What was expected to be a very close game against a talented team turned into a Mountaineer offensive masterclass. Junior running back Logan Stevens led the way for the offense with three rushing touchdowns and 75 yards added on by a 36-yard touchdown from Senior Wide Receiver/Defensive Back Max Austin. In Quarterback Nolan Walsh’s first career start as a sophomore, he went five for seven for 136 yards and two touchdown passes. Senior Linebacker/Running Back Terrance Hanratty led the way with two sacks on the defensive side of the ball. It was time to get rolling, their record was 1-0.
Going for five straight division championships is no easy task, yet this was the position that the Mountaineers were in. Starting the scoring was Junior kicker Noah Ochab with a school-record 48-yard field goal. Nolan Walsh connected with Jack Morra twice in the second quarter, a 66-yard bomb followed by a 17-yard red zone connection. Patrick Carlisle ended the scoring craze second quarter with two rushing touchdowns. Bobby Burke added an interception on defense to help secure the 5th straight division championship in a row. Senior Aidan Gribben said, “It felt great to accomplish that with this group of guys on our home field for the first time in school history.” Their record was 4-0.
Fresh off a 5th straight division championship, the team came out flying against J.P.Stevens. A fumble on the first drive recovered by Chase Caponigro led to a Pat Carlisle running touchdown to start. Max Austin followed it up with a 20-yard receiving touchdown, followed up by another Carlisle touchdown. Nolan Walsh and Jack Morra connected again on a 45-yard touchdown. Zach Favreau recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown to close the first half. It was all mountaineers after that.
Continuing on the winning streak it was a complete and total domination on Senior Night. After returning from injury, Logan Stevens started the game off with a 10-yard rushing touchdown. Terrance Hanratty scored twice in the second quarter, one of which was capped off by a trick play two-point conversion from Daniel Nagy Lewis to Ari Rosen. Thomas Diemar added a sack and Max Austin had two interceptions.
One of the main highlights of the hardest schedule in school history was the game against Summit. A group three powerhouse, a lot was on the line this game. This highly anticipated game was one for the ages. After going down 8-0 early, Logan Stevens ran it in for four yards to get the mountaineers on the board. Summit came out firing in the second half going up 16-7. After that it was the Jack Morra-Nolan Walsh duo that brought the Mountaineers back. A clutch fumble as well as a rushing touchdown from Terrence Hanratty gave the Mountaineers a huge win with hopes of at least two home playoff games.
A familiar face with a familiar outcome. From the beginning of the game, it was a clear domination for the Mountaineers. Max Austin, Terrence Hanratty, Logan Stevens, and Jack Morra all reached the end zone in the first half. Logan added another rushing touchdown and a Teagun Hartnett interception secured the way for a 35-7 victory.
A new team that was introduced to the Bernards Football right away. Another dominating victory ended in a score of 35-7. From the start to the finish, everything was perfect. Logan Stevens scored 3 times with Sean Arcelay and Patrick Carlisle adding two more. Terrance Hanratty led the defense with 10 tackles.
Playoffs were back on Olcott Field after securing the 2 seed in the North Group Two Section Two bracket. A highly anticipated matchup in the first round, Rutherford created a challenge. Tied up 7-7 after the first quarter, Rutherford exploded for 20 points in the second quarter. A disastrous first half for the Mountaineers made them find themselves in a 27-14 deficit at the half. Not ready to end the season, They came out firing in the second half, an early Teagun Hartnett interception gave them all the momentum they needed. Nolan Walsh found Jack Morra twice in the 3rd quarter to put the mountaineers up by one heading into the fourth quarter. Terrance Hanratty punched it in the middle to go up 35-27. A late Rutherford touchdown on a trick play made it come down to the two-point conversion to try and tie the game. A failed two-point conversion gave the Mountaineers a comeback victory.
Round two gave the Bernards’ Defense a puzzling challenge. Facing an old wing T-style offense it was going to be a defensive game. Luckily, the Defense found the pieces to the puzzle. Pequannock was not able to even get past midfield all game. A Max Austin run and a Noah Ochab field goal plus a Sean Arcelay touchdown pushed the Mountaineers to the Section Final.
With a 10-0 record under their belt for the second year in a row, the Mountaineers hosted a sectional final against Shabazz, who are located in Newark. 0-0 at the half, Shabazz came out firing. Scoring on the first drive of the second half the Mountaineers followed up with a score of their own. Unfortunately from there, Shabazz took momentum with costly mistakes from the Mountaineers. Jack Morra and Logan Stevens were the two scorers as they went on to lose 28-14. An unfortunate end to one of the best seasons in school history.
A historic season for Bernards came to an end. Five straight division championships, For the seniors an impressive 21-3 record on Olcott field throughout their careers , and countless memories made. This teams legacy will live on forever as one of the best teams in school history. The legacy left by these seniors will have a great impact on the coming years.
