Tyler McQuaid and Bergen Catholic are heading back to the Jambo final after a 59-44 win over rinal Don Bosco Prep on Sunday on the campus of FDU.
HACKENSACK – When playing an archrival, each team knows the other’s plays and defensive rotations inside and out. The bigger the rivalry, the more detail-oriented each team is when trying to stop the other. With Bergen Catholic trailing against Don Bosco Prep after three quarters, Crusaders’ head coach Billy Armstrong knew it was not the scheme that needed to change but the desire to take the game by force.
It was a message his team got loud and clear in a virtuoso fourth quarter that showed not only the talent, but also the team’s character.
The Crusaders stepped up their pressure and it paid immediate dividends. They forced four turnovers in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter and all four of them led to points in a 10-0 run that swung the momentum back in the favor of top-seeded Bergen Catholic for good. The Crusaders secured a spot in the Bergen County Jamboree final with a 59-44 win over No. 4 seed Don Bosco Prep on Sunday afternoon at the Bogota Savings Bank Center on the campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University in Hackensack.
“We were playing good defense, but we weren’t doing what we usually do,” said Armstrong. “We had to start playing offense on defense and force the tempo. Finally in the fourth quarter we started to play with an edge with some swagger. Don Bosco does an excellent job in being methodical, we wanted to speed it up. This team is the best I’ve had in terms of keeping our composure regardless of the score, situation, or opponent.
Fresh off a double overtime upset over Roselle Catholic, New Jersey’s No. 1 ranked team, Bergen Catholic looked to build off that with a hot start. Jaden Brown hit consecutive threes, banking in the second one to give Bergen Catholic an early 8-5 lead. However, the Ironmen answered back and then got a second-quarter spark from junior forward JP Skoric. He scored inside and then hit a corner three as Don Bosco grabbed a 21-17 lead in the first half that took just 24 minutes to play.
Brady Loughlin going to the hole for Don Bosco Prep..
The four-point halftime lead represented the largest lead by either team through the first three quarters. With Skoric still red-hot the Ironmen held a three-point lead going into the fourth quarter. But a turnover on their first possession turned into a three-pointer from the top of the key by Julius Avent to tie the game.
Bosco’s Brad Brown hit a jumper to put them back in front. Bergen Catholic responded by forcing a turnover and getting a go-ahead three on the wing from senior point guard Tyler McQuaid. For most of the game it felt like it was going to go down to the wire. That was until a trio of hustle plays by Jaden Brown changed everything.
He deflected a pass, dove on a loose ball, then hit Avent for a layup. On the next possession, his steal led to his own three-point play. Then another turnover led to a layup by Wucherpfennig. Before the Ironmen knew what hit them, they were staring at an eight-point deficit, 45-37, with 2:37 to play.
“Our shots weren’t falling for the first three quarters, so we had to pick up the intensity in the fourth quarter on defense to get it going,” said Brown. “We practice how we play. Staying mentally strong when games are close is what makes us the team we are. We knew we had to change things up and push the pace, we were ready for it.”
Brown (20 points) and Wucherpfennig (13 points) combined for 23 points in a 27-9 fourth quarter for Bergen Catholic (20-4). Skoric led all players with a career-high 23 points for Don Bosco Prep (15-7).
Bergen Catholic moves into the Bergen County Jamboree final against another Non-Public rival, St. Joseph’s of Montvale. The Crusaders have dominated St. Joe’s in their two regular-season meetings, both wire-to-wire wins by a combined 63 points. However, with the stakes raised and a chance to end a three-year drought without a Jambo title the Crusaders refuse to underestimate their opponent.
“We play the schedule we play so that we’re prepared to be a champion,” said Brown. “When you put on this Crusaders’ jersey, that means something. You’re playing for something bigger than yourself. We’ve got to play hard for four quarters no matter who we play. We have to do it for our family, for our fans, and to represent our school.”
TO BUY A COLLECTOR'S PRINT OF THIS STORY PLEASE VISIT 4-FeetGrafix.com.
