BERNARDSVILLE -– The tempo was set virtually from the start Friday night in Bernards High School’s football game at Delaware Valley. And it wasn’t a good one for the Mountaineers.

Bernards — plagued by a rash of turnovers — dropped a 27-12 decision in its final Mid-State 38 Valley Division game of the season.

Delaware Valley (2-2, 2-3) was plus-6 in turnover margin on the natural grass at Tap Webb Field. Bernards fell to 3-3 overall and 2-3 in division.

Bernards plays host to unbeaten Bound Brook (5-0) Friday night at Olcott Field in a conference cross-division game. The Crusaders, who lead the conference’s small school Union Division, are off to a 5-0 start for the first time since 2008.

Bernards will need to avoid the kind of performance it had against Del Val if it intends to beat the Crusaders. Bernards rushed for just 38 yards on 19 carries. Senior quarterback Steve Gribben threw for 242 yard and two touchdowns to senior Matt Tantleff. But he was also picked off three times. The team lost three fumbles. The first came on the second play of the game . The Terriers also recovered an onside kick that led to a field goal.

“(Being) minus-6 in the turnover category makes it very hard to win a game,” Bernards’ coach coach Jon Simoneau said. “We had too many special team gaps and while we did a good job at times on defense we gave up a couple big plays in a couple big spots.”

The biggest series of plays came late in the the third quarter as the two teams traded quick points. One play after Sean Lessig’s 20-yard field goal gave Del Val a 20-6 lead with 40 seconds left in the third, Bernards answered as Gribben and Tantleff connected on a 77-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds left in the third quarter that cut the Terriers’ lead to 20-12. That momentum was short-lived, however, as Terrier senior Matt Donnelly returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. Del Val was back in control with a 27-12 lead.

“I felt sure we were (going to win the game) winning when Matt scored on that big one,” Simoneau said. “But two guys got blocked (during Donnelly’s kick return) on the edge and one guy missed a tackle. They did a great job of executing,”

“Hey, hats off to them,” Simoneau added. “They weren’t in a great situation. They were 1-3. They came out here and played well. This is a very tough place to win football games in the last couple of years. Not many teams have done it They just showed why.”

Del Val is 25-6 at home since 2009.

Bernards just never could break out from the bad start.

“Obviously as coaches we will say we didn’t have them ready,” Simoneau said. “We didn’t do what we needed to do. But we also have to hold on to the ball. We have to do a better job of securing the ball.”

Bernards lost a fumble at its 25 on the second play of the game. But It tightened up and Lessig’s 38-yard field goal attempt missed. But Lessig intercepted Gribben on the second play of Bernards’ next possession and returned it to the Mountaineers’ 15. Del Val believed it had scored on a third-and-10 from the 15 when Donnelly hauled in a Jared Pershyn pass in the end zone, but was ruled out of bounds. Lessig then tried his second field goal attempt – this time from 32 yards – and it also missed. Del Val finally scored with 1:49 left in the first when Pershyn hooked up with Jared Hartman on a TD off a fourth-and-nine from the Bernards’ 17.

Lessig’s second interception of the night then gave Del Val the chance to extend the lead. Three plays after the pick Pershyn and Donnelly connected on a 47-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the second quarter. Lessig’s second point after made it 14-0.

Del Val kept the momentum as it recovered an onside kick at its 48. A 27-yard pass from Pershyn to senior Nick Perno was the big play that led to a 30-yard Lessig field goal and a 17-0 lead. The field goal came right after a Pershyn touchdown run was wiped out on a holding penalty. Still, Del Val was in control.

“I don’t feel like we played a team much better than us,” Bernards’ senior running back/outside linebacker Marc Murphy said. “We just made mistakes all night that cost us. It was our mentality on offense that cost us.”

The offense broke through when Gribben and Tantleff connected on a 58-yard touchdown completion with 4:51 left in the half. The point-after attempt missed and Bernards trailed 17-6. Del Val followed by driving to the Bernards’ 26, but sophomore defensive back Ethan Caldwell stopped Pershyn short of a first down.

“I don’t think we played bad per se,” Simoneau said. “I don’t think we played soft. I think at times we still get a little out-weightroomed. We have to figure out how to fix that. But you can’t go minus six in turnovers and hope to win a football game. The fact we were in it the whole time is pretty amazing. It speaks to their grit.”

Notes: Murphy made six solo tackles and assisted on 15 others and senior Andrew Best had two solos and 10 assists. Senior Alex Mastronardi was credited with five solo tackles and six assists.

Junior Cubby Schuller had a fumble recovery. Tantleff caught five passes for 159 yards and two scores and now has 23 catches for 528 yards and five TDs. Tantleff has scored 88 points – 14 touchdowns and two, two-point conversions. Gribben has thrown for 1,088 yards and nine scores.

Bernards was unofficially fourth in the Central Group II playoff race right in front of Johnson. Bernards got some help Saturday afternoon when Hillside – team the Mountaineers beat – upended Johnson – a team Bernards lost to 43-14 on Sept. 16 in Clark.