Early ‘Big 6’ Non-Public football storylines to follow after SFC schedule release

If football returns this fall, the Super Football Conference will be ready.

On Thursday, the country’s biggest high school football conference – including 112 teams across 20 divisions – released a revised 2020 schedule, which plans to begin its regular season the weekend of Oct. 2 and ending the weekend of Nov. 6.

No games against out-of-state competition will be played this season.

There will be two additional weeks added on the back end for postseason games, though no true state champions will be crowned in 2020, as NorthJersey.com reported last week, and programs will remain having the flexibility to remain playing their traditional Thanksgiving Day games.

Below, we examine North Jersey’s ‘Big 6’ football schedules, including Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco Prep, Paramus Catholic, St. Joseph (Mont.), St. Peter’s Prep and DePaul.

Here are some looks at a few of the biggest storylines to follow heading into a reduced 2020 season:

• In a rematch of last year’s Non-Public Group 4 state final, St. Peter’s Prep and Don Bosco Prep are slated to meet the weekend of Oct. 9 (Week 2) at Caven Point. Last year at MetLife Stadium, St. Peter’s Prep won the state title against the Ironmen, 21-14. Returning QB Tahj Bullock – now a Virginia Tech commit – pulled St. Peter’s Prep within 1 with a 5-yard TD run with 5:00 left in the fourth before Jelani Mason provided the go-ahead two-point conversion, a gutsy call from coach Rich Hansen. St. Peter’s Prep later blocked a potential 43-yard go-ahead field goal, which was returned for a TD by Avery Powell, with 41 seconds left.

• The always-classic Bergen Catholic-St. Joseph (Mont.) game will kick things off in a major way in Week 1 with the Crusaders traveling to Montvale in what will be new head coach Dan Marangi’s debut. In the off-season, Marangi took over the program after former coach Augie Hoffmann departed for an assistant coaching job with Rutgers. Marangi, who spent the last years as the Green Knights’ defensive coordinator after spending 18 in the same role at Don Bosco Prep under Greg Toal, will meet his former program – and alma mater – as the opposing head coach for the first time in Week 4 (weekend of Oct. 23) when St. Joseph and Don Bosco meet in Ramsey.

• After meeting twice in both the regular season and state playoffs the past two years, the 74th installment all-time of Don Bosco Prep-Bergen Catholic will take place the weekend of Oct. 30 in Oradell. Last year, after Bergen Catholic downed the Ironmen, 23-17, in the regular season, the Ironmen avenged that loss with a 24-7 win in the Non-Public Group 4 state quarterfinals. Don Bosco leads the all-time series, 39-32-2.

• Returning Non-Public Group 3 champion DePaul is scheduled to open its season against three fellow United White opponents (Pope John, Seton Hall and Delbarton) before a three-game crossover slate against the United Red (Bergen Catholic, St. Peter’s Prep and St. Joseph (Mont.). 2020 will mark coach John McKenna’s final season in Wayne before assistant coach Nick Campanile takes over the program in 2021. DePaul is not scheduled to play Don Bosco, Paramus Catholic or St. Peter’s Prep in 2020.

• The public schools who will remain taking on ‘Big 6’ opponents in 2020 including the following: West Orange (vs. St. Peter’s Prep in Week 1), Irvington (at Paramus Catholic in Week 2) and Passaic Tech (vs. Don Bosco Prep in Week 6)

N.J.’S ‘BIG 6’ 2020 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (Oct. 2 to Nov. 6)

BERGEN CATHOLIC
At St. Joseph
At Pope John
Paramus Catholic
At DePaul
Don Bosco
St. Peter’s Prep

DON BOSCO PREP
Paramus Catholic
At St. Peter’s Prep
Delbarton
St. Joseph (Mont.)
At Bergen Catholic
At Passaic Tech

PARAMUS CATHOLIC
At Don Bosco
Irvington
At Bergen Catholic
St. Peter’s Prep
At St. Joes
Seton Hall Prep

ST. JOSEPH (Mont.)
Bergen Catholic
Seton Hall Prep
At St. Peter’s Prep
At Don Bosco
Paramus Catholic
At DePaul

ST. PETER’S PREP
At West Orange
Don Bosco
St. Joseph (Mont.)
At Paramus Catholic
DePaul
At Bergen Catholic

DePAUL
Pope John
At Delbarton
At Seton Hall Prep
Bergen Catholic
At St. Peter’s Prep
St. Joseph (Mont.)

JJ Conrad may be reached at jjconrad8@gmail.com