Ramsey, NJ — Don Bosco saved its sharpest football of the season for the biggest moments, delivering a dominant second half to secure a 31–17 victory over rival Bergen Catholic on Friday Night at Granatell Stadium.
The Ironmen seized control after halftime, sparked first by a touchdown strike from quarterback Carson Schoen, then by a game-breaking scoop-and-score from Mikahi Allen early in the fourth quarter. The two explosive plays helped Don Bosco pull away and set up a trip to the Non-Public A state championship, where the Ironmen will face St. Joseph (Montvale) on Black Friday, Nov. 28, at MetLife Stadium.
“It was a dogfight the last time we played,” Don Bosco coach Dan Sabella said of the Green Knights. “They create a lot of matchup problems. They’ll be a handful.”
Ironmen Seize Momentum
Don Bosco broke a 10–10 tie midway through the third quarter. Facing 3rd-and-16, Schoen found J.T. Geraci streaking wide open down the middle for a 46-yard gain, setting up a go-ahead score that put the Ironmen ahead 17–10.
Meanwhile, the Don Bosco defense tightened its grip on the game—Bergen Catholic failed to record a first down in the entire third quarter.
“Our defense is playing at an extremely high level,” Sabella said. “They’ve been that way all year. There are a lot of playmakers over there.”
Fourth-Quarter Knockout
The Ironmen delivered the decisive blows early in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 points in just three minutes.
Running back Ca’Si Thomas powered in from a yard out to stretch the lead to 24–10. Moments later, Bergen Catholic quarterback Trey Tagliaferri was hit as he threw, the ball came loose, and Allen scooped it up and raced 11 yards for a touchdown, putting Don Bosco firmly in control.
Bergen’s Brief Surge
Bergen Catholic owned the momentum in the second quarter, capitalizing on a 70-yard, six-play drive punctuated by Anthony Willis’s 31-yard cutback screen pass touchdown, giving the Crusaders a 7–3 lead.
Late in the half, Bergen Catholic appeared poised to add more points, but Don Bosco’s Kane Ramos jumped a pass in the flat and returned it to the Crusaders’ 10-yard line with 1:10 left. Some Bergen fans argued Ramos lost the ball before being ruled down, but the call stood.
Two plays later, Thomas scored from six yards out, tying the game at 10 with just over a minute before halftime.
“I’m disappointed in myself for the end of the half,” Bergen Catholic coach Vito Campanile said. “But we’ve scored five touchdowns in the last minute of halves this season. I’m not sure we’d change who we’ve been.”
A Meaningful Sweep
The victory gave Don Bosco its first season sweep of Bergen Catholic since 2015, the same year the Ironmen last won a state title. The playoff seeding had stirred plenty of outside debate, but Don Bosco’s players embraced the challenge.
“When the seeds came out, our guys were excited,” Sabella said. “The adults were like, ‘Wait a minute,’ but our kids didn’t want to hear it. They wanted this game at home again.”
With their statement win, the Ironmen get exactly what they hoped for—a championship shot on the biggest stage in New Jersey high school football.
