The delay did not deter Don Bosco Prep.
Officials suspended Saturday’s playoff game against St. Joseph with the score tied 0-0 after thunderstorms hit the area. When action resumed Sunday, Don Bosco Prep made it known from the start, the delay did nothing but extend the inevitable.
11/14 - 1:00 PM Football Final
Don Bosco Prep 31
St. Joseph (Mont.) 7Complete Box Score »
With the game resuming late in the first quarter and St. Joseph facing third and two at the Don Bosco 46-yard line, the Bosco defense set a tone that stuck the rest of the way.
St. Joseph’s first run went nowhere. Its second went backwards.
The early turnover on downs largely foreshadowed what happened over the next three quarters as Don Bosco Prep relied on its powerful offensive line, the slick running of junior Ronnie Heath and a stingy defense en route to a 31-7 victory in front of 3,000 fans in Montvale.
“The mindset was just to come out and dominate,” said Chase Bisontis, Don Bosco’s blue-chip left tackle, who played on both sides of the ball Sunday. “We didn’t do our job yesterday. We played a whole quarter and didn’t put any points up so today was about coming out here and dominating.”
“I just think our kids are starting to believe and know what we’re capable of when we play well,” Don Bosco Prep coach Dan Sabella added.
The win sends sixth-seeded Don Bosco (7-4) to the next week’s semifinals of the NJSIAA Rothman Orthopaedics Football Championships, where it will face second-seeded St. Augustine (9-1) in a game pitting North Jersey against South Jersey. It’s the game most football fans wanted to see after St. Augustine drew the No. 2 seed in the Non-Public A bracket.
A South Jersey team has not won New Jersey’s toughest playoff bracket since Holy Cross hoisted the trophy in 2000. Sabella said it’s too early for him to give a good feel on St. Augustine, but he did watch a broadcast of St. Augustine’s win over Delbarton on Friday.
“I know they have a pretty explosive offense and can score a lot of points,” Sabella said. “We have to go down there and play our game. That’s what it’s all about this time of year.”
At this point, Don Bosco’s game is winning up front.
Sabella called his offensive linemen the unsung heroes Sunday. Center Aidan Toomey and sophomores Kevin Garcia and Amori Francis opened big holes opposite of Bisontis on the right side. They collectively led the way as Heath carried 22 times for 240 yards and all four Don Bosco touchdowns.
Heath, a junior, went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season Sunday. He gashed St. Joseph on touchdown runs from 2, 39, 38 and 11 yards out.
“Ronnie Heath is just a guy who doesn’t say a lot,” Sabella said. “He’s not the flashiest guy in the world, but he just produces. He’s got the vision. He’s got the explosiveness. He’s a guy that can make you miss or run you over. He’s just a guy that does everything the right way. Things always seem to work out for those kind of kids.”
Heath has consistently been Don Bosco’s offensive leader. Quarterback Nick Minicucci added one of his best performances of the season Sunday as he worked St. Joseph’s defense with his legs and hit several open receivers, leading to big gains.
Minicucci finished with 149 yards while completing seven of his 12 passes. He added 50 yards on the ground.
Out of the half, St. Joseph struck for a 70-yard touchdown pass from Luke Henrich to Donovan McKoy that cut the lead to 14-7. Don Bosco Prep sucked the momentum right back, however, as Heath hit a hole for a 57-yard run. St. Joseph senior Jatay Mayes saved a touchdown, catching Heath from behind and tackling him at the one-yard line.
The St. Joseph defense then stuffed three runs, which set up a 19-yard field goal by freshman Jack Donnelly that extended the lead to 17-7 halfway through the third quarter.
Heath then broke free for a 38-yard touchdown on Don Bosco’s next possession. Heath scored again less than three minutes later after an interception by senior Nasir Maryland set up Don Bosco with a short field.
“We just played as one,” Don Bosco Prep linebacker Timmy Hinspeter said about his team’s defense. “When we play with passion, we play hard. That’s what it’s all about.”
Don Bosco will try to keep that mentality when it hits the road next Friday for its trip to Richland.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.
Patrick Lanni may be reached at planni@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatLanniHS and like his Facebook page.