Don Bosco

Don Bosco, led by RB Malik Bakker (shown above) and a relentless defense, remained unscathed through the first month of the year. Will the Ironmen be able to say the same after going through the rigorous Big North United. The Aces tackle that question, along with other United storylines, below.

With the Big North United schedule about to get going, what are you most looking forward to/interested in seeing over the next month of the season?

Darren Cooper: I think to me what I…well, there are a lot of things, but 2 of them come to mind.
One is, and I have talked about this before, but it’s just that the Big Five all seem to have such different styles of play this season. It’s not like when Bergen plays PC this week, it’s going to be 2 spread teams just matching scores. No. Bosco is defense and a ground game with some big play potential on offense. Bergen is an explosive pass-first offense and an athletic defense that is small, but quick. Joes has a big-time running game and an athletic defense that has some size. DePaul has Walker and a dynamic offense. Paramus Catholic is kind of built the same way as Bosco, with a dominating defensive line, but its offense is much more diverse. So to me, the excitement comes from just which style will prevail when the teams all meet. I know defense always wins, but does it? Will it?
The second thing is just if any team can run the table in the division. Can anyone really go 4-0? And there are also so many smaller little thoughts, Bosco really wants to beat PC (and DePaul) after last year, PC always wants to beat Bergen, Bergen always wants to beat Joes, and DePaul wants to beat everybody. So in some of the games, there is this extra intangible.

Mark Czerwinski: If you read my Page Two column on Monday, you know I’m not a fan of out-of-state games or the pursuit of mythical national championships. It’s merely a sideshow. Whether you like the way these non-public schools put their teams together or not — and I don’t — you can’t deny that Big North United football is the glamour league in New Jersey, regardless of sport. The games between these teams promise to be high school football at a different level, and when you factor in rivalries and all the emotion that goes along with, say… Bosco-Bergen or Bergen-Joes, these games will be a truer measure of these programs than anything that happened in September. If, say, Bergen can’t beat Bosco, PC and Joes, especially in a playoff scenario, who cares what happened against St. Edward? Those Big North United games, and the subsequent postseason rematches, are how each of these team’s seasons will ultimately be judged.

JJ Conrad: When I was given the Bergen Catholic beat this summer, the upcoming slate of games is what I was looking forward to covering the most. And while I do like the out-of-state schedules the Big North United teams are taking on and am really interested in Don Bosco’s pursuit of another mythical national championship, these division games are going to bring this season to a whole new level. But on a side note, who would you guys rather see these Big North United powerhouses play? A middle-of-the-road North Jersey school with the Big 5 pummeling every one of them? Not me… I’d rather see Bosco take on Aquinas, PC play Ignatius, St. Joes play St. Ed’s and St. Joe’s of Philly and Bergen play St. Ed’s and Bentonville. It helps the division’s case as being truly the best — and most competitive — division in the country. Besides, I’m sure the majority of the schools in New Jersey want nothing to do with the Big 5 in terms of scheduling (except Pascack Valley… PV coach Craig Nielsen will take on anyone… and his program is better for it — and he does the same thing in softball, too). I don’t think it’s as much to do with creating a national profile (well, maybe a little) as it is the Big 5 wanting to put together the best possible schedules in September, so their teams are better because of it in October, November and December – when all five will likely be vying for state championships. But anyway, the real fun begins this week.

Jim McConville: I’ll answer a question with a question. Which of the five teams is best suited to play the other four in a four or five week period? Keep in mind, it isw not only the physical toll, it is the mental and emotional toll.  Playing out of state is nice and beating what people perceive to be some of the best teams in the country (talk about our Top 25, how truly unrealistic is the national Top 25?  It’s the print/broadcast media’s game of smoke and mirrors and we all love to buy into it) is great for state pride, but how does it compare to the pressure of heated rivalry after heated rivalry week after week?  Better yet, the team that loses the first battle this weekend, Bergen Catholic or Paramus Catholic, are they so deflated that they over-pressurize the next matchup? That’s the beauty of the Big North United. I’ll give you one more; say a team runs the table and wins against all four. Have they shot their emotional load before the playoffs start? Love ‘em or hate ‘em, these non-public matchups are going to be intriguing and thanks to BC’s season-saving win over St. Edward, every one of them is a must-see at this point.

Ed Mills: As it has sometimes been in quite a few instances in the past, circle the Bergen Catholic-Don Bosco game on Oct. 25 as one of the possible games of the year. Bergen Catholic has improved quite a lot from last year’s team and Don Bosco is back at the top of the heap (at least in one national ranking) again. It should make for another very interesting Crusader-Ironman showdown among two of the top parochial schools in the state. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano could give Bergen Catholic a big boost against a very strong and talented Don Bosco defense.

Brian Giuffra: Obviously it’s the power five non-publics settling their rivalries on the field. Don Bosco wants to win a national title? Well, it’s gotta go through Paramus Catholic, St. Joes, DePaul and Bergen Catholic. Paramus Catholic and St. Joes want to prove they’re still elite? Well, they gotta show that against Don Bosco, DePaul and Bergen Catholic. DePaul and Bergen Catholic want to be invited to the big-boy table? Well, it’s gotta earn it against, well, you get the point. Seeing those teams battle for what they want will be epic.

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