel junior wideout that will have fans buzzing after every game. Wingate uses his speed and ankle-breaking moves to make big plays down the field. You wait to see how Wingate will make his first move after a catch, and then try to figure out how many yards after the catch he’ll wind up with on the play. I believe Wingate’s play-making ability will set him up for the biggest season for any of the BC offensive players this season, and he will devastate teams who pay all their attention to Dickerson on the outside.

Senior slot receiver Nick LaTesta will bring his great hands to the offensive side of the ball, having previously shown his talents on the defensive side of the ball as BC’s top cornerback. Behind LaTesta are a pair of juniors who had breakout preseasons and are ready for a lot of playing time as reliable receivers. Juniors Ryan Kelly and Ryan Finkel were stars during several scrimmages, and will give BC great athletes to throw the ball to in key third-down situations. They will thrive in the spread offense, and will do a lot of damage in the middle of the field.

Senior Jack Gallagher will play alongside Spencer Kulcsar at the tight end position. Gallagher displays great ball-catching skills, a quick burst off the line, and can block down field. He’ll be a force for the BC in the red zone.

Offensive Line

In order to make the offense click, BC will need to rely on the play of veteran offensive line that had an outstanding preseason, and will be an athletic and powerful unit this season. The line will be anchored by senior left tackle Zach Sparber (6’3 245), who uses his great footwork and hand technique to protect McEvoy’s blindside. Pat DiMase, (6’4 230), who gained experience in spots last season as a junior, uses his athleticism to be a great blocker down the field on screen passes. Senior TC Picariello (6'2 260) moves from the center spot to right guard, a move that allows him to be aggressive downfield as well while combining efforts with DiMase. Senior Martin Scheuring (6'2 250) is the new center, and has adjusted his snapping mechanics to make the shotgun snap to McEvoy a non-issue. Junior Ryan Rebasch (6'1 230) has gotten a majority of the playing time at left guard this preseason with senior Taylor Bishop (6'1 230) rehabbing from an injury.

Once Bishop returns, Rebasch will join several other BC lineman who will provide much needed depth on the line. Senior Al Bruno brings experience to the reserve unit, having started several games at center last season. Juniors Anthony Davanzo, James Horan, and Michael Radespiel will get playing time as well for an offensive line group that all look to be in tremendous shape due to the grueling conditioning program that Coach Campanile has brought to the program.

Special Teams

Last season, BC relied on Mike Halligan to be their entire special teams unit as the kicker and punter. This year, BC will not have that luxury, and will lean on the group efforts of several players. Junior Austin Devine will be the punter and has displayed a strong leg this summer that might also lead to kickoff responsibilities as well. Devine will compete with junior Zach Kovalovsky and sophomore Ryan Rose to be the placekicker for field goals and extra points.

Chucky Wingate will be the main kickoff and punt returner. Last year Wingate set the school record for the longest kickoff return for a TD when he ran one back 92 yards against Bergen Tech. Mike Gerst will also see time as a return man, and his great speed and acceleration will be something to see in the open field.

Final Thoughts

The offensive unit will be the strongest weapon for the Crusaders and has potential to be one of the best offenses in BC football history. Add in Nunzio Campanile’s reputation and proven track record as an offensive guru, and fans can expect to see the Crusaders put up big numbers on the scoreboard this year, even surpassing the 38 points-per-game the offense scored last season.

21Aug/10

Long: Score one for Crusader defense

There is no doubt that the Bergen Catholic offensive unit will be an explosive force this season with the amount of playmakers on that side of the ball, in fact most of the question marks on this team surround the defense, a unit that lost their linebacking and defensive line leaders from a year ago. But if Saturday's second intra-squad scrimmage held at Crusader Stadium is an indication of anything, it might be that the defense isn't that far away from being a force of its own this season. The Crusaders defense "won" 7-5 this time around, and showed glimpses of excitement for another large crowd in attendance in Oradell.

While there were numerous big plays delivered by the offense on the day, the defense was the attention-grabber. Unlike last week, the defensive line was staunch in shutting down interior runs, while the linebackers eliminated any running attempts outside the tackles. Speed is the name of the game for the defense, along with solid individual tackling. Zach Sparber was impressive switching sides to the defensive line and becoming a legitimate force of disruption, stuffing the run while also sacking the quarterback.

The linebacking corp is fast, physical, and technically sound, and really came to play this week. Shane Drummond dropped Mike Gerst in the backfield on the first series of the scrimmage, signaling a new mentality for the group compared to the more laid-back approach they took the previous Saturday. Spencer Kulcsar, Karl Bostick, and Cam Dickerson displayed their athletic ability alongside Drummond with solid wrap ups, deflections, and pad crunching hits. It was obvious that Defensive Coordinator Angelo DeSalvo had stressed defending against the run this time around, but when it comes to this potent BC offense, if you take away the running game you will still have to deal with an aerial assault.

BC's offense got on the board for the first time during the scrimmage on only their second series of the day. Quarterback Tanner McEvoy debuted his arm strength with a 50-yard bomb across the middle of the field to Cam Dickerson. McEvoy continued his impressive play by finding Kulcsar in the back of the endzone with a 10-yard strike. The BC signal caller was the best player on the field by far on Saturday, leading a passing game that showed off its downfield threats this weekend, compared to the short, but efficient style displayed last weekend. McEvoy again connected with Dickerson for a 50+ yard pass that resulted in a dynamic touchdown run by the Northwestern-bound senior wideout.

When Tanner wasn't looking for a homerun pass, he was more than willing to take the ball and run himself. As effective as Mike Halligan was last year with the ball, McEvoy is a scarier runner in the open field with his speed and size. Unofficially McEvoy finished with four carries for 70 yards in addition to 8 of 11 passing for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air. The starting BC QB was done for the day after the fourth offensive series, leading the offense to 2 scores in 4 chances.

It had to have been a little more enticing for Coach Campanile to take chances downfield on offense on Saturday without BC's star safety Shutang Mungwa manning the secondary. Quarterbacks Anthony LiGregni and Anthony LoVecchio looked very impressive in their own scoring drives, while Karl Bostick provided a power running game along with Spencer Kulcsar who also had a rushing score along with his receiving score.

While the long passing plays drew the oohs and ahhs from the Crusader faithful all day, the coaching staff had to feel better about its defense after their solid play, including Drummond falling on a fumble that ended a drive. The defense has room to grow, and they need to continue to make the first tackle on plays in order to prevent big plays from happening, especially through the air, something that has killed the Crusaders in big games in recent years. But there is hope that this fast, athletic, and hungry defense can continue to develop at the linebacking and defensive line spots, because that is where this team will be attacked by the Don Bosco and St. Peter's of the world.

Now we'll see if the BC defense and offense can take another step in their maturation process as they prepare to take on an opponent that wears not red & gold, but green & gold instead, as they travel to Montvale to take on the Green Knights of St. Joseph Regional on Tuesday at 10 am.

NOTES:

-Martin Scheuring looks to be the new center for the season, as BC moves TC Picariello to right guard. Scheuring struggled at points on Saturday, as he did last week, with some low snaps, but the senior made his adjustments and the snaps were not a problem for the rest of Saturday's scrimmage.

-BC is well stocked at the wide receiver position, and it should be interesting to see who will earn some quality playing time during the varsity season. Ryan Finkel looked good again today opposite Chucky Wingate and Cam Dickerson, but John Tsimis made several outstanding plays with his reserve unit and could be someone to keep an eye on as the preseason rolls on.

-Spencer Kulcsar is a busy man as he has been working as a running back, tight end, linebacker, and special teams guy. Kulscar is an exceptional athlete, and BC is smart to get him on the field as much as possible this season.

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.

Well football fans could not have asked for a better day weather-wise to be outside this morning to take in the annual Red & White Intra-Squad scrimmage held at Bergen Catholic. With the enjoyable weather, music pumping through Crusader Stadium, and with the smell and sight of smoke emanating from various grills, one would think it was already the September 11th season opener against LaSalle High School. But despite this being only the first preseason scrimmage, the excitement and anticipation for a new era of Crusader football was evident with a large contingent of fans catching their first glimpse of the Nunzio Campanile era.

Coach Campanile, standing out from the rest of his coaching staff on the field as he wore his red Under Armour BC coaching jacket despite the 80 degree weather, presided over the contest between his offense in white and his defensive unit in red. He saw a big play nearly go the distance on the first play from scrimmage as new quarterback Tanner McEvoy found running back Mike Gerst with a simple drop off pass that the speedy junior nearly took down the near sideline before getting tripped up at the last second by a member of the secondary. Like his older brother and former BC speedster Nick Gerst, Mike will be a serious speed threat on outside runs for the Crusader offense this season.

Obviously the focal point of the offense and for the entire Bergen Catholic squad will be the play of their senior signal caller Tanner McEvoy. McEvoy impressed with his decision making abilites in the spread attack. While the senior QB did not necessarily connect on any long throws during the scrimmage, he dazzled with his mobility in and outside the pocket, and was devastating on his designed QB draws and option runs. This was certainly a key for Mike Halligan's exceptional play last season under center, and McEvoy showed his athleticism by breaking several tackles and just showing his keen field vision that he used to become an elite receiver the past two seasons.

And for those who still believe that McEvoy should have been left at wideout, well Coach Campanile did feature McEvoy at his old position in several different formations during the scrimmage, and included a nice reception of 20+ yards on a perfect pass from back up Anthony LiGregni.

Again while the white team did not challenge the defense down field all that much, the offense looked adept at connecting with corner routes and seam patterns that eventually led to scores. The option is still alive on offense, but McEvoy looked a little shaky with some of his pitches to his tail backs. The offense has a ton of playmakers this season, and the one to keep an eye on is certainly junior wide receiver Chucky Wingate. The sidelines were buzzing whenever he made a circus-like catch, and he reminds me a lot of Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham with his ankle-breaking moves right after he hauls in a reception. With Wingate as a slot receiver and getting plenty of attention in the middle of the field, things will be sure to open up for star wide receiver Cam Dickerson who hauled in a nice pass across the middle and finished off his run an additional 30 yards down the sideline.

The standout player in the scrimmage was tailback/tight end Spencer Kulcsar who broke free from a host of tacklers down the far sideline and reversed field to the near side for an 80 yard TD run. Kulscar is a workhorse running back who can break off a jaw-dropping run any time he touches the ball. The newest Crusader weapon on offense will be running back James Dawson, a transfer from Don Bosco, who also broke off a 70+ yard touchdown run in the second half of the scrimmage. The running back stable of starter Karl Bostick, who had some power runs in the first half, Kulscar, Gerst, and Dawson might prove to be the best collection of speed in North Jersey.

They had plenty of holes opened up by an offensive line that looked to be in tremendous physcial shape, as all the lineman looked tall, thin, and were not hunched over at all during the scrimmage. Zach Sparber looks to anchor the line at left tackle this season, and TC Picariello delivered some devastating trap blocks.

The BC defense was interesting to watch because they were content with giving up the underneath passing routes, but were solid in not giving up any long passing plays. Chucky Wingate added an interception for a TD in the second half off of McEvoy, and Shutang Mungwa is certainly an intimidating presence in the secondary and on run support. Kulcsar looked good at linebacker, but the thing that caught my eye was seeing Cam Dickerson lined up on occassion at linebacker and defensive back where he made one shoestring tackle and an excellent pass deflection. Nick LaTesta will be the number one corner and the defensive line is young but fast and frequently made McEvoy scramble out of the pocket. The defense is fast, they just need to add the physcial component to their arsenal. BC's defense was good today, but the day belonged to Coach Campanile's offense loaded with playmakers at several positions.

NOTES:

-Ryan Finkel, a junior who has played quarterback during his Crusader career, looked solid today as a wide receiver playing alongside the first team wide outs in Dickerson and Wingate.

-McEvoy showed off his arm strength several times by just chucking the ball 50 yards down the field by scrambling sideways out of the pocket. He still is working on his accuracy, but looked good with his sideline passes near the first down markers in several drives.

-Coach Campanile was heard screaming to his offensive unit during the 4th quarter portion of the scrimmage to pick up the pace on the field, "Unless you want to finish 8-3 again for the season."

ABOUT DAN LONG

NOTES:

-Ryan Finkel, a junior who has played quarterback during his Crusader career, looked solid today as a wide receiver playing alongside the first team wide outs in Dickerson and Wingate.

-Coach Campanile was heard screaming to his offensive unit during the 4th quarter portion of the scrimmage to pick up the pace on the field, "Unless you want to finish 8-3 again for the season."

Tagged as: Angelo DeSalvo, Anthony LiGregni, Anthony LoVecchio, Cameron Dickerson, Charles Wingate, Dan Long, John Tsimis, Karl Bostick, Martin Scheuring, Michael Gerst, Ryan Finkel, Shane Drummond, Shutang Mungwa, Spencer Kulcsar, Tanner McEvoy, TC Picariello, Zach Sparber No Comments

16Aug/10

Long: Loaded Crusader offense owns day

Bergen Catholic fans could not have asked for a better day weather-wise to be outside Saturday morning to take in the annual Red & White Intra-Squad scrimmage. With the enjoyable weather, music pumping through Crusader Stadium, and with the smell and sight of smoke emanating from various grills, one would think it was already the September 11th season opener against LaSalle High School. But despite this being only the first preseason scrimmage, the excitement and anticipation for a new era of Crusader football was evident with a large contingent of fans catching their first glimpse of the Nunzio Campanile era.

NOTES:

-Ryan Finkel, a junior who has played quarterback during his Crusader career, looked solid today as a wide receiver playing alongside the first team wide outs in Dickerson and Wingate.

-Coach Campanile was heard screaming to his offensive unit during the 4th quarter portion of the scrimmage to pick up the pace on the field, "Unless you want to finish 8-3 again for the season."

ABOUT DAN LONG

NOTES:

-Ryan Finkel, a junior who has played quarterback during his Crusader career, looked solid today as a wide receiver playing alongside the first team wide outs in Dickerson and Wingate.

-Coach Campanile was heard screaming to his offensive unit during the 4th quarter portion of the scrimmage to pick up the pace on the field, "Unless you want to finish 8-3 again for the season."

Tagged as: Anthony LiGregni, Cameron Dickerson, Charles Wingate, Dan Long, James Dawson, Karl Bostick, Michael Gerst, Nick La Testa, Nunzio Campanile, Ryan Finkel, Shutang Mungwa, Spencer Kulcsar, Tanner McEvoy, TC Picariello, Zach Sparber 1 Comment

Bergen Catholic High School is a Catholic community which prepares young men to become leaders by deepening religious faith, developing academic excellence, and strengthening social consciousness and responsibility in accordance with the Essential Elements of an Edmund Rice Christian Brother Education.

Have what it takes to be a Bergen Catholic Crusader?

Follow us and find out more at the official Bergen Catholic facebook page for Future Crusaders and their families.

Go Bergen!

Photo Gallery

Click here to view and download brilliant in-game photos of your 2011 Bergen Catholic Crusaders

2010 Archive

BCcrusaders1955: RT @DJSTAIFLY: Exhausted from this track meet.
2 days ago from ÜberSocial for BlackBerry

dlsportsmedia: Last broadcast of the spring, as the BC Baseball team hosts Demarest at 4:00 pm at Overpeck Park. Listen live @ http://t.co/3YnRgpZV #GoBC
2 days ago from web

BCcrusaders1955: I just broadcasted live on Ustream! Missed my show? Check it out: http://t.co/e2bkuyVr 4:52 PM EDT BC vs Bosco County VB Bergen losses
5 days ago from Ustream.TV

BCcrusaders1955: I'm live on Ustream! Check out my show: http://t.co/gSWrlhq4 4:30 PM EDT Bosco won the first set 25-22. Go Bergen
5 days ago from Ustream.TV

BCcrusaders1955: I just broadcasted live on Ustream! Missed my show? Check it out: http://t.co/XjEqj8aF 4:18 PM EDT
5 days ago from Ustream.TV

More great BC content from Dan Long at DL Sports Media:

Red and Gold Blog

Bergen Catholic Football The Official Home of the Bergen Catholic Crusaders

Long: Dramatic win for Cardiac Crusaders

Bergen Catholic Football Preview: Part I

Offense has potential to be "scary good"

Long: Score one for Crusader defense

Long: Loaded Crusader offense owns day

Photo Gallery

The Program

Links

Archives