Bergen Catholic pulls away late to defeat DePaul in 'Campanile Bowl'

ORADELL – Bergen Catholic versus DePaul, aka the Campanile Bowl, was again won by the football team coached by the older brother.Coach Vito Campanile and Bergen Catholic pulled away in the second half and secured the 28-14 victory in the final minute over brother Nick and DePaul in their regular-season finales on Oct. 31.“This is the game that’s never easy for me,” said Vito Campanile, who is 3-0 in a family series that began in 2022. “It’s the only time you ever win and you feel somewhat of a little bit of a dent in you, if that makes sense.”“It’s always really tough, but it’s not about that,” Nick Campanile said. “Obviously, Vito’s taught me more than anybody on the planet, I love him to death and obviously respect him more than anybody. I wouldn’t be where I am right now without him, but it’s about the kids, and you try to block that part out as best as you can.”Junior quarterback Trey Tagliaferri threw for 171 yards and a TD and ran for a score to lead Bergen Catholic (5-4). Junior running back Anthony Cristiano and versatile senior Bryan Porter also ran for TDs for the Crusaders.DePaul tied the score, 7-7, with 12 seconds left in the second quarter on senior running back Sean Nevers’ 1-yard run. The Spartans tied it in the third, 14-14, on junior quarterback Frank Morano’s 21-yard score to junior Gavin Sblendorio.Bergen Catholic secured the win in the final minutes. Tagliaferri threw a 1-yard TD pass to sophomore Cruz Araujo for a 28-14 lead with 1:22 remaining. Crusaders senior defensive back Amar’e Newell sealed the win with an interception with just under a minute remaining“It’s a family affair,” said Bergen Catholic junior TE/DE Rocky Rosenberg, on the field for more than 100 plays,” but we treat it like every other game. The preparation is the same, and you just stay ready.”Players of the gameBryan Porter, Bergen Catholic: Porter carried 17 times for 93 yards and a TD, with most of his runs to the outside. He also caught six passes for 48 yards.Trey Tagliaferri, Bergen Catholic: Tagliaferri was 21 for 25 for 171 yards, one TD and no interceptions. He scored the first TD midway through the second quarter on a 5-yard run.They said it“A grind-it-out, playoff-type win, a tough, tough football game,” Vito Campanile said. “They have some great stuff schematically and gave us some fits. It was just a back-and-forth battle and we got that service break late and made the most of it.”“Obviously disappointed,” Nick Campanile said. “We had our chances in that game. I felt we left a lot of points on the field in the first half, and then it came back to bite us.”My takeIt’s playoff time now, with Bergen Catholic heading into Non-Public A and DePaul seeking a third consecutive title in Non-Public B. Seedings will be released Nov. 1.Bergen Catholic, ranked No. 8 in the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey Super 25, needs to run the ball better and produce more big plays. The Crusaders’ longest gain came on a fake punt that became a 35-yard run by senior Nick Mauro.“The gut-it-out structure of this game is what the playoffs are going to be,” Vito Campanile said. “Next week is going to be a knock-down, drag-out for us, too, and that’s just who we are. Every game we play is going to be right down to the wire, and we’re used to that, which is good.”Meanwhile, No. 13 DePaul (4-5) has to find a way to beat Top-10 teams. Prior to Bergen Catholic, the Spartans lost to No. 3 Don Bosco, 34-14, and No. 7 Paramus Catholic, 21-7. Their primary playoff rival is the team they beat in last year’s state final, Paramus Catholic.“You never want to go into the playoffs with three losses,” Nick Campanile said. “But if there’s ever a time, it’s now. We played three of the top teams in New Jersey the last three weeks and we fought really hard in every one of them and we’re going to be a really tough out going forward.”This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen Catholic pulls away late to defeat DePaul in 'Campanile Bowl'