Football – Paramus Catholic tops Don Bosco in state playoffs

Nov 19, 2016

Paramus Catholic tops Don Bosco in state playoffs by Darren Cooper of The Record

PARAMUS – They call him “Cha-Cha” and Paramus Catholic quarterback Andrew Brito danced around Don Bosco defenders all night all the way to MetLife Stadium.
“This is just amazing,” said Brito, a senior.
Brito’s ability to scramble and keep drives alive may have been the difference in a game where it seemed like both teams knew exactly what the other team was doing, most likely, because they did.
The Paladins never trailed, but the outcome was not decided until the final pass hit the turf in the end zone as Paramus Catholic edged Don Bosco Prep, 35-29, Friday night in the Non-Public Group 4 semifinals.
It’s the sixth straight win in the series for the Paladins in this battle of North Jersey superpowers and sets up a date in the Non-Public Group 4 final against the winner of today’s game between St. Peter’s Prep and Bergen Catholic.
This one came down to the last drive, as so many in this series have. Down 35-29 and with the ball at their own 14, Don Bosco quarterback Tommy DeVito directed a brilliant drive that got  to the Paladins 35. With 5.2 seconds left, DeVito arched a high pass into the chill air and into a pack of players midway through the end zone. It fell harmlessly to the damp turf igniting celebration on the Paramus Catholic sidelines and despair on the Don Bosco side.

Paramus Catholic's Matthew Zelaya fights off a tackle

Paramus Catholic’s Matthew Zelaya fights off a tackle in the second quarter. Michael Karas/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The surprises started even before the game kicked off as Paramus Catholic senior linebacker Drew Singleton, North Jersey’s top collegiate prospect, was dressed in full uniform and went through warm-up drills. He was wearing a long brace on his surgically repaired right knee.
Singleton, who has yet to announce the date he’s going to announce his college decision, ran with a slight limp, but the closest he came to the field was standing with his fellow Paramus Catholic captains for the coin toss.
After that coin hit the ground, both teams were off and running. The first half resembled a Big 12 college football game, two punts and only limited defense and a total of 53 combined points.
The Paladins raced out to a 14-0 lead getting a 10-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Clark on their first series, and then a one-yard dive by Alijah Jackson early in the second quarter.
Then we had the first in a series of big momentum shifts. The Ironmen caught Paramus Catholic in a blitz and Jalen Berger slipped through a crack in the middle and went 76 yards for his first touchdown to draw the Ironmen to 14-7.
Two plays later, Andrew Brito’s pass over the middle was intercepted by Gavin Sharkey at the Paladins 40 and he followed a convoy of white Bosco jerseys into the end zone.
The pick six stunned the crowd and the Paladins bench, but the Paramus Catholic offense went right back to work.
Brito continued to hurt the Don Bosco defense with his ability to scramble and make plays when the pocket collapsed. He picked up 12 yards on third-and-10 to keep the next Paladin drive alive, and then facing another third down, showed off his strong pitching arm, firing a hard one to Matt Zelaya at the goal line for a 17-yard score.
The Ironmen answered right back in just four plays. Berger went 33 yards on a zone read to the Paladins 21, then on the next play, took it the rest of the way. It was the second score of the quarter for the lanky freshman, who would finish with 161 yards in the half.
The point after sailed wide, however, and the Paladins retained a 21-20 advantage.
On the first play of its next possession, Brito broke free down the Paladins sidelines and went 65 yards to the Don Bosco 21. It was just another big play in half full of them, and we weren’t done.
Jackson went up the middle for a 12 yard gain to the Don Bosco 3, and two plays later Clark pushed his way into the end zone. The officials hesitating before making the call. The extra point was successful.
That gave the Ironmen  the ball with 59.3 seconds left, could they score again? Of course. Tommy DeVito started the drive with a patented Don Bosco screen pass to Kevin Brennan for 23 yards and the Ironmen drove to the Paladins 20 before settling for a 37 yard field goal by Brandon Marrero to make it 28-23.