Weekly High School Spotlight: Don Bosco Prep
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Don Bosco Prep has historically produced a plethora of college athletes. After losing a bunch of talent including Chase Bisontis Chase Bisontis 6'5" | 290 lbs | OL Don Bosco Prep | 2023 State NJ to Texas A&M, Don Bosco…
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Continue ReadingDon Bosco Prep has historically produced a plethora of college athletes. After losing a bunch of talent including Chase Bisontis Chase Bisontis 6'5" | 290 lbs | OL Don Bosco Prep | 2023 State NJ to Texas A&M, Don Bosco Prep still has a deep roster looking to make another playoff run this upcoming season. Below are a few players who will have a major impact as they begin their quest to reach their 3rd consecutive state final appearance!
In February 2019, Coach Dan Sabella was introduced as Don Bosco Prep’s 12th head coach. Over the past 4 seasons Coach Sabella has accomplished a 61.9% win percentage improving every season since he took over. The past 2 seasons, the Don Bosco Prep Ironmen have lost to, newly formed rivals, Bergen Catholic in the state championship game. The Ironmen will have their first opportunity to take down the Bergen Catholic Crusaders at home on September 22nd. This season the team looks to reach the state championship game for the 3rd in as many seasons and bring home the school’s 16th state championship.
Coach Sabella prides his team on the following principles: Effort, Attitude, Toughness, & Accountability. The team resembles these philosophies by never giving up on any play, being physical against their opposition, and learning from every play. No matter who they line up against every Friday night, the Ironmen constantly play hard and are a tough opponent to play verse.
Below are a few players who represent Don Bosco Prep with pride and are striving to make a major impact this upcoming season.
Bobby Mays
Bobby Mays
Bobby Mays possesses elite size and length for his position as he can play wide receiver or transition to tight end at the next level. Mays shows good burst off the snap capable of lining up out wide, in the slot, and on the line of scrimmage. Due to his size and natural hands, he displays a large catch radius for quarterbacks as he is an ideal red zone target. Mays has good balance to catch the ball along the sidelines and reach for passes above his head to come down with the ball as well as staying inbounds. In addition, he is a playmaker and a very quarterback friendly target who any team would love to have. As Mays continues to work on his fundamentals and route tree, be on the lookout for him to have a major impact next season as he seeks to extend his offer list. He currently holds offers from Temple, Syracuse, Liberty, and UCONN.
After watching 30 seconds of his Junior season highlights, it is easy to tell why Logan Bush Logan Bush 5’10” Don Bosco Prep | 2024 NJ is receiving interest from Division 1 schools. In the 2022 season, Bush ran for 1,319 yards and 13 TDs and helped lead the Ironmen to a 9-3 record. As a runner, Bush never seems to go down on first contact always running hard behind his shoulder pads as he constantly churns his legs gaining more yards on contact. He is a smooth and natural ball carrier between the tackles as he shows good awareness and vision to identify holes quickly. What is very impressive on his tape is his ability to effectively use the blockers down the field further showing his awareness and instincts as a runner. Not only can Bush run hard behind his pads, he is very shifty and gives defenders a very hard time tackling him in space. When he jukes, the opposition is often stunned where he uses his athleticism to get around them and run for large gains. Expect schools to be chasing for his commitment this Summer and Fall.
Lamont Lester is an athletic, stand-up EDGE defender who can play in multiple schemes in college. He has a great first step off the snap and a phenomenal ability to move laterally. Lamont wins in the run and pass game with effort and effective use of his length and hands. When he gets his hands on the ball carrier, he consistently takes them down as he shows good technique on his tackles. Lamont displays good ability to hold the point of attack as well as run down players on the opposite side of the field. Based on Lester’s twitter videos from this Spring, he is clearly working hard in the weight room to build up his strength. Lester currently holds 3 offers from UCONN, Sacred Heart and Monmouth. Look out for his offer list to grow exponentially when he is able to show off his work in the weight room. With built up power and strength, Lester could make a run for competing to be one of the best EDGE defenders in the state.
Highlights
Amori Francis
Amori Francis
Amori Francis is a quality sized offensive tackle who can transition into a tackle or guard at the next level. He mirrors defenders well on his pass protections and can counter and regain leverage. Once engaged with a defender, Francis has the ability to absorb his opponent and use his length and size to remove players from the play. As he works on his flexibility and strength during the offseason, he will make major strides this season and will continue to climb up recruiting boards.
Vincent Bertone
Vincent Bertone
Vincent Bertone, a long and athletic linebacker, moves well laterally and can make plays in open space in the run and pass game. What stands out immediately on tape is Bertone’s drive, motor, and effort as he continues to run down the ball carrier every single play. He is a versatile player as he can line up as an EDGE and OLB in the slot or the box. Due to his athleticism, he is capable of covering tight ends and running backs on passing plays because of his long strides and speed. On defense, Bertone can be seen as a switch army knife who can play wherever and whenever the defense needs of him. He is a fun player to watch and be ready for him to have a monumental impact for the Ironmen next season.
Aidan Horodnik
Aidan Horodnik
Aidan Horodnik is a versatile defensive lineman who can line up all across the line of scrimmage. Horodnik sheds blocks well against interior offensive lineman in the run game using his superior length and size to his advantage. He has a knack for a timely swim move in the run game using his opponent’s momentum against him versus outside zone. In addition, when going against outside zone, Horodnik displays the athleticism and play recognition to get ahead of the block sealing the gap from the running back and making a play in the backfield. Overall, Horodnik is a solid interior defensive lineman who can continue to build up strength and play at the next level.
Jayden Brown Jayden Brown 6’3″ | 215 lbs | LB Don Bosco | 2024 State NJ is currently one of the best players in the state. He currently holds 8+ offers including Syracuse, Purdue, Temple, Duke, Maryland, West Virginia, and Boston College. Brown has had a busy Spring receiving plenty of offers and visiting schools – will be at Syracuse on March 25th. When watching his film he jumps off the tape. Brown is a walking playmaker on defense who identifies plays quickly. He is a hard hitting linebacker who can run laterally just as well as he can run downhill. Against the run, Brown can sift between blockers and explode through the line to make a play on the runner. Capable of lining up across the field, Brown can go from covering the slot in zone to lining up and blitzing from the line of scrimmage. He is another player on the Don Bosco defense who is versatile and do whatever is needed. All in all, Brown is one of the best players on the team and will be a major cause for the Ironmen’s success next season.
Jordan Thomas Jordan Thomas 6’6″ | 265 lbs | DL Don Bosco | 2024 State NJ is currently one of the best players in the entire state of New Jersey – no matter the classification. He is a national recruit and holds over 20 offers across the country from Rutgers, Florida, and Colorado. On the field, Thomas possesses elite size for the position standing at 6’6″ tall. With his athleticism and strength, he is capable of lining up all along the line of scrimmage and creating a mismatch nightmare for whomever he lines up against. By using his length, he gains separation between him and the blocker giving him the ability to read, shed, and react. Thomas is a great athlete with a bright future – he will be looking to end his high school career on a high note with another state championship ring he can bring to any university he chooses to attend.
Nolan James Nolan James 5’11” | 185 lbs | RB DePaul Catholic | 2025 State NJ is a phenomenal player and athlete. As a rising upperclassman, he has shown high production sharing the backfield with his teammates. During his sophomore campaign, he managed to gain 1,655 all-purpose yards and 12 TDs. James is a shifty player who can run and catch the ball out of the backfield. If the opposition allows James to get into the open field, watch out for him to make a big play every time. For a player who has another 2 years playing in high school, colleges should be very excited to watch his game further develop. Based on his twitter, James has been working extremely hard this offseason to improve his craft and everyone should be looking forward to watching him play on the field this Fall.
Charlie LaMorte Charlie LaMorte 6'2" | 210 lbs | QB West Orange | 2025 NJ
Charlie LaMorte Charlie LaMorte 6'2" | 210 lbs | QB West Orange | 2025 NJ
Charlie LaMorte Charlie LaMorte 6’2″ | 210 lbs | QB West Orange | 2025 NJ has had an active spring recruitment visiting schools such as Penn State and Michigan. Also, LaMorte has been working hard on his craft this offseason by practicing with a personal trainer and holding throwing sessions with his teammates. On the field, he is a natural quarterback who throws a very good deep ball with a high arc and precision accuracy. Even though he is a young player, he displays good experience by reading the field well and moving his feet in the pocket. LaMorte is athletic and is capable of throwing inside the pocket with incoming pressure as well as on the run using his hips to not lose velocity on his passes. With further development on and off the field, LaMorte will definitely be one to watch as a quarterback with very high potential.