Bergen Catholic just pulled off one of the craziest comebacks in their storied history, stunning archrival Don Bosco 34-30 after being down a ridiculous 24-0 in the second quarter! Junior quarterback Trey Tagliaferri went absolutely wild, throwing four of his five touchdown passes in the second half to completely flip the script on the previously unbeaten Ironmen. Talk about a statement win!
The Tagliaferri-Porter Show Blew Up Don Bosco’s Night
Seriously, you had to see it to believe it. With just 15 seconds left on the clock, senior receiver Bryan Porter took a short pass from Tagliaferri and turned it into a ridiculous 38-yard touchdown that sealed the deal for Bergen Catholic. This wasn’t just any game, either. We’re talking about No. 2 Bergen Catholic taking down top-ranked, unbeaten Don Bosco. Coach Vito Campanile nailed it, saying, “It’s everything it’s supposed to be. This game is supposed to be like this.” What a series!
Bergen Catholic, now 3-2, actually grabbed a 28-24 lead with 5:29 left in the fourth quarter on another Tagliaferri-to-Porter connection, a 28-yard TD pass. But Don Bosco, who fell to 5-1, wasn’t done. Junior QB Carson Schoen punched it in with a 2-yard run with 1:28 left, making it 30-28 and making everyone think Don Bosco had salvaged it. Nope. Porter, despite being a focus for Don Bosco’s defense all night, racked up 11 receptions for 169 yards and those two massive touchdowns. Tagliaferri finished with a crazy 27 completions on 44 attempts for 341 yards and all five TDs, with the majority of that damage happening after halftime. Junior receiver Jamel Hammary also snagged second-half TDs of 1 and 16 yards to chip away at that monster deficit, getting it to 24-21 early in the fourth after they were down 24-7 at halftime. That’s just relentless.
Don Bosco’s Collapse and the Hard Truths
Man, Don Bosco coach Dan Sabella didn’t mince words after watching that lead vanish. “It’s tough to have a lead like that and let it get away from you,” he said. You can say that again! They seemed to have total control when junior defensive back Kyle Ramos snagged a 36-yard interception return, pushing their lead to 24-0 with 9:04 left in the second quarter. Who saw that unraveling? Sabella admitted they might have shot themselves in the foot, too, settling for field goals instead of touchdowns on earlier opportunities. “Even back in the first half there were some opportunities where we settled for field-goal chances and we should have come away with touchdowns,” he noted, adding, “I think it’s an area we have to be better at to be able to finish these games.” Junior running back Ca’Si Thomas was a beast for Don Bosco, grinding out 165 yards on 34 carries, including their opening 2-yard score. But even his monster effort couldn’t hold back the Bergen Catholic tidal wave.
Coach Campanile, on the other hand, was all about his team’s heart. He pointed to all the adversity they’ve faced since January, with “everybody telling them that it was over, and everybody about to throw dirt on them.” He says, “I just think that they draw strength from each other. And I think you can build a lot out of people that love and respect each other.” You can’t argue with that kind of belief after a comeback like that.
This win is massive, folks. In this storied series, the team that falls behind early usually stays down, so this 24-0 comeback is straight-up incredible. Bergen Catholic’s victory means the race for the Non-Public A state championship and that coveted No. 1 ranking just got a whole lot more interesting, with multiple contenders proving they’ve got what it takes. Expect Bergen Catholic to be sitting pretty at No. 1 when the new rankings drop on October 6. What a win, what a season shaping up!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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