Bergen Catholic High School is an all-male

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

in Oradell,

Bergen County Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade. The school has been accredited by the

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (Middle States Association or MSA) was a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association that performed peer evaluation and regional accreditation of public and private schools in the Mid-Atl ...

Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1989 and is accredited until January 2026.Bergen Catholic High School

Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed December 27, 2022. Bergen Catholic operates under the supervision of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark The Archdiocese of Newark is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northeastern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jer ...

. Bergen Catholic draws students from a wide geographic area that includes over 100

North Jersey North Jersey comprises the northern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the upper Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of northern New Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquial one rather than an administrati ...

communities, Rockland, Orange, Westchester counties and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. As of the 2017–18 school year, the school had an enrollment of 667 students and 51.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...

of 13:1. The school's student body was 64.0% (427) White, 12.1% (81) Hispanic, 9.1% (61) Asian, 7.3% (49) two or more races and 5.1% (34) Black.School data for Bergen Catholic High School

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district financ ...

. Accessed September 1, 2020.

Academics

All students are required to graduate with at least 140 credits. Required courses for graduation are three years of a world language ( Chinese, Italian,

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

, and Spanish), of social studies/history, and of science. Also required are four years of

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...

, and

physical education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorat ...

. General elective courses include

visual art The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile arts ...

, jazz ensemble,

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

vocal ensemble A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...

, and music editing and recording. Senior year electives include college credit courses from

Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesa ...

, allowing students to earn credits that are transferable to many colleges and universities and allowing the student advance standing in courses that have included English, Spanish, Italian, Biology, Chemistry, and History. Bergen Catholic offers more than 35 honors and Advanced Placement courses. Students who are qualified may apply for and be accepted into the

National Honor Society The National Honor Society (NHS) is a nationwide organization for high school students in the United States and outlying territories, which consists of many chapters in high schools. Selection is based on four criteria: scholarship (academic achi ...

Spanish National Honor Society Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain ** Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries ** Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, C ...

, Italian Honor Society, Chinese Honor Society, Latin Honor Society, Mathematics National Honor Society, History Honor Society, Visual Arts Honor Society, and Tri-M Music Honor Society.

Technology

As part of Bergen Catholic High School's

laptop A laptop, laptop computer, or notebook computer is a small, portable personal computer (PC) with a screen and alphanumeric keyboard. Laptops typically have a clam shell form factor with the screen mounted on the inside of the upper li ...

program which began with the class of 2007, students buy a ThinkPad through the school as their own laptop for completing work that requires internet access and for taking notes. Uses of the computer include PowerSchool and

Edline Edline was a learning community management system used for school and class organization. It provided district, school, and classroom level website support for administrators, parents, teachers, and students from kindergarten through 12th grade ...

help everyone in the school community stay up to date on news, announcements and grades. The school custom-installs software on each student's computer, such as the screen monitoring program DyKnow and various test programs. In the fall of 2013, the campus increased its bandwidth from 50 megabits per second to one Gig or 1000 megabits per second to accommodate the use of more devices. In 2013–2015, in addition to the network upgrades, 5 new classrooms have been fit with 75'' HDTVs that have AppleTV capabilities. The school shifted to

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

products for the 2014–2015 school year, providing a MacBook Air and iPad to all students. The two serve the school's physical text-book free program as students can access e-texts on-line and create content on a separate device simultaneously. The tools allow for a wide variety of student-engagement utilizing technology. Sites, software and apps such as BlackBoard Learn, BlackBoard Collaborate, Google Apps, Naviance, Examsoft and Turnitin are used as part of the learning experience at Bergen Catholic. The two device system allows for all students to use them for all of their educational needs from test and quizzes to homework and research.

Activities

Mock trial team

Bergen Catholic has one of the most successful

mock trial A mock trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisti ...

teams in New Jersey, with 12 county championships (in 1985, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019) and five state titles (in 1985, 1989, 1991, 2000, and 2016), as well as a National Championship. Bergen Catholic's team is nearly entirely student-run, with student captains in charge of preparation, practices, and tactics. In 1991, Bergen Catholic High School won the National High School Mock Trial Championships held in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

.Participant History & Past National Winners
National High School Mock Trial Championship. Accessed July 1, 2007. Bergen Catholic returned to the national championship hosted in Columbia, South Carolina in 2000 after going undefeated in the county, Regional and State tournaments. The 1999-2000 team ultimately finished 4th in the country, with three "Outstanding Attorney" awards. The 2016 team won the New Jersey state championship, sending it to the National High School Mock Trial Championship in

Boise, Idaho Boise (, , ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and north of the Nevada border. The downtown ar ...

. In the 2008–09 season the team made it to the county finals, losing to Indian Hills High School. In 2010, the team defeated

Mahwah High School Mahwah High School (MHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students from Mahwah in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the only secondary school of the Mahwah Tow ...

to win the Bergen County Championship, but the team lost in the regional semi-finals, ending its season as one of the top ten teams in the state.Staff
"Bergen Catholic Mock Trial Team wins"
, ''Clifton Journal'', March 26, 2010. Accessed April 26, 2012. "The Bergen Catholic High School Mock Trial Team recently won the Bergen County Mock Trial championship and advanced to the North Regional of the 28th annual Vincent Apruzzese Mock Trial competition before suffering its first loss of the season.... In the playoff section, B.C. defeated The Frisch School, Torah Academy, and Mahwah High School to win the Bergen County championship... Bergen Catholic, which finished as the Bergen County runner-up in the 2009 competition, won the Bergen County Mock Trial championship for the ninth time overall (having also won in 1985, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2001, and 2002). B.C. also won the New Jersey state championship in 1985, 1989, 1991, and 2000, and was crowned national champions in 1991." The Bergen Catholic team fell in the semi-final round of the county tournament at the end of January 2011 to the Mahwah High School team that went on to win the 2011 Bergen County Championship. In 2012, the team fell to Immaculate Heart Academy in the county quarterfinals. In an identical situation in 2013, Bergen Catholic defeated Immaculate Heart to advance to the county semi finals. After winning against two-time defending champion Mahwah High School, the team lost to Torah Academy of Bergen County in the county finals. Bergen Catholic's Mock Trial team finished undefeated in the regular season in 2014 and finished third overall in the county. In the 2015 season Bergen Catholic again finished undefeated in the regular season. In the "playoff" tournament Bergen Catholic defeated Northern Valley Demarest in the first round. Then on January 29, 2015 in a double header, defeated Mahwah (2014's county champion) in the semifinals and Indian Hills in the finals.

Athletics

The Bergen Catholic CrusadersBergen Catholic High School

New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports. State championsh ...

. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete as a member of the

Big North Conference The Big North Conference is a high school athletic conference in New Jersey. It is one of six North Jersey "super athletic conferences" created by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) in 2009. There are 41 member ...

(United Division), a super conference that is comprised of public and private high schools in Bergen and

Passaic Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 70,537, ranking as the 16th largest municipality in New Jersey and an increase of 656 from the 69, ...

counties that operates under the supervision of the

. Until the NJSIAA's 2009 realignment, the school had participated in Division C of the

Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League The Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League, abbreviated NNJIL, was a former athletic conference located in Bergen County, Passaic County and Essex County, New Jersey. The NNJIL was separated into three divisions, according to the classificatio ...

, which included high schools located in Bergen County, Essex County and Passaic, and was separated into three divisions based on NJSIAA size classification. With 984 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public A for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 381 to 1,454 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group I for public schools). The football team competes in the United Red division of the North Jersey Super Football Conference, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league. The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Non-Public Group IV for football for 2018–2020. Bergen Catholic has a long-standing rivalry with fellow Catholic schools Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey which was ranked first in the state by NJ.com (with Don Bosco holding a 38-28-2 lead in the series) and with Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, which was listed at 14th on NJ.com's 2017 list "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J. HS football" (with Bergen Catholic leading with a 31–17 overall record as of 2017). Bergen Catholic offers 17 sports at the varsity level: *Fall Sports:

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

, and cross country *Winter Sports:

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat s ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

, indoor track,

bowling Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), though ...

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...

, and

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...

*Spring Sports:

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cov ...

outdoor track Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

, and crew

Football

Bergen Catholic has one of the most successful programs in New Jersey. The Crusaders are 18-time state champions (awarded Parochial A North by the NJSIAA in 1963, 1965 and 1966 and won via playoffs in 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2017 and 2021, while holding an all-time record of 365-130-12. A record of 99-10 between 1990 and 1999 made Bergen Catholic the winningest football program in the state of New Jersey for the decade of the 1990s. The 1979 team defeated

DePaul Catholic High School DePaul Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic, high school in Wayne, in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. The school is accredited by AdvancED.< ...

by a score of 14-6 in the Parochial A North championship game at

Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted spo ...

to finish the season 10-0-1. The 1980 team finished the season at 8-2-1 after winning the Parochial A North title with a 12-0 win against Seton Hall Preparatory School in the finals. The 1982 team defeated Immaculata High School by a score of 25-0 in the playoff finals to win the Parochial A North sectional title and finish the season at 11-0. The 1986 team finished the season with a 9-1-1 record after defeating

St. Peter's Preparatory School Saint Peter's Preparatory School ("Saint Peter's Prep" or "Prep") is a private, all-male, Jesuit, college-preparatory school located in Jersey City, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. T ...

by a score of 33-0 in the Parochial A North sectional championship game played at Hinchliffe Stadium. The 1991 team finished the season 11-0 after defeating Saint Joseph Regional High School by a score of 14-0 to win the Parochial A North championship and earn a ranking of 11th from ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

''. The undefeated 1992 team's championship game with

Paramus Catholic High School Paramus Catholic High School is a co-educational Roman Catholic high school located in Paramus in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school, founded in 1965, under Archbishop Thomas A. Boland, and Superintendent of Schools, M ...

, which Bergen won 44–34, was voted "Game of the Century" by ''

The Record The Record may refer to: Music * ''The Record'' (album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Records, an English power pop band * '' Their Greatest Hits: The Record'', a 2001 greatest-hits album by the pop-music group Bee G ...

''. One of the most anticipated high school games in New Jersey history was their championship game in 1998, when BC won the Parochial Group IV championship by defeating rival St. Joseph Regional 35–9 in the final at

. The 1998 team finished with a 12–0 record, and was ranked first in New Jersey, 9th in ''

'' national poll, and was voted "Team of the Century" by ''

''. Since 1998, the program has been to the state championship game 12 times. The 2001 team finished the season with a record of 10-2 after defeating

Delbarton School Delbarton School is a private all-male Catholic Church, Catholic college-preparatory school in Morristown, New Jersey for young men in seventh grade, seventh through twelfth grades. It is an independent school directed by the Benedictine monks ...

by a score of 10-9 on a fourth-quarter field goal in the Parochial Group IV sectional finals. In 2004, the team went to

to play archrival Don Bosco Prep and won the state championship with a 13–10 victory, thanks to the play of Brian Cushing. Cushing would later go on to become one of two players to have started in four Rose Bowl football games (

Archie Griffin Archie Mason Griffin (born August 21, 1954) is a former American football running back. He played seven seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. As college football's only two-time Heisman Trophy winner, he is considered one of the greate ...

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best pub ...

was the other) as well as an All-American at

USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses ** South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...

and a 1st round draft pick of the Houston Texans who was named NFL

Defensive Rookie of the Year Various entities present a National Football League Rookie of the Year Award each season to the top rookie(s) in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL considers the (rookie) of the year awards by the Associated Press (AP) to be its officia ...

in 2009. After a 13-year drought, the team finished the season with a 10–2 record and won the 2017 Non-Public Group IV state sectional championship with a 44–7 win against

in the title game of the tournament; The team dominated all three rounds, defeating eighth-seeded

St. Augustine Preparatory School :''This article discusses the school in Richland, New Jersey. For other institution of the same name, see St. Augustine's (disambiguation)'' St. Augustine Preparatory School

by a score of 56–21 in the first round and fifth seed

41–16 in the semifinals, before scoring 44 points in the final. In 2021, the Crusaders defeated Don Bosco Prep by a score of 28-7 in the tournament's final game at MetLife Stadium to win the Non-Public A state championship and finish the season with a 12-0 record. The team, which won its 15th state title, was recognized as the 3rd best high school football team in the country according to ''

'' and fourth nationwide by

MaxPreps MaxPreps is an American website that specializes in coverage of American high school sports. The site is owned by Paramount Global and is a division of CBS Sports. Founded on August 1, 2002, the company has covered up to 29 sports, including b ...

Wrestling

The Crusader wrestling program has been the most successful in Bergen County over the past two decades. Bergen Catholic has won the Bergen County Championship 20 times (1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022), most in county history and hold the record for most consecutive titles by winning nine straight from 1999–2007. The Crusaders have won the North Parochial "A" state sectional title 22 times (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012-2019, 2022) and in 14 of those seasons they have gone on to win the overall Parochial "A" state championship (1991, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2012-2019, 2022); The program's 14 state championships are the fourth most of any team in the state. One of the most memorable of those state championship wins came in Trenton in 2003 where the Crusaders upset heavily favored

Camden Catholic High School Camden Catholic High School (CCHS) is a four-year comprehensive private coeducational Roman Catholic high school, located in the Philadelphia metropolitan area in Cherry Hill, Camden County,in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school operate ...

40–30. In addition to state and county titles, BC has won the District crown in 32 consecutive seasons (1990–2022). BC has also seen six of its wrestlers win a total of 12 individual state championships. The 2013-14 team won their first '' Star-Ledger'' Trophy as the #1 ranked team in the state of New Jersey and was ranked within the top ten in various national polls. In 2016,

Nick Suriano Nicholas Raymond Suriano (born April 14, 1997) is an American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes at 57 kilograms. In freestyle, he claimed the 2021 Henri Deglane Grand Prix gold medal and the 2021 Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series s ...

won his fourth consecutive state championship, finishing his career with a record of 159-0 and becoming the second wrestler in state history to complete his career undefeated while winning four state titles.Stanmyre, Matthew
"Nick Suriano makes history, wins fourth state title"
NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 6, 2016. Accessed March 15, 2016. "With his 3-1 victory over Delbarton's Ty Agaisse in their final match at the NJSIAA/Rothman Institute State Championships, Suriano joined the most exclusive club in New Jersey high school wrestling, becoming the state's second undefeated, four-time state champion.... But some say Suriano — who finished his career with a spotless 159-0 record and 41-0 on the season — stands alone in New Jersey wrestling lore due to his unmatched level of sheer dominance."

Basketball

The basketball team won the Non-Public A state championship in 1978 (defeating St. Anthony High School in the tournament final), 1994 (vs.

) and 2002 (vs.

) and 2019 (vs. Camden Catholic). Bergen Catholic won their first Bergen County Jamboree in 1977, and has a total of nine county championships with the most recent in 2015. Through the history of the Bergen County Jamboree, Bergen Catholic holds the most total games played, total wins, and championship appearances. They also rank second in appearances and championships. Bergen has won nine North Parochial "A" state sectional championships and four Parochial "A" state championships. Their most recent success came in the 2001–02 and 2002–03. The 2002 team captured the school's first state championship in more than 10 years with a 71–69 win over St. Augustine Prep. The team would make it to the semi-finals of the Tournament of Champions where they eventually fell to St. Anthony. The 2002–03 team consisted of five Division I players. They finished with a 25–4 record and a #3 ranking in New Jersey. They captured the school's most recent Bergen County Jamboree along with another sectional championship." The Crusaders won the 2015 Bergen County Jamboree by a 66-44 score in the tournament final, defeating a Teaneck High School team that had previously won four consecutive Jamboree championships.

Ice hockey

Bergen Catholic’s hockey program first hit the ice during the 1967–68 season and ran through the 1971–72 season. The school has enjoyed a continuous run of interscholastic ice hockey since the 1974–75 season and immediately achieved success with a league title. The Crusaders would go on to win a Bergen County Championship in just three years time, raising the cup in 1978 and bringing home two more in 1980 and 1981. Since the 1990s, the Crusaders participate in the Gordon Conference, which includes other college preparatory high schools in New Jersey. Area rivals include Don Bosco Prep, Delbarton, Christian Brothers Academy, Seton Hall Prep, St. Peter’s Prep and St. Joseph’s Montvale. The Crusaders captured state championships in 2001 and 2003. In 2001, the Crusaders defeated Christian Brothers Academy in the Parochial pool 3-2 and then went on to defeat Clifton High School for the state title 8–1. In 2003, the Crusaders defeated Seton Hall Prep in the parochial pool 2–1 and defeated Randolph for the state championship 6-4. As a result of this success, the Crusaders were recognized as the North Jersey Team of the Decade (2000-2009). The team had an 18–5–0 record in 2019–20 where the Crusaders were ranked the #3 team in New Jersey. The highlight of the 2019–20 campaign was defeating rival Don Bosco Preparatory High School for the Crusaders’ first Bergen County Tournament Championship. The Crusaders were also the first team to win the Championship other than Don Bosco who had won eight straight titles since the Tournament's inception.

Golf

The Bergen Catholic golf program has earned 101 championship titles, nine Tournament of Champions titles and 52 league titles. With a record of 984-33-1 through the 2015 season, Coach Jim Jacobsen is the winningest golf coach in state athletics history and has been at the helm since 1983. The most recent being May 2015, where the program captured the State Meet of Champions trophy and the number 1 ranking in the state.

Bowling

The boys bowling team won the overall state championships in 1998 and 1999.

Lacrosse

The school started a varsity lacrosse program in 1995. The varsity program has posted a 218-173 overall record (.558 winning percentage). The team enjoyed its first winning season and NJSIAA playoff berth in 1997. In 1999, the Crusaders won the Catholic Schools Lacrosse Tournament. While a part of the NNJIL, BC won four consecutive league titles from 2002 - 2005. The program had a three-year winning streak in its current conference, the NNJIL "Gibbs" Division, winning in 2013, 2014, 2015. Bergen Catholic has won four varsity county championships, in 2006, 2009, 2014 and 2015. In 2013, the JV Crusaders won its first county championship. In 2015, Bergen Catholic won its first NJSIAA Non Public "A" state championship with a 15–14 victory over

. The Crusaders continued on to defeat Summit High School 8–5 in the semifinal round of the Tournament of Champions before losing to

Bridgewater-Raritan High School Bridgewater-Raritan High School (commonly abbreviated as BRHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school. It is the lone secondary school of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District serving students in ninth through twelfth grade ...

in the finals, by a score of 16–13. The 2015 Crusaders set a school record and led New Jersey in scoring with 365 goals on the season.

Soccer

The school started their soccer team when the school was first founded in 1965. The team won the Non-Public A state championship in 1987 (defeating Notre Dame High School in the tournament final) and 1999 (vs. Christian Brothers Academy). The Crusaders have won their state section five times. (1976, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1999). Bergen Catholic were also named the Bergen County champions three times (1986, 1999, 2019) and the reigning county champions in their win over Ridgewood High School on October 27. The soccer program has produced more than 20 college Division I players and in specifically the 2003 MLS Superdraft first overall player Alecko Eskandarian. He posted 156 career goals for the Crusaders and 66 goals his senior year where the team won their county, state section, and state tournaments.

Spring track

The track team won the Non-Public Group a spring track state championship in 1963, 1964, 1977.

Baseball

The baseball team won the Non-Public Group A state championship in 1968, defeating Roselle Catholic High School in the tournament final.

Cross country

The cross country team won the Non-Public Group A state title in 1970 and 1977.

Indoor relay

The track team won the Non-Public indoor relay championship 1975 (as co-champion).

Notable alumni

Many of the alumni listed have been recognized by induction into the school's Hall of Fame: * Antonio Alfano,

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

defensive tackle for the

Colorado Buffaloes The Colorado Buffaloes are the athletic teams that represent the University of Colorado. The university sponsors 17 varsity sports teams. Both the men's and women's teams are called the Buffaloes (Buffs for short) or, rarely, the Golden Buffaloe ...

. * Joe Azelby (born 1962, class of 1980), professional football player who played for the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division ...

, businessman and author. * Mike Bajakian (class of 1992),

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...

quarterbacks coach, former offensive coordinator for the University of Tennessee. *

Sean Banks Sean Anthony Banks (born January 20, 1985) is a 6'8" American retired professional basketball forward. He attended the University of Memphis, where he was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year in 2004 after leading all freshman in the con ...

(born 1985, class of 2003), professional basketball player. * Carl Barisich (born 1951, class of 1969), former

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the l ...

for nine seasons between 1973 and 1981 for four different NFL teams. * Elliot Cadeau (born 2004), basketball

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run the team's offense by ...

who attends Link Academy. *

Charley Casserly Charley Casserly (born February 27, 1949) is an American football analyst and former executive. Casserly was the general manager of the National Football League's Washington Redskins and Houston Texans, being a part of three Super Bowl wins as a ...

(born 1948, class of 1967), former

general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

of the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...

and

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their home games at NR ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

, and current NFL analyst for

CBS Sports CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W ...

, especially

The NFL Today ''The NFL Today'' is an American football television program on CBS that serves as the pre-game show for the network's National Football League (NFL) game telecasts under the ''NFL on CBS'' brand. The program features commentary on the latest ne ...

. * John Crowley (born 1967, class of 1985), biotech executive who helped develop a treatment for

Pompe disease Glycogen storage disease type II, also called Pompe disease, is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder which damages muscle and nerve cells throughout the body. It is caused by an accumulation of glycogen in the lysosome due to deficiency of th ...

after his children were diagnosed with the condition. * Brian Cushing (born 1987, class of 2005),

linebacker. * Alvaro de Molina (born 1957, class of 1975), CFO of

Bank of America The Bank of America Corporation (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The bank ...

and CEO of GMAC. * John Delaney (born 1963, class of 1981), politician and businessman,

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

for

Maryland's 6th congressional district Maryland's 6th congressional district elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives from the northwest part of the state. The district comprises all of Garrett County, Maryland, Garrett, Allegany County, Maryland, Allegany ...

and the first major Democrat to announce he is

running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This i ...

for president in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

. * Nicholas Delpopolo (born 1989),

judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo") ...

ka who has represented the United States at the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, th ...

and

2016 Summer Olympics ) , nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams) , athletes = 11,238 , events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines) , opening = 5 August 2016 , closing = 21 August 2016 , opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer , cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro de ...

. *

Mark DeRosa Mark Thomas DeRosa (born February 26, 1975) is an American former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 to 2013. He played for the Atlanta Braves (1998–2004), Texas Rangers (2005–2006), Chicago Cu ...

(born 1975, class of 1993), MLB Network show host.

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yo ...

left fielder. *

Garrett Dickerson Garrett Dickerson (born December 30, 1995) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Northwestern. Early life Dickerson grew up in Englewood, New Jersey and attended Bergen Catholic High School. While at Bergen Cat ...

(born 1995, class of 2014),

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

for the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...

. *

Jim Dray James Russell Dray (born December 31, 1986) is an American football coach and former tight end who is currently the tight ends coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford and was draf ...

(born 1986, class of 2005),

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's Nationa ...

tight end. *

Doug Edert Douglas Ryan Edert (born March 5, 2000) is an American college basketball player for the Bryant Bulldogs of the America East conference. He previously played for the Saint Peter's Peacocks. Edert is best known for his integral role in Saint Pete ...

(born 2000, class of 2019),

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

player for the Bryant Bulldogs of the

America East Conference The America East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I founded in 1979, whose members are located in the Northeastern United States. The conference has nine core members including eight public research ...

, who became the breakout star of Saint Peter's 2022 NCAA tournament run *

Alecko Eskandarian Alecko Eskandarian (born July 9, 1982) is an iranian American retired soccer player,He is the son of Andranik Eskandrian, a former player of the Iranian national team and the Esteghlal team . He is a former assistant coach for New York Cosmos ...

(born 1982, class of 2000), former MLS player. He was the first pick of the 2003 MLS SuperDraft. * A.J. Ferrari (born 2001, class of 2020), wrestler at the

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

. *

Jim Finn James Finn Jr. (born December 9, 1976) is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears as the final pick of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Pennsylvania. High school career Finn ...

(born 1976, class of 1995), former

Fullback. * Zach Freemantle (born 2000, class of 2019),

player for the

Xavier Musketeers The Xavier Musketeers are the 16 teams representing Xavier University in intercollegiate athletics, including men's and women's basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. The Musk ...

. * Jarrett Guarantano (born 1997),

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...

for the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play th ...

. * Wil Horneff (born 1979, class of 1997), actor, '' The Sandlot'', '' Born to Be Wild'' and '' The Shining''. * Robert Howard (born 2002, class of 2020), wrestler at the

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State becam ...

and Youth Summer Olympic gold medalist. * Zane Kalemba (born 1985), professional

goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near ...

who is currently playing for Manchester Storm in the

Elite Ice Hockey League The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to as the British Elite League or, for sponsorship reasons, the Viaplay Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hocke ...

. *

Bob Lally Robert Michael Lally (born February 12, 1952) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) and the World Football League (WFL). Lally played collegiate ball for Cornell University and served as team c ...

(born 1952, class of 1970), linebacker who played in the

for the Green Bay Packers and in the World Football League for the Memphis Southmen. * Matt LoVecchio (born 1982, class of 2000), starting

for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football, University of Notre Dame football team in 2000–01, and for Indiana Hoosiers football, Indiana University in 2003–04. * Bill Madden (sportswriter), Bill Madden (born 1946, class of 1964), sports columnist in the ''New York Daily News, Daily News'' and recipient of the 2010 J. G. Taylor Spink Award for meritorious contributions to baseball writing presented by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. * Tanner McEvoy (born 1993, class of 2011), wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks. * Jim McGovern (golfer), Jim McGovern (born 1965, class of 1983), professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour. * Rob McGovern (born 1966), former

linebacker who played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots. * Pierre McGuire (born 1961, class of 1979), NBC Sports Analyst. * Dennis McNerney (class of 1984), former County Executive of

Bergen County Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...

Play-by-play sportscaster. * Randi Patterson (born 1985, class of 2003), professional soccer player, played internationally for the Trinidad and Tobago national football team, Soca Warriors. * Kyle Queiro (born 1994, class of 2013), Safety (American and Canadian football position), Safety in the

for the Dallas Cowboys. * Darren Rizzi (born 1970, class of 1988), Special Teams Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach for the Miami Dolphins. * Rich Scanlon (born 1980, class of 1999), former

linebacker. * Monsignor, Msgr. Robert Sheeran (class of 1963), former President of

. * Roger Steffens (born 1942, class of 1960), actor, author, lecturer, editor, reggae archivist, photographer and producer. *

(born 1997, class of 2016), 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships#Individual results, 2019 NCAA Division I National Wrestling Champion. * Andy Unanue (class of 1985), former executive with Goya Foods.Rispoli, Michael
"Republican may make Senate bid, after all"
''Asbury Park Press'', April 4, 2008. Accessed February 17, 2011. "Unanue and Crowley went to high school together at Bergen Catholic in Oradell." * Isaiah Williams (wide receiver), Isaiah Williams (born 1987, class of 2005), former NFL wide receiver.Fulkerson, Vickie
"Huskies have a fan in Williams"
''The Day (New London), The Day'', November 24, 2007. Accessed February 17, 2011. "Isaiah went to Bergen Catholic High School, while Tahirah, a 6-foot guard, went to nearby Immaculate Heart Academy, an all-girls school."

External links

Bergen Catholic High School WebsiteData for Bergen Catholic High School

References

{{Authority control 1955 establishments in New Jersey Boys' schools in New Jersey Congregation of Christian Brothers secondary schools Educational institutions established in 1955 Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools Oradell, New Jersey Private high schools in Bergen County, New Jersey Catholic secondary schools in New Jersey Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark Bergen Catholic High School alumni,