What a year it was. From flea-flickers, to a snow game, to an appearance at the State for the second time in two years, the season was packed full of action, excitement, and suspense at every turn. I had the opportunity to sit down with safety Quinn McHugh, currently a Junior at Don Bosco Prep, to discuss the season from the perspective of a player.
Coming Into The Season
Last year, after fighting back from a rough 1-3 start, the Ironmen were able to make it all the way to the State Championship game at MetLife Stadium. Last year, the team was characterized by its relatively strong defense, which only allowed 20+ points to be scored in 3 games the entire season. Offensively, however, the team was not as strong, averaging about 22 points per game.
This trend did not continue into the 2022 season.
“With Nick Minicucci and Ronnie Heath being Seniors, everyone expected us to be a great overall team, especially offensively, where we struggled a bit last year.”
Offensive Powerhouse
By far, the strongest part of the Don Bosco Prep team this season was the offense. Nick Minicucci, the starting QB, threw for over 2000 yards on the season, with 19 touch down passes. He will continue his football career next year at the University of Delaware.
Strong, too, were the running backs, all three of them.
“Our running back room is ridiculous,” remarked Quinn.
Ronnie Heath, the Senior, suffered an injury within the first few games, which left him on the sidelines for the majority of the season. Effectively filling the hole in the roster were Logan Bush (Junior) and Nolan James (Sophomore), who combined for more than 1900 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. Nolan James also came in second for most receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, after the Senior Dan Parisi.
Last year, the offense was only able to score more than 30 points in three games. This year, however, the Ironmen scored more than 30 points in all BUT three games, a huge shift in the strengths of the team.
The Regular Season
The season started off with two out-of-state games, the first (a win) at home, and the second down in Florida, which ended in a loss of 34-10. Coming off the loss, Quinn said that the team watched over three hours of film the day after the game, to prepare them going forward.
Their next chance to shine came a week later, with a win (44-35) over St. Joseph’s Regional High School, the first real glimpse of the strong offensive trend going forward.
The next game, against Iona Prep, was another great offensive showing, but Iona was able to squeak out the victory, 42-35. At that point, the Ironmen were 2-2 heading into arguably the biggest game of the regular season: the game against Bergen Catholic.
In a meeting of these archenemies, Bergen Catholic was heavily favored to be the winner. They had defeated Bosco twice last year, once in the regular season and again in the State Final, capping their perfect record season with the Championship. They were the team to beat.
The Ironmen might have seemed to not have a chance, but as Quinn said, “Everyone loves an underdog story.”
In a magnificent display of offensive and defensive skill, Bosco pulled off the upset, winning by a score of 31-7, at Bergen Catholic.
Quinn attributed the success on defense to playing as a team, instead of units or parts of a larger defensive whole.
“Its the best feeling in the world …. I don’t think anyone expected that from us, and I feel that as a defense we played collectively that game, which showed us our full potential.”
After beating Bergen, the Ironmen went on a run, winning the remainder of games in the regular season, going 7-2 with a league record of 4-0. The league record, which was basically cinched with the win over the powerful St. Peter’s Prep at MetLife, made the team win the League for the first time since 2017.
“It feels good to get our team up on the rafters in the gym,” Quinn mused, referring to the large signs on the gymnasium walls with the years of each team that has won a championship, division, etc.
Postseason: the Fun Begins
Having come in first in the League, the Ironmen were able to skip the first round of playoffs. Therefore, their first contest was against the St. Augustine Prep Hermits, the first and only shutout game by the defense, with Bosco taking the victory 37-0.
The next game might have been my favorite for the whole season. The State Semifinal game, against Seton Hall Prep, already had a buzz around it, as it was a win-or-go-home game. On that chilly Friday night, it started to snow. At first, it was just a few flakes, but it picked up quickly, even covering the field with a light coating and reducing the visibility to almost nothing.
With the excitement from the student section cheering them on, the Ironmen steamrolled forward, capturing the win 48-14, sealing their spot in the State Finals game.
Heartbreak
Quinn noted that going into the first Bergen game, “We installed three new defensive plays that we used for the remainder of the season …. Giving them a look that they had not seen before on film really helped us [in the first Bergen game].” Going into the State game, however, no new plays were added; the team decided to play to its strengths, both offensively and defensively.
The results were disheartening: a loss of 45-0.
“I don’t think the score tells the full story of what happens.”
Bergen, receiving the first kickoff, marched down the field and quickly scored, to which Bosco answered with a long kickoff return, but eventually a failed fourth down conversion. Bergen got the ball back already up 7-0.
“We are like the NY Giants – we are at our best when we are ahead.”
At halftime, Bosco was down 17-0. Down, but not yet out.
“Coach Tank and Coach Sabella do a great job in riling the team up when we are behind. Coming out of the locker room, I truly beleived that we were gonna make the game close, if not eventually take the lead.”
Unfortunately, the drive started with an interception on the first pass, immediately negating the morale boost from the halftime speeches. After that, the Ironmen never found their footing again, and eventually lost 45-0.
The Future
With Nick Minicucci and many others graduating, Sophmores and Juniors, both known and currently unknown, will have to step up to take their places. The most likely candidate for the QB spot next year is now-Sophomore Charles LaMorte, who has in ability what he may lack in experience.
As a whole, the season was a great one. The Ironmen had one of the best records in years, and, as stated, won the League for the first time since 2017. The team also far outpaced the other high schools in most statistics, doubling the national average for rushing, passing, and receiving yards.
“[Next year,]” Quinn concluded, “we might not go 9-3, but we will do everything we can to get back to the State Championships.”
Be proud of yourselves, Ironmen, because we sure are.