They did it with offense. They did it with defense. 

And they did it when it counted the most.

In the end, nothing could stop the Westwood football team in 2023 – not even a pressure-packed 99 yards laid out in front of them in the fourth quarter of the state championship game.

The Cardinals and an excellent all-around team to the very top of the heap – all the way to a state Group II championship at Rutgers Stadium.

Quarterback Robbie Carcich led the way with his arm and legs. He was 165 for 208 for 2,274 yards and 24 touchdowns while throwing just four INTs all year. He also found the time to rush 111 times for 796 yards and 11 more scores.

He finished his career with 4,922 yards passing and 49 TDs and was named first-team All-State.

Carcich took over the starting QB role in the second game of his sophomore year and led the team to a 31-4 mark during that stretch, which include a wild 21-20 overtime win over Rumson at Rutgers to win the Group II state championship.

In the end, the team rode on a float as part of the town’s Home for Holidays parade through the center of town – but that almost never happened.

A state title was far off with 5:50 to play at the end of the Rumson game – 99 yards away.

In other words, a title seemed highly, highly unlikely.

Rumson was about to put the game away with a touchdown, but Carcich’s younger brother Michael made a tackle at the goal line.

The Cardinals still had a long way to go.

Enter Robbie Carcich and a team that proved to be incredible in the clutch. Westwood completed one of the biggest, most captivating drives in Bergen County football history.

Things appeared even more dreary two plays in, but that is when Westwood’s magical march took root, when Carcich completed a 31-yard pass to Joe Klein. Later on, tight end Tommy Bussanich caught a 6-yard touchdown pass and Sean Morrison converted the PAT, forcing OT.

But the Westwood heroics didn’t end there. 

Rumson scored in the overtime period, but Aidan Dugan blocked the extra point.

Carcich then completed a 14-yard touchdown to Bussanich and Morrison booted the extra point, giving Westwood the dramatic win.

Westwood moved the ball through the ground and the air all year.

Carcich and running back Dugan (120 for 772 yards, 3 TDs) led a rushing attack that accumulated 2,496 yards rushing behind a line that included Luke Biello, Tyler Roberts, Braeden Roberts, and Dante Downey.

Some of Carcich’s favorite targets included Bussanich (43 for 728 receiving, 9 TDs) and receivers Joe Klein (60 for 723 receiving, 8 TDs) and Aidan Carrazana (32 for 500, 3 TDs).

The defense, meanwhile, was constantly in the opponents’ backfield and was led by Biello at linebacker (8 ½ sacks, 8 ½ tackles for loss) and linemen R.J. Ussher and Dario Mathurin (7 ½ sacks, 6 tackles for loss).

Other big contributors on defense included lineman Dave Gaboardi, Luke Bussanich at linebacker and DBs Steve Klein and Mike Rainaldi.

Westwood’s run to the Group II titles was one of the biggest Bergen-Passaic football stories of 2023. 

Others included:

1. Bergen Catholic captured the state Non-Public Group A championship with a 24-14 victory over Delbarton and wound up being selected as the No. 1 team in New Jersey. The team was led by the junior combination of quarterback Dominic Campanile (131 for 222, 2,028, 28 TDs, 5 INTs) and receiver Quincy Porter, who is one of the top recruits in all of New Jersey and recently committed to Ohio State. The 6-4, 200-pounder had 53 catches for 1,110 yards and 19 TDs, including seven catches for 97 yards against Delbarton for the program’s third straight state championship.

Running back Kaj Sanders led a balanced attack by rushing 125 times for 1,053 yards and 17 touchdowns. Receiver Anthony Perroti (33 for 326, 3 TDs) was the perfect complement to Porter.

O-Lineman Marcus Linder was a mainstay up front for an offense that averaged 330 yards per game. 

The Crusaders defense was top-notch on all levels with the play of linemen Anthony Morales (7 ½ sacks, 15 tackles for loss, 38 tackles), Ben Carey (7 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, 48 tackles), Elijah Kinsler (3 ½ sacks, 8 tackles for loss, 60 tackles), linebackers Kaden Irby-Mason (4 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, 60 tackles) and Christian Gonzalez (70 tackles) and Sanders (35 tackles) and Jordan Thomas (2 ½ sacks, 48 tackles) at DB.

2. Passaic Tech reached the state Group V championship game before losing to Toms River North for the state title at Rutgers, 23-13. The team leader was running back Trashon Dye, who rushed 277 times for 2,114 yards and 24 TDs, including both of the Bulldogs touchdowns against Toms River North. The Syracuse commit also led the team in tackles with 141. His twin brother Travon committed to the Orangemen as well.

3. Ramapo captured the North 1, Group IV championship with a 14-10 win over Northern Highlands and then beat Mount Olive in the state semifinals, 24-19, before running into Mainland in the state finals at Rutgers and getting overwhelmed, 56-0. Ramapo’s passing game was remarkable, led by quarterback Landon DePrima (227 for 325, 3,088 yards, 42 TDs, only 6 INTs) and receivers Zach Schnorrbusch (77 for 1,244, 18 TDs) and Brandon Del Valle (51 for 743, 8 TDs). 

4. Lakeland scored one of the most surprising playoff victories in all of New Jersey when it stunned Caldwell in the North 2, Group II semifinals, 33-28, ending Caldwell’s state-high 37-game winning streak. Lakeland quarterback Collin Sabric passed for three second-half touchdowns – two in a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback – and receiver Jake Spear (7 for 166, 3 TDs) was instrumental in the victory. The biggest play in the game was Lakeland DB Kyle Keyes’ interception and 95-yard interception return that resulted in a 14-point swing late in the second quarter and seemed to give the Lancers hope. Caldwell was on the verge of taking a 28-7 lead into halftime. 

Lakeland wound up losing to Bernards in OT in the sectional finals, 23-17.