Thank you again to every fan who listened in at some point this year to Bergen Catholic sports coverage on the BC Radio Network.  Your comments and support have been tremendous this past year, and we hope to continue to bring you in-depth coverage of Bergen Catholic athletics in the following year.

                                                                                                                      Again we would like to thank Bergen Catholic Athletic Director Jack McGovern for his constant support this year by allowing us access inside the BC sports programs.  We would like to thank Fred Stengel, Mark Edge, Joe Dionisio, and Dave Bell for allowing the BC Radio Network to cover their respective teams and be able to broadcast the games over the Internet to familiy and friends around the world.

                                                                                                                      Counting the Fall and Winter seasons, over 7,000 fans listened to all the action on the BC Radio Network, and we hope to improve even more in the future and bring high school sports fans a great product to listen to all year long.

                                                                                                                     Take care everyone and Let's Go Bergen!

                                                                                                                        DL

                                                                                                                       The Bergen Catholic basketball team has certainly taken a backseat to all the crazy events that have been happening recently at the Oradell school. 

                                                                                                                       The BC wrestling squad had an exciting march through their playoff sectional, narrowingly beating Seton Hall Prep and St. Peter's Prep before losing the championship to arch rival Don Bosco Prep last weekend.

                                                                                                                     Then, after a week and a half of constant speculation and rumors, BC announced that Nunzio Campanile would become the new football head coach, leaving his current positions at Bosco as offensive coordinator, wrestling coach, and athletic director.

                                                                                                                        But if that wasn't enough, this past Sunday the BC hardwood heroes shocked Bergen County by upsetting the defending Jamboree champion Teaneck Highwaymen 27-25 in the quartefinal round.  In what was seen as more of a football score than a basketball game, the Crusaders battled through the sloppy play and found a way to advance back to the Final Four and a date with who else...Don Bosco, at the Rothman Center on Saturday night.  BC will be in search of their second win over the Ironmen this season after beating them at home 50-47 in early January as heard on the BC Radio Network.

                                                                                                                       The Crusaders are trying to win their 9th Jambo title which would then tie Hackensack for the most championships won in county history.  But before they can even think about accomplishing that goal, they have to battle a host of public school opponents in back-to-back days leading up to Saturday night.  On Wednesday BC will travel to West Milford for a Tri-County Conference game before coming home to face Fair Lawn on Thursday night on Senior Night, a game that will be heard here on the BC Radio Network.

                                                                                                                          Will playing so many games in a short period of time come back to hurt the Crusaders when they face the Ironmen at the Rothman Center on Saturday.  BC has been playing exceptional defense of late, but will need more scoring in order to beat DBP in a rematch game, especially since the Ironmen have really picked up their game of late in the season.  Be sure to tune in Thursday to hear all the action as BC will honor its seniors and hope to keep the momentum going late in their 2009-2010 season.

                                                                                                                           DL

                                                                                                                        For only the second time in the last 9 years, Bergen Catholic did not win the North A Non-Public Sectional Wrestling Championship, and for a second time that opponent that defeated BC was Don Bosco Prep.  The Ironmen started the night with a 21-0 team score after the first four matches of the night, evenutally fell behind BC 28-24 later in the evening, before closing out the night with victories to seal their 36-31 championship victory. 

                                                                                                                        Bosco clinched the victory with the last match of the night at 160 lbs when Jason Dack hled on for a 2-0 victory over BC's Lukas Iorio.  The Ironmen dominated in the upper weights and held on during BC's strength in the lower weights before taking over late in the contest in the middle weights.

                                                                                                                 Congratulations to BC and coach Dave Bell on a tremendous season as it was an honor to broadcast the first ever wrestling season on the BC Radio Network this winter.

                                                                                                                        DL

                                                                                                                     Tonight's Bergen Catholic basketball game against Wayne Hills has been postponed for a later date.  Please refer to the athletics page on www.bergencatholic.org for all updated information regarding the game.  Barring any unforseen scheduling conflicts, we still plan on broadcasting the BC vs. Wayne Hills varsity game live here on the BC Radio Network.

                                                                                                                        DL

                                                                                                                                                                       I think Bergen Catholi Coach Dave Bell said it best when looking at his senior captain Tom Casper after a thrilling 37-31 finish over Seton Hall Prep when he stated the following after his senior won the quarterfinal match, "All I see is heart, I don't even see a human!"  Tom Casper's third period come-from-behind pin gave BC a heart-stopping 37-31 victory over the visiting Pirates, and now sets up a revenge encounter with the #2 seeded Mauraders of St. Peter's Prep on Wednesday night in Jersey City.

                                                                                                                          BC was without the services of its star wrestler Connor Melde yet again, as the sophomore is just getting over an infection that has caused him to not be on the mats the past few matches.  Melde will however be ready for action for the semifinal showdown against St. Peter's Prep.

                                                                                                                   Without Melde, BC at one point enjoyed a large 28-10 lead over the #6 seeded Seton Hall Prep Pirates, but credit the visitors from West Orange for a tremendous comeback.  The Pirates dominated the Crusaders in the upper weights and eventually took the lead after BC's Trevor Albrecht lost his match at 103.  SHP was winning 31-28 going into the final two matches of the evening, and BC was in need of spark in order to avoid their earliest exit in the postseason in recent memory.

                                                                                                                Michael Maye delivered that spark in the form of a 2-1 decision at 112 lbs, setting up the drama of the last and final match of the night as the sole decider of which side would get a chance to wrestle in Jersey City in the next round.  BC's Casper intially fell behind 2-0 after the 1st period and then trailed 3-0 going into the third and final period of the night.  But even with BC fans nervous that a tragic endiing to the promising season could be at hand, Casper never wavered or fretted about his precarious position trailing going into the final period.

                                                                                                                       The senior quickly gained a 2-point takedown to trim his defecit to only 1 point at 3-2, and then was finally able to lock his hands  between the legs and arms of his opponent and cradle him to the mat for a near fall which eventually led to the deciding pin of the evening that sent the Red & Gold faithful home happy on the night.

                                                                                                                 Casper's performance was inspirational and Coach Bell likened it to a Hollywood ending for his squad on Monday night.  Now BC must focus on their next great task at hand and find a way to defeat arguably the best St. Peter's Prep wrestling squad in recent years.  SPP would love nothing more than to be the ones to dethrone the defending sectional champs, but the Crusaders have been yearning all season long for a second shot at Prep.  It should be a good one, but it will take a lot to surpass the drama between BC and Seton Hall Prep from Monday night.

                                                                                                                        DL

                                                                                                                       The Bergen Catholic Wrestling team will begin its crusade for a 14th sectional championship tonight as they host Seton Hall Prep in Hoel Gymnasium as part of the Quarterfinal round of the Non-Public North A Wrestling Tournament.  BC is the #3 seed while the Pirates are the #6 seed.  A win tonight for the Red & Gold would set up a Semifinal rematch against #2 seed St. Peter's Prep on Wednesday night in Jersey City.

                                                                                                                        BC has truly dominated the North A sectional tournament over the past two decades, having won an amazing 13 sectional championships since 1990.  BC has rolled of late as well, capturing 7 of the last 8 wrestling titles in the North.  In addition to those 13 sectional championships, BC has also brought home the overall Parochial A / Non-Public A titles 5 times in program history.

                                                                                                                        For BC to continue their unbelievable dominance in the North, BC must first defeat a good Seton Hall Prep squad who is coming off a loss this past weekend in a quad match against Montville.  A win would match the Crusaders up with the much ballyhooed St. Peter's Prep squad this season.  A championship final could see the Red & Gold face off against top-seeded Delbarton, or if everything breaks BC's way the Crusaders could host the sectional final if Don Bosco or St. Joseph were to uset the Green Wave.

                                                                                                                             It is an exciting time as the postseason arrives, and BC is starting to gel as a team at the right time.  Can we see the Red & Gold march their way to their 14th sectional title by the end of the week, or will another team take the crown for the first time since 2007?

                                                                                                                        DL

                                                                                                                      Both of Bergen Catholic's winter teams that make their home in Hoel Gymnasium have qualified for postseason action this February.  The wrestling team has captured the #3 seed in the North Non-Public A Wrestling Tournament and will play host to #6 seed Seton Hall Prep on Monday night in Oradell.  If the Crusaders win that matchup they will then travel to St. Peter's Prep on Wednesday night for a revenge matchup against the Marauders with a place in the final at stake.

                                                                                                                       The BC basketball team has garnered the #7 seed in the 2010 Bergen County Jamboree and will play on Sunday in the Round of 16 against #10 seeded Cliffside Park.  BC has qualified for a record 42 appearance, the most by any single school in the history of the Jambo, and will be in search of their 9th championship in school history.  BC's 8 team titles is tied with Bosco for 2nd most titles in Jambo history behind Hackensack's 9 championships.  BC will find out where they will seeded for the state playoffs in the coming weeks.

                                                                                                                            It should be an eventful time this postseason for both squads, and we wish both teams the very best in their run for championships in 2010.

                                                                                                                        DL

                                                                                                                       The Crusaders rallied from a 25-12 defecit to win their wrestling match against hated rival Don Bosco Prep 39-25 in a packed Hoel Gymnasium in Oradell on a cold Friday night.  The Red & Gold captured the final 5 matches of the night, and won their last 4 matches by pinfall to seal their victory.

                                                                                                                            It was not hard to single out the match of the night, as BC sophomore Lukas Iorio was heroic in his last-second miracle takedown and back points that allowed him to tie his match at 8-8 at the end of regulation.  Iorio would go on to win 9-8 in OT.  BC needed all the points it could get early on as the Ironmen dominated the in the upper weight classes, while BC then simply took over starting in the lower weights.

                                                                                                                      With BC trailing by 13 points, Trevor Albrecht got BC back in the win column with a 6-1 decision at 103 lbs.  Captain Tommy Casper then pinned at 112 lbs to really start to give BC the momentum they needed to get back into the match at 25-21.  Charlie Mitchell didn't take long to dominate in his 119 lbs match and pinned again for BC and gave the Red & Gold the lead back at 27-25.  That's when Coach Dave Bell showed his genius in his lineup.

                                                                                                                 Instead of putting out star wrestler Connor Melde at his normal 125 lbs spot, he instead turned to sophomore Mike Maye who had only match under his belt during the season and a 1-0 record.  With Maye trailing early on, you began to hear the rumblings from some of the BC faithful who wondered aloud why Coach Bell was not going in for the kill with his stud Melde.  But soon enough Bell would prove to be correct in his gameplan when Maye pinned his opponent and clinched the night for the home Crusaders of Bergen Catholic.  Melde would come to the mat in the last match at 130, but without the possibility of facing Bosco's best Joe Orecchio.  Melde took advantage and completed the night with a BC pin to give the Crusaders another solid victory over their rivals from Ramsey.

                                                                                                                       The buzz was electric in the gym with fans from both sides passionately behind their teams.  BC flexed its muscles on this evening and understand they may have not seen the last of the Ironmen this season, but for Friday night BC relished coming from behind and convincingly beating Bosco.  Now it's on to Paramus on Monday night, where BC hopes to finally give an answer to the immortal question of who is the best in Bergen County.

                                                                                                                        DL

                                                                                                                     Every high school sports fan in North Jersey should know by now that whenever Don Bosco Prep and Bergen Catholic compete against each other in an event it will be intense.  The two schools do not like one another, and the emotions come out for the participants and also for the fan bases.  Fans can expect the same fever pitch atmosphere this evening as Bosco and Bergen face off on the wrestling mat tonight in Oradell at 7 pm.

                                                                                                                        BC (11-3) is coming off a great match against one of the better public school programs in North Jersey in Passaic County Tech.  BC again has crafted a schedule that is demanding to say the least, and their goal in matching up with state super programs like South Plainfield and most recently Southern Regional, is to help prepare the squad for matchups against rivals like Bosco.  The Ironmen (8-3) have a strong team this year, but they certainly will not be at the level of the two stud programs that BC already faced this season.  Will that experience help BC and has Bosco passed the Crusaders by in 2010?  BC and Bosco both lost to St. Peter's Prep this year, but both are confident if they meet up with the Maruaders again in the playoffs.

                                                                                                                        Get to Oradell well before the 7 pm start time, because when these two go at it, there will be standing room only.  We should be in store for a good one, and remember if you can't make it out tonight you can listen live to all the coverage on the BC Radio Network.

                                                                                                                                  DL

                                                                                                                             What was suppossed to be a doubleheader day of action on the BC Radio Network turned out to be only one broadcast due to power issues involving the broadcasting equipment.  It was a freaky occurrence in the afternoon, and when the issue was solved a couple of hours later, the BC Radio Network was back on the air for the wrestling match.  My apologies to all fans who attempted to listen to the BC basketball game at 4 pm against Eastside, hopefully this power issue at the gym will not happen again.

                                                                                                                           In the basketball game, Bergen Catholic's Mark Richards poured in another fantastic effort with 22 game-high points to lead the Red & Gold to a big 64-52 victory over the visitng Ghosts.  Richards was a force all afternoon down low, grabbing a bevy of rebounds and finding his way to rim with relative ease.  SHooting guard Eric Flanagan found his touch from the outside and chipped in 14 points mainly from the perimeter.  Maurice Grant displayed his usual brand of hustle and athleticism and scored 8 points in the game.  With the victory BC is now (9-7) on the season and in prime position to garner a bid to this year's Bergen Jamboree Tournament.

                                                                                                                           A couple of hours later, along with some frantic tech work, the BC Radio Network broadcast the exciting wrestling match between two of the top programs in North Jersey as BC took on Passaic Tech.  The Bulldogs sported a (12-4) record coming into the contest and featured some of the best lower weight wrestling around in undefeated 103 pounder Kevin Manthi and undefeated 125 pounder Bryant Lighty.  The Crusaders and Bulldogs were close in seemingly every match of the night, inicluding those two showcase matches at 103 and 125. 

                                                                                                                      Because there was a two pound allowance the 103 bot became 105 and had BC's Trevor Albrecht lose a tight 2-0 decision to the still perfect Manthi from PCT.  But when 125 rolled around, an exciting match with twists and turns each period saw BC's Connor Melde hold on to win his 20th match of the year in a 4-3 final and hand PCT's Lighty hiss first setback of the season.  BC would get wins from its senior captains in Tommy Casper, Matt Ellsworth, and Keith Switzer, all on their senior night at BC and the Crusaders defeated Passaic Tech 43-16 to improve their record to 11-3, and setting up a titantic matchup with rival Don Bosco on Friday night.

                                                                                                                         So, a day that did not start out on a promising note due to technical issues finished strongly with a great wrestling match, and victories for both BC teams.

                                                                                                                        DL