On November 10th 2023, the Bernards High School Football team won their first sectional championship in the school’s history. After a spectacular undefeated regular season headlined by the highest scoring offense in team history, the Mountaineers got the second seed in the Group 2 Section 2 tournament.
After two dominant wins against Ramsey and Sussex Tech, it all came down to the final game of the sectional playoffs. Bernards had a nice drive going early, until an unfortunate missed field goal kept the game scoreless at the end of the first quarter.
Lakeland Quarterback Colin Sabrek broke the scoreless game after a 1 yard run gave Lakeland the 7-0 lead. Bernards would quickly answer back after Jake Caldwell had an incredible punt return for a touchdown, breaking multiple tackles along the way.
After the relatively low scoring first half, Lakeland came out firing, quickly marching down the field to score a touchdown, taking the lead 14-7. After a promising drive by Bernards down the field stalled out, Jonas Gonzalez made a 28 yard field goal to cut down the Lakeland lead to just 4 points, with under 10 minutes left in the game.
Another great defensive stand, and a good punt from Lakeland, gave Bernards the ball at their own 12 yard line with 6:50 left in the fourth quarter. After great drive down the field, the Mountaineers were left a 4th and goal from the 11 yard line with the game, and the season on the line. Laverty fired a ball over the middle to Caldwell who was able to secure the ball through the contact in the endzone and give Bernards a 17-14 lead.
Lakeland proceeded to march the ball down the field and score a long field goal to tie the game at 17 and force the game into overtime.
In overtime, Lakeland started with the ball on Bernards 25, but after a quick three and out Bernards forced the field goal team to trot onto the field. However, the kick came up short, meaning that all the Mountaineers had to do was score any type of points and the sectional title would be theirs.
The game plan was simple, play it safe and set up an easy kick to win the game. However, Connor Laverty had something else in mind. On the 7 yard line, Laverty took a QB draw untouched into the endzone to win the game, and give Bernards their first ever state sectional championship.
Although Bernards went on to lose in the first round of the state finals, the season was an overwhelming success, and without a doubt the best in the school’s history. As Sophomore running back Logan Stevens put it, “We did something that nobody has ever done and you only get that feeling once in a lifetime.”
