When I started thinking about what I wanted to do with this blog. Top on my list of priorities was to see high school football games live that I have never seen before. I immediately went to Max preps website and sought out what the date was for the Bergen Catholic/Don Bosco game. Every other game that I chose to attend was going to be built around this storied rivalry of Catholic school powers. Growing up in the Northeast and having a Catholic football upbringing, these two football programs were the standard by which everyone was measured. I remember watching a documentary on the MSG network in 2002 about Bergen Catholic called “The Crusade”. The documentary centered on Bergen Catholics season but really showed you the intensity of the rivalry. During those years you would hear about their legendary coaches Greg Toal and Fred Stengel, Their excellent players Brian Cushing, Joe Sandberg, Greg Toal, and Mike Teal, and their programs who were winning state and national titles (Don Bosco :14 state championships and Bergen Catholic :16) . The other aspect that intrigued me was the passionate atmosphere of the students, parents, and faculty. I had high expectations for the game but first there was some culinary business I had to attend too on this beautiful Friday afternoon in North Jersey.
The place I chose this week for my wing redemption after last week’s debacle is a place called Mason jar a local BBQ joint and Tavern in Mahwah, New Jersey. I pulled into the parking lot the outside of the building it was nothing fancy as you would expect from a BBQ joint. I walked through the entrance at about 3:30 on Friday afternoon. As soon as I opened the door you are hit with an amazing smell of hickory smoke. The kind of smell where your expectations are heighten and you know you made a right choice in establishments. The bar/restaurant couldn’t be more old school jersey bar tavern. There was wood paneling on the walls, Arcade games by the entrance, lotto numbers on TV screens, neon beers signs, and pictures of old time ball players like DiMaggio, Williams, Snyder, and Mantle. Green and yellow stain glass windows with “Jar Bar” carved into them. The bar room area was dimly lit and had hanging ceiling fans slowly rotating around. The bar was L shaped with brass railings and beer glasses hanging over head. The music was Springsteen, Crosby stills and Nash, Van Morrison, and Lynard Skynard. The Bar had a few patrons’ couples talking about real estate wearing sunglasses inside, 5 guys talking motor cycles and some older guys looking like they just got off the golf course. Honestly if there was a can of aqua net and some Zubaz pants at the bar I would believe that Doc brown might have picked me up in the DeLorean and took me back to 1985. I was seated at a high top and saw the touch screen jukebox behind me and realized it was still 2019.
The waiter came over, handed me a
menu and took my drink order. I looked at the menu as saw “Jumbo Chicken Wings”
were right there, on top. The menu offered buffalo, BBQ, or Asian for flavors.
I placed my order with the waiter: six BBQ and six buffalo. The wings came out
very “BBQ joint” style on a warm metal plate with celery and ranch. These wings
were the largest and meatiest wings I had in my travels thus far. The Buffalo
on first bite had more of a peppery flavor to them then I am used too. The
flavor of the buffalo sauce was solid and the BBQ sauce which was made in house
was a classic honey BBQ sauce. I should probably start asking for the wings to
be well done because I never feel they are crispy enough. My one criticism is I
would have expected at a BBQ restaurant that the wings be smoked. This would have added another aspect to the
wings that could have made them stand out from the rest of the wings I have
eaten. I rated them a solid 3 star recruit, but like a running back who can’t
catch or a linebacker who can’t cover these wings were one dimensional. As a
bonus I ordered the burnt ends, a go to for me at any BBQ place. They were
cooked perfectly with a crispy caramelized crust on the outside and a juicy
meat inside. The meal was done and I ask for the check which came in a Mason
jar, nice touch. It was onto the game I have been waiting to see since 2002.
When I arrived at the game Friday evening I was not disappointed. I got off route 17 and was immediately in bumper to bumper traffic. I figured there was either 5 o’clock traffic or an accident up ahead. The traffic was actually caused by the fact that the main parking lot was full and they had to direct cars to Alternate parking. It was like the line you would sit in for a Giants game. I made my way through the traffic and parked down the road at a doctor’s office. The second I got to the sidewalk you could feel the anticipation for the game. Bergen Catholic students traveled in large groups up the side walk towards the campus. Parents carried there seat cushions and wore Shirts with their favorite player’s names and numbers on the back. The streets where lined with police and security directing people on where to go. I walked onto the campus which was filled with students and didn’t see any football field in site. I went up to a security and asked “I have a dumb question where is the football field?” He directed me around the corner and up the hill. As I turned that corner I heard a roar usually reserved for an 80 yard interception return that clinched a victory. The roar was coming from both team’s student sections crossing each other’s paths on the way to the stadium. Don Bosco’s student section was decked out in all pink while Bergen Catholics had on white t-shirts, costumes, and face paint. The spirit in the air was palatable. Walking up the hill it reminded me of a mini West Point. I made my way up the hill to the smell of zeppoles being made at a stand; Fans tailgating in the parking lot to my right, and at least 1000 people already in the stadiums and it was only 5:30. This is what high school sports is all about. I wanted to take it all in. I am sure if your 9 years old and playing football in Oradell or Ramsey New Jersey you dream about nights like this and playing in this rivalry game.
The main stands stretched the
length of the field and looked to go about 25 rows up. Portable stands are
placed behind the end zone by the score board and there were no stands directly
behind the home bench. I am sure this was a practice by Don Bosco to have crowd
noise on top of the visiting team. Bergen came out first, their helmets where
gold and shined in the falling sun. As Bergen warmed up so was their student
section running around and doing the seven nation army’s chant together. It
looked as if they practice just as hard this week as the players did. Don Bosco
then came out in Maroon Jerseys, white helmets and grey pants. The warm ups
where intense. There was definitely a singular focus on the task at hand.
Bergen Catholic had won the last three meetings and Don Bosco seemed to be in
rebuilding mode the last couple of season. Both teams play a national schedule
with games versus top teams from D.C., Philadelphia and as far away as Florida
and California. I sat in a coach’s clinic years ago and legendary Coach Greg
Toal was the speaker. He talked nothing about the topic he was schedule to
speak about but I do remember him saying this “I you want to be competing
nationally you can’t play an in-state schedule; you have to seek out the best
and play the best”. So in other words if you want to be the man you have to
beat the man. Speaking of the man I invited a special quest this week.
My “wingman” this week was I player I coached early on at Immaculate Zach Long. Zach was one of the best players I have ever coached. He joined me midway through the first quarter after picking his daughter Avery from Gymnastics. Zach was the kind of player you only get to coach once or maybe twice during a coaching career. He was a smart, a great teammate, and was excellent in all three phases of the game. In my second year at Immaculate 2002 I watched Zach have a dream season at defensive back with 13 interceptions. He followed that year by leading a team that lost 14 seniors and only brought back 3 varsity starters and ended up winning 9 games and made it to a conference championship game and the state playoffs. That 2003 season was one of my favorite teams ever. Those guys worked hard and where extremely coachable. In the summertime I ran a “Senior Saturday” conditioning session and they all showed up. They loved scouting reports and knowing their opponents inside and out. It made preparation exciting because you did not have to hold anything back. You knew if you had a game plan they would execute it with passion and enthusiasm. Zach was a pleasure to coach and a no brainer to invite to a game like this.
The teams where introduced. Bergen came out first waving both the American and a BC (Bergen Catholic) Flag. Then the end zone stands began to fill with the Don Bosco’s student section. Music was playing that sounded like we were waiting for the entrance of Maximus from Gladiator. After a minute the ironmen of Don Bosco came charging through the fence waving the American and school flags. Both teams sprinted to each other’s end zones and took a knee for a moment before retreating to their respective sidelines. A Don Bosco Priest led the crowd and teams in a prayer. After the prayer the Priest pronounces “Blessed Edmund Rice” and the entire Bergen Catholic’s student section responded with passion “pray for us!!!” The Priest then announces “St. Don Bosco” and the Bosco student section responds back in unison “pray for us!!!” What a great pregame tradition to kick off the 72nd meeting of these New Jersey powers.
The game started in a fashion you
would expect from a rivalry that has been going on since 1958. Bergen Catholic
took the ball at their own 20 yard line and went 13 plays – all runs – capped
off by powerful sophomore Ryan Butler’s 12 yard TD run(extra point failed 6-0) These
two teams played a modern game but with old school values. On the next drive
Don Bosco was forced to punt. The two teams then exchanged interceptions. After
4 Straight runs by Bergen they took a shot down the field and it paid off.
Andrew Boel connects with Amir’s Gist for a 47 yard touchdown bringing the
score to 14-0. Don Bosco’s offense was dominated in the first half by the
Crusaders front 7.Defensive lineman Tywone Malone, AJ Longo, and sophomore outside
linebacker Esquire Boyce (easily the best name I’ve seen so far) dominated the
line of scrimmage and held Don Bosco’s dynamic backfield to virtually nothing
in the first half. Bergen closed out the scoring in the first half with a 27
yards FG by Giancarlo Carbonaro to bring the lead to 17-0.
At Halftime the mob of people turn to the concession stand and I can only imagine what the Don Bosco locker room was like. As a coach there is nothing more demoralizing than not being able to stop the run defensively. I would compare it to someone stabbing you with a butter knife- it’s a slow death. They had to make adjustments at half and find a way to move the football and get off the field defensively. The adjustment in the second half was pretty clear as the Don Bosco offense took the field. Enter Jake Robbins Jr Quarterback who took over for the veteran starter Jahquil Batts.
This became a tale of two halves as Don Bosco took the ball to open the second half. Jake Robbins led the charge in the second half for the Don Bosco offense. Robbins was accurate and efficient throwing the ball all half and after converting a 3rd and long with a 26 yard pass to star running back Kyle Monangai setting up a 19 yard touchdown by New Jerseys #1 Recruit Jalen Berger. Berger’s touchdown made the score 17-10 in the third quarter. Don Bosco’s Defense also answered the bell for most of the second half led by Safety Michael Courtney and Linebacker Colin Ramos who were all over the field and involved in the majority of tackles in the second half. When Bergen Catholic took the football clinging to a 1 score lead it turned to its talented sophomore Ryan Butler who carried the ball 24 times for 131 yards in the game. Butler finished a long fourth quarter drive with his second touchdown of the night. The score was now 23-10 with 5 minutes left. I looked at Zach and said “this junior hasn’t showed he can really get the ball down field”. Robbins then proceeded to hit running back Monangai for 33 yards and wide receiver Robert Deluccia for 23 yards quickly getting the ironmen into the redzone. Robbins stood in the pocket on this drive and took a couple of vicious hits. Robbins then decided to show off his mobility and scored from 4 yards out beating crusader defenders to the pylon making the score 23-17. This would prove to be the final score when Bosco’s defense could not get the ball back. The clock hit zeros and Bergen Catholic players head over to the stands to greet and celebrate with their student section while Don Bosco’s team walked off the field further fanning the fire of this already heated rivalry.
It was a long walk back to the car through the 5,000 strong that attended tonight’s game. The walk gave me and Zach a chance to talk some football. We reminisced a little bit about the 2002 and 2003 seasons and how much fun they were. I talked to him about the things I missed about coaching. The relationship with players and staff members, coaching a player as a freshman and seeing him succeed, and the preparation for a Friday night games like tonight. I sat in Zach’s car for a while and we talk about his days at Davidson and how the coaching at Immaculate prepared him to play in college. We probably could of sat their all night but it was probably past Avery’s bedtime. On my ride home, I thought about how you measure success in coaching. Do I look at home many wins you have or how many kids you get recruited. I have always looked at it different. I love seeing guys who played for me 5 or 10 years later and seeing what kind of person they have become. Getting to see him tonight and witnessing what a good father he has become sitting their explaining the game to his daughter and even braving the halftime mob and giving a high school kid 10 bucks in front of the line and telling him to keep the change so he could get Avery some starburst. He was a star as a player and even a bigger star as a dad. So Coaches from Immaculate high school if you are reading this and coaching success is measured by the type of people our players become, then when it comes to Zach ……Mission accomplished men.
Back on the road next week with a Local trip:
Game: St. Joseph of Trumbull @ New Canaan High School 6pm
Grub: Blind Rhino
