Oradell, NJ—Every time Bergen Catholic football team plays St. Peters it is like the old McCoys and Hatfields fued at the famous O.K. Corral.
Instead of the battle being in Tombstone Arizona, the old rival was played at Jack McGovern Field in Oradell, New Jersey.
After a blown coverage that found Samuel Slade open down the St. Peters’ sidelines which quarterback Tahj Bullock hit him on a semi-roll out for 37 yards for a score. St. Peter’s Prep (after two Crusaders’ offside penalties) decided run a trick play with Sha’zir Sullivan connecting with Bullock for the two-point conversion.
Bergen Catholic took a page out of former Crusaders’ head coach Fred Stengel playbook to ground and pound the ball with one of the best player on the football field—running back Ryan Butler.
“If you want to be the best (the #1 team in the state) you have to play the best to claim that title, it is simple as that. There is no question in my mind that this team is not #1 in the state. After going through what we had to go through and our schedule, no one can tell me any thing different.” Bergen Catholic head coach Vito Campanile answered when asked about his team being #1 in the state.
The Bergen Catholic linemen bowed their backs and ran behind senior guard statesman Jack Syslo and junior tackle Dominick Brogna.
Syslo a 6’2 270 who loves to mix it up has great work ethnic and shows the athleticism to get to the next level quickly. He is very aggressive and very physical at the point of attack against the Marauders. All game long, he opened huge holes for Butler to run through.
Brogna 6’3 295 is a physical blocker, shows enough quickness to effectively block out on the second level and dominate as a one on one pass blocker. When the game was on the line, the Crusaders ran their power plays behind these dynamic duo.
Bergen Catholic ate up nine minutes on the clock and went 83 yards with Butler capping it off with the game-winning play for a 1-yard touchdown surge to help clinch the 22-15 victory over No. 1 St. Peter’s Prep Saturday afternoon in Oradell.
Butler finished the game with 132 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries behind Syslo, Brogna, and the rest of the offensive linemen. He also had 104 receiving yards on three catches, including a 65-yard score that gave the Crusaders its first lead in the second quarter.
After losing to rival Don Bosco Prep on the final play of the game then Delbarton canceled their game with BC at the last second—no one knew how Bergen Catholic would respond in the final minutes of the game.
But everyone on the Bergen Catholic’s sidelines knew they were going to respond to the challenge. That’s the Bergen way.
