ORADELL, NJ – The Crusader football team won its 91^st state playoff game on Saturday afternoon, 54-14 over St. Joseph HS in the NJSIAA Non-Public "A" Quarterfinal.  Sophomore QB Trey Tagliaferri continued to break records, this time for throwing 5 touchdown passes in a game as a sophomore and completing 7 of 8 passes.
     BC kicked off to the Falcons who, on fourth and two, backed up deep in their own end, appeared to be going for a conversion.  Their QB punted the ball to empty field, giving them room.  BC was three and out on offense and received a bomb of a punt (43 yards) from Brody Carnahan, backing up the Falcons once again.  This time, their fourth-down punt attempt was blocked  by Amar'e Newell and recovered by Kaden Blount at the 34-yard line.
     On first down, Bryan Porter released from his slot position to the inside behind Austin Busso.  Busso broke to the outside, taking the safety with him.  Porter broke inside to the post and Tagliaferri threw his first of five TD passes as Porter made a terrific adjustment on the ball.  Jacob Soltys drove the PAT through the uprights.  He was perfect on his three attempts.
     On St. Joseph's next possession, they attempted an inside sally play on second-and-eight.  Dynamic duo, Jordan Thomas and Xavier Jackson snuffed the play out for a 4-yard tackle for a loss.  Jayden Beckley blocked a third down pass attempt, creating a fourth and long for the visitors.  The Falcons punted to Anthony Willis who patiently waited for a good punt to touch his hands at the 42-yard line.  He read a Mason Marck block well, springing him to return the ball thirty-four yards to the eight yard line.
     On first down, Jack Harris, Justin Golden and Travis Nodelman set up their blocks on a tunnel screen, springing Willis for a second TD in two offensive plays and BC led 14-0.
     The Falcons were hoping to get the ball quickly to the outside.  After a quick, pre-snap motion by the fullback, the QB slung the ball quickly and slightly backward to his left.  The ball hit the fullback in the helmet and bounced toward the Falcon goal line.  Xavier Jackson was thinking touchdown, but settled for a tackle-for a loss for about minus fifteen yards.  After a short scramble, SJM punted once again, this time out of bounds to keep it away from Anthony Willis.
     Dante Kain and Najee Calhoun started to show off their thunder and lightning act.  On first down, Kain swept to the left, following a beautiful kick out block from Rocco Costello.  Kain delivered a vicious blow to a Falcon tackler, picking up fourteen yards and a first down.  Najee Calhoun took the next handoff, sweeping right, eluding would-be tacklers until he was cut down at the two.  On first and goal from the two, Jackson Kolomer, Costello and Mikey McMahon collapsed the entire left side of the Falcon defense.  Right guard Justin Lewis pulled left, kicking out corner support and Mason Marck led Kain into the endzone making the score 21-0 after Soltys' third straight PAT.
     The Crusader defense stopped the Falcon passing attack with some vicious hits by Amiir Woodward, Jackson, Jordan Thomas and a spectacular deflected pass by Adrian Woodward.  SJM turned the ball over on downs, giving BC the ball at the Joe's 37-yard line.  Austin Busso ran a beautiful double-move pattern, shaking the safety and sprinting down the  middle of the field where Tagliaferri hit him in stride for a touchdown and, after a Brody Carnahan kick, BC had a 28-0 lead early in the second quarter.
     The Falcons were having so much success (not really) on offense, they decided to punt the ball on third down on the next drive.  As the ball bounced, Amar'e Newell made his second big play on the punt team, scooping the ball at midfield and returning it 39 yards to the Falcon 11-yard line.  Najee Calhoun stretched the defense to the right sideline, going out of bounds at the two-yard line.  On the next play, he drove the NJM attempted tackler five yards deep into the end zone for BC's fifth touchdown of the game.  The real highlight of the play, however, was the Nodelman Dance, Najee and Travis performed moments later.
     SJM would only have the ball for two snaps in their next possession.  Junior linebacker Nicholas Mauro met the fullback in the hole on their second play and proceeded to disemball him (I just made that word up but I think it works).  Give Mauro a TFL, forced fumble and a recovery all on the same play. 
     Walker Snee had a strong run, getting the ball down to the 10-yard line.  On third and goal from the 10, Tagliaferri hit Jamel Hammary on one of the best catches you'll see all year.  Hammary ran a wheel route to the left, starting to the flat and then fading to the back of the end zone.  He made a spinning, diving, one-handed grab, landing just inside the back corner of the end zone in front of the new score board.  BC would go into half 42-7, meaning a second-half running clock.
     The Crusaders received the second-half kickoff and moved the ball swiftly to Falcon territory.  Tagliaferri then entered the record books once again, hitting Anthony Willis down the middle of the field for a 30-yard touchdown, increasing the score to 49-7.
     Following a fourth quarter Falcon score, BC finished the scoring with hard running by senior back Max Nizza.  He powered the ball down the field, picking up 32 yards on 6 carries and one reception.  Nizza scored the final touchdown of the game and after Joe Cabanita drove the ball through the upright, BC scored its 56^th point, the most during the 2025 season.
     Fourth-seeded BC will travel to Ramsey to take on top-seed Don Bosco  Prep on Friday, November 21, 2025 in the Non-Public "A" Semifinal.  The winner will play in the NPA State Championship on Friday, November 28, 2025 at MetLife Stadium.

TEAM	1	2	3	4	FINAL
#5 St. Joseph Metuchen (8-2)	0	7	0	7	14
#4 Bergen Catholic (8-2)	21	21	7	7	56

Passing

#	Name	COMP	ATT	YDS	TD	LONG	PCT
12	Trey Tagliaferri	7	8	140	5	37	87.5
16	Ralph Tristani	1	2	29	-	29	50.0
17	Walker Snee	2	5	23	-	18	40.0
	TOTALS	10	15	192	5	37	66.7

Rushing

#	Name	ATT	YDS	LONG	TD	AVG
1	Dante Kain	3	18	14	1	6.00
6	Najee Calhoun	4	34	18	1	8.50
17	Walker Snee	2	18	11	-	9.00
22	Max Nizza	6	27	12	1	4.50
	TOTALS	16	97	18	3	6.06

Receiving

#	Name	REC	YDS	LONG	TD	AVG
3	Bryan Porter	1	35	35	1	35.00
4	Austin Busso	1	37	37	1	37.00
13	Anthony Willis	2	38	30	2	19.00
14	Jamel Hammary	2	34	25	1	17.00
18	Anthony Tomic	2	25	29	-	12.50
22	Max Nizza	1	5	5	-	5.00
39	Christopher Smith	1	18	18	-	18.00
	TOTALS	10	192	37	5	19.20

Defense

#	Name	SOLO	AST	TOT
0	Jackson Vaughn	1	-	1
2	Xavier Jackson	1	1	2
5	Timothy Hogan	1	1	2
7	Joshua Cruz	3	-	3
9	Kenneth Hackney	1	-	1
10	Mason Marck	-	-	0
20	Adrian Woodward	-	1	1
21	Jordan Thomas	-	1	1
25	Nicholas Mauro	2	-	2
27	Amar'e Newell	1	-	1
99	Jayden Beckley	-	-	0
	TOTALS	45	4	49

Forced Fumble:  Xavier Jackson (1), Nicholas Mauro (1)
Fumble Recovery:  Nicholas Mauro (1)
Sacks:  Joshua Cruz (2), Jackson Vaughn (1), Kenneth Hackney (1)
TFL:  Joshua Cruz (2), Xavier Jackson (1.5), Jackson Vaughn (1), Kenneth Hackney (1), Nick Mauro (1), Jordan Thomas (0.5)
Passes Defended:  Mason Marck (1), Adrian Woodward (1), Jayden Beckley (1)
Special - Punt Return

#	Name	PUNTRET	PRYDS	PRLONG	PRAVG	PRBLK
13	Anthony Willis	1	33	33	33.00	-
27	Amar'e Newell	2	46	37	23.00	1
	TOTALS	3	79	37	26.33	1

Special - Punter

#	Name	PUNT	PYDS	PLONG	PAVG
37	Brody Carnahan	1	43	43	43.00
	TOTALS	1	43	43	43.00

Special - PAT

#	Name	XPATT	XP	XPAVG
32	Joseph Cabanita	1	1	1.00
37	Brody Carnahan	4	4	1.00
42	Jacob Soltys	3	3	1.00
	TOTALS	8	8	1.00

 
 
 

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