Bergen County Buzz: Five 2030 Prospects Choosing Public Schools

Bergen County, New Jersey is home to five non-public schools of note that play high school football: Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco Prep, St. Joseph Regional (Montvale), Paramus Catholic and St. Mary. Four of those five have won a State Championship or reached the State Championship Game in recent history. I bring that up to illustrate that there are a lot of very talented private school programs within the borders of Bergen County. With that said, the five standout prospects below have opted to go the public school route (either by choice or by necessity), rather than attending one of the storied non-public schools within the 246.45 square miles of the 2-0-1. Take a look.    Don't look now, but there is another Miceli getting ready to embark on a North Jersey high school football journey up in Bergen County. [player_tooltip player_id='2144590' first='Joseph' last='Miceli'] is the younger brother of current NVOT QB [player_tooltip player_id='910743' first='Zach' last='Miceli'] and will be at the powerhouse program next season. The younger Miceli wrapped up a stellar youth career with a Bergen County Junior Football League All-Star Game selection, where he was one of only four prospects to start both ways. While he didn't have his best day as a QB in the All-Star Game, he was an absolute animal as a Linebacker. He played aggressively, fast, tough and smart the entire game. He will be an impact player over the next four years.   Besides having the longest official name of a high school in New Jersey (I've done zero research to confirm if that's actually true or not), Northern Valley at Old Tappan High School has also established itself as one of the premier public school programs in the state. Paced by [player_tooltip player_id='910743' first='Zach' last='Miceli']'s 4,807 yards through the air and 50/9 TD/INT ratio over the last two seasons, the Golden Knights don't show any signs of slowing down.     A tall, rangy Wide Receiver/Cornerback who suited up for Park Ridge youth program during the 2025 season. Pabon was one of six Owls selected for the Bergen County Junior Football League All-Star Game, and the only one of the six to start on both sides of the ball in the All-Star game. Despite being on the losing side of very lopsided game, Pabon was a standout for the White Team in a losing effort.   He's set to join a Cresskill Cougars program that has been very average over the last six seasons, going just 25-29 in that time. On paper he should have an excellent opportunity for early playing time, as Cresskill is losing its top four Wide Receivers in terms of production, to graduation.     There's a lot to like about what [player_tooltip player_id='2144562' first='Mason' last='Duffy'] brings to the table, based off his 2025 season with the Mahwah Thunderbirds. Duffy, who also shines on the lacrosse field, had a very strong season as a dual-threat Quarterback this past season and earned a Northern Bergen Junior Football League All-Star Game selection. The same sudden acceleration, speed and vision he shows in lax, translates to his play on the gridiron. He's a natural athlete with the ability to scoot in open space, so the transition to a different position can't be ruled out.   The Thunderbirds have been largely average over the last six seasons, going 22-28 in that span. I don't have official measurements in terms of height and weight on Duffy, but it appears he needs a little time to physically develop a bit more. Which is normal and fine, considering what position he will play is seemingly up in the air and on paper Mahwah returns their statistical leader at Quarterback and Running Back.     Jack of all trades [player_tooltip player_id='1562972' first='Quadre' last='Miller-Forbes'] did a little bit of everything for the Garfield Junior Boilermakers in 2025 and was one of five kids to be selected for the Bergen County Junior Football League All-Star Game. Miller-Forbes got the the start at Outside Linebacker in the All-Star Game but as my opening sentence indicates, he wasn't limited to that side of the ball. Like a pocket knife, he's a tool that can be moved around and used in multiple positions and formations on both sides of the ball.   In that All-Star Game QMF and his White Team got shellacked, but he was one of the best players on the field at Wide Receiver, Running Back, Defensive Back and Linebacker. His versatility and explosiveness should be a welcomed asset by Garfield High School, a program that finished above .500 during the 2020-2021 season.     Akin to his regular season teammate [player_tooltip player_id='2085042' first='Soulgani' last='Pabon'], Park Ridge was well-represented in the Bergen County Junior Football League All-Star Game this past November by [player_tooltip player_id='2143769' first='Chris' last='Shenloogian']. Standing a self-reported 6-feet tall and weighing 150-pounds, Sheloogian was a dangerous weapon for the Owls all season long and was a big weapon on the outside, opposite Pabon. A clear eye-test passer when evaluating the All-Star Game, he was targeted deep several times and was on the receiving end of a 28-yard TD pass late in the fourth-quarter.   Shenloogian is off to Park Ridge High School next season and joins a program coming off consecutive four-win seasons, after going 29-9 in the four years prior to that. They were were extremely run-heavy last season, so hopefully Shenloogian offers a new dynamic going forward.

Bergen County, New Jersey is home to five non-public schools of note that play high school football: Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco Prep, St. Joseph Regional (Montvale), Paramus Catholic and St. Mary. Four of those five have won a State Championship or reached the State Championship Game in recent history. I bring that up to illustrate that there are a lot of very talented private school programs within the borders of Bergen County. With that said, the five standout prospects below have opted to go the public school route (either by choice or by necessity), rather than attending one of the storied non-public schools within the 246.45 square miles of the 2-0-1. Take a look.