If anyone had any questions about Bernards after a state sectional title in 2023, and a trip to the finals in 2024, they may have been answered Friday night at Olcott Field in Bernardsville.

The fourth-ranked Mountaineers came out and were aggressive from the get-go, scoring thee first quarter touchdowns, en route to a 43-7 win over visiting Delaware Valley in a battle of unbeaten teams on the Big Central Game of the Week presented by Bellamy & Son Paving on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Bernards won the toss, took the ball, and on the first play from scrimmage, quarterback Nolan Walsh pitched it out to Sean Arcelay, who then hooked up with Ricky Giebel for a 40-yard completion, and they were off and running. Patrick Carlisle took it to the end zone from 21 yards out just six plays later to open the scoring.

After a three-and-out, Logan Stevens capped a three-play drive taking it seven yards to the end zone, and Nolan Walsh made it three-for-three when he scored from one-yard out after the Mountaineers recovered a fumble at the Del Val 35. Bernards ran for two, and got it to make it 22-0.

In the second quarter, Westin Lukes caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Walsh to make it 29-0, a score that held into the break.

The Terriers would get on the board on their first drive of the half, but that would be all they’d get, on a 30-yard TD pass from Kelton Ibach to Brayden Costello.

Bernards finished the game off with two more scores, a seven-yard TD reception from Ricky Giebel, and a one-yard push from Walsh.

Bernards improves to 3-0 with the win, and extends two long win streaks in the process. they have the state’s top active regular season win streak at 28 games, and have won 26 straight in Big Cenrtral play, second only to the 31 of St. Thomas Aquinas heading into Friday’s home game against North Brunswick. the Mountaineers visit Voorhees next week.

Del Val falls to 2-1 and travels to JP Stevens next Friday.

The game was the Big Central Patriot Gold Division opener for both teams.

But the night was not a perfect one for Bernards. Senior defensive end Thomas Diemar – who set the school’s all-time sack record last year, finishing with 20 – went down with an apparent leg injury in the first half and did not return. His status remained unclear after the game.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: