Bernards to face high-flying Red Wings in trip to Hoboken, for spot in North 2, Group 2 final

There’s good news, good news and bad news for the Bernards football team this weekend.

First, the good: Top receiver and senior Sean Arcelay is expected to be back in the lineup for this Friday night’s North 2, Group 2 semifinal game, after leaving the Mountaineers’ opening round game last week late int he first half with an undisclosed injury.

Now, more good: the second-seeded Hoboken team they will face doesn’t nearly play at the pace Hanover Park did last week at Olcott Field, going no-huddle and barely giving the defense a chance to catch its breath. (Though they did, and came out with a 21-20 win.)

Now, the bad: Bernards head coach Jon Simoneau knows what his Mountaineers (8-2) are up against: a very talented team with skill all over the field that has allowed them to throw for well over a thousand yards and rush for double that.

Friday night, the two will face off for the first-time ever at Hoboken’s Louis M. Taglieri Jr. Stadium at 6:30 pm, as Bernards looks to get back to a sectional final for the second time in four seasons, after winning North 1, Group 2.

The Red Wings (9-1) haven’t lost to a New Jersey school all season long, their lone loss coming to Dunbar (DC) in mid-September. They are scoring at a 33.4 point per game clip, have held their last four regular season opponents to single digits, have pitched two shutouts, and are allowing just 12.1 points per game all season.

Bernards is coming off a 21-20 win over six-seed Hanover Park in the first round, a Hornet team that played at a frenetic pace. And that after playing a brutally punishing game against Summit on Cutoff Weekend. But all the dings are healed – at least, as much as they can be this time of year – and the Mountaineers are all ready to go.

And they will need a total effort – especially on the defensive end – to have success against the Red Wings. That could be guys up front like Victor Nina, who has two fumble recoveries, and one for a touchdown earlier this year against JFK.

Or Tyce Hanratty, the senior middle linebacker who leads the team with 102 tackles, 32 solo, along with nine TFLs. Or guys in the secondary like Luke Bubnowski – who has 2 1/2 sacks and a pick-six against Cranford – or Zach Favreau, who has a team-best six interceptions, including one near the goal line last week against Hanover Park.

Click below to hear Bernards head coach Jon Simoneau talk about the Mountaineers’ sectional semifinal game at Hoboken with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel: