BELLEVILLE, NJ — Though it was a tough season, the Belleville High School football team showed much perseverance.
The Buccaneers’ perseverance paid off with an emphatic 40-22 win over North Bergen on Wednesday, Oct. 26, in the season finale in a New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association crossover game in North Bergen.
It was the Bucs’ first win of the season as they finished with a 1-9 record. It also was a nice win for the seniors on the team, and for first-year head coach Brian Antab, who won his first game. Antab was an assistant coach for the Bucs for the previous four seasons.
Jeremiah Cook, a sophomore, rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns, and he also had five receptions for 32 yards and two TDs.
Jordan Armstrong, a freshman, completed 14 of 21 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns, and he added a 1-yard rushing TD.
Khalil Bey, a junior, caught five passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, and sophomore Elijah Pickering had four receptions for 59 yards, including a highlight-reel, one-handed catch for a four-down conversion.
Antab, indeed, was thrilled for his team.
“This was a great team win,” Antab said in an email to the Belleville Post. “We have a very young team and they went through some tough times this season. I am extremely proud of how they stuck together through it all and continued to work hard and get better every week. We really came together and played this game for each other. We wanted to send out our seniors the right way. They have put a lot of time and commitment into this program over the years and they deserved this win.”
Photo Courtesy of Brian Antab