By: Joe Haemmerle '86
SEPTEMBER 26 – ORADELL, NJ – The Freshman Football Team improved to 5-0 with a 20-2 victory over Malvern Prep from outside Philadelphia.
After a scoreless first quarter, BC began winning the field position battle.
Bryce Crawford and
Malachi Thomas were wreaking havoc among the Malvern offensive ranks.
Finally, QB
Michael Martino broke across the goal line for a four-yard score. He was followed by a
Bryce Crawford sweep for the two-point conversion and BC led 8-0.
Two drives later
Nico Santoli intercepted a pass near the Crusader sideline and returned it to the six-yard line. Four plays later,
Michael Martino would fake a jet sweep to Crawford and burst through the interior of the line for his second touchdown of the day.
The third and fourth quarters were mostly scoreless in large part because of strong play on the defensive line and linebackers stunting clean to tackle ball-carriers in the backfield. That was until under two minutes remaining in the game. BC was backed up in its own end and needed to choose between a safety and punting the ball from their own end zone (ball on the one-yard line). The Crusaders opted for the safety and then kicked off to Malvern Prep.
The wet play must have created an issue for MP that was not apparent to BC: the center snap to the QB. For about the fifth time in the game, the Prep snapper fired one about five feet above the QB's head. Linebacker
Peter DiBlasi recovered the ball at the Prep 45-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage,
Nico Santoli broke into the open for a long touchdown run. The PAT was blocked and BC finished out the game with a solid victory.
| TEAMS |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
FINAL |
| Malvern Prep (PA) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| Bergen Catholic |
0 |
14 |
0 |
6 |
20 |
