Football: Bergen Catholic pulls away from Iona Prep in battle of NY, NJ powers

NEW ROCHELLE - There isn't much room for error when the No. 9-ranked team in the country, per High School Football America's Top 300 national rankings, comes to town.

Iona Prep hung close with New Jersey power Bergen Catholic for a good chunk of the game, until an unfortunate injury and relentless play by the Crusaders on both sides of the ball allowed Bergen Catholic to wear down the Gaels and win, 31-10, on Saturday afternoon.

"We were really relentless in the red zone," Bergen Catholic coach Vito Campanile said. "That was a big stop for us at the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second quarter, really unfortunate injury for their guy, but I thought the kids played hard. I'm proud of them no matter what, and they definitely answered the bell. We just played two teams among the top in the country. We were pretty beat down a little bit, and we had a bit of an emotional letdown starting out, but now I'm really excited to get back to league play and get back into a routine."

Both teams traded touchdowns, with Iona Prep grabbing the lead first and Bergen Catholic answering back.

The Gaels were knocking on the door to begin the second quarter, with first-and-goal at the one-yard line. An unfortunate injury to star wideout Steven Dowdy Jr. was a big blow to the Gaels' psyche and gameplan.

Bergen Catholic made the goal-line stand once play resumed and Iona Prep was forced to kick a field goal. It grabbed the lead for the final time of the game, with 10:14 left in the second quarter.

A Dante Kain touchdown and field goal to end the second quarter gave Bergen Catholic a 17-10 lead going into halftime.

"There's a reason they're the No. 9 team in the country — they're an amazing program, very well coached, very disciplined and as physical of a football team that we've ever played against," Iona Prep coach Joe Spagnolo said. "... We never snapped out of it, I'll be honest. We were never the same after he got injured. We will snap out of it going forward, but it didn't happen today."

The Crusaders raised the intensity after halftime, scoring on a pair of touchdown receptions by Quincy Porter and Jermaine Kinsler.

Defensively, they didn't allow Iona Prep to score another point.

"We just had to get our mind right and really lock in for the second half," Porter said.

Key plays

With the game tied at 7-7, Iona Prep's star wideout, Steven Dowdy Jr. , was injured during an incomplete pass on first-and-goal from the 1-yard line. After being tended to, before exiting the game in an ambulance, there was a nice sportsmanship moment between both teams as Bergen Catholic joined Iona Prep players to extend well wishes and send off Dowdy. When play resumed, the Bergen Catholic defense held firm and Iona Prep was forced to kick a field goal to take a 10-7 lead, with 10:14 remaining in the second quarter.

Bergen Catholic managed to snatch the lead before the half. A 75-yard touchdown reception by Quincy Porter allowed the Crusaders to take a 24-10 lead late in the third quarter, and they pulled away from there.

Game balls

Naaim Parrish, Bergen Catholic: He was a weapon in the return game, getting several big returns and picking up well over 100 return yards. Parrish also had a 47-yard touchdown reception and he was used a couple of times for run plays.

Dom Campanile, Bergen Catholic: The Crusaders' quarterback completed 11 of 20 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns. He didn't log any turnovers.

Bergen Catholic defense: The Crusaders didn't allow any points in the second half. They were relentless all game long on the defensive side of the ball.

Iona Prep defense: The scoreline doesn't exactly tell the full picture of the story. The Gaels' defense helped Iona Prep stay in the game and keep it close for a majority of the game. They made some big stops in their territory and helped keep the game competitive, especially once Dowdy went down and the Iona Prep offense struggled to find a rhythm.

By the numbers

Bergen Catholic (2-1): Aside from Campanile and Parrish, Dante Kain had eight carries for 74 yards and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 45 yards. Ohio State commit Quincy Porter caught one pass for a 75-yard touchdown. Jermaine Kinsler also had a touchdown reception. Guytano Bartolomeo converted on a chip-shot field goal just before the first half ended.

Iona Prep (1-2): Brennen Pressley had a touchdown. Michael Messina made a field goal. Steven Dowdy Jr. had 55 yards of total offense in the first quarter, before going down. Julian Guzman completed 16 of 24 passes for 76 yards, and he ran the ball seven times for 45 yards.

They said it

"Steven's like a second son to me, I love him like a son," Spagnolo said of Dowdy. "He's an amazing player, captain of our football team. Losing him his devastating, but we have a lot of talent in that room and we'll figure out a way that we will regroup."

"This really gives us a good identity, just being a tough, gritty team," Bergen Catholic quarterback Dom Campanile said of his team's start through a challenging schedule to open the year. "Having grit, having a team effort, winning as a whole team and getting everything done — that's what we did today. I'm excited, good step moving forward. It's going to be good."

Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Football: Bergen Catholic pulls away from Iona Prep in battle of NY, NJ powers