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Thanksgiving showdown: Bosco blanks Joe's
There’s little doubt the Don Bosco Prep football team is thankful Jabrill Peppers is on its side.
The super sophomore rushed for three touchdowns and intercepted a pass in the end zone, spearheading the Ironmen’s resounding, 41-0 victory over St. Joseph Regional on Thanksgiving morning.
Don Bosco Prep, which extended its winning streak to 45 games, will play for a sixth straight Non-Public Group 4 title next weekend at MetLife Stadium.
"It's Thanksgiving and everyone's relaxed, but everyone had their mind right," Peppers said. "Every game, we come in with a target on our backs. But the coaches put us in position to win and we took it from there."
Peppers and company passed this tune-up with flying colors. They jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, stifling the high-octane Green Knights in a live-broadcast on MSG Varsity iO Ch. 14.
With 6:49 left in the first quarter, Peppers opened the scoring with a 1-yard plunge and Elijah Shumate doubled the advantage to 14-0 four minutes later against a St. Joseph team ready to take on Delbarton in the Non-Public Group 3 title game next weekend.
After Peppers extended the lead with his second score of the contest with 7:05 left in the second, quarterback Mike Yankovich contributed with a 5-yard touchdown run that handed the Ironmen a 28-0 cushion at the half.
"We were able to jump out on them early and execute what we were working on all week," Yankovich said. "They're going to a championship game, too, so it was a good test."
Peppers added a score in the third and Shumate struck again in the fourth to seal the triumph and send Don Bosco Prep into the biggest game of the season – one in which the program can clinch its second national crown in three years – beaming with confidence.
"Overall, I thought we played very well," Ironmen coach Greg Toal said. "I'm proud of the way our kids fast-paced them. Our goal every year is to win a state championship, and that's why we have to win next week."
Contact Brian Fitzsimmons at bfitzsim@cablevision.com. Follow him on Twitter: @FitzWriter
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