New Jersey football aims to bolster its national credibility against Florida

Everything comes in threes. Everything.

Major North America car corporations – Ford, General Motors and Chrysler – were tabbed "The Big Three" for years. "The Big Three" in college football were, believe it or not, Harvard, Yale and Princeton, back in the 1880s.

CBS, NBC and ABC, of course, are the big three non-cable television networks.

Along high school football lines, the power kings have undoubtedly been Texas, Florida and California.



But like cars and TV and everything else, times are changing, and a new prep power has emerged in the great Northeast.

New Jersey, catapulted into the limelight the past decade by defending national champion and current unanimous No. 1 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), is posing somewhat of a threat to prep football's Big Three, if not top five.

Pennsylvania (legendary quarterbacks), Ohio (legendary coaches) and Georgia (pipeline for NFL greats) are also well known for their prep football superiority. But the Garden State can bolster its resume greatly Friday night at Hawkins Stadium in Bradenton, Fla., with a doubleheader sweep over two of Florida's finest.

Don Bosco Prep takes on Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.), a consensus top 25 team to start the season, at 6 p.m. (EDT) followed by 22-time New Jersey state champion Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) versus perennial Tampa power Plant.

"We're definitely going down there to represent our state and show them what kind of football we play," Bergen Catholic head coach Nunzio Campanile said Wednesday.

Campanile was Bosco's offensive coordinator and athletic director for nine years before landing at the state's most storied football program last season.



Bergen Catholic and Bosco collided twice last year, both Bosco wins, 38-18 in the regular season and 37-27 in the NJSIAA Non-Public Group 4 (phew, that's a mouth full) state-title game.

MaxPreps' football editor Stephen Spiewak, a New Jersey native by the way, predicts Campanile will have Bergen Catholic on par with Bosco nationally within the next two years. Spiewak also thinks, with only 350 schools, New Jersey can't possibly can't compete with "The Big Three" in terms of overall depth.

"That said, New Jersey's elite programs, especially its non-public programs, are quickly becoming as good as top teams in any state," he said. "Its top public school teams, like Piscataway and Montclair this season, would also be able to compete with top teams from more traditional powerhouses."

The big question Friday is how New Jersey will stack up in Florida, two states that rarely mix other than on winter vacations.

"Don Bosco has been carrying our state flag nationally for a while now," Campanile said. "We feel we have more teams who can compete at that level and hopefully we'll be able to show that (on Friday)."

Bosco, a winner of 36 straight, looked absolutely beastly again in its opener last week against national California power Mission Viejo, winning 35-7.



The defense, which Spiewak said is one of the best he's seen nationally in recent memory, is terrorizing, disciplined and extremely physical. Defensive end Darius Hamilton (6-foot-4, 255 pounds) is the No. 42 recruit in the country but the secondary, led by D-I seniors Elijah Shumate and Yuri Wright, is probably the team's top asset. Sophomore defensive back Jabrill Peppers is the best in the country.

Linebacker Michael Strizak has committed to Boston College.

No-nonsense coach Greg Toal, 133-10 at Bosco, warns that his team is entering new terrain in Florida. Manatee presents major speed bumps and a boatload of talent, led by remarkably athletic junior quarterback Cord Sandberg, fleet running back Anthony Lauro and Division I defenders Darius White (linebacker) and 300-pound lineman Derrick Calloway (three sacks last week).

Manatee, which lost a bitter 24-17 double-overtime game to No. 5 Good Counsel to open the year, might have the nation's top defensive line with DeMarcus Christmas (6-3, 285) and Blake Keller (6-2) as well.

"We know how good football is in the state of Florida," Toal told HTPreps.com. "Every year there is at least 150 Division I recruits coming out of the state. New Jersey has about 50. We're happy to get this opportunity."

So is Manatee coach Joe Kinnan, whom the field at Hawkins Stadium is named after. Whereas the New Jersey schools must combat Florida's vaunted speed, the Florida schools must deal with New Jersey's strength and physicality.



"We hope our defense can play well and keep us in the game," he told HTPreps.com. "Our kids are excited about the opportunity to represent Florida football."

Campanile, whose team is ranked 104th nationally, opened with a 41-17 win over Pennsylvania power La Salle but has never coached against a Florida squad. Both New Jersey teams fly into the Tampa region today. The Bergen Catholic coach likes his team balance and unselfishness, especially on defense.

Plant (2-0) graduated a truly remarkable 2011 class that featured running back James Wilder (Florida State freshman) and quarterback Phillip Ely (Alabama), but returns 11 starters including talented running back Antonio Crawford (11 carries, 163 yards, two TDs) and wide receiver Austin Aikens.

Junior running back Wesley Bullock (152 yards, two TDs) has been a pleasant surprise in the early going as well.

"They are extremely well-coached and talented and have great team speed everywhere," Campanile said. "The whole program is very, very impressive. We'll have to put together 48 great minutes."

Campanile, whose younger brother Anthony took over his offensive coordinator spot at Bosco, said he'll definitely be rooting for a New Jersey sweep. Bergen Catholic and Bosco tangle in two weeks.



"No doubt," he said. "We're both representing New Jersey and the great Northeast. We can't wait to get down there."