Tag: Nick Iannacone

by Mike Pavlichko

One-two punch: Dayton wins BCC Freedom Gold, hands Highland Park first loss, 28-20

In the Highland Park football team’s first seven games of the season, they never trailed. Not for a second.

But that all changed Friday night in Springfield, as Dayton got on the board first just 2:35 into the game, and never trailed the rest of the way securing a 28-20 victory that gave them the Big Central Conference Freedom Gold Division title.

That first touchdown came from the Bulldogs’ top runningback, Tyler Fuscaldo, who – after an incomplete pass on first down – rumbled 33 yards to put Dayton up 7-0 with the extra point.

And Dayton (6-2, 5-0 BCC Freedom Gold) would get the next two touchdowns as well, building a 21-0 lead on a ten-yard run from Adrian Bernknopf with 11:08 to go in the first half, and a 39-yard touchdown catch by top receiver Jackson Babiarz with 25 seconds to go in the half.

That could have left Highland Park (7-1, 4-1) down for the count, knowing the Bulldogs would get the ball to start the second half, but the Owls responded, scoring in two plays after starting their drive on the 50, courtesy of a 14-yard catch by Luca Belbhar, who freed himself in the right corner of the end zone as he saw quarterback Marcus Smith scrambling to avoid a sack as time expired on the first half.

After a scoreless third, Highland Park would get within a score on a four-yard touchdown run by Smith, capping a seven-play, 55-yard drive that ate 6:17 off the clock. But the kick was blocked, and they still trailed by eight, 21-13.

Just over five minutes later, with Tyler Fuscaldo banged up, Dominic Pintado scored on a 21-yard touchdown run to put Dayton up 28-13 with 4:07 left, but Highland Park wasn’t done yet. The Owls put together a 59-yard, seven play drive and got an eight-yard run from Smith that made it 28-20 with the PAT.

Rather than a typical onside kick, after a Dayton time out, they tried a sky kick that Dayton recovered, got a first down loss and allowed a small gain before the Bulldogs eventually got a first down near midfield and were able to kneel out the clock the rest of the way for the win.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel with Dayton head coach Nick Iannacone, and seniors Jackson Babiarz and Adrian Bernknopf:

by Mike Pavlichko

Highland Park, Dayton to square off Friday with each looking for first divisional title in nearly two decades

It’s been a long time, in more ways than one.

There are many similarities between the Highland Park and Dayton football programs.

For starters, they are among the older programs in the league, with Jonathan Dayton playing its first game in 1907, while Highland Park has been playing football since 1937. In fact, the two met that year, and the Owls won 7-6 before the Bulldogs returned the favor in 1938 with a 23-0 victory.

In the present day, they both have a lot of different way to beat you on offense.

And it’s also been 17 years since both teams last won a division title.

For Dayton, that came in 2009 under then-head coach Joe Goerge (now at Woodbridge) as part of the Mid-State 39 Conference (which later became the 38, then the 37), winning the Union Division. And they almost won it again in 2010 in a 10-2 season, had it not been for a season-opening loss to division for New Providence.

For Highland Park, it was the GMC Blue Division in ’09, with Rich McGlynn as head coach. Current coach Shawn Harrison was his successor, rejuvenating the program to the point where the Owls have now won at least six games in two of their last three seasons.

Friday night, they meet in Springfield, both 4-0 in their division, playing for the Freedom Gold Division title.

You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, our Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week, with kickoff set for 7:00, and pregame at 6:45, with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

The Owls (7-0, 4-0 BCC Freedom Gold) are led offensively by mobile senior quarterback Marcus Smith, the team’s No. 2 rusher with 457 yards and 11 touchdowns on just 44 carries, averaging more than a first down every time he touches the ball; he’s also thrown for 715 yards and eight touchdowns with just one pick. Senior runningback Jacob Quiros has rushed 108 times for 639 yards and seven TDs.

But most impressive has been their defense, which has allowed just six points all year, on a touchdown and missed extra point by Roselle Park. Bound Brook scored a touchdown against the Owls, too, but that was came on defense, via an interception return for a score. They are averaging nearly five sacks a game, with 32 through their first seven contests, along with 65 tackles for loss.

The Bulldogs (5-2, 4-0) have a big three-headed monster. It starts with senior QB Adrian Bernknopf, who has passed for 1,238 yards and 19 touchdowns, with three picks. His favorite target has been fellow senior Jackson Babiarz, with 22 catches for 550 yards and eight scores, while a third senior, Tyler Fuscaldo – a Springfield kid who played his first two years at Seton Hall Prep, and saw limited action as a sophomore – has rushed 85 times for 594 yards and eight touchdowns.

Defensively, Dominic Pintado and Isaiah Rivas – a defensive back and defensive lineman, respectively – each have 2 1/2 sacks, while as a team, the Bulldogs have recovered nine fumbles, two for touchdowns, have blocked two kicks, and a pick six from Pintado as well.

Click below top hear preview interviews with both head coaches!

Dayton head coach Nick Iannacone with Mike Pavlichko
Highland Park head coach Shawn Harrison with Alec Crouthamel

by Mike Pavlichko

Bernknopf tosses five first-half TD passes to power Dayton past Bound Brook, 43-12

Dayton senior quarterback Adrian Bernknopf had himself quite the night, and the game was only half over.

Bernknopf threw five touchdown passes before the break to four different receivers, and by the time Bound Brook got on the board, the Bulldogs already had staked themselves to a 43-0 lead.

All that led to a running clock in a fast second half in Springfield Thursday night, as the Bulldogs (1-1) picked up their first win of the season 43-12 over visiting Bound Brook.

Bernknopf opened the scoring 2:03 into the game with a four-yard touchdown pass to James Babiarz. Then, after the defense came out and Dominic Pintado returned an interception 68-yards for six, he hit Babiarz again to make it 22-0 with 3:22 left in the first quarter.

The senior QB would hit for one more score late in the first – 48 yards to Kevin Paiva to make it 29-0 – then toss a 21-yard TD strike to Kevin Lunch with 9:08 to go before the half, and another 13 yards to Aiden Delpeche to make it 43-0.

Bound Brook (0-2) would get on the board with a six-yard touchdown run before the half. The PAT was blocked, and Dayton went into the home locker room with a 43-6 lead, kicking off a running clock to start the second half.

With that, and the jayvee in, Bound Brook added one more score, on a 16-yard run by sophomore Guy Pugh.

Click below for postgame reaction from Dayton head coach Nick Iannacone and senior quarterback Adrian Bernknopf, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s 2024 GMC/BCC Camp Caravan: Monday Morning quad scrimmage kicks off Week Two with JFK, Dayton and New Providence

Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football analyst Marcus Borden opened up Week Two of coverage with a busy morning, visiting a quad scrimmage at JFK in Iselin that included the Mustangs, New Providence and Dayton, along with non-conference Lakewood out of the Shore Conference.

You can find videos – including video highlights and interviews – from all three participating Big Central Conference teams below:

JFK: Head Coach Mike Henderson and seniors Brenden Denti (C/DL), Manny Perez-Quijano (FB/NG), Dylan Driz (MLB/FB) and Lee Tobon (WR/DB)

New Providence: Head Coach Chet Parlevecchio, Jr., and seniors TJ Munn (QB/CB), Owen Silver (WR/S/Ret), Sam Sicolil (OT/DT), and Jameson Moore (RT/DT)

Dayton: Head Coach Nick Iannacone and seniors John DeSarno (QB) and James Walker (RB/MLB)

by Dylan Allen

Dayton looks to make it four in a row against Dunellen in its season opener

Yes, you read that correctly, Dayton has beaten Dunellen three straight seasons.

These two faced off in the season opener last season with Dayton getting the 14-8 win. Senior quarterback Lujuan Quinones ran the ball eight times for 44 yards and scored both touchdowns for the Bulldogs.

And Friday night, the Bulldogs get a chance to extend the streak when they visit Columbia Park to take on the Destroyers in the Big Central Game of the Week on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Kickoff is 7 pm; pregame starts at 6:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen calling all the action. Click here to listen.

But with Quinones graduating, in steps junior quarterback John John DeSarno – the nephew of longtime Westfield head coach Jim DeSarno – who will make his first high school start this Friday night. (And with the Blue Devils home Saturday to Watchung Hills, it’s quite possible he’ll get to watch him play.)

Second-year head coach Nick Iannacone looks to win his fifth career game since being hired last August. The Bulldogs finished 4-5 in his first season with wins over Dunellen, Roselle Park, Highland Park, and Metuchen.

Click below to hear Dylan Allen talk with Dayton head coach Nick Iannacone ahead of the season opener vs. Dunellen: