Caseys Complete Inspired Run to Win State Championship

By Rich Chrampanis

EAST RUTHERFORD – Alex Brown reached the 50-yard line at MetLife Stadium moments after making the final play of the game and let out a primal scream. After all the Red Bank Catholic senior quarterback went through this season, that covered a range of emotions. But in that immediate moment it marked the end of a remarkable three- week run for the RBC football program.

RBC topped DePaul Catholic 13-8 to claim the Non-Public “B” state championship. It’s the school’s fourth state title and third since 2014. The Caseys were spurred by a stellar defensive effort and Brown had a hand in both touchdowns in addition to sealing the victory by breaking up the final pass attempt by the Spartans in the end zone. DePaul came into the home of the NFL’s Giants and Jets as the favorite thanks to a vaunted defense that showed its mettle against the top non-public teams in North Jersey. The Caseys opened the game with a near-perfect eight-play, 71-yard drive capped off by a Brown 33-yard touchdown pass to Najih Rahman. The junior wide receiver missed the first two playoff games with a high ankle sprain. DePaul got on the scoreboard thanks to a blocked punt that rolled out of the end zone to make it a 7-2 game. In the 3rd quarter DePaul took an 8-7 lead thanks to Tyler Brown’s 11-yard TD run on the opening drive. RBC answered with a long drive which ended with Alex Brown’s 2-yard touchdown run to make it 13-8.

The fourth quarter became the RBC defense’s signature moment. Michael Palmieri made a fourth-down stop on a DePaul reverse and Davin Brewton stuffed quarterback Patrick Grusser for another turnover on downs. Grusser, a sophomore, came on in relief of starting QB AJ Rodriguez who suffered a concussion late in the first quarter. With just over two minutes to go, the Spartans needed to go 64 yards to win the state title. A completion to Marshawn Ferguson got DePaul near midfield and the Spartans got the ball to the 30-yard line with seven seconds left. Grusser heaved a ball to the back of the end zone that was batted away by Brown to seal the Caseys championship. RBC head coach Mike Lange spent his first season with the Caseys handling the adversity of a COVID-shortened season. They persevered like every other team in the state and year two saw Lange holding the state championship trophy after a near flawless 12-1 season. “They worked so hard to get to this point from where we came from with what last year was,” Lange said. “I’m just proud of the kids, the program, the RBC community. It’s just been an awesome ride.” Here are some of the key themes that ultimately won RBC a state title.

THE BIGGEST PLAY OF THE GAME

Trailing 8-7 in the third quarter, RBC was in punt formation at its own 36-yard line on a fouth-and-3. Sabino Portella took the snap and threw a wobbly pass to Joe Diorio that gave the Caseys a first down on a 12-yard gain and sparked a new level of energy for the underdogs. This was the turning point in a 14-play drive that took 6:38 off the clock and gave RBC a lead that it never relinquished. If the Caseys had punted or the fake punt pass was a failure, the game could have taken a totally different turn.

DEPTH IN THE BACKFIELD

The Caseys have been able to employ the three-headed monster of Sabino Portella, Rajahn Cooper and Torin Harmon to wear down opposing defenses. That formula was in place once again against DePaul but ultimately it was Brown’s ability to avoid the rush and designed quarterback runs that proved to be the difference in a tremendous defensive tussle. Brown raced for 22 yards following the fake punt and had a 9-yard run aided by a late hit that set the stage for the Bucknell commit’s game-winning score.

UNSUNG HEROES ON DEFENSE

Alex Bauman and Sabino Portella have grabbed the headlines on RBC’s defense and rightfully so but the Caseys had some young players on its defensive unit make a name for themselves on the ultimate stage. Sophomore linebacker Davin Brewton flew all over the field delivering an incredible 18-tackle performance. Christian Ungemath had a strip-sack and a tackle for loss and Michael Palmieri had 12 tackles. Bauman had 13 tackles in his final high school game and Portella had an interception on defense along with the fake punt pass and 56 yards on the ground. “That’s a great football team,” Lange said. “We just played a great defense but we’ve got a great defense, too. Our defensive staff does a tremendous job and our kids buy into what we do.”

CHANGING THE STIGMA

DePaul Catholic was the favorite in the Non-Public “B” state championship with good reason. The Spartans played the meat grinder schedule up North, facing seven state- ranked opponents. RBC had a signature win against Rumson-Fair Haven but suffered a 28-7 loss to Donovan Catholic in the preseason. After giving up a touchdown on the opening drive, DePaul’s defense lived up to its hype. But the Caseys defense was even better. RBC will finish the year ranked in the Top 5 in the final state poll and has earned the respect of the entire state with a sensational effort at MetLife. “There wasn’t one person on this team who didn’t think we could hang with them,” Portella said. “They always talk about the ‘Big North’ and our coach always tells us that’s BS. Everyone puts on a jersey just the same in the north, central, Shore, or south, there’s none of that and we proved it.”

WINNING FOR MAMA BROWN

The night before the state playoffs began for the Caseys, Alex Brown’s mother died from breast cancer. From an eight-touchdown game in the opening round that went viral around the world, the RBC quarterback went on to lead his team to the ultimate ending. It was only fitting that Brown was responsible for both touchdowns and the final pass breakup. He threw 22 touchdown passes against a mere two interceptions and ran for 10 more scores. In all, he accounted for 2,336 yards of combined offense but it was his courage while honoring his mother with a whirlwind 15-day run of three victories that inspired everyone on the RBC football roster.

“We went through a rollercoaster of emotions this season,” Bauman said. “We came back. We prospered. We were determined, we got the win and we got it. We got it for Mama Brown. She was watching over us, our guardian angel.” Alex Brown spent just one season at Red Bank Catholic. When Mater Dei Prep shut down its varsity football program, the quarterback scrambled to find a new home. Now, he will forever be remembered as a Casey great and the story of his tribute to Michelle Brown is an inspiration. “I was praying to her,” Brown said. “I prayed to her before every game. And obviously, she’s with us on this ride because this is the craziest journey I’ve ever been a part of.”

The article originally appeared in the December 2nd – 9th, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.