SPRINGFIELD, NJ — A year ago, David Brearley High School football could not stop anyone.
As a result, the Bears produced a rare 0-10 season.
On Saturday, Oct. 25, David Brearley came up with one of its biggest stops in program history.
As a result, the Bears are headed to the playoffs for the first time in three years.
On the game’s final play, Jonathan Dayton High School had a first-and-goal at the David Brearley one-yard line with 10.6 seconds left. Instead of choosing to kick a game-tying field goal to send the game to overtime, Jonathan Dayton went for the win.
Jonathan Dayton junior quarterback Adrian Bernknopf took the snap, moved a bit to his right and, after getting hit by several David Brearley defenders, tried to extend the ball past the goal line. Bernknopf fell just short.
David Brearley first-year head coach Elliot Platt said it was a combination of No. 65 senior Kevin Maytidu, No. 53 sophomore Emmanuel Velez, No. 21 sophomore Monroe Passmore and No. 8 senior Mathew Resende that stopped Bernknopf.
Once the officials conferred and then said that David Brearley stopped Jonathan Dayton and the game was over, David Brearley immediately began celebrating a hard-fought 10-7 triumph against Jonathan Dayton in Saturday, Oct. 25, Big Central Conference–Freedom Gold Division action at Jonathan Dayton High School’s field.
David Brearley improved to 5-4 overall and defeated Jonathan Dayton for the 12th time in 13 years. Jonathan Dayton snapped an 11-game losing streak against David Brearley last year with a 15-6 triumph in Kenilworth.
David Brearley also finished 4-1 in the Freedom Gold Division, good for second place behind outright champion Spotswood High School, which defeated David Brearley, 40-7, in Spotswood on Friday, Sept. 12.
The biggest thing for the Bears is that David Brearley, on the outside looking in when play began on Saturday, Oct. 25, was able to move up and qualify for a playoff berth out of North, Group 1 for the first time since 2022.
The first projection has David Brearley as the eighth seed in North 2, Group 1 and at top-seeded Mountain Lakes High School (6-2). David Brearley’s last playoff game was at Mountain Lakes in the 2022 North 1, Group 1 final, which was a 16-6 Mountain Lakes victory.
“The sky’s the limit now,” Platt told his players after the game.
David Brearley led from start to finish, scoring all of its points in the second quarter on a 38-yard field goal by senior Chris Miserendino and a 68-yard touchdown run by Resende and a Miserendino extra point that followed.
Jonathan Dayton closed to within 10-7 in the third quarter on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Bernknopf to junior wide receiver Jackson Babiarz in the left side of the end zone against single coverage. The big play in the drive was a 39-yard completion from Bernknopf to junior receiver Aiden Delpeche, who made a nice over-the-shoulder grab against a David Brearley defender.
Late in the third quarter, Jonathan Dayton was gifted a David Brearley turnover on an errant quarterback-running back pitch, but could not cash in from the David Brearley 29. A big sack of Bernknopf for a 10-yard loss by Passmore on the final play of the third quarter forced the Bulldogs to punt.
Speaking of quarterback pressure, David Brearley sophomore end Rocco Federico was the game’s top defensive player. Federico could simply not be contained and he made Jonahan Dayton pay for his movement past the line on several occasions.
Federico had a sack of Bernknopf for a nine-yard loss midway through the second quarter and then another one for a four-yard setback on the same possession.
“We had to stop the run and get to the quarterback,” said Federico, as David Brearley also did a good job of containing Jonahan Dayton junior running back Tyler Fuscaldo. “We had a great week of practice to prepare.”
In the fourth quarter, Federico recorded another sack for a seven-yard loss that forced Jonathan Dayton to once again have to punt the ball away.
“The best move we made was moving Rocco to end,” Platt said. “He’s physical at the point of attack and can also hold the runner at the point of attack.”
Federico and No. 6 senior Paul Santoro, who Platt referred to as “walnuts,” received game balls. Platt also highlighted the great job both the offensive and defensive lines performed.
The offensive line consisted of Maytidu, No. 78 senior Joel Aguirre, No. 51 sophomore center Ryan Scuderi, Velez and No. 54 freshman Nolan McHale.
The defensive line featured Passmore, Velez, Maytidu and Federico.
When David Brearley lost at Spotswood, 40-7, on Friday, Sept. 12, the Bears were 0-3, with a losing streak that reached 15 dating back to 2023. David Brearley was outscored 95-20 in its first three games.
Since then, the Bears have won five of their last six, culminating with a win against a 6-1 Jonathan Dayton squad that was favored to win the game and advance to the program’s first playoff berth in 13 years.
For the host Bulldogs, it didn’t happen.
For the visiting Bears, it did.
“We did what got us here,” Platt said. “We showed a lot of heart.
“I can’t ask for a better group of kids. They were hungry and played inspired football.”
Resende had 111 yards on 14 carries in the first half. He finished with 139 yards on 22 carries.
Jonathan Dayton was held to just 40 yards of total offense in a rare first half that the Bulldogs did not score. Jonathan Dayton rushed 14 times for minus-eight yards and passed for 48 yards.
Jonathan Dayton had a five-game winning streak snapped and fell to 6-2. Six wins is the most Jonathan Dayton has had since 2010. The Bulldogs were seeking the program’s seventh playoff season and first since 2012.
Big Central Conference–Freedom Gold Division contest at Jonathan Dayton
David Brearley (5-4, 4-1) 00 10 00 00 – 10
Jonathan Dayton (6-2, 3-2) 00 00 07 00 – 07
Second Quarter:
David Brearley – FG Chris Miserendino 38 (B 3-0)
4 plays, from Jonathan Dayton 22 to Jonathan Dayton 20, 2:09 used
David Brearley – Mathew Resende 68 run, Chris Miserendino kick (B 10-0)
5 plays, 89 yards, 1:59 used
Third Quarter:
Jonathan Dayton – Jackson Babiarz 10 pass from Adrian Bernknopf, Jackson Babiarz kick (B 10-7)
8 plays, 65 yards, 4:57 used
Final 2025 standings for Big Central Conference–Freedom Gold Division:
1-Spotswood (4-1) – outright champion
2-David Brearley (4-1) – lost at Spotswood 40-7 on Sept. 12
3-Jonathan Dayton (3-2)
4-Roselle Park (2-3)
5-Highland Park (2-3) – lost at home to Roselle Park 35-12 on Oct. 10
6-South River (0-5)
Photos by JR Parachini
