Paramus Catholic publicly put out its 2014 football schedule this morning. This leaves DePaul as the only Big North United team (the Big Five) that has yet to publicly release its schedule. I called DePaul today, but did not get an answer. I am sure they will get back to me when they can.
The Paladins, the 2-time reigning Non-Public Group IV state champions, have nine games lined up against nine non-public schools, which I found interesting. They will travel….some, but just bus trips.
I have been, um, harassing Paladins coach Chris Partridge for a long time about the schedule. My first question to him was….why did it take so long? He kind of scoffed and said, they wanted to make sure they had 9 quality games against teams that wanted to play them. He juggled around his bye week so that the Paladins didn’t have to play any New Jersey public schools. He also said that he may have two games already lined up for 2015, and that Miami Central was almost on the schedule this season. Those are some interesting nuggets.
So, let’s go down, game-by-game….
Week 1, after playing 3 scrimmages on the road, the Paladins will open their season against Gilman in Maryland. This is a return game from last year, when the Paladins opened the season with a 28-0 shutout of the Greyhounds. Gilman has always been a strong program, and remember, they were the ones who stopped Don Bosco’s historic win streak in 2012. This game is slated for 11 a.m. on Saturday morning. Yes, an odd start time, but PC didn’t want to miss school on that Friday and Partridge said that Gilman couldn’t play after 4 p.m. because of a school function or something. So does this mean that Cooper can see Joes vs. McDonogh in Maryland on Friday night, then PC/Gilman in Maryland Saturday morning, then get to Philly for the Bosco game at 6 p.m. that day? You better believe he can…..if the wife lets me.
Week 2, one of the biggest surprises (to me) on the schedule is that the Paladins will travel to Sparta to face Pope John XXIII. The Lions were Non-Public Group III finalists last season, and remember have a top-flight quarterback in Sonny Abramson. He will be a junior next season. Why is this a surprise to me? Because it is rare for a non-public school outside of North Jersey to sign up to play one of the Big Five. So props to Pope John XXIII.
Week 3, kind of a new school to talk about, the Paladins will again travel down to Maryland to face St. Frances Academy. A quick google search reveals that St. Frances Academy is the Panthers, and they were 5-7 last season, losing games to Gilman and Friendship. Partridge said he has become friendly with the Panthers head coach and they put this game together.
Week 4 is the rematch with St. Ignatius of Ohio, and the Paladins finally play a home game, tentatively scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27th. Last year, the Paladins pounded St. Iggy 44-10.
Week 5 is Bergen Catholic in a game scheduled for Saturday Oct. 4th (my 40th birthday) at 4 p.m. I asked Partridge about the lights and the turf….so why are you scheduling games for Saturday at 4 p.m. and not Friday nights? And he said he likes the ambiance and atmosphere of a game at 4 p.m. He said he likes having the lights for practice, not games necessarily. Also, remember, PC runs a Japanese school on Saturday afternoons, so that is a traffic nightmare.
Week 6 is Don Bosco, again in a game scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. That’s the 11th.
Week 7 is a bye.
Week 8 is a home game on Friday night, Oct. 24th against Eastern Christian Academy. The Honey Badgers (yes, Honey Badgers) feature star QB David Sills. The Honey Badgers are no stranger to North Jersey, having scrimmaged Don Bosco twice the last two years….and walked off the field victorious both times. In the 2013 scrimmage, Sills, who committed to USC in 7th grade, threw for 359 yards and 3tds in one of the best performances I have seen in years.
Week 9, Halloween and the Paladins will host DePaul in a night game.
Then week 10, the Paladins end their season against the reigning Non-Public 3 champs, St. Joe’s. Should be a good one.
So, final thoughts….
I jokingly asked Partridge at the end about who his quarterback will be. He just laughed and said he had no idea. I asked him about some of these games on national TV, and he said, yes, he had gotten a few calls. He was pretty sure the St. Ignatius game would be televised, maybe just back to the midwest. I asked specifically about the Eastern Christian game and he said that that was possible. He said he had gotten a lot of calls, but nothing was set in stone just yet. Then we talked about the expectations for the Paladins in 2014, and I told him he was actually in a good spot. A lot of people doubt the Paladins will be so good in 2014, and I just think they are going to be really, really strong. There is still a ton of talent in that program. Quarterback is a question, but you know what? All 5 Big North United schools have to have a new starting QB in 2014, how wild is that? I’d love to post a blog on who I think will be the starting QB for all five, boy, that would be interesting. I have some thoughts, but it’s April, so let’s let it play out some.
So now….here you go, something to post on the wall. All four Bergen County big non-public school schedules. Football season is 149 days away.
2014 Football Schedules
PARAMUS CATHOLIC
Sept. 6 at Gilman, 11 a.m.
Sept. 13 at Pope John, 1 p.m.
Sept. 19 at St. Frances (Md.), 7 p.m.
Sept. 27 vs. St. Ignatius, 2 p.m.
Oct. 4 vs. Bergen Catholic, 4 p.m.
Oct. 11 vs. Don Bosco, 4 p.m.
Oct. 24 vs. Eastern Christian Academy (Md), 7 p.m.
Oct. 31 vs. DePaul, 7 p.m.
Nov. 8 at St. Joseph Regional, 1 p.m.
ST. JOSEPH REGIONAL
Sept. 5 at McDonough (Md), 7 p.m.
Sept. 13 at St. Edwards (Ohio), TBA
Sept. 27 vs. St. Joe’s (Pa.), 2 pm.
Oct. 3 at Old Tappan, 7 p.m.
Oct. 18 vs. Bergen Catholic, 1 p.m.
Oct. 24 at DePaul, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1 vs. Wayne Hills, 1 p.m.
Nov. 8 vs. Paramus Catholic, 1 p.m.
Nov. 27 at Don Bosco, 10:30 a.m.
DON BOSCO PREP
Sept. 6 at St. Joe’s (Pa.), 6 p.m.
Sept. 13 vs. St. Thomas Aquinas, TBA
Sept. 26 at Fort Pierce Central (Fl), TBA
Oct. 11 at Paramus Catholic, 4 p.m.
Oct. 17 vs. Passaic Tech, 7 p.m.
Oct. 25 at Bergen Catholic
Oct. 31 vs. Eastside, 7 p.m.
Nov. 7 vs. DePaul, 7 p.m.
Nov. 27 vs. St. Joseph’s Regional, 10:30 a.m.
BERGEN CATHOLIC
Sept. 6 vs. LaSalle College Prep (Pa.), 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 at St. Peter’s Prep, 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 at Bentonville (Ark.), TBA
Sept. 27 vs. St. Edwards (Ohio), 7 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Paramus Catholic, 4 p.m.
Oct. 11 vs. DePaul, 1 p.m.
Oct. 18 at St. Joseph’s Regional, 1 p.m.
Oct. 25 vs. Don Bosco, 1 p.m.
Nov. 7 at Ridgewood, 7 p.m.