Bergen Catholic football aiming for fifth consecutive New Jersey state title in 2025

High school football in the state of New Jersey continues to run through Oradell. Bergen Catholic has now won four Non-Public A state titles in a row.

The Crusaders put together an 11-1 campaign in 2024 and finished as the No. 9 team in the nation, according to the On3 Composite Rankings. To no surprise, expectations this fall are more of the same for the Garden State powerhouse.

Earlier this year, Bergen Catholic announced its 2025 schedule. The 21-time state champs, led by head coach Vito Campanile, will begin the season with a pair of marquee matchups.

The season will open on Aug. 28 in New Jersey at the Battle at the Beach, where the Crusaders will take on East St. Louis (Ill.). The Flyers finished 2024 as the top-ranked team in Illinois and a top-20 team nationally. Bergen Catholic’s lone loss last season came at the 2024 Battle at the Beach, where it fell 27-14 to IMG Academy (Fla.).

The following week, BC will hit the road and head down to Florida for a bout against West Boca Raton, last season’s 6A champs in the Sunshine State. The remaining seven games on the schedule will all be in-state.

All seven in-state teams on the Crusaders’ schedule finished as top-30 teams in New Jersey last season. Three of the next four games will come on the road — at Winslow Township (No. 4), Don Bosco Prep (No. 5) and Paramus Catholic (No. 25). The regular-season finale will also come on the road against Seton Hall Prep (No. 30).

October will feature a pair of tough home games against Delbarton (No. 3) and St. Joseph Regional (No. 6). BC picked up wins over six of the teams on its 2025 schedule last season.

The Crusaders will have to replace elite production from five-star wide receiver Quincy Porter, who has since signed with Ohio State. Offensive lineman Chris Vigna (Rutgers), cornerback Naiim Parrish (Minnesota) and kicker Guytano Bartolomeo (North Carolina) are also off to Power Four programs. The BC roster this fall will still feature multiple blue-chippers in four-star cornerback Jordan Thomas and four-star defensive lineman Jermaine Kinsler (Texas A&M commit). Other players to keep an eye on this fall include EDGE CJ Edwards, CB Xavier Jackson and WR Austin Busso.

Bergen Catholic 2025 Schedule

*Aug. 28: vs. East St. Louis (Ill.)
Sept. 5: at West Boca Raton (Fla.)
Sept. 12: at Winslow Township (N.J.)
Sept. 20: vs. Pope John XXIII (N.J.)
Sept. 26: at Don Bosco Prep (N.J.)
Oct. 10: at Paramus Catholic (N.J.)
Oct. 18: vs. Delbarton (N.J.)
Oct. 25: vs. St. Joseph Regional (N.J.)
Nov. 1: at Seton Hall Prep (N.J.)

*Neutral site