It was halftime of the NJSIAA Non-Public 4 semifinal against Bergen Catholic and St. Peter’s Prep standout defensive players Dave Tolentino and Jordan Fox couldn’t believe what was happening.
The Marauders, the No. 1-ranked team in the entire state of New Jersey and ranked among the top five nationally in some polls, were actually trailing Bergen Catholic, 14-10, at the break. This was the same Bergen Catholic team that the Marauders totally smoked in the second week of the season, jumping out to a 49-0 lead before turning off the high octane and cruising to a 49-20 win.
The Marauders were losing after two quarters.
“We got into the locker room at halftime and I remember thinking this couldn’t be happening,” said Fox, a three-year starter at linebacker for the Marauders.
All season long, the Marauders have received a ton of attention for their high-powered offense, spearheaded by brilliant quarterback Brandon Wimbush and do-everything receiver/running back Minkah Fitzpatrick.
But this was a time for the Marauder defensive leaders to step forward. So at the break, Tolentino went to his friend and defensive mate Fox and issued a decree.
“Right before we walked out onto the field, I said to Jordan, ‘Let’s go out there and put this team on our backs,’” said Tolentino, a senior and four-year starter on both the offensive and defensive line for the Marauders. “I said, ‘Let’s do this.’”
“He came to me and said, `Jordan, let’s get this done,’” Fox said. “He said, ‘We worked too hard to let this go now. Let’s get this started with the defense.’”
That’s exactly what the senior defensive leaders did. As the Crusaders got the ball to start the second half, Tolentino made two tackles behind the line and Fox made another, forcing Bergen Catholic to punt.
The defensive stand turned the tide for the entire game, as the Marauders then managed to get huge plays from Wimbush and Fitzpatrick, the two teaming up for three long touchdown passes in the third quarter, turning the 14-10 deficit into a 31-14 victory for the Marauders.
While Wimbush (25-of-39 passing, 430 yards and four touchdowns) and Fitzpatrick (221 yards receiving and three touchdowns and 47 yards rushing) were certainly big factors, the game turned by the play of the defense – led by the two senior leaders and friends.
“I think our defense won the game,” said veteran St. Peter’s Prep head coach Rich Hansen. “Our leaders took over at halftime. Tolentino and Fox made great plays to start the second half. The biggest adjustment we needed to make was to be faster and more physical. I thought we were slow and soft in the first half. We had to play the way we normally play, fast and physical.”
Well, the late Paul Walker and Vin Diesel made millions in Hollywood playing in “Fast and Furious.” At Grand and Warren, it’s playing fast and physical, led by the defensive nose tackle (Tolentino) and the middle linebacker (Fox).
Fox collected 15 tackles from all over the field, while Tolentino had 11 tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble, as the Marauders punched their ticket back to MetLife Stadium and a rematch with Paramus Catholic for the NJSIAA Non-Public Group 4 state title and the mythical overall state title that comes with it.
For their efforts, defenders Tolentino and Fox have been selected as The Hudson Reporter Co-Athletes of the Week for the past week. It marks the first time ever in the 23-year history of the weekly feature that there has been Co-Athlete of the Weeks in consecutive weeks, with the Terry brothers of St. Anthony, Eli and Devin, sharing the last honor.
Hansen believes that Tolentino (four years) and Fox (three years) have paid their dues on the gridiron.
“That kind of maturity and experience is irreplaceable,” Hansen said. “They’ve been through every ebb and flow. They’ve played at all kinds of different venues and all kinds of situations. But they also have tremendous talent levels. I’ve said for two years that Dave Tolentino has been unblockable by anyone. He’s just a man and has such a chip on his shoulder. Jordan is just so solid. We moved him inside this year because we thought he would be able to make more plays and he’s done that. He’s just so athletic and it’s difficult to get a body on him.”
It’s no coincidence that both will sign NCAA Division I letters of intent on the first Wednesday of February. Tolentino is mulling over a few offers, including one prominent one from the United States Naval Academy. Fox has narrowed down his choices to Virginia and Stanford.
“The thing I love about Jordan Fox is that the bigger the game, the better the opponent, the better he plays,” Hansen said. “I don’t know why it is, but our biggest games are his best games.”
“I would have to agree with him,” Fox said. “Coach Hansen always stresses to us that big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games. That’s what I want to. We were really happy that we put the team on our backs and got the job done, like Dave said. We turned to each other and got it done.”
Hansen can’t sing enough of Tolentino’s praises.
“I’ll tell you that if I had a situation where I had to be in a fox hole, I’d want Dave Tolentino right there with me,” Hansen said. “He has such passion and toughness. He’s a Jersey City kid, a legit tough Jersey City kid. But he’s also one of the nicest kids, sweet, polite.”
“I take a lot of pride of being from Jersey City,” said Tolentino, who got his start playing with the Jersey City Recreation Jets as a youngster. “Others may look at Jersey City in a different light, but I’m one of the first ones to say, ‘Hey, I’m from that 201 area code, the Jersey City area code.’ I always take pride in it.”
Fox is following in the footsteps of his older brother, James, who was a state wrestling champion at St. Peter’s three years ago and now wrestles at Harvard University. James Fox is also a former Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week, so the two brothers now share that distinction.
“He’s the better wrestler,” said Jordan Fox, who also wrestles. “I’m the better football player.”
“He has such a young body that’s still growing,” Hansen said of the younger Fox, who is still only 17 years old. “He’s going to be a monster at the next level.”
And the two buddies will now head to the Meadowlands in two weeks to try to capture the school’s first state title since 2005. – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.