Sunday,
November 24, 2013
By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
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Tyrone Washington and the Paramus Catholic senior class finally got one over on Don Bosco Prep, beating the Ironmen, 21-20, on Saturday in the Non-Public Group 4 state semifinals. |
PARAMUS – After Paramus Catholic suffered a 45-0 loss to Don Bosco Prep in a 2010 regular season game, then first-year head coach Chris Partridge brought his then-sophomore wide receiver Tyrone Washington out for a one-on-one conversation. As he spoke to him sternly, he made Washington look at that scoreboard and soak in the embarrassment. Then at the end of the conversation Partridge looked Washington in the eyes and made him a promise. One that with a strong daily work ethic and a tireless will to succeed that his senior year that the Paladins program would come full circle by beating Don Bosco.
A first opportunity in front of a huge crowd on national television fell short during the regular season. But as fate would have it, the two teams met again on Saturday in the Non-Public Group 4 semifinals in front of another packed house. Perseverance and hard work is how the Paladins resurrected their program and won a state title last year, but the total transformation of this senior class would not be complete without a win over Don Bosco.
With one second left on the clock and Paramus Catholic clinging to a one-point lead Partridge, Washington and the rest of the Paladins could only watch as a potential game-winning 41-yard field goal try by Don Bosco sailed through the air.
The ball was pushed just wide to the right upright and top-seeded Paramus Catholic poured onto the field in celebration as for the first time since 1999, the Paladins knocked off fourth-seeded Don Bosco Prep to advance to the Non-Public Group 4 section final with a classic 21-20 triumph at Paramus Catholic High School.
“We worked hard for this win and I’m so proud of the effort and perseverance we displayed today,” said Partridge. “To beat a team like Don Bosco to get to a state championship is a special feeling and one these guys I’m sure our guys will never forget.”
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Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks scored Bosco's first touchdown. |
After a sub-par performance in the teams’ first meeting this season, Paramus Catholic’s All-American Jabrill Peppers got the Paladins off on the right foot. The University of Michigan-bound senior took the opening kickoff 96 yards to paydirt as Paramus Catholic grabbed a 7-0 lead just 13 seconds into the game.
Don Bosco pulled to within 7-3 on a 44-yard field goal from Cameron Baels, but the Paladins answered back with Peppers once again making a big play. On a third-and-long, quarterback Steve Shanley hit Peppers over the middle. Peppers did the rest by making a defender miss and then breaking a tackle on his way to the end zone for a 32-yard score as the Paladins took a 14-3 lead at the half.
The Ironmen got back to their power running game to start the second half. They leaned heavily on senior tailback Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks and he rewarded them for doing so, following a block by John Limato over the left side en route to an 11-yard touchdown run that cut the lead to 14-10.
Late in the third quarter on a third-and-12 from the Don Bosco 28, Frank Nutile danced in the pocket to escape a sack and heaved one long. He threw the ball 50 yards in the air and hit Daivon Ellison in stride with the junior going untouched from there to put the Ironmen in front, 17-14.
Baels tacked on another field goal to make it 20-14 with 8:35 remaining. When the Paladins got the ball back, Shanley knew that it could be the Paladins’ last shot.
“We had to focus on every little detail because we couldn’t afford to make a mistake,” said Shanley. “Any mistake could have meant the end of our season and for the seniors, the end of our playing days here without ever getting to beat Don Bosco. A few years ago, I probably would have felt the pressure and locked on one receiver every play. My coaches have worked with me so much that I’ve become a much more confident quarterback in those situations. I trust my line and we have athletes who know how to get open. All I have to do is go through my progressions, make the right decision, and deliver the ball.”
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Jabrill Peppers returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. |
With just over four minutes to play, the Paladins were faced with a fourth-and-seven near midfield. An incompletion and Don Bosco would have an opportunity to run out the clock. Everyone in attendance expected the ball to go to Peppers and the Ironmen did as well. Peppers came across the middle on a quick slant dragging both the cornerback and the safety toward him. That left a hole in the middle of the field where Harrison made a deep slant into the open space. Shanley’s ball was high, but Harrison made a nice leaping catch for an 18-yard gain to keep the drive alive.
“I sailed the ball a little bit because I saw him open, but I trusted Dejon and he made a great catch,” added Shanley. “We have trips to the side and we actually switched up Jabrill and Dejon for that particular play. Once Jabrill brought the linebacker and the safety over to his side, it opened up the middle of the field. Great players make great plays and Dejon has done that for us all year.”
Harrison, who did not have a single catch going into the fourth quarter, made three huge catches on the game-winning drive. There was the fourth-down conversion to keep the drive going, then the senior made a diving catch on a third-and-10 to put the Paladins inside the red zone. Two plays later, Harrison took a bubble screen from Shanley and did the rest on his own. He shook off one would-be tackler and knifed his way underneath another as he dove into the end zone to cap the six-minute, 14-play, 72-yard drive. Dan Conte added the PAT, which gave the Paladins a 21-20 lead.
“You always have to be ready because you never know when you’re number is going to be called,” said Harrison. “Shanley is our guy back there and we trust him to lead on a big drive when we need it. To be a champion you have to finish the game and make plays. We’ve been waiting for this day and we had nothing left to play for but another state championship. It was now or never and everyone stepped up.”
The Ironmen still had time and got into field-goal range aided by two pass interference penalties. They marched all the way to the Paramus Catholic 16-yard line with a chance to run another play to get even closer or get it to the middle of the field to set up Baels. But with 8.9 seconds left, they were called for a false start penalty. With the clock being started immediately upon placement of the ball, Nutile could only run it to the middle of the field and call Don Bosco’s final timeout.
Partridge had two timeouts left and called them in succession before the kick. The 41-yard attempt had plenty of distance but was just wide of the right upright and the Paladins snapped a 16-game losing streak to Don Bosco and advanced to the Non-Public Group 4 state final in one of the wildest games of the year.
“I think that false start penalty was key and the football gods were on our side today,” added Partridge. “You work all year towards a state title and we are one game away.”
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