Sanchez, Gilpin, Baum power Bernards over Caldwell
12/1/2014by by Mike Kinney for MSG Varsity

Bernards senior Carter Gilpin was fairly certain on Friday afternoon that the last act he'd be performing as a football player on Olcott Field would be shoveling it.

But thanks to identical--and highly unlikely--circumstances that fell in the favor of Bernards and Caldwell, shoveling was not the senior fullback's last manner of business on his home field.

It was more like plowing.

Two days after he feared the Mountaineers' season would end passively with a forfeit victory, the sturdy Gilpin bulled his way into the recently cleared end zone three times for touchdowns to power Bernards to a 47-21 win over Caldwell in a hastily arranged meeting Sunday in Bernardsville.

 Each squad had a road game cancelled against a conference opponent headed to an NJSIAA sectional championship next weekend--Delaware Valley in Bernards' case and Verona in Caldwell's.

  "We were out here (Friday) and I was like, I don't even know if we're going to play. Are we doing this for no reason?" Gilpin said. "Thank God we got a game; we were just so happy."

The Mountaineers (8-2) stayed happy with an overpowering ground attack that compiled 379 yards to help snap a two-game losing streak and also make Gilpin's senior class the winningest in program history with 31 victories during its four years. Eight victories also is just one shy of the school-record nine established in 2012.

An important personal milestone was reached on account of this surprise matchup as junior Sebastian Sanchez ran 14 times for 172 yards to become the first Bernards running back in almost 20 years to reach 1,000 in a season. He closed with 1,002 yards and also 11 touchdowns, thanks to his 3-yard run to open the scoring in the first quarter. Senior QB Tyler Baum carried 14 times for 102 yards and two TDs for the Mountaineers. Gilpin ran seven times for 42 yards and his season-high three TDs.

"We had no time to prepare," Sanchez said. "We went from having two weeks to prepare for Del Val to having 30 minutes of film for Caldwell. It's like going back to Pop Warner football, when you just showed up and played the game."  

 Bernards' regularly scheduled Friday night game against Delaware Valley was cancelled due to the heavy snow that fell Wednesday in Alexandria. Caldwell's game against neighboring Verona had been scheduled the previous day on Thanksgiving morning, but Verona deemed both its grass field and a community turf facility unplayable due to the snow.

The Bernards-Delaware Valley  game was called off on Friday. After Caldwell protested the original cancellation, their game was rescheduled for Saturday morning at the turf facility, but no clearing attempts were made by the home team. The game was officially called off early that morning.

Delaware Valley will be playing Rumson-Fair Haven at 7 p.m. Saturday for the Central Jersey, Group 2 title at Kean University. Verona will battle Cresskill at 5 p.m. Friday for the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 1 crown at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford. Both Bernards and Caldwell had lost in the first round of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 playoffs two weeks ago.

"If this only happened to one team, that's how our season would have ended (a forfeit win)," Bernards head coach Jon Simoneau said. "It's not the kids; adults didn't want to play the game. I don't know why, I don't know the specifics, I can't speak for either of those two schools. And I'm not even mad because I'm just happy this worked out for both teams."

Bernards had it working smoothly from the start, when Sanchez opened the game with a 47-yard run to the Caldwell 39. His Mountaineers did not score on that possession, but would connect on three of the next four to build a 27-0 lead with 3:51 to go in the first half.

Sanchez began the scoring with a 3-yard run to cap a 10-play, 60-yard drive with 5:37 remaining in the first quarter. Gilpin muscled in from 3 yards away in the opening half-minute of the second quarter, Baumer scored on a 19-yard draw play with 6:06 left, and Gilpin scored on a 5-yard run to cap a three-play possession that was launched with a blocked punt by Matt Tantleff that was downed at the Caldwell 4-yard line.

"We came out here with the intention of running the ball down their throat, and we did just that," Sanchez said. "We watched a little film, so we knew who we had to watch. They're a good team, they stuck with Mountain Lakes (28-14 playoff loss), so we knew we had to show up and bring our best."

The two-week rest since the first-round loss enabled Luke Bowerbank and Jordan Tantleff to return to the Bernards' lineup from injuries. Caldwell, on the other hand, was without starters Chris Maddaloni and Thomas Bryant.

Caldwell cut its deficit to 27-7 on an 18-yard pass from Jake Zimmerman to Nolan Smith with 1:07 left in the half, but Bernards answered with a five-play, 60-yard push that took just 59 seconds before Baum connected with Jordan Tantleff on a 3-yard pass as time expired for a 33-7 advantage.

"I think everyone was just rallying around the seniors because they all knew it was our last game," Gilpin said. "We wanted to go out with a win, wanted to go out with a bang. I think we did that."

Along with his season-high three touchdowns, Gilpin also helped anchor the defense with seven  tackles from his linebacker spot. Sanchez, also a linebacker, was in on nine tackles, and senior end Farrell Tamke had a hand in six. Nose guard Robert Coli, end Colin O'Reilly, tackle Brian Hildebrandt and defensive back Matt Tantleff also turned in strong defensive games.

Caldwell's offense was led by Zimmerman, who completed 14 of 24 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns. He brought the Chiefs (5-5) to within 33-13 with a 9-yard pass to Brian Zales to finish off the opening drive of the second half. Senior John Mannion carried 13 times for 67 yards to lead Caldwell's running game, and he closed out the day's scoring on a 23-yard run with 7:46 left in the game.

"My kids came out and shoveled this field Friday not even thinking we'd have a game," Simoneau said. "They had no clue that Caldwell was maybe a possibility. This was a little whacky, a little fun.

"Today's just an example of everything that's right in high school sports," he said. "And adults doing everything in their power to make this happen."

……………………………………………………

Caldwell (5-5)  0--7--6--8--21

Bernards (8-2)  7--26--7--7--47

B-Sebastian Sanchez 3 run (Ryan DeLeon kick)

B-Carter Gilpin 3 run (DeLeon kick)

B-Tyler Baum 19 run (kick failed)

B-Gilpin 5 run (DeLeon kick)

C-Nolan Smith 3 pass from Tyler Baum (kick failed)

B-Jordan Tantleff 3 pass from Baum (kick failed)

C-Brian Zales 9 pass from Zimmerman (kick failed)

B-Baum 5 run (DeLeon kick)

B-Gilpin 13 run (DeLeon kick)

C-John Mannion 23 run (Mannion run)

STATS

Rushing: C: John Mannion 13-67, Jaake Zimmerman 13-38, Allen Curtis 4-11. B: Sebastian Sanchez 14-172, Tyler Baum 14-102, Matt Tantleff 4-48,Carter Gilpin7-42, Luke Bowerbank 2-10, Stephen Gribben 1-3, Marc Murphy 3-3, Troy Lavecchia 1 minus-1. Passing: C: Zimmerman 14-24-134. B: Baum: 5-12-78. Receiving: C: Brian Zales 6-57, Curtis 4-35, Stephen Puzzo 2-24, Smith 1-18. B: Sanchez 2-40, M. Tantleff 1-23, Bowerbank 1-12, J. Tantleff 1-3.

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