Bernards Shuts Down Carteret

Posted on by Big Central Gridiron
Bernards Shuts Down Carteret
Logan Stevens takes the handoff from Nolan Walsh late in the second quarter of Bernards’ 22-0 victory over Carteret in a BCC Crossover at Olcott Field on Friday night. Stevens rushed 8 times for 196 yards and 3 TDs to lead the Mountaineers to the win.

Stevens Rushes for 3 TDs to Lead Mountaineers Past Ramblers

BERNARDSVILLE, NJ – When you hear the phrase that high school programs just reload, it usually only applies to powerhouse schools such as Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco, or, in the world of Big Central Conference football, Phillipsburg, Piscataway, Aquinas, etc.  Nobody thinks of a small school, where the graduation of several key players usually is a sign of a rebuilding year.

However, the Bernards football program, under the guidance of Jon Simoneau, has broken the mold.  The Mountaineers are two seasons removed from winning the North Jersey Section 2 Group 2 Championship, and reached the North Jersey Section 1 Group 2 title game before bowing to Shabazz.  After two very successful seasons, Bernards is still going strong with an 8-0 record heading into Friday night’s BCC crossover contest with Carteret at Olcott Field.

Watch highlights from the action in Bernards’ 22-0 victory over Carteret on Friday night.

The Mountaineers continued to roll on Senior Night.  Led by the play of senior running back Logan Stevens, who rushed 8 times for 196 yards and 3 TDs, and the likes of Tyce Hanratty, Mike Melitski, Teagun Hartnett, and Zach Favreau on defense, Bernards shut down Carteret, 22-0.  Stevens’ three scoring runs were 81, 38, and 65 yards.  In addition, Stevens caught a pass for 35 yards, returned a kickoff for another 20 yards, and intercepted a pass in the first quarter.  The effort earned him BCG’s Player of the Game honors.

Hanratty, Melitski, Hartnett, and Favreau anchored a stout defensive effort.  The quartet combined for 44 of Bernards’ 76 total tackles.  Hanratty led the group with 17, including 15 assisted tackles.  Melitski had 10, including 4 solos and one for loss.  Hartnett collected 9, along with a forced fumble.  Favreau picked up eight.  The Mountaineers, which posted their third shutout of the year, also compiled two interceptions.  AJ Byreddy picked off a pass late in the game to wrap up the win.

Watch the highlight reel of Bernards’ RB Logan Stevens in action during the Mountaineers’ 22-0 victory over Carteret on Friday night.

Carteret battled valiantly throughout the game.  The Ramblers were very competitive and had a chance to close the gap to a one-score game late in the first half.  However, following a 43-yard run by Al-Naiquan Boseman to the Bernards’ 7-yard line, the Mountaineers’ defense shut the door with a goal-line stand.  Boseman was a bright spot in defeat for Carteret with 25 carries for 185 yards, while completing one of two pass attempts for another 3 yards.

Another positive effort for the Ramblers came courtesy of Jadiel Torres, who caught 4 passes for 33 yards, rushed 3 times for another 26 yards, and collected a tackle on defense.  Anthony Bilbao and Nicholas Gomm led Carteret’s hard-nosed effort on defense with 10 total tackles each.  Ronelle Nimneh-Gilbert collected an interception along with 7 total tackles.  Jonathan Hughes picked up five tackles and a forced fumble.

Two of Bernards’ scoring drives were just one play.  The first occurred after the Mountaineers’ defense forced Carteret to punt.  The Ramblers punt placed Bernards back on its own 19-yard line.  It would make no difference, though, as Stevens found a gap in the Carteret line, broke through it to find plenty of daylight in the middle of the field for an 81-yard touchdown run.  The extra point was no good, but Bernards led 6-0 with 5:41 left in the first quarter.

In between the two one-play scoring drives, Bernards manufactured two more significant scoring marches during the second quarter.  The first produced the Mountaineers’ second touchdown of the game, while the second culminated with a 39-yard field goal by Daniel Nagy-Lewis.  Stevens figured prominently in the first drive with a 35-yard reception to the Carteret 38, followed by his second scoring run of the game at the 9:39 mark of the second for a 12-0 lead.

The Mountaineers’ next scoring drive began at the Bernards 31-yard line.  Bernards’ offense marched 47 yards before finally being halted by the Carteret defense at the Ramblers’ 22-yard line.  The key play in the possession was a second-down screen pass by Bernards’ QB Nolan Walsh to Jordan Riley for 37 yards to the Carteret 32.  The Mountaineers ultimately had to settle for the Nagy-Lewis field goal when a third-down pass from Walsh to hoops standout, Ricky Geibel (2 receptions, 44 yards), was just out of reach.

The second brief drive came at the start of the second half.  After Stevens took the third quarter kickoff 20 yards, he took a handoff again up the middle, found daylight, and scampered his way up the field for a 65-yard touchdown to give the Mountaineers a 22-0 lead with 11:43 remaining in the third quarter.  Following the score, Simoneau gave Stevens and the rest of the starters some rest and gave the reserves quality playing time with plenty of reps to get prepared for the playoffs next week.

With the victory, Bernards improved to 9-0 overall and in conference play.  The Mountaineers are one of the four remaining undefeated teams in the Big Central Conference.  Bernards now moves on to the North Jersey Section 2 Group 2 playoffs, where it will compete with the likes of Shabazz, Hanover Park, Rutherford, and Hoboken.  The Mountaineers, Hanover Park, and Hoboken are all undefeated, while Shabazz and Rutherford each have one loss.

Meanwhile, Carteret finished the regular season at 3-5 overall and in the BCC.  The Ramblers will next play in the NJSIAA Regional Crossover round.