Bergen Catholic Runs Past St. Peter's Prep in Stellar Performance

Bergen Catholic is known for throwing the football. That reputation made Friday night's performance at Caven Point all the more impressive. The Crusaders ran the ball on 67 percent of their plays, piled up 269 rushing yards, and beat St. Peter's Prep 33–16 in front of a packed crowd for the Zone 6 Classic. It was a complete team win built on physicality and smart football.

St. Peter's struck first. Bryant Isaac Jr. found Ty'ire Clark on a 12-yard touchdown pass to put the Marauders up 7–0 early, and the home crowd was loud. Bergen Catholic answered right back through Nicholas Mauro, who scored on a one-yard run to tie it before the first quarter was done. That tone — punch, counter-punch — carried through the entire first half.

The second quarter was where Bergen Catholic took control of the game. Trey Tagliaferri hit Anthony Willis for a three-yard touchdown to flip the lead, and a masterful two-minute drill capped off by a 42-yard Jacob Soltys field goal sent the Crusaders into halftime with a 17–10 advantage. The clock management alone was worth noting — Bergen drove into field goal range with seconds to spare after converting a critical third down, forcing St. Peter's to watch another three points go up before the half ended.

St. Peter's had no answer for Bryan Porter. The Bergen Catholic receiver turned running back finished with 154 yards on the ground and another 71 through the air — 225 yards of total offense on 19 touches. He was the most impactful player on the field and did most of his damage in the second half when the Marauders needed stops. A 52-yard burst broke the game open in the fourth quarter and set up a Porter touchdown run that pushed the lead to 27–10.

Nicholas Mauro complemented Porter throughout the night, finishing with 83 rushing yards and two touchdowns to go alongside his work at linebacker on defense. Running back and defensive leader in the same game. Bergen Catholic got a full performance from him in both phases.

Tagliaferri was efficient rather than flashy, completing 13 of 17 passes for 134 yards with zero interceptions. He didn't need to do more. With the ground game working the way it did, his job was to manage the game and let the run attack do the heavy lifting. He did exactly that.

Isaac Jr. kept St. Peter's competitive, throwing for 149 yards and two scores while showing his ability to extend plays with his legs. Clark had a two-touchdown night as the primary target. But the Marauders were without standout running back Abdul Traore, and the absence was felt — their rushing attack managed just 129 yards with no touchdowns against a Bergen Catholic defense that bent but ultimately held firm. A pair of fourth quarter interceptions from Amari Newell and freshman Mason Chadwick sealed it.

Bergen Catholic improves to 2-2 and has two weeks to prepare for a rivalry game against Don Bosco Prep. If Friday night showed anything, it's that this program has options. They can beat you through the air or on the ground, and they're not afraid to flip the script when the moment calls for it. St. Peter's falls to 3-1 and gets a bye week to regroup with Traore potentially returning to the backfield.

Final: Bergen Catholic 33, St. Peter's Prep 16.