Winners From Bergen Catholic-St. Joseph (Mont.)

It was another classic between two of the state’s best, as second-ranked Bergen Catholic edged No. 5 St. Joseph of Montvale in Saturday afternoon’s showdown between the powerhouse programs. St. Joseph rallied behind star senior running back [player_tooltip player_id="27865" first="Audric" last="Estime"], but ultimately it was the Bergen Catholic defense that gave it a 24-21 victory. Bergen Catholic led by as many as 17 points, but the fourth quarter provided a ton of drama. Let’s take a look at the key playmakers in Saturday’s battle. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="27865" first="Audric" last="Estime"], St. Joseph, Sr. RB</strong> – Estime, who will be headed to Michigan State, finished with 176 yards rushing on 18 carries with three touchdowns. He ignited a St. Joseph comeback with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, from a yard out and 11 yards that got the home team within three points. He also broke for an 80-yard scoring run in the second quarter. <strong>Christian Ross, Bergen Catholic, Jr. DE</strong> – Ross had the game-winning sack around midfield as St. Joseph looked for the victory in the final moments of the fourth quarter. De’Juan Samuels and [player_tooltip player_id="27859" first="Tywone" last="Malone"] also made sacks for Bergen Catholic on the day. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="27989" first="Ryan" last="Butler"], Bergen Catholic, Sr. RB</strong> – Butler was in on all three Bergen Catholic touchdowns. He had an 11-yard TD run, a 15-yard scoring reception and a 17-yard TD reception. He had a monster performance with 125 rushing yards on 22 carries and 117 receiving yards on five catches. <strong>Steve Angeli, Bergen Catholic, Jr. QB</strong> – Angeli played a clean game, going 17 of 29 for 219 yards and two touchdowns, finding Butler on his TD strikes. He didn’t throw an interception. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="27926" first="Frankie" last="Monte"], St. Joseph, Sr. LB</strong> – Monte recorded two sacks on defense for St. Joseph in the loss. <strong>Giancarlo Carbonaro, Bergen Catholic, Jr. K</strong> – Carbonaro hit a 22-yard field goal that extended Bergen Catholic’s lead to 24-7 before St. Joseph rallied in the fourth quarter. He also converted on all three extra points.