Ramsey, NJ — Don Bosco Prep linebacker Jack Hinspeter and his teammates knew exactly what it would take to dethrone New Jersey’s top-ranked team. To beat Bergen Catholic, they couldn’t just match the Crusaders’ skill — they had to outmuscle them.
On Friday night, the Ironmen did exactly that. Behind a relentless defensive effort and a punishing ground game, Don Bosco Prep snapped Bergen Catholic’s 28-game in-state winning streak with a 14–9 victory, reclaiming the kind of gritty identity that once defined both programs.
“We knew whoever came out on top was going to be the tougher team,” said safety Jack DeMenna. “That’s how we like to do it — that’s Bosco football.”
A Statement in Toughness
From the opening whistle, the Ironmen were determined to impose their will. Quarterback Carson Schoen led a bruising first-half drive that chewed up more than seven minutes, converting two fourth downs — one through the air, another with his legs — before Ca’Si Thomas finished it off with a one-yard touchdown plunge.
Defensively, Don Bosco was relentless. Early in the second half, Mikahi Allen sacked Bergen Catholic’s quarterback and jarred the ball loose, halting the Crusaders’ first drive. Later, when Bergen Catholic pieced together a 13-play series, the Ironmen stiffened in the red zone and forced a Jacob Soltys field goal instead of a touchdown.
The biggest stand came late in the game. With Bergen Catholic threatening from the Don Bosco 7-yard line, safety Amori McNeil tipped a fourth-down pass, and Hinspeter made a diving interception to preserve the lead — a play that symbolized the Ironmen’s night.
“Our whole team was built for this moment,” Hinspeter said. “Our coaches prepare us every day to make those kinds of plays down in the red zone.”
Finishing the Job
Protecting a five-point lead with just under seven minutes remaining, Don Bosco turned to its offensive line and backfield to seal the win. Noah Shippie, Rhett Morris, Joey Lucas, Michael Ohnegian, and Daniel Zenzer anchored a drive that drained the clock, paving the way for Dante DeLuca and Thomas to move the chains with nine straight runs.
On a crucial 3rd-and-4, Thomas broke a tackle and powered forward for eight yards — a second-effort run that clinched the game with 90 seconds left.
“That was the goal — just keep running the rock,” Morris said. “That’s what we’ve been preaching all year.”
A Gritty Victory
Don Bosco managed just 201 yards of total offense, but in a battle defined by toughness and discipline, that number hardly mattered. The Ironmen defense limited Bergen Catholic to its lowest point total in four years — just nine points — ending a streak of 35 straight games with double-digit scoring. The Crusaders had averaged nearly 37 points per game during their New Jersey dominance.
For Don Bosco Prep, the scoreline told the story best: Don Bosco Prep 14, Bergen Catholic 9.
“It’s a statement,” said Morris. “We’re the best in New Jersey right now — and we believe it. We just have to keep going.”
