Paramus Catholic senior receiver Donald Stewart made an acrobatic catch similar to the one he made last season against Gilmand (above) to beat Don Bosco on the last play of the game Friday night. (PHOTO: CHRIS PEDOTA/The Record)
RAMSEY – If you weren’t at Don Bosco Prep on Friday night, or you don’t have access to MSG Varsity, odds are you missed one the most fantastic finishes to a high school football game you could’ve ever seen.
Paramus Catholic senior receiver Donald Stewart’s sensational 35-yard touchdown catch on the last play of the game didn’t just beat Don Bosco, 19-16. It saved the Paladins’ season.
Before Stewart out-leaped multiple Don Bosco defenders and came down in the end zone with a well-thrown ball by sophomore quarterback Allan Walters, it appeared as if Paramus Catholic was headed to 1-4. Falling three games below .500 would’ve made simply qualifying for the Non-Public, Group 4 playoffs difficult.
Walters’ incompletion on a fourth-and-10 play from Don Bosco’s 45-yard line looked as though it would turn the ball over on downs to the Ironmen, who would’ve run out the clock quickly because there were just 26 seconds left in the game and Paramus Catholic didn’t have any timeouts. But the Ironmen were flagged for defensive holding on that pivotal play, which gave Paramus Catholic a fresh set of downs from Don Bosco’s 35.
Three incompletions later, the Paladins were desperate. But on fourth-and-10 from Don Bosco’s 35, Walters dropped back and threw the ball up to a spot where Stewart was most likely to catch it.
A determined Stewart jumped high, snagged the ball and held on for an unforgettable catch as he fell flat on his back, in the end zone. Stewart, who has scholarship offers from numerous FBS schools, previously caught a 13-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter, which helped tie the game at 13.
Stewart finished with five catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns.
More important, he helped the Paladins (2-3) turn around a season that has been filled with disappointment.
Before beating Don Bosco (3-2), they had lost back-to-back games against Gilman (Md.) and Bergen Catholic to slip to 1-3 and ninth place in the Non-Public, Group 4 power-point standings. Now they’re at least in position to earn one of the eight berths in their section.
Paramus Catholic (2-3) also won its fourth straight over Big North United Division rival Don Bosco.
For more on the Paramus Catholic-Don Bosco game, here’s my game story that appeared in today’s editions of The Record & Herald News: http://www.northjersey.com/sports/h-s-football-donald-stewart-s-late-score-wins-it-for-paramus-catholic-1.1429612