Bonner-Prendergast edges Ryan to stay undefeated

WITH THE SUN consistently playing peek-a-boo behind the ash-colored clouds hovering above George Washington High's football field, Mary Jane Gilbert literally followed intently as Bonner-Prendergast marched toward last-second glory.

Clad in a gray sweatshirt and pink bandana, Gilbert, who was between chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer, did her best to contend with the resulting change in temperatures. But, absolutely nothing would obscure her view.

After all, her son, Joe Oquendo, was on that field. And little, if anything, gets between them.

"I've been feeling pretty good for the last week and a half," Gilbert said later. "So, today it felt great being able to go to the game. And when they were on that final drive I was moving through the bleachers right along with the team so I could see every play."

In this Catholic League AAA contest, Saturday's last play was critical. The 21-20 cuticle-chewer over host Archbishop Ryan was decided with no time on the clock.

Trailing by seven with 1:05 remaining, the Friars' game-winning trek began at their own 45.

Eventually, after an incompletion with 4 seconds remaining, B-P quarterback Collin DiGalbo hit Tyler Higgins for a 7-yard touchdown. The senior heroes connected again on the clinching two-point conversion, sending the Friars and their faithful into hysterics.

"People doubted us because our first couple opponents weren't as good as Ryan's were," said Oquendo, a 6-3, 188-pound senior receiver.

"Everything is Ryan, [Archbishop] Wood, Ryan, Wood," he continued with a smile. "Why not us? Nobody worries about Bonner."

Sporting a special decal on the back of his helmet, Oquendo led the undefeated Friars (6-0, 1-0) in receiving, snatching six balls for 69 yards and a second-quarter touchdown.

"This is my first game actually making a big impact," he said. "The past couple games I've had one or two catches for a couple yards."

Back in August when his mother was diagnosed during a 2-week lull before camp started, a catch or two may have done wonders.

"That was a struggle for me because I didn't have football to take my mind off it," Oquendo said. "That was a rough time.

"I'm really close with my mom," he said. "I'm basically the man of the house. If anything happened to her it would just be devastating."

Gilbert, 37, said she has no known family history of breast or other cancers. However, she found a lump during a monthly self-exam in the shower and didn't take any chances.

"I was very aggressive with my doctor, had a biopsy 48 hours later and the results by the end of that week," she said. "Had I waited and not been proactive, I wouldn't have had a mammogram until I was 40."

The cancer, invasive ductal carcinoma, is the most common form of breast cancer, according to Mayoclinic.org. Now, Gilbert said she encourages other women to be vigilant.

"Don't shy away just because you might be afraid of what you'll find out," she said. "What I'm facing right now is a whole lot worse than a mammogram. But, it turned out that this might have been able to save my life."

With two chemotherapy sessions down, four still remain. The first was the day before the Friars' season opener.

"I was at the game," said Gilbert, whose initials are on each helmet with a pink breast-cancer ribbon. "I wasn't feeling 100 percent, but I was at the game . . . I was out of commission after that."

In addition to football as a common thread, Oquendo said it also provides him a measure of solace.

"Football is my way to . . . when I come out here everything else just goes away," he said.

Gilbert added: "He's an amazing kid who has grown into a young man with a lot of responsibilities on his plate and has faced them without hesitation."

After practice, playing the board game Sorry with his mom and sister (Nora, 5,) at the family's home in Upland provides more relief. (He also has younger siblings, Isabella and Christian, who live with his father.)

His teammates and larger B-P community also do their part.

"As much as it's him and I in a lot of ways," Gilbert said, "we also have a great extended family with a lot of support. The Bonner-Prendie community has been phenomenal."

Another chemo session is scheduled Thursday before Bonner-Prendie hosts Ss. Neumann-Goretti on Saturday afternoon.

The plan, of course, is to attend, but contingencies are in place just in case.

"I have not missed one game, dare I say, yet, because I'm a pretty committed parent," Gilbert said. "But Joseph and I have already discussed that I may not be able to because it may put my health at risk being around a lot of people or in [bad weather] . . . in which case he promised to bring the game film home and watch the entire game with me afterwards."

B-P QB DiGalbo finished with 170 passing yards and two scores with 55 more yards on the ground. Also for B-P, junior Ryan George added a late interception, while sophomore Joe Hartley-Vittoria rushed for a score. For Ryan, senior running back Samir Bullock had 182 rushing yards and a score on 34 carries. Bobby McDevitt, a senior linebacker, was a major contributor to the Raiders defense. Senior Sean O'Donnell added an interception.