MaxPreps 2012 Preseason Xcellent 25 Football preview: No. 17 Bergen Catholic

In 2012, Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.), not Don Bosco Prep, enters the season as the top team in New Jersey.

Luckily for head coach Nunzio Campanile and staff, Bergen Catholic’s roster has the talent and experience to capture a non-public Group IV section title in 2012.

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The team is led by quarterback Jonathan Germano, a returning starter behind center who tossed for 2,239 yards and 31 touchdowns last season. There is plenty of depth behind Germano, including junior Johnny Sebastian, three sophomores that Campanile likes, and a highly touted incoming freshman in Jarrett Guarantano.



For the first time in his tenure at BC, Campanile will have a primary back, not a committee, in James Dawson.

Despite the loss of last year’s top receiver John Tsimis, Bergen Catholic should still have plenty of weapons in J.J. Kulcsar, Kyle Quiero and Garrett Dickerson, the team’s top defensive player who will play both defensive end and tight end.

Three starters on the offensive line, Carmine Goldsack, Chris McBride and Rich Queen, are seasoned and bring physicality to the offense.

The defense is not as experienced as the offense, but still returns a half-dozen starters, led by Dickerson, a blue-chip recruit that Campanile says is as talented as any player he’s coached.

Phil Rigoglioso will join him, while 6-foot-3, 270-pound Bradni Black could be the team’s one-technique lineman. According to Campanile, Black comes from the Virgin Islands and, though he lacks football refinement, is extremely advanced physically.

The team’s linebacking group returns two starters, while the secondary will feature Quiero as well as Sebastian and Colin McGovern. The team still needs to find a bona fide safety.



Local look: "Before Bergen Catholic can be considered contenders for a national title, they still have the big beast - Don Bosco - in their own backyard. The two schools still remain formidable rivals, although it has been quite one-sided over the past few seasons with Bosco winning the last 10 meetings between the two foes. This year's regular season game will actually be the centerpiece of a Bergen County fair in October. This Crusader team looks ready to perhaps claim the title as best team in New Jersey. Senior quarterback Jonathan Germano directs the offense with verve and precision and has a fleet of weapons at wide receiver. Garrett Dickerson will have a breakout season on defense. Coach Nunzio Campanile also implored his team to hit the weight room hard in the offseason to get stronger for the challenges to come."
- Darren Cooper, Bergen Record

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Size: Group IV


Enrollment: 1,040 (all boys)


2010 finish: 8-3, non-public Group IV finalist


Head coach: Nunzio Campanile


Career record: 18-5


Years at school: 2




Notable players coached:
QB Mike Teel (Rutgers)

DL Justin Trattou (Florida, NFL)

RB Brial Toal (Boston College)

QB Matt Sims (Louisville, Tennessee)

QB Tanner McEvoy (South Carolina)

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No. of returning starters: 8 (offense), 6 (defense)


Key losses:
RB Michael Gerst

WR/DB Chucky Wingate

DL Hunter Kiselick

WR John Tsimis (injury)

Key returners:
QB Jon Germano

RB James Dawson



TE/DE Garrett Dickerson

WR/DB Kyle Quiero

Key newcomers:
DL Bradni Black

LB Cameron Quiero

DB Colin McGovern

QB Jarrett Guarantano



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Toughest game: Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas). While the showdown with Don Bosco Prep may be the most highly anticipated game on the schedule (per usual), Bergen Catholic will have its hands full when it travels 2,500 miles to Las Vegas against the nation’s No. 11 team.

Question mark: Will the team’s defense hold up to the rigors of its schedule? The Crusaders certainly have the potential to be good on both sides of the ball, but they need to fill some key positions up front and in the secondary. Bishop Gorman’s prolific passing attack will be a good challenge in the secondary, while Don Bosco Prep’s grind-it-out offense will test the defensive line.

Local look: As usual, North Jersey’s non-public programs are strong, with Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco Prep, St. Joseph Regional and St. Peter’s Prep all expected to play well. In Central Jersey, Piscataway returns lots of young talent from a section title-winning squad. Timber Creek should be the top team in South Jersey.

Overall outlook: Bergen Catholic’s offense will score plenty of points; its defense should be solid as well. Its games against Bishop Gorman and Cocoa are big, but the challenge of beating Don Bosco Prep for the first time since 2004 will be as much mental as it will be physical. Under Campanile, the team has confidence to achieve its goals, a confidence that was only boosted by a very strong performance at the Palmetto State 7-on-7 this summer.

Coach quote: “I think our expectations probably haven’t changed a whole lot. But with the work we’ve done and experience we have, I think our kids now really believe we’re ready to meet those expectations. We want to be the best football team in New Jersey. We think that’s within our reach, and that’s something we can control. We play the best teams in New Jersey and we can determine on the field if we’re the best team or not. After three years together of doing it one way, they have bought into what we’re doing. We have a system in place where I believe our kids work as hard as anyone, anywhere, and they enjoy doing it. That’s a great recipe for success. That’s why I believe we can do what we set out to do.”
- Head coach Nunzio Campanile

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