Kaj Sanders powers in for Bergen Catholic touchdown
Kaj Sanders started the scoring for Bergen Catholic with a 10-yard touchdown run.
EAST RUTHERFORD − Bergen Catholic closed its football season as the No. 1 team in New Jersey for the third consecutive year.
The Crusaders captured their third consecutive Non-Public A title with a superior second half and 24-14 victory over Delbarton on Tuesday night at MetLife Stadium.
“All the long nights, all the hard days, everything we put into this, it all paid off,” Crusaders senior two-way standout Kaj Sanders said.
Bergen Catholic, No. 1 in the Statewide Non-Public Top 10 rankings, held No. 2 Delbarton (10-2) scoreless in the second half after heading to the halftime locker room tied at 14.
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Bergen Catholic (11-1) extended its lead to 24-14 on a 20-yard field goal by junior Guy Bartolomeo with 3:12 remaining in the fourth quarter. Earlier in the quarter, a bad snap prevented him from attempting a 31-yard field goal and led to the Crusaders’ lone turnover on an interception.
The Crusaders grabbed a 21-14 lead in the final minute of the third quarter on a 10-yard touchdown run by Sanders. His TD capped an 8-play, 66-yard drive, and it came after junior defensive lineman Benjamin Carey recovered a fumble on a bad Delbarton snap.
Bergen Catholic scored on its first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Sanders scored on a 10-yard run for the 7-0 lead. Sophomore Dante Kain caught a 2-yard TD pass from junior Dominic Campanile, set up by junior defensive lineman Delaney Fludd’s interception of a deflected pass.
Delbarton rallied and headed to intermission tied, 14-14, thanks to TD runs of 12 and 1 yard by junior Phillip Folmar. His second TD came with 11 seconds left in the second quarter and capped a 17-play drive that began on the Green Wave 8-yard line and lasted 6:47.
“We took a couple of punches, they’re a great football team, well-coached, and, hey, three-time champs,” Delbarton coach Brian Bowers said. “But we felt like getting that momentum, we were going to be in good position.”
What it means
Bergen Catholic is 34-2 over these last three seasons and extended its winning streak against New Jersey opponents to 17 games. The Crusaders’ lone in-state loss during this stretch was last year’s 31-7 loss to Don Bosco, and they avenged that game by winning the Non-Public A title.
“It is really gratifying,” Bergen Catholic coach Vito Campanile said. “And to me, I wouldn’t feel any different about them if we didn’t win. But at the same time, I wanted this so bad for them, because of what they put into this.”
Turning point
Carey’s fumble recovery in the third at the Bergen Catholic 36-yard line halted Delbarton’s drive and set the stage for the Crusaders’ go-ahead score.
Delbarton had a third-and-15 from the Bergen Catholic 21-yard line and a bad shotgun snap on the sixth play of the drive led to a 15-yard loss, as Carey dove on the loose ball.
“I knew it was my opportunity to get the ball, change momentum for my team, so we can get the ball and score and take home the game,” Carey said.
“Obviously we had a great drive going in the third quarter and we had that turnover and that really hurt us at that point,” Bowers said.
By the numbers
Bergen Catholic amassed 270 total yards. Sanders carried 22 times for 117 yards and two TDs. Campanile went 11 for 19 for 136 yards, no TDs and no interceptions. Junior Quincy Porter was the favorite receiver, with seven catches for 97 yards.
Delbarton had 221 total yards, with 171 in the first half. Senior Ryan Trafford carried 17 times for 80 yards, and Folmar, often running out of the wildcat, ran 14 times for 65 yards and the two scores.
They said it
“It’s very disappointing,” Bowers said. “The way to game started, for us to tie it right before halftime, we had a lot of momentum. We felt great.”
“I thought it was about finishing,” Vito Campanile said. “I said at halftime it was going to come down to blocking and tackling, and it did.”
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