Bergen Catholic deals Saguaro reality check with dominant first half in clash of nationally ranked teams

Bergen Catholic traveled 2,400 miles and a few time zones, then endured second-half cramps, especially from defensive end D.J. Samuels, but still asserted its power on Friday night.

The defending New Jersey champion didn't have to score an offensive touchdown in the second half to let Scottsdale Saguaro know how much work it has to do to stay in the national top 25 with a 28-7 victory that spoiled the defending Arizona Open Division champion's opener.

Bergen Catholic players got to sing the school fight song with the 100 or so students who traveled from Oradell, New Jersey, to be part of the school's 15th consecutive win on a hot, humid night.

Like 2019, when the Sabercats soaked up the preseason hype only to lose 18-10 at Cathedral Catholic in California early in that season, Saguaro might learn a few things. After that early 2019 loss, Saguaro went on to win the next 10 games before losing to Chandler 42-35 in the first-ever Arizona Interscholastic Association Open Division championship game.

Bergen (2-0) looked like a team that had a game already under its belt while Saguaro was just starting its season.

"The reason why that team travels all the way across the country is because nobody else wanted to play them," coach Jason Mohns said about Bergen, which finished ranked third in the nation last year by MaxPreps. "That's one thing we're going to take pride in our program. We're going to play anyone. We're not going to protect ourselves. We're not going to schedule games that give us a false sense of security.

"Schedule games against the best of the best and find out where we are now. Our game isn't to win Game 1. Our goal is to win Game 13. That game will help us get there."

Saguaro learned this much:

• It won't see bigger linemen on either side of the ball the rest of the season. The Crusaders have a 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive tackle, and a 6-6, 330-pound defensive tackle. They have others across the line bigger than anybody Saguaro had.

• Saguaro wide receiver Deric English's surgically repaired knee is back. He had a solid game, scoring Saguaro's only touchdown with less than seven minutes to play on a laser pass from Devon Dampier from 14 yards out.

• Saguaro's offensive and defensive lines will grow up fast with those areas being the biggest question marks leading into the season that had Saguaro ranked among the top 25 in the nation in three high school polls and No. 2 in 6A and in the Open, behind Chandler, by The Arizona Republic.

Saguaro was dominated in the trenches in the first half when Bergen had 210 rushing yards on 27 carries with Saeen St. Fleur rushing for more than 100 yards and a touchdown.

Sophomore quarterback Dominic Campanile threw two touchdown passes in the half, perfectly thrown balls to fellow sophomore Quincy Porter and senior Christian Carti.

After Bergen went up 28-0 to start the second half, when Dampier threw an ill-advised pass that safety Christopher Mimmo intercepted and brought back 40 yards for a score, coach Vito Campanile thought his offense might have let up.

"We got really complacent after the defensive touchdown," Campanile said. "I wish that we would have finished. We're young in some spots. But we need to finish that."

Bergen's defense bent but didn't break through most of the game. In the first half, Saguaro had a few chances to score, but came away with nothing, once with Mohns trying a trick play, having his wide receiver English throw a pass that was intercepted near the goal line.

On the last play of the first half, with Saguaro at the Bergen 26, Dampier's pass was intercepted in the end zone.

Last year, in a win at home against California's Sierra Canyon, Mohns looked like a genius when he called for a trick play with receiver Javon Jacobs throwing a touchdown pass that sparked Saguaro's win.

"Sometimes I try to be too smart and I end up being stupid," Mohns said. "When we played Sierra Canyon. It was a back and forth game and we ran a similar-type play and we scored and everyone was saying I was the smartest guy in America.

"You do it tonight and you're a dummy. When the field shrunk, we were having a hard time running the ball. I thought it was a good time to catch them off guard with a trick play."

Saguaro ran for just 35 yards in the first half, 32 of those coming on a scamper by Dampier on a fake punt. Junior running back Jaedon Matthews and Dampier both had a few nice runs. But for the most part, they had little space to run.

"No doubt we have to get better running the football," Mohns said. "But there's not many people who are going to run the ball against those guys with much success."

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bergen Catholic gives Saguaro early reality check in dominant 1st half