DL Sports Media

                                                                                                                                                                       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