The 7 & 8 year old Rutherford Mighty Mites battled for their second win this Sunday against Manchester. They held the Falcons to 1 score and 1 first down all game, led by the powerhouse defensive line of Luca Ventura, James Bennett, Michael Urgola, Harry Adams, Andrew Kidangan, and Brandon Byrne. The Bulldogs were unsuccessful in scoring on their first drive as the Manchester ends sealed up the corners well. Early in their 2^nd offensive drive however, Kevin Calabrese was able to break a 40+ yard sweep for a score, setting the tone for the rest of the game. After having a touchdown called back due to a penalty, Luke Barnes was able to break through the middle for a touchdown late in the 2^nd quarter, capping off a long 12 play drive. Kevin Calabrese started off strong the 3^rd quarter with another touchdown, this time a blast to the left side. In the next possession, Manchester scored on their only first down of the day up the left side. Rutherford answered quickly, with Wyatt Bohn taking one to the house for the 4^th Bulldog touchdown of the day, behind a strong blocking core of Michael Gerbasio, and Brandon Byrne on the left side. Our defense held strong the rest of the day, thanks to Patrick Bender, Declan Skabla, Charlie LaGreca, Nathaniel Bracero, Taran Mundle. The Rutherford Bulldog Pee Wees (8-9 year olds) secured their second straight shutout victory of the season on Sunday.  The Bulldogs (2-0) started off on defense and forced a turnover on downs.  The offense was able to move the ball down the field and converted on a key fourth down run to set up first and goal.  Brendan O ‘Rourke punched the ball into the end zone for the first score of the day.  The Bulldogs were able to force a second turnover on downs on the Falcons’ second possession of the game.  Ryan Wilton took the ball to the house a few plays later for the Bulldogs second score of the day.  The Bulldogs received the ball to start the second half and scored three plays later.  Tyler Griffin raced down the right sideline for a 40 yard score.  Opening holes for the running backs were Joey Urgola, Owen Byrne, Owen Burbank, Gavin Nimmo, Declan Moran, Chris DeHaas and TJ Sprayberry. The Bulldogs defense was controled the game and got the ball back after another turnover on downs.  Brendan O’Rourke capped off the scoring with a twenty-yard touchdown run to seal the victory for the Bulldogs.  The defense was led by Jake Barnes, Robert Prince, Frankie Wilton and Kevin Wilton. The Junior Bulldogs (10-11 year olds) had a tough, hard fought victory over a large Manchester team with a final score of 20-0.  The Bulldog’s Defense (2-0) was the key to the victory led by Vincent Daly, Eathan DeCarlo, and Manny Arguello who all played big parts in securing the shutout.  On offense, the Bulldogs moved the ball with big runs by Quinn Weber and Will Holmann, who scored all three scores. Rutherford Seniors (12-13 year olds) lost 26-0 to Manchester Falcons.  Rutherford (1-1) had a rough time getting anything going on offense or defense.  The highlight was an interception by Chris Kasperan and another by Russ Snyder. The Bulldog program will be in Harrison next Saturday to battle the Blue Tide.

Our Mighty Mite Bulldogs (7 yrs old) started the day with a strong performance starting with an even stronger entrance to the field carrying 20 American Flags in honor of the 20^th 9/11 Day of Remembrance. The Mites set the tone for the day with a stout defensive stand on the opening drive which resulted in a change of possession that lead to a 30+ yard cutback touchdown run by tailback Luke Barnes behind his blocking backs Michael Gerbasio and Kevin Calabrese with key seal blocks from his offensive line starting with Center Michael Urgola followed by Luca Ventura, Eddie Riser, Patrick Bender, Taran Mundle, Andrew Kidangan, and Charlie LaGreca. Kevin Calabrese relied on his own blocking technique with two jarring stiff-arms delivered to pursuing defenders on his way down the sideline for a touchdown. After Luke Barnes forced a fumble on the QB-RB exchange on the following play that was recovered by Andrew Kidnagan, Michael Gerbasio and Wyatt Bohn would round out the day with two more touchdowns while a supporting cast of Brandon Byrne, Declan Skabla, Evan Rapetti, and Nathaniel Bracero,  helped hold our opponent scoreless to seal the victory!  The Rutherford Pee Wee Bulldogs opened up their season with a bang! The Bulldogs started the game on defense and forced a turnover on downs. Ryan Wilton scored on a 50 yard touchdown run down the right sideline on the first offensive play of the season. The Bulldogs forced a turnover on the Warriors’  second possession that led to a 40 yard touchdown run by Brendan O’Rourke. Frankie Wilton was able to punch it into the end zone for the extra point !  The Bulldogs were able to power in for another score just before halftime.  Tyler Griffin followed a wall of Bulldog blockers down the left sideline for a 40 yard touchdown run.  Opening the running lanes for the Bulldogs were Joey Urgola, Declan Moran, Owen Byrne, Owen Burbank, TJ Sprayberry, Gavin Nimmo, and Chase Kuenzle.  The Bulldogs received the ball to open the second half.  Robert Prince raced 45 yards down the sideline for his first score of the season and the last score of the day for the Bulldogs.  Jake Barnes led the defense that didn’t budge the entire game. The defending champion Juniors picked up right where they left off last season, pounding their opponents 41-0.  The scoring blitz started with Chase Martini, Keelan Cannon, and Logan Bohn creating a crease, and JoJo Marullo cleared the path for Zach Snyder to score from midfield on the first of his three touchdowns on the day.  Ayden Rivera, Fynn Byrne, and John Gioia were not going to be outperformed as they too cleared the way for Will Holman to show off his speed, as he also raced for three touchdowns on the day!  On defense the Bulldogs were stringent.  Vinny Urgola, Eathan DeCarlo, and Vincent Daly anchored the middle of the field, as Quinn Weber kept a tight seal on the edge.  Manny Arguello came away the his first interception as the Junior Bulldogs showed the league they are still the team to beat in this MFL division. Rutherford Seniors started off the season with a 28-0 victory over WERC Warriors.  Dimitri Paskas got the bulldogs on the board in the first qtr with a 25 yard run around the right side.  Myles Balchan hooked up with Chris Kasperan for 30 yard TD.  Paskas added another TD run in the first qtr to put the bulldogs up 20-0.  Paskas wasn't done catching a screen pass from Balchan and raced 45 yards for the TD right before half.  Paskas also added 2 extra point kicks.  Offensive line led by Antonio Pizza, Evan Diaz, Kellen Caughey, Jack McGill, Nick Rodriguez opened holes all day. Defense was led by Emmitt Carney who had about dozen tackles,  Nick "Crowbar" Ford and Mathew Bonagura controlled the running attack of the Warriors. Saleem Day and Boydan Fedorko shut down WERC's passing attack. The RJF&C program will be in Manchester next Sunday 11:00 am start.

The Mighty Mite Bulldogs (7 year olds) were on the road this week facing the Lyndhurst Golden Bears.  The Mites (3-0) started the game with Wyatt Bohn handing it off to Luke Barnes who punched it up the gut for a 40+ yard touchdown with Michael Gerbasio and Kevin Calabrese leading the way as blocking backs.  The blocks on the line were sealed by Patrick Bender, Luca Ventura, James Bennett, Harry Adams, Michael Urgola, Andrew Kidangan and Charlie LaGreca.  In addition, the Mites had four other offensive touchdowns.  Michael Gerbasio and Kevin Calabrese each had scores. Luke Barnes had two more for a total of three touchdowns. The Mites held their opponent scoreless for the second time this season.  The big play on defense was by nose tackle Michael Urgola, who pursued the back nearly across the field to force a fumble, in which Kevin Calabrese recovered and ran back for his second touchdown of the day.  This was the Mites first defensive score of the season.  Eddie Riser, Taran Mundle, Declan Skabla, Brandon Byrne and James Weigel all assisted in sealing the victory. The Rutherford Bulldog Pee Wees (8-9 year olds) continue to roll after a 28-0 victory over Harrison.  The Bulldogs (3-0) opened the game on offense and drove down the field.  Tyler Griffin hit Gavin Nimmo on a short pass that took the Bulldogs to the Harrison 5 yard line.  Brendan O’Rourke broke a few tackles on his way into the endzone for a touchdown.    The Bulldog defense was up next and they did not disappoint.  Chase Kuenzle intercepted a pass and took it to the house for the Bulldogs’ first defensive touchdown of the year.  The Defense was led by Jake Barnes and Robert Prince.  Rutherford kicked off and recovered a fumble by the Blue Tide.  The Bulldogs drove down the field behind the blocking from Joey Urgola, Owen Byrne, Owen Burbank, Declan Moran , TJ Sprayberry, Mark Goldsack, and Frankie Wilton.  The drive was capped off when Tyler Griffin found Chase Kuenzle wide open in the endzone for his second touchdown of the day.  The Bulldogs kept the momentum going into the second half.  Ryan Wilton ran hard and was able to pound the ball into the endzone for the final touchdown of the evening.  Wilton also scored all four of the extra points for Rutherford. The Rutherford Juniors (10-11 year olds) had their game postponed. They are looking at a Wednesday 9/29 play date. Rutherford Seniors (12-13 year olds) got back to their winning ways with a 39-0 victory over Harrison.  Myles Balchan scored on the second play scrimmage on a 45 yard run.  Dimitri Paskas scored shortly after, that was set up by a nice catch and run by Russ Snyder.  Balchan later hooked up with Mathew Bonagura on 25 yard TD pass.   Paskas scored one more time.  Chris Kasperan scored the last touchdown on a 95 yard interception return for a touchdown.  Evan Diaz , Antonio Pizza,. Jack McGill and Kellen Caughey did a great job opening holes and providing time for Balchan to pass.  Defense was led by Emmitt Carney, Nick Ford and Bohdan Fedorko. The Bulldog program is on the road again Saturday, visiting Hasbrouck Hts for a cross division rivalry game.

The (7-8 year olds) Rutherford Mighty Mites battled for their fourth win this Saturday against Hasbrouck Heights. They held the Aviators scoreless, led by the talented linebacker core of Luke Barnes, Kevin Calabrese and Michael Gerbasio. The Bulldogs (4-0) were successful in scoring on their first drive as the Aviators let up a long touchdown run by Kevin Calabrese helped by his offensive line. On the Bulldogs third offensive possession Michael Gerbasio ran up the middle for a long touchdown run. On the first play of the second quarter Luke Barnes ran right and scored the third Bulldogs touchdown. The next possession after a strong defensive stand by the Bulldogs Wyatt Bohn took off the right side to score the fourth touchdown of the day. Kevin Calabrese started off strong with another touchdown, this time a blast to the left side. In the next possession, Bulldogs held the Aviators and then the Bulldogs answered with a long touchdown from Wyatt Bohn off the right side. To end the scoring Luke Barnes scored again based on the blocking of Patrick Bender, Declan Skabla, Charlie LaGreca, Nathaniel Bracero, Michael Urgola, and Brandon Byrne. Harry Adams, Eddie Riser, Luca Ventura, Andrew Kidangan, James Weigel, James Bennett, and Taran Mundle all assisted in the victory. The Rutherford Pee Wee Bulldogs (8-9 year olds) just keep on rolling with a 12-0 victory over northern division rivals Hasbrouck Heights.  It was a hard fought victory for the Bulldogs (4-0) and a very exciting Pee Wee football game all around.  The Bulldogs won the coin toss and deferred until the second half.  Hasbrouck Heights received the ball and sustained a drive all the way down the Bulldogs 3-yard line.  The Bulldogs stopped the Aviators on fourth and goal and took over on offense.  Tyler Griffin hit Owen Burbank on an out route for a nice gain but the Bulldogs drive eventually stalled around midfield.  The Aviators took over on offense but the Bulldogs defense and Jake Barnes were able to stuff their next possession and forced a turnover on downs. Rutherford then went on a 60-yard drive that ultimately ended up with the first score of the day.  Tyler Griffin and Ryan Wilton were were taking turns pounding the ball down the field which led to the first score of the day.  Wilton took the ball 25 yards to the house behind the blocking of Frankie Wilton, Brendan O’Rourke, Joey Urgola, Owen Byrne, Owen Burbank, Gavin Nimmo, Declan Moran, TJ Sprayberry, and Chase Kuenzle.  The teams went into halftime with Rutherford holding a 6-0 lead. The Bulldogs received the second half kickoff and the game went back and forth for the entire third quarter.  The Bulldogs were finally able to break loose in the fourth when Ryan Wilton broke free for a 40-yard run where he was stopped inside the Aviators 10-yard line.  Rutherford faced a fourth down and goal where Wilton was able to power his way into the endzone for his second score of the day.  Gavin Nimmo iced the game with an interception late in the fourth quarter.  Rutherford was then able to take a knee and run out the clock for the victory. The Junior Bulldogs (10-11 year olds) won 32-0 against Hasbrouck Heights but the game was tougher than the score suggests.  Big plays paved the way for the victory, with the defense not bending to keep the shut out intact.  Quinn Weber followed up his great performance against Harrison with a great effort against the Aviators, as he threw two touchdowns and ran one in himself behind Matt Ventura and Chase Martini.  Will Holman scored on two long plays as a receiver and a running back behind key down field blocking from Logan Bohn and JoJo Marullo.  Marullo played big all game, as he too had a great catch and run for a touchdown.  The Bulldog defense (4-0) was swarming with Ethan DeCarlo, Vinćenzo Urgola, and Vincent Daly plugging the middle of the field.  The one big play by the Aviators was quickly undone by a quick thinking Holman who punched the ball out of the ball carriers hands inside the redzone.  The game was capped by nice running by Devon Magai and Anthony Pizza. Rutherford Seniors (12-13 year olds) lost to Heights. Running the ball was difficult vs the HH stingy defense. Highlights were in the effort of offensive backs Dimitri Paskas, Matt Bonagura and Myles Balchan. The offense moved the ball to the ten yard line a few times, but came up short. The Rutherford program will be home Sat versus the Lyndhurst contingent for Southern Division bragging rights.

We were told we couldnt have French Fries at our Beefsteak, because they were "Messy & Dangerous" despite being in a Fire House & next door to an Ambulance Corp.

I am proud to say that all had French Fries and no one was injured in the preparation of such.

The Rutherford Mighty Mites (5-0) battled the Lyndhurst Golden Bears for the second time this season.  The Bulldogs (7 yr olds) were victorious again but this week’s game was a much tougher battle. In the first half the Bulldogs were dominant.  They opened their first offensive series with a long touchdown sweep by Luke Barnes with great offensive blocking by Michael Gerbasio and Kevin Calabrese. They then stopped Lyndhurst and answered with another touchdown, this time by Kevin Calabrese. The Mites stopped Lyndhurst again and were able to grab a third touchdown in the first half.  Wyatt Bohn was the third bulldog to score for the Mites. The second half was much tighter.  The Mites started the half with the ball but threw an interception.  The Bulldogs grabbed the ball back quickly with a forced fumble and recovery by Kevin Calabrese.  On this offensive series Luke Barnes broke through the line on a blast for the Mites fourth touchdown.  On the offensive line for the Mites were Patrick Bender, Andrew Kidangan, Taran Mundle, Harry Adams, James Bennett, Michael Urgola and Charlie LaGreca. The Bulldogs again held their opponent scoreless for the fourth time this season.  Patrick Bender and Andrew Kidangan both put on an impressive defensive display.  Bender at left corner stopped a bunch of sweeps with solo tackles.  Kidangan at right end forced a ton of sweeps back inside in addition to multiple tackles in the backfield. Declan Skabla, Nathanial Bracero, Brandon Byrne, Eddie Riser, and James Weigel all assisted in their victory. Luca Ventura, due to injury, cheered on his teammates from the sideline. The Rutherford Pee Wee Bulldogs (5-0) pulled off a nail biter over their southern division rival the Lyndhurst Golden Bears by a score of 14-12. Rutherford (8-9 yr olds) was down for the first time all season when Lyndhurst took a 6-0 lead midway thru the first quarter.  The Bulldogs were able to stop the extra point attempt.  Rutherford received the kickoff and started a drive of their own.  Ryan Wilton led the way with carry after carry.  Frankie Wilton and Brendan O’Rourke opened up the running lanes for Wilton as he was able to scamper 35 yards for the tying touchdown.  The Bulldogs were successful on their point after attempt as Wilton ran it in to put the Bulldogs up 7-6. This was the score going into halftime.  Rutherford received the second half kick and proceeded down the field.  They sustained a ten play drive behind the blocking from Joey Urgola, Declan Moran, Owen Byrne, Owen Burbank, Gavin Nimmo, Chris DeHaas, and Chase Kuenzle.  Wilton capped off the drive with a 5 yard touchdown run and another successful extra point attempt that would put the Bulldogs up 14-6.  Frankie Wilton led the defense as the Golden Bears were forced into a turnover on downs.  Rutherford also gave the ball back to Lyndhurst four plays later and the Golden Bears were down by eight points with under four minutes to play.  They scored a touchdown with under thirty seconds left in regulation and attempted to kick a field goal worth two points.  The Bulldogs blocked the kick and remained in the lead 14-12.  Lyndhurst then attempted an onside kick which Rutherford recovered and the Bulldogs were able to run the clock out for their fifth straight win. The Junior Bulldogs (10-11 yr olds) had an explosive start, scoring 40 points in the first half against Lyndhurst.  John Gioia started the scoring as he took a slant pass from Quinn Weber 40 yards for his first career score.  Logan Bohn added two touchdowns of his own on passes from Weber.  Will Holman was nearly untouchable as he ran behind Fynn Byrne, Gioia, Vinny Urgola, and Keelan Cannon for two scores, and he added another on a kick return.  Zach Snyder felt left out so he pulled a spin move out of his bag of tricks to go 60 yards for a touchdown behind Jojo Marullo, Chase Martini, and Matt Ventura.  The defense lead by Vincent Daly and Eathan DeCarlo bent on two broken plays as they gave up the first scores against them all season but held strong as the Bulldogs moved to 5-0 with a 46-12 victory over Golden Bears. The Seniors (12-13 yr olds) lost 25-0 to Lyndhurst.  Dimitri Paskas tried his best to get the Bulldog offense going against an aggressive Lyndhurst defense.  QB Myles Balchan just missed a couple deep passes while under heavy duress.  LB’s Bohdan Fedorko and Emmitt Carney made numerous tackles for the Bulldog defense. The Rutherford program will be in Secaucus next Saturday with the Mites opening up at 4:00 pm.

The Rutherford Mighty Mites (6-0) took on the Secaucus Patriots this weekend.  The Bulldogs (6-7 year olds) remained undefeated but had their greatest challenge yet. The Bulldogs started with the ball and although the Patriots were able to stop them for a loss on the first play, the very next play Luke Barnes broke away on a sweep for a touchdown.  The Mites then held the Patriots to a 3 and out.  On the next offensive series Wyatt Bohn scored on a quarterback sweep.  The lil Dogs held the Patriots to a 3 and out, again.  When the Bulldogs got the ball back Michael Gerbasio scored a touchdown in short order. The Patriots had the ball to start the second half.  When they had nearly broken away on a sweep, linebacker Gerbasio forced and recovered a fumble.  The turnover led to another touchdown by Luke Barnes.  The Patriots then mounted a long drive against the Mites but could not get into the end zone. Blocking this week for the Mites were Patrick Bender, Andrew Kidangan, Taran Mundle, Harry Adams, James Bennett, Michael Urgola and Charlie LaGreca.  The Mites once again held their opponent scoreless thanks to the help of Kevin Calabrese, Eddie Riser, James Weigal and Declan Skabla.  This was the fifth time this season the Mites held their opponent scoreless. The Rutherford Pee Wee Bulldogs (8-9 year olds) kept up their winning ways on Sunday with a 21-0 victory over the Secaucus Patriots.  The game was pretty much one sided after the Patriots were able to drive the ball down to the Rutherford 5 yard line.  The Bulldogs defense forced and recovered a fumble on third down and began their own drive down the field.  Ryan and Frankie Wilton each carried the ball twice on the opening drive and were able to set the Bulldogs up for their first score.  Brendan O’Rourke took a handoff and raced down the sideline for a 50 yard touchdown.  Ryan Wilton was able to punch it in for the extra point.  Ryan Wilton then recovered an onside kick and Rutherford (6-0) started to march down the field again.  Tyler Griffin hit Owen Burbank for a 5 yard touchdown pass that put the Bulldogs up 13-0.  Griffin then ran the ball in for the extra point and that ended the first half.  The Bulldogs received the second half kickoff.  The offensive line was starting to click and opening up the holes were Joey Urgola, Owen Byrne, Owen Burbank, Gavin Nimmo, Michael Pizza, TJ Sprayberry, and Lucas Sullivan.  Ryan Wilton took a Frankie Wilton handoff 50 yards to the house.  Tyler Griffin was able to slam into the endzone for the final extra point of the day. The Bulldogs Junior division (10-11 year olds) ran six offensive plays against The Secaucus Patriots.  Five went for touchdowns.  The scoring started with fullback Jojo Marullo up the middle for fifty yards.  Then Quinn Weber found Logan Bohn and John Gioia for a long TD strike each.  Zach Snyder was next as he sprinted past the defense for another. Will Holman felt left out so he took the second half kickoff for a 60 yard touchdown.  The defense did not let up much on the day.  One broken play resulted in the lone touchdown against the Bulldogs (6-0) lead by Vincent Daly, Ayden Rivera, and Matt Ventura.  Jimmy Sinani worked his big frame off in the middle with Anthony Pizza and Julian Kay holding the corners down.  Ethan Decarlo closed the third quarter with a one handed pick six from the safety position as the Bulldogs rolled through Secaucus with a 46-6 victory as they remain undefeated. Rutherford Seniors (12-13 year olds) lost a hard fought game to Secaucus Patriots 34-6.  The highlight of the game for the Rutherford offense was a 70 yard touchdown pass from Myles Balchan to Chris Kasperan.  Rutherford defense was led by Antonio Pizza and Bohdan Fedorko. The Bulldog program will be home versus North Arlington this coming Saturday.

    Rutherford Seniors (12-13 yr olds) won a hard fought battle against North Arlington Vikings 14-7.  Dimitri Paskas scored on the first drive on a 50 yard run to put the Dawgs up 6-0.  In the second qtr Myles Balchan hooked up with Chris Kasperan on a 40 yard touchdown pass. Boghdan Fedorko added the extra point to make it 14-0.  Rutherford defense was led by Saleem Day, Russ Snyder, Angelo Pizza and Emmitt Carney. The Seniors locked up a third seed in the MFL playoffs. The game of football is won on the line and the Junior Bulldogs (10-11 yr olds) believe it.  TE John Gioia, T Fynn Byrne, G Keelan Cannon, C Vin Urgola, G chase Martini, T Matt Ventura, and TE Logan Bohn buy into that belief as they created wholes to seal another victory for the 5th/6th grade division.  Will Holman started the scoring behind the lines hard work.  JoJo Marullo and Quinn Weber followed with sprints of their own to the end zone.  Zach Snyder added two scores of his own from midfield in each half.  Holman finalized the scoring with a long reception from Weber to close out the scoreboard blitz for a 40-0 victory over the North Arlington Vikings.  The defense was lead by Gioia, Ventura, and Vincent “textbook” Daly as they yielded less than ten yards in the game.  The team moves to 7-0 with one game left in the regular season. The Rutherford  Pee Wee Bulldogs (8-9 yr olds) remained undefeated after a 20-6 victory over the North Arlington Vikings.  The game was hard fought in the first half with the Vikings taking a 6-0 lead into halftime.  The Bulldogs finally started rolling  at the start of the second half.  Rutherford recovered an onside kick and drove right down the field.  Tyler Griffin got the Bulldogs on the scoreboard with a 5 yard touchdown run.  He also ran in the extra point to give the Bulldogs the lead 7-6.  Rutherford never looked back.  The Bulldogs forced a fumble and it was recovered by Owen Byrne.  Ryan Wilton capped off the next Bulldog drive with what could be the top run of the season.  He raced down the right sideline breaking tackles and spinning his way into the end zone to give the Bulldogs a 13-6 lead.  Griffin ran the ball in for the extra point.  The backs were able to score behind the blocking from Frankie Wilton, Brendan O’Rourke, Joey Urgola, Owen Byrne, Owen Burbank, TJ Sprayberry, Mark Goldsack, Declan Moran, Chris DeHaas, and Chase Kuenzle.    The Bulldogs recovered the onside kick and were able to score for the final time on the day.  Tyler Griffin hit Chase Kuenzle  on a 10 yard out that put the Bulldogs up 20-6 .   The defense played a  great game and were led by Jake Barnes and Robert Prince.  The Bulldogs are the regulars season Southern Division Champions with the Victory. The Rutherford Mighty Mites (7 yr olds) took on the Wallington\East Rutherford\Carlstadt Warriors this weekend.  The Warriors came out fierce but were stopped by the Bulldogs.  This was the second time these teams played each other this season.The Warriors started the game with the ball but were stopped quickly by the Mites.  The Bulldogs (7-0) followed that stop with a sweeping touchdown run by Michael Gerbasio.  The Warriors moved the ball better on their second possession but were still stopped without any points.  Kevin Calbrese scored on an off tackle run on the Mites second possession.  Both teams had the ball two more times in the first half, each of which resulted in a stop and a touchdown by the bulldogs.  The touchdowns were scored by Luke Barnes and Michael Gerbasio. On the line this week for the Bulldog Mites was Patrick Bender, Andrew Kidangan, Taran Mundle, Harry Adams, James Bennett, Michael Urgola and Charlie LaGreca.  The second half followed suit, with the Bulldogs stopping the Warriors and answering with a touchdown.  The touchdowns in the second half were scored by Luke Barnes, Wyatt Bohn and Michael Gerbasio. Hard hits on defense this week were had by Declan Skabla, Eddie Riser, James Weigal, Brandon Byrne and Nathaniel Bracero.  Furthermore, the Bulldogs held their opponent scoreless - the seventh time this season. The Bulldogs close out regular season home versus the Saddle Brook Falcons.

The Rutherford Mighty Mites (8-0) took on the Saddle Brook Falcons this weekend.  This battle proved to be the Dogs greatest fight of the season. The Mites (6-7 year olds) started with the ball, on the second play of the game Lukes Barnes took a sweep in for a touchdown.   The Falcons came out and got a first down but then were stopped by the Dogs.  The Falcons elected to punt and were able to stop the Mites after a few first downs.  Both Saddle Brook and the Mites had another possession in the half but both were stopped after driving down the field. The Falcons started the second half with the ball and were able to score on a quick pass after evading a few Dogs.  The Mites then answered with another touchdown by Luke Barnes.  On the line this week for the Bulldog Mites was Eddie Riser, Andrew Kidangan, Taran Mundle, Harry Adams, James Bennett, Michael Urgola and Charlie LaGreca.  On the Falcons next possession Michael Gerbasio forced a fumble which was recovered by James Bennett.  The defense had plenty of hits this week by Kevin Calabrese, Michael Gerbasio, Brandon Byrne, James Weigal and Nathaniel Bracero. Following the fumble, the Mites quarterback Wyatt Bohn kept it on a sweep and took it in for another Bulldog touchdown.  The Falcons then took to the air but were intercepted by Charlie LaGreca, the ball was fumbled on the return but recovered by Deklan Skabla.  The Dogs ended the game while driving down the field. The Rutherford Pee Wee Bulldogs (8-9 year olds) capped off an undefeated regular season (8-0) with a 33-6 victory over the Saddle Brook Falcons.  The Bulldogs won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.  The defense forced then forced a turnover on downs.  Ryan Wilton put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard first with a nice 30 yard run four minutes into the game.  Frankie Wilton ran a successful extra point on the next play.  The defense forced a fumble in the next possession and the Bulldogs were off to the races again.  Brendan O’Rourke scored the next two touchdowns for the Bulldogs. The first score came in the first quarter when he took a handoff 40 yards to the endzone. The second touchdown came on the last play of the first half when he raced down the left sideline for a 40 yard score. The score at halftime was 20-6 in favor of Rutherford.  The second half opened up with the Bulldogs receiving an onside kick.  Tyler Griffin took care of business on the opening drive and scored on a 40 yard run to give the Bulldogs a 26-6 lead.  The defense forced a turnover on downs in the next series and the Bulldogs were at it again .  This time Ryan Wilton took a handoff on the right side of the field and with some nifty moves he was able to find the endzone for a 35 yard score.  Mason Colon capped off the scoring on the day with a 60 yard touchdown run of his own as he blew past the Falcons down the right sideline as time expired .  The Bulldogs will take on Harrison in the opening round of the playoffs. The Junior division Bulldogs (10-11 year olds) finished the season undefeated (8-0) as the defeated Saddle Brook 26-0.  Saddle Brook did their best to hold the ball and eat the clock in an effort to keep the Bulldog offense off the field, but it didn’t make a difference.  Quinn Weber threw three touchdowns.  He found TE John Gioia for the first score in the back of the endzone for the first score.  Then he found TE Logan Bohn on a flag route for the second score.  William Holman closed out the scoring as he raced seventy yards for one touchdown, and then caught a sixty yard pass for the final score.  Chase Martini and Fynn Byrne played well on both sides of the ball as they helped close out the game.  Eathan DeCarlo, Matt Ventura, and Vincent Daly all made a nice impact on Defense as the Bulldogs closed out the shut out.   They begin their playoff run with North Arlington next Saturday as they look to defend their title as Champions. The Rutherford Seniors (12-13 year olds) closed the season with a forfeit over Saddle Brook. The Sr Bulldogs earned a three seed in the opening round of the MFL Playoffs and will be playing the Lyndhurst Bears.

  The Rutherford Mighty Mites (9-0) finished off their undefeated season with a big win over New Milford this weekend at Mighty Mite Day.  The Bulldog Mites (6-7 year olds) started with the ball, on the first offensive play Luke Barnes scored on a sweep behind great blocking from his fellow backs and offensive line.  The Knights went three and out on their first possession with Michael Gerbasio making a huge tackle for loss.  The dominant defensive performance continued all game as Gerbasio, along with Andrew Kidangan, Taran Mundle, Harry Adams, Michael Urgola, and Deklan Skabla played most of the game in the opponent’s backfield.  The Bulldogs would get two more touchdowns from Barnes, who had a huge day running the ball, and one each from Kevin Calabrese and Wyatt Bohn.  The running lanes were opened by Nathaniel Bracero, Charlie LaGreca, Eddie Riser, Patrick Bender, James Weigal, and Brandon Byrne.  The defense remained stout until the end with the only points for the Knights coming off a fumble return for a touchdown.  The defense also recorded a safety and put the game away with a strip sack by Mundle late in the fourth quarter.  The Bulldog Mites clearly saved their best for last, finishing with their most complete game of the season.The Rutherford Pee Wee Bulldogs (8-9 year olds) advanced to the semifinal round of the Southern Division playoffs with a shutout victory over Harrison.  The Bulldogs forced a turnover on downs on the Blue Tides opening possession and scored two plays later.  Ryan Wilton outran the Harrison defense for a thirty yard touchdown and also ran in the extra point. The Bulldogs recovered an onside kick and marched right back to the endzone.  Brendan O’Rourke ran the ball three straight times resulting in a twenty yard touchdown run.  Wilton ran in the extra point to give the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead. The Bulldog defense forced another turnover on downs to give Rutherford (9-0) the ball back on the Harrison side of the field.  Ryan Wilton once again took a handoff thirty yards for his second touchdown of the game.  The extra point was also successful as the Bulldogs took a 21-0 lead.  Harrison elected to forgo the kickoff and took the ball on their own 25 yard line.  The Bulldog defense was stout, aggressive, and in attack mode for the entire game.  The defense was led by Owen Burbank, Owen Byrne, Joey Urgola, Frankie Wilton, Gavin Nimmo, Jake Barnes, Robert Prince, Tyler Griffin, Brendan O’Rourke, Chase Kuenzle, and Ryan Wilton.  Wilton set up the Bulldogs final touchdown of the game when he sacked the Harrison quarterback and forced a fumble.  Tyler Griffin picked up the ball and ran it in for the touchdown.  Chase Kuenzle caught a pass from Griffin for the extra point that gave the Bulldogs a 28-0 victory.  The Bulldogs will face the Lyndhurst Golden Bears next week with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. The Junior Division Bulldogs (10 and 11 year olds) made a statement in the first round of the playoffs, as they scored 39 points in the first half against the North Arlington Vikings.  Zach Snyder (2), Will Holman, Jojo Marullo, Quinn Weber, and Logan Bohn all made big plays to cross the goal line for scores.  They were great plays but the play of the day came on a pass by Snyder to Manny Arguello who refused to go down as he fought for five yards into the end zone.  The defense was unrelenting as Chase Martini, John Gioia, and Fynn Byrne locked it down on the line.  The Bulldogs move to 9-0 on the year as they prepare for the WERC Warriors next week to see who represents the Southern Division in the Meadowlands Super Bowl. Senior Bulldogs (12-13 year olds) lost 26-0 to Lyndhurst bears.  Dimitri Paskas continued to run extremely hard all game but the line of Evan Diaz, Andrew Ochojski, Angelo Pizza, Nick Ford, Nick Rodriguez and Kellen Caughey.  Rutherford big offensive play came right before half on a double pass from Myles Balchan to Chris Kasperan to Russ Snyder.  On Defense, LBs Emmitt Carney, Bohdan Fedorko, Matt Bonagura and Saleem Day did their best to try and Limit Lyndhurst rushing attack

The Rutherford Pee Wee Bulldogs are Super Bowl Bound! The Bulldogs (8-9 year olds) will represent the Southern Division after defeating the Lyndhurst Golden Bears 12-6.  Rutherford (10-0) won the regular season matchup 14-12 and knew they were in for another tough game. Lyndhurst received the opening kickoff and scored five plays later to take a 6-0 lead. The extra point attempt was unsuccessful.  The Rutherford defense held their ground for the rest of the game and were led by Ryan Wilton and Gavin Nimmo. The Golden Bears were shoutout for the final three quarters of action. The Bulldogs were able to punch in a touchdown with eleven seconds left in the first half when Tyler Griffin scored on a one yard plunge behind the blocking of Joey Urgola. The extra point was stuffed and the score at halftime was 6-6.  Rutherford received the second half kickoff and had a nice drive going but came up short after going for it on fourth down. The game was going back and forth until the Bulldog defense pinned its ears back and attacked the Bears forcing a fumble on their own five yard line. Ryan Wilton recovered the ball and the Bulldogs were back in the endzone three plays later. Frankie Wilton handed the ball off to Tyler Griffin and he followed his blockers into the endzone to give the Bulldogs a 12-6 lead.  The Golden Bears received the ball and were on their way down the field until Gavin Nimmo made a crucial stop on fourth down to give the ball back to Rutherford.  The Bulldogs were able to gain two first downs and run the clock out for the win.  The Bulldogs will face the Hasbrouck Heights Aviators in the Super Bowl. Trophies are nice but the Southern Division Trophy isn’t enough.  Since August 9th, the Junior Bulldogs (10-11 year olds) have been hearing that statement and have truly bought into that mindset.  A broken play on fourth and long in the first quarter resulted in a touchdown against the Bulldogs (10-0), which put them behind on the scoreboard for the first time all season.  The WERC Warriors wouldn’t gain another yard as the Bulldogs rolled to a 41-6 victory in the semifinal victory.  These Bulldogs want one thing, and that is to defend their title as reigning champion and that is exactly what they will do next week against a strong Manchester team who upset New Milford (previously undefeated) in the Northern division.  Leaving his mark, Will Holman proved his worth and reminded the league that he is the best running back in the division as he raced for multiple scores behind great blocking by John Gioia, Fynn Byrne, and Keelan Cannon.  They weren’t alone on the effort from the front as Vinny Urgola came back to Head Coach Russ Snyder to say the “middle is wide open.”  Coach Snyder took the advice of his center which lead to a pair of touchdowns by JoJo Marullo and Zach Snyder. The running game was strong as always, but the passing game was also on point.  Quinn Weber, who has thrown great all season, hit his mark each time his number was called.  He threw multiple extra point conversions to John Gioia, and Logan Bohn, and a long score to Bohn to start the scoring onslaught on the riverbank in North Arlington.  The Bulldogs defense was smothering.  Chase Martini, Fynn Byrne, Vincent Daly, and Ethan DeCarlo locked down the middle of the field.  Weber and Gioia kept the contain from the ends, with Marullo and Matt Ventura collapsing in from the linebacker position.  The Dawgs are ready to defend their championship title next week in East Rutherford versus Manchester Falcons.

The RJF&C program has become a dynasty, earning six championships in the last three years, seven championships in the last four years and 2021 was no different. The Rutherford Pee Wee Bulldogs (8-9 year olds) capped off their special 2021 season as Super Bowl Champions.  After a 12-6 win over the Hasbrouck Heights Aviators in the final game, the Pee Wees finished the season undefeated with a record of 11-0.  The Bulldogs won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball in the second half.  Both teams were battling back and forth for most of the first half until the Aviators were able to put together a touchdown scoring drive late in the second quarter.  Rutherford was able to prevent the extra point which left the score at 6-0.  The Bulldogs started their next possession on their own 45 yard line after the kickoff went out of bounds.  Rutherford had under 3 minutes remaining in the first half to make something happen.  Ryan Wilton, Brendan O’Rourke, and Frankie Wilton did their best to set up Rutherfords first score by taking turns carrying the ball down the field.  With eleven seconds left on the clock, Tyler Griffin found Gavin Nimmo wide open for a 25 yard catch and run that tied the game at 6-6.  That’s when the momentum started to shift Rutherford’s way.  The extra point was stopped and the game was tied at halftime.  The Bulldogs received the second half kickoff and traded possessions back and forth with the Aviators until the middle of the fourth quarter.  Tyler Griffin and Ryan Wilton took turns taking handoffs from Frankie Wilton as the Bulldogs were able to March down the field.  Griffin finished off the drive with a three yard plunge into the endzone to give the Bulldogs a 12-6 lead.  The Bulldog defense would bend a little bit but did not break as they were able to limit the high flying Aviator offense to 6 points as Rutherford would ultimately run out the clock to seal their third Pee Wee championship in the last four years.  This years champions are Christian Acosta, Michael Anglim, Eric Barbour, Jake Barnes, Owen Burbank, Owen Byrne, Mason Colon, Chris DeHaas, Carter Gagliardo, Mark Goldsack, Tyler Griffin, Ethan Jiminez, Jayden Kennedy, Chase Kuenzle, Declan Moran, Gavin Nimmo, Brendan O’Rourke, Michael Pizza, Robert Prince, Alejandro Samaniego, Ridley Skabla, TJ Sprayberry, Lucas Sullivan, Joey Urgola, Frankie Wilton, Kevin Wilton, and Ryan Wilton. The Bulldogs Junior Bulldogs (10-11 year olds) closed out the season with a 34-0 victory over Manchester to remain undefeated.  The defense was impressive all year long, and they did not disappoint on that evening.  John Gioia, Eathan DeCarlo, Vincent Daly, and Chase Martini were tough as the defense let up just one first down.  The offensive line used their learned technique and heart to beat a bigger Manchester team.  Fynn Byrne, Keelan Cannon, Vinny Urgola, Matt Ventura, Logan Bohn, Gioia, and Martini paved the way for Zach Snyder and Will Holman who both had multiple touchdowns.  Quinn Weber was clutch at quarterback as found his receivers with ease.  The Bulldogs amassed 310 points on the season, and never played a complete game as the mercy rule took effect in every game they played this season.  This is the fifth championship in a row for this group of boys who continue to make their coaches and parents proud. The Bulldog program will celebrate their 2021 season Feb 13^th at the Fiesta.