December 11, 2011

The North Bergen football team rides down Kennedy Boulevard during a victory parade. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)

North Bergen Football Victory Parade Photo Gallery

NORTH BERGEN – Every day Sergio Rodriguez watches the video of his game-winning touchdown pass to Debray Tavarez, just to make sure it really did happen.

One week and countless viewings later, the reality of the touchdown and the state championship that came with it is slowly starting to take shape.

The whirlwind week in the aftermath of North Bergen's stunning 14-13 win over Montclair for the NJSIAA North 1, Group 4 title continued yesterday for Rodriguez and the Bruins as they were honored with a parade on the streets of their home town followed by a pep rally in front of a capacity crowd in the gym.

"It's been like the best week of my life," Rodriguez said. "I still can't get over it. I haven't slept well because I've just been thinking of the game still. Every night I just think of it because it's still unbelievable."

"When we were coming home (after the game) on Route 3, I was just sitting on the bus saying 'did this really happen? Am I dreaming this?'" head coach Vincent Ascolese said. "The next morning when I woke up I said 'it's over, the game's over.' It was hard to believe."

In the aftermath of the win, the 359th and final one of a 50-year coaching career, Ascolese said he heard from friends, former players and other coaches. Some of them he said he hadn't talked to in years.

It was an equally surreal experience for Ascolese's players, who received countless messages of congrats and quickly became local celebrities. The Bruins' win over Montclair was considered one of the championship game upsets New Jersey has seen in recent years.

"This whole week I couldn't really believe," linebacker Anthony Calabrese said. "Everyone's congratulating me and I still can't believe it taht we're actually state champs. Today it hit me a little bit that this team's a state champion. It's amazing."

Calabrese and his teammates were split among two floats as they went from the base of James J. Braddock Park down Bergenline Avenue and John F. Kennedy Boulevard. In total three floats, Coach Ascolese, the band, Mayor Nicholas Sacco and others went down the one-plus mile parade route to the high school gym where they  were met by the students for a pep rally.

"It felt surreal to be honest with you," senior LB Vin Ascolese III said. "You only see it in movies and in Texas towns. Our town the past couple of weeks has looked like a town in Texas."

"This was a great way for this week to end, to let the kids share in it because they get something out of it. It's their school," Coach Ascolese said. "When you walked into this building on Monday, you could feel that they felt they were a part of it. They were clapping in the halls. It was unbelievable. It was great."

After a video presentation and a few words from Sacco, the elder Ascolese took the floor for the last pep rally he'd be a part of after 39 years of coaching at North Bergen. It ended with him singing the Frank Sinatra song "My Way" along with his players before they lifted the coach upon their shoulders.

"You couldn't write it if you wanted to," was the way the elder Ascolese described the last few weeks with a smile.

Vincent Ascolese is lifted up after speaking during the Bruins' championship celebration. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)

North Bergen Football Victory Parade Photo Gallery