By Rich Chrampanis
RED BANK – With the state championship at MetLife Stadium, win or lose, the Caseys state semifinal against Holy Spirit was the final game of the season at Count Basie Field. While Red Bank Catholic’s 50-21 win was paramount, everyone will remember the night a heavy dose of snow came to Red Bank to create a winter wonderland.
“I haven’t played in a snow game since I can remember,” senior Sabino Portella said. “It was a great atmosphere, all the guys loved it. It’s definitely a story I’ll be telling my kids about on my last game at home.”
Before the winter weather captured everyone’s attention, Holy Spirit got the attention of the favored Caseys by scoring on the opening drive and then causing a fumble that Xavier Hernandez picked up and ran 50 yards to give the Spartans an early 14-0 lead. To their credit, the Caseys never panicked, instead leaning on Portella and a stout offensive line.
Portella had a pair of first quarter touchdown runs including a 32-yard run that saw him shed a tackle, bounce to the outside and gallop into the end zone in impressive fashion.
Holy Spirit took the lead in the final minute of the first half when Sean Burns hit Tahmir Jones on an 8-yard slant to make it a 21-14 game, but the Spartans would squander a chance to take the lead into halftime: Holy Spirit tried an onside kick every single time they teed it up and Mike Lange’s staff was clearly well aware of the tactic, as the Caseys had reliable hands getting to every short attempt. The result was outstanding field position. With the Spartans giving the ball to RBC at midfield, Caseys quarterback Frankie Williams took advantage of the short field and threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Emanuel Ross with just 13 seconds on the clock.
Instead of talk of an upset looming, RBC tied the game at 21 before halftime.
Then they came out in the second half and turned things up a notch.
Torin Harmon streaked 11-yards on a jet sweep to give RBC its first lead of the game at 28-21. An Aidan Donohue blocked punt set up Justin LaMorte’s 23-yard field goal and a 10-point advantage. Portella was tremendous, running for 185 yards and three scores. His third touchdown made it a 38-21 game.
It was at this point of the game that precipitation pelting the turf at Count Basie Field quickly turned into large snowflakes. Mixed with a fierce wind, there was about a 15-minute window where it looked like the game was at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, instead of Red Bank.
Call it a coincidence, but RBC played even better in the snow. They were already dominating the second half, but Portella and junior linebacker Davin Brewton both made interceptions and Williams and Ross hooked up on a 41-yard touchdown pass that was a visual delight with the snow and wind at its peak. Ross, a four-star recruit, caught a beautifully thrown ball in double coverage with snow in his face and got around three defenders to plunge into the end zone.
“This might be my first time playing in the snow so it’s great to get a snow touchdown catch,” Ross said. “Frankie put a good ball out there even though his hands were probably slippery. I reeled in and just did the rest. I don’t know how I stayed up, but I did.”
Harmon would end the scoring barrage with his second touchdown run of the game, covering 29 yards. The snow was gone by the end of the game, but the memories will always be with the Caseys players.
“That was a first time for us, it was a great time, great atmosphere. The snow was great,” junior linebacker Davin Brewton said. “We had a great game and now we’re going back to back looking to make history for RBC.”
Non-Public “B” State Championship
Red Bank Catholic (10-1) vs. DePaul Catholic (6-5)
Friday, Nov. 25, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
3 p.m. kickoff
How They Got Here
Red Bank Catholic
Defeated Gloucester Catholic, 62-7 Defeated Holy Spirit, 50-21
DePaul
Defeated Immaculata, 42-13
Defeated St. Joseph Academy, 35-14
Scouting Depaul
For starters, pay no attention to the Spartans 6-5 record. DePaul plays against the elite Non-Public “A” teams in North Jersey which no doubt prepares them well for any opponent in the postseason. Freshman Derek Zammit has stepped in for injured quarterback Patrick Grusser and has shined, throwing for 1,194 yards, 11 touchdown passes and just four interceptions. His top target is De’zie Jones, a sophomore with 56 catches, 939 yards and five touchdowns. Anthony Almeida is a hard-nosed runner and Isaiah Pierce anchors the defense with 94 tackles.
The Rematch
Last year, Red Bank Catholic beat DePaul 13-8 to win the state championship. The Caseys defense excelled in that game and will need a similar performance the second time around. The Spartans heartbreak of falling just short has fueled them the entire year and they are determined to prove that North Jersey nonpublic football dominates the Shore, but there’s absolutely no question RBC has changed that narrative over the last few years.
On the other side, the Caseys might not have the normal pressure of being defending champs. RBC has a big chip on its shoulder, feeling disrespected despite a 10-1 record and 21 wins over the last two years. With media outlets questioning if RBC is the top team in the Shore – Toms River North is in the Group 5 state championship game but did not play the Caseys this year – and harsh criticism that the Caseys are not nearly as good as last year has fueled this team to prove the doubters wrong. Head coach Mike Lange has used this motivation brilliantly.
When it’s all said and done, there are two teams coming into East Rutherford with something to prove. Just like in 2021, all arrows point to another epic game that should come down to the very end.
The article originally appeared in the November 24 – 30, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
