September 16, 2011 – Bergen Catholic’s Nunzio Campanile, left, and Don Bosco Prep’s Greg Toal lead their teams into Hawkins Stadium tonight for the Manatee Memorial Hospital Suncoast Challenge. Photo Credit: Tiffany Tompkins-Condie
Bergen Catholic football head coach, Nunzio Campanile chatted with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson about former Don Bosco Prep head coach, Greg Toal becoming an assistant coach at Bergen Catholic high school. Press Play Below To Listen To The Interview On Scoop B Radio.
The Bergen Catholic Crusaders and Don Bosco Prep Ironmen will play in a nationally televised game Friday night on ESPN at Granatell Stadium in Ramsey, NJ.
The two schools have become one of northern New Jersey’s storied football rivalries.
At 5-2 (3-0 in conference), Bergen Catholic are winners of their last four games defeating Paramus Catholic, St. Joseph, St. Peter’s Prep and Pope John. Crusader running backs Josh McKenzie and Rahmir Johnson have been off the charts and quarterback Johnny Langan has guided the offense.
Don Bosco Prep, 2-5 (0-2 in conference) are looking for a win and have lost close games to St. Joseph and Paramus Catholic. Sophomore running back running back Jalen Berger has been one of the tops at his position in the state of New Jersey.
Aside from all of that, let’s not act like this is any ordinary game.
It’s the return of Don Bosco’s legendary coach, Greg Toal, who will be coaching on the opposite side of the field for the first time against a school he has plenty of history with.
Toal, now Bergen Catholic’s defensive line coach and special teams coach, abruptly retired as Don Bosco Prep’s head football coach. Toal held a 178-29 coaching record for 18 years as head coach at the school. He also guided the Ironmen to nine state titles and two national championships.
Toal’s coached players who took their talents to the NFL. That list includes, Ryan Grant, Corey Wootton and Cleveland Browns standout Jabrill Peppers.
“Everyone had that mutual respect for Coach Toal,” Corey Wootton, now a Big Ten Network Analyst told me by phone.
“That’s what set him apart.”
Toal also introduced the state of New Jersey to the notion of a traveling schedule and playing other schools with similar prestige.
Don Bosco Prep head football coach Mike Teel. Photo Credit: NJ.com
Many within the area began to speculate that Coach Toal was forced to retire, rather than leaving on his own free will. The school quickly named Mike Teel the school’s new head varsity football coach. Toal didn’t show up to Teel’s introductory press conference.
Don Bosco Prep president, Father Jim Heuser addressed Toal’s retirement and hiring of Mike Teel in a released statement, stating:
“Finally, there has been much discussion concerning the announcement of Coach Toal’s retirement before and during last week’s press conference. Prior to the press conference last Thursday, representatives of the Board of Trustees, including our Board Chairman, met with Coach Toal concerning my decision and left with a handshake and the clear understanding that he had agreed to retire from his position. Respecting that decision, we communicated that to our students, faculty, and other interested parties last week, as Coach Toal was advised was our intent. We were surprised to later learn that Coach Toal had apparently reversed his decision.”
This Bosco/Greg Toal/Bergen Catholic saga has more storylines and relationships than an episode of All My Children.
Hopefully they have just as cool of a theme song as the tv show!
“When I started hearing the real story I was extremely upset,” former Don Bosco Prep quarterback Steve Levy told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
“I was embarrassed, and I was hurt. Those were the three feelings that I had the most and still feel.”
And there’s more:
Mike Teel, Toal’s replacement, was coach by Toal at Don Bosco Prep in the early 2000s and later served as Don Bosco Prep’s offensive coordinator under Toal up until he replaced him.
Bergen Catholic head coach, Nunzio Campanile is also a disciple of Toal. Campanile was Don Bosco Prep’s offensive coordinator from 2000-2009 before leaving and becoming a head coach at Bergen Catholic. “I think he’s got a lot of gas in the tank,” Campanile told me on Scoop B Radio.
“And I told him when I left Don Bosco that a lot of people thought I would take over for him because I worked under him for ten years and the one thing that I said was he can step aside when he wants to. What he has done for high school football is tremendous so I was disappointed that it didn’t go that way from all of the stuff that we’ve all read. But in the end he is a great coach and he deserves the opportunity to coach and I think he’s done a great job focusing on the future rather than dwelling on the past. He’s had unbelievable memories at Don Bosco and I think he wants to keep it focused on that and what he’s going to do in the future and I think that’s a great way to look at it.”
Tired yet?
Bergen Catholic assistant coach Fred Stengel, formerly the Crusader’s head coach for 22 years before resigning in 2010, talks to players before practice on Tuesday, August 22, 2017. (Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran/Northjersey.com)
Coach Toal is also an assistant coach at Bergen Catholic along with Fred Stengel, Bergen Catholic’s once retired former head coach. Stengel was Bergen Catholic’s head football coach for 22 years before resigning.
Stengel and Toal were once rivals and are now co-workers.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Don Bosco Prep is 38-28-2 all-time against Bergen Catholic.
Million dollar question: Is Bergen Catholic and Don Bosco Prep a rivalry?
“Absolutely,” says Coach Campanile.
“I mean first of all this is about the kids and the kids are going to play the game. If you ask Coach Toal, that’s what he’s going to say and if you ask Coach Stengel, that’s what he’s going to say. And if you ask, Mike Teel that’s what he’s going to say. They are the ones who go out and play the game and they deserve to be a part of that rivalry, which is as good as it gets in America when it comes to high school sports; especially football.
Added Coach Campanile:
“Coach Toal coming to Bergen [Catholic] has nothing to do with Don Bosco. It has to do with a great fit and him having an opportunity to coach, me having the opportunity to get a great coach, our school getting a great mentor. But at the same time, when it comes to the game, we’re going to crank it up and we’re going to play football and it’s going to be a great game like it’s always been a great game.”
With more than a few family trees involved, Friday’s ESPN nationally televised game between the two schools can’t come soon enough.
Suggested Articles:
The Next Big Showcase’s Cliff Po & DJ Tarzan Making Dreams Reality in NYC & NJ
Scoop B Radio: Turner Sports’ Steve Smith Talks Career & More
You might also like
More from Sports
Lonzo Ball Signs with Klutch Sports, leaving Jay Z’s Roc Nation
Lonzo Ball wants to "lead his career" with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports Just a few months ago, the Ball brother …
Five-Star Hooper Makur Maker Commits to Howard University
Five-Star Big Man Makur Maker, cousin of NBA's Thon Maker, Commits to Howard University "A journey of a thousand miles begins …
Teenage Athlete Manager Ariel Levy Talks Career, Accomplishments, & More
Check out our recent chat with 19-year-old athlete manager Ariel Levy below. What exactly do you do for a career? Manager for …
