High school football: No. 17 Bergen Catholic uses late blocked punt, score to defeat No. 25 East St. Louis

No. 17 Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) returned a blocked punt for a touchdown then converted a two-point conversion to defeat No. 25 East St. Louis (Ill.) 22-21 in a dramatic finish Friday. The game was played as part of the Battle of the Beach showcase event in Ocean City, N.J.

East St. Louis held a 21-14 lead and the ball with 4:30 left in the game. The Flyers attempted to run out the clock but Bergen Catholic was able to get a stop and force a punt with 1:23 left.

Four-star senior Ohio State commit Jordan Thomas got to the punter quickly for the block. Teammate Amar'e Newell picked up the ball and ran it 25 yards for a touchdown.

Bergen Catholic sophomore quarterback Trey Tagliaferri found junior Bryan Porter in the flat for the conversion, giving the Crusaders a 22-21 lead.

East St. Louis moved down the field before five-star sophomore Jackson Vaughn got to the quarterback for a sack, effectively ending its chances. Vaughn had three sacks in the game, including two in the first quarter that helped set up a score. Tagliaferri hit Porter for a first-quarter touchdown. Then three-star senior running back Najee Calhoun put Bergen up 14-0 on a rushing touchdown.

East St. Louis cut the lead in half when junior Ahmad Coleman scored a rushing touchdown midway through the second quarter.

Midway through the third quarter Bergen went for a 35-yard field but the snap was muffed and East St. Louis junior safety Jabarri Lofton won the race to the ball, scooped it up and rumbled 54 yards to tie the game up. 

The Flyers had the ball again after a Bergen Catholic punt when five-star junior running back Myson Johnson-Cook ran for a 50-yard touchdown with 8:30 minutes left to give East St. Louis a 21-14 advantage.

The Crusaders have won four-straight state championships but were entering a new era under center Friday. Tagliaferri got the start while physical 6-foot-3 freshman Walker Snee also got playing time. Snee ran for 24 yards on a play in the first half that put Bergen Catholic in the red zone.

Junior wide receivers Austin Busso and Anthony Willis both made key catches for the Crusaders. In the fourth quarter, Busso caught a pass to convert a fourth down that helped extend a drive.

Up next for Bergen Catholic (1-0) is West Boca Raton (Boca Raton, Fla.). East St. Louis (0-1) will look to bounce back next Saturday against Gadsden County (Havana, Fla.).