St. Anthony's Football to Open vs. Bergen Catholic

It's always football season at .

The New York Catholic powerhouse announced Thursday it would host New Jersey counterpart Bergen Catholic to open the 2012 season, Athletic Director Don Buckley said.

The Friars traditionally play a tough out-of-state opponent to open the season – usually on the road. This time the school secured Bergen Catholic, which finished 8-3 last fall and ranked 10th in the East by USA Today. 

The game will be played Sept. 7 at 7:15 p.m. in South Huntington.

St. Anthony's saw its home opener to kick off 2011 against when the Pennslyvania school cancelled because of flooding along the travel route. The Friars shook off the lost game en route to a 10-0 season and .  

Bergen Catholic finished its season with a 42-14 playoff loss to rival Don Bosco, the No. 1 team in the nation. Bergen Catholic, in Oradell, N.J., and St. Anthony's have never played each other in football, according to Buckley. 

St. Anthony's Coach enters the game with a 211-48-3 won-loss record in 25 seasons. He's currently tied with former Bellport Coach Joe Cipp Jr. as the winningest coach in Suffolk football history. 

The Friars also bring a 29-game winning streak – the second-longest in Suffolk history – into the marquee game. 

Given the opponent and the history riding on the outcome, it just might be the most anticipated opener ever seen on Long Island. The countdown has begun.

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