Post 631 – Team Preview 2021: Bernards Mountaineers

Bernards Mountaineers  

2020: 

  • 8-1 
  • 325 points scored; 36.11 average 
  • 113 points allowed; 12.55 average 
  • Wins: Delaware Valley, St. Thomas Aquinas, Governor Livingston, Johnson 
  • Losses: Hillside 

Graduation:  

  • QB Teddy Gouldin – UChicago 
  • WR/DB Pat Caldwell – Wagner for lacrosse 
  • WR/DB Evan Farlow – Chestnut Hill College for lacrosse 
  • K-P/DL Steve Lopez – New Haven 
  • DB AJ Mino – Colby 
  • LB Luke Burns – Ithaca 
  • LB Gavin Chieff – WPI 
  • LB Paul Chironna – Morrisville State 

2021 Captains:  

  • Michael Leanza, John Perling, Nick Paterno 

Offense:  

  • Formation: Multiple Spread 
  • Returning Starters: 7 

Quarterback: 

  • Brady Walsh, Senior, 6-0, 180 – competing and started last year at wide receiver 
  • Chris Dietrich, Sophomore, 6-2, 175 – competing 
  • Connor Laverty, Sophomore, 5-11, 160 – competing 

Running Back:  

  • Michael Leanza, Senior, 5-9, 200 – returning starter 
  • Jake Caldwell, Sophomore, 5-8, 150 – will have carries 
  • Kai Dallimore, Junior, 6-0, 180 – will have carries; Poly Prep (NY) transfer 

Wide Receiver: 

  • Tyler Austin, Senior, 5-9, 150 – returning starter 
  • Charlie Gonella, Sophomore, 5-10, 170 – competing 
  • Aidan Brown, Senior, 5-8, 140 – competing 
  • Enzo Britez, Junior, 5-10, 140 – competing 
  • Brady Walsh, Senior, 6-0, 180 – will start if he does not win QB competition 

Offensive Line: 

  • John Perling, Senior, 6-3, 225 – 3-year starter at left tackle 
  • Gabe McKinlay, Junior, 6-0, 240 – returning starter at left guard 
  • Nick Paterno, 5-10, 220 – returning starter at center 
  • Max Malin, Senior, 6-1, 225 – returning starter at right tackle 
  • Andrew Johnson, Senior, 6-2, 235 – competing at right guard and started some games 
  • Logan Ritchie, Sophomore, 6-4, 240 – competing at right guard 
  • Pablo Britez, Junior, 6-3, 280 – competing at right guard 
  • The five best players will play 

Defense:  

  • Formation: 3-3 Stack 
  • Returning Starters: 5 

Defensive Line:  

  • Pablo Britez, Junior, 6-3, 280 – will play in rotation 
  • Logan Ritchie, Sophomore, 6-4, 240 – will play in rotation 
  • Andrew Johnson, Senior, 6-2, 235 – will play in rotation 
  • Donnie Heppes, Senior, 6-3, 220 – will play in rotation 
  • John Perling, Senior, 6-3, 225 – returning starter who will line up here and linebacker 
  • Nick Paterno, 5-10, 220 – returning starter who will line up here and linebacker 

Linebacker:  

  • Brady Walsh, Senior, 6-0, 180 – returning starter on strong side 
  • Kai Dallimore, Junior, 6-0, 180 – projected starter in middle 
  • Carson Ruggia, Senior, 5-10, 175 – competing on weak side 
  • Perling and Paterno will play here at times, staging on the field 

Secondary:  

  • Tyler Austin, Senior, 5-9, 150 – returning starter at cornerback 
  • Jake Caldwell, Sophomore, 5-8, 150 – returning starter at cornerback 
  • Enzo Britez, Junior, 5-10, 140 – competing at the three safeties  
  • Connor Laverty, Sophomore, 5-11, 160 – competing at the three safeties  
  • Charlie Gonella, Sophomore, 5-10, 170 – competing at the three safeties  
  • Nicky Kouflie, Junior, 5-5, 145 – competing at the three safeties  
  • Alex Wellington, Junior, 5-9, 165 – competing at the three safeties  
  • Mike DiSabato, Sophomore, 5-6, 140 – competing at the three safeties  
  • Tommy Hanratty, Junior, 5-9, 150 – competing at the three safeties  

Special Teams: 

  • Sophomore Simon Bramwit will be the kicker 
  • Sophomore Chris Dietrich will punt 
  • Austin, Brown, and Caldwell are back as return men 

Schedule: 

  • Saturday, 8/28, Penns Grove at Ocean City 
  • 9/3-4, Bye Week  
  • Friday, 9/10, Hillside at home  
  • Saturday, 9/18, at Governor Livingston 
  • Friday, 9/24, North Plainfield at home 
  • Friday, 10/1, at Delaware Valley 
  • Friday, 10/8, at Brearley 
  • Friday, 10/15, Voorhees at home 
  • Friday, 10/22, South River at home 
  • Friday, 10/29, at Middlesex  

Concerns:  

  • Graduating some of the best players in the program’s history 

Recruiting:  

    • Perling will go anywhere from Ivy/Patriot to NESCAC 
    • Leanza and Walsh are NESCAC type candidates 
    • Paterno may go football or lacrosse 
    • Austin may wrestle 
    • Others may go D3 
    • Underclassmen: 
    • McKinlay and both Britez’s are juniors who will play somewhere 
    • Ritchie and Dietrich are the top sophomores 
    • Caldwell will probably go lacrosse 

Coach’s Comments:  

“We’re excited for the season; we’re getting back to the normal calendar after dealing with COVID last year and it feels like the world is getting better. This is a very coachable team; enjoyable and fun to be with. I’m impressed with how they dealt with the obstacles presented to them and kept busy. If they learned a lesson from last year’s team, that was it. We are happy to practice after not having much of it last year.” – Head Coach Jon Simoneau 

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