Consistency is Key to victory this weekend

Many teams in North Jersey are fighting for a playoff spot in the last weekend before the state playoff brackets are released. Instead of battling for a playoff spot, Bergen Catholic and Don Bosco Prep will take their rivalry to the next level that will cap off the Bergen County fair on Saturday at 1pm. The game will be played at Overpeck Park in Palisades Park and is expected to draw a crowd of about 10,000.

Bergen Catholic has been through the ups and downs this year. In week 2, the Crusaders traveled over 2,000 miles to Las Vegas and produced over 400 yards in total offense in a 42-35 victory. Recently, the Crusaders have been unpredictable. They did not play well against Cocoa (Florida) and struggled in the first half vs Passaic Tech. Bergen Catholic’s secondary has played well when needed, but the defensive line has not been able to control the line of scrimmage. Bergen Catholic’s running back James Dawson reportedly has a torn meniscus and a hip pointer.

Don Bosco Prep has been on a roll since losing in week 1 to Gilman (Maryland). The defense has shut down every offense they have faced with a strong pass rush and a consistent secondary. Al-Quadin Muhammad has made his presence known by making plays all over the field this year. The Bosco offense really clicked when Elijah Ibotuken-Hanks had an excellent performance vs Alta High (Utah) and since then he has been the go-to player on offense. Let’s not forget that quarterback Frank Nutile has also made significant strides since the star of the season by making better decisions and improving his accuracy. Bosco will get back junior free safety Eric Meile this week who has been sidelined since he left the St. Thomas Aquinas game with a back injury. Bergen has been known for their onside kicks, but this season Bosco has blocked several punts. Don’t be surprised if they block one on Saturday.

The roundup: Bosco is going to control the tempo on offense and defense as long as they can get the run game good. They are going to turn to Hanks on the ground game and throw in a few screens and maybe one over the top. I can’t see Bergen staying in the game unless Nunzio can come up with some crazy scheme like an onside kick of a few trick plays/odd formations.

Prediction: Bosco 42-24