Bergen Catholic players celebrate following their victory over Bishop Gorman.
Photo by Jann Hendry
The after-effects of traveling 2,500 miles to a city that never sleeps is evidently over-rated.
Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) proved that by defeating the 10th-ranked team in the nation,
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 42-35 Friday night in Las Vegas. Jonathan Germano completed 18 of 30 for 308 yards and three touchdowns for Bergen, two of them to J.J. Kulscar (six catches, 103 yards) while James Dawson added 102 yards rushing and two more scores.
It helped offset 219 yards passing and three scores from Anu Solomon for Gorman while teammate Nathan Starks rushed for 147 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Two late touchdowns late in the first half gave the Crusaders the lead it needed and with Germano leading the way, they held on against a Gaels' team that scored twice late to make it close.
"(Gorman) is a great team and we knew it would take a full 48 minutes to get the job done," Bergen coach Nunzio Campanile told reporters afterward. "We've been building this for three years. We have a lot of really good unselfish players. Not everyone is going to Michigan we we have a lot of guys we trust."
The
Crusaders came in ranked 11th in the country so they aren't any slouches. But considering the long travel, late start (10 p.m. EST) and all the distractions of Sin City, Bergen Catholic was definitely an underdog.
"On the national scene we have done very much so I understand how they were the favorite," Campanile said. "When we came here today we saw in their locker room that they were the hardest working team in America. That's ironic because I think we're the hardest working team in America. The kids take a lot of pride in that and I think it showed tonight."
Bergen Catholic QB Jonathan Germano.
Photo by Jann Hendry
Germano completed a 37-yard touchdown pass to Kulcsar, who made a superb catch to give Bergen Catholic a 7-0 lead. Starks, one of the nation’s top juniors, returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards and the score was tied at 7-7.
Bergen Catholic went up 14-7 midway through the second quarter on a 14-yard touchdown run by Dawson, but Starks responded again with a 59-yard touchdown jaunt, tying the game with 5:25 left until halftime.
A 1-yard Germano TD run with 1:51 left until halftime put Bergen Catholic up for good, 21-14. The Crusaders increased the lead to 28-14 on a 15-yard catch by Kuscar just before halftime.
When Gorman drove 79 yards in just over a minute to close to 28-21 on a 7-yard TD pass from Solomon to Jamir Tillman, it looked like the Gaels might take control.
Bergen Catholic's James Dawson scores
one of his two rushing touchdowns.
Photo by Jann Hendry
When Germano connected on a 40-yard TD pass to tight end A.J. Gallagher, Bergen Catholic led 42-21 with 8:21 remaining. Gorman closed to 42-28 on an 11-yard pass from Solomon to Tillman with 4:51 left, but the Crusaders recovered the ensuing onside kick to all but seal it.
Gorman showed tremendous grit and closed to 42-35 on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Solomon to Tillman with 40 seconds left, but again Bergen Catholic recovered an onside kick to finish things off.
Combined with Don Bosco Prep’s 20-10 win over St. Thomas Aquinas, this was a very good night for New Jersey football.
It was a disappointing night for Gorman, who with its rigorous schedule, had an eyeball on a possible mythical national championship.
"Hats off to them," Sanchez said to Las Vegas Sun staff writer Ray Brewer. "They are a good football team. Some of the things we did, we couldn't recover from."
Bergen Catholic 42, Bishop Gorman 35
Bergen Catholic 7 21 7 7 - 42
Bishop Gorman 7 7 7 14 - 35
First quarter
BC - Kulscar 37 pass from Germano (Rose kick)
BG - Starks 96 kickoff return (Fielden kick)
Second quarter
BC - Dawson 14 run (Rose kick)
BG - Starks 59 run (Fielden kick)
BC - Germano 1 run (Rose kick)
BC - Kulscar 15 pass from Germano (Rose kick)
Third quarter
BG - Tillman 15 pass from Solomon (Fielden kick)
BC - Dawson 1 run (Rose kick)
Fourth quarter
BC - Gallagher 40 pass from Germano (Rose kick)
BG - Tillman 11 pass from Solomon (Fielden kick)
BG - Smith 35 pass from Solomon (Fielden kick)
RUSHING
BC: Dawson 29-102, Germano 10-39, Feaster 2-6, Russo 1-5, team 1-(-1). Totals 43-151. BG: Starks 14-147, Allen 3-9, Cunningham 2-4, Solomon 7-(-39). Totals 26-121.
PASSING
BC: Germano 18-30-0-308. BG: Solomon 14-23-1-219, Cunningham 1-2-1-5.
RECEIVING
BC: Kulcsar 6-103, Dickerson 2-59, Gallagher 2-52, Queiro 2-41, Feaster 3-302, Sebastian 2-17, Dawson 1-4. BG: Smith 5-94, Tillman 6-90, Chambers 1-17, Starks 1-9, Stanley 1-5.
TOTAL YARDS
BC: 459. BG: 345.
Receiving–Bergen Catholic, Kulcsar 6-103; Dickerson 2-59; Gallagher
2-52; Queiro 2-41; Feaster 3-32; Sebastian 2-17; Dawson 1-4; Gorman,
Smith 5-94; Tillman 6-90; Chambers 1-17; Starks 1-9; Stanley 1-5
Las Vegas Sun reporter Ray Brewer contributed to this report.
Read National Football Editor Stephen Spiewak's game preview
