The Record from Hackensack, New Jersey • S1

SheHecorft section POKER 2 KNICKS 3 BOXING 5 COLLEGE BASKETBALL 7 The Paterson Catholic a favorite to win Passaic County tourney again. 9 Rangers JJ-r show some 1 pop, but Capitals prevail, 6-5, at Garden. 6 Frl. 02.05.10 Snorts mf it 1W End of an era at Bergen Catholic Not a 'monster' slayer, but still a football icon Stengel steps down, cites personal reasons Who's next? Speculation has begun as to who will replace Fred Stengel at Bergen Catholic: Nunzio Campanile, Don Bosco: The Internet was buzzing with rumors Thursday that Don Bosco's athletic director and offensive coordinator was hired, but Campanile said he has not been in contact with BC officials. Dan Sabella, Paramus: Arguably the best young coach that managed to rival the pomp and circumstance in Florida for the Super Bowl.

Not that we needed a reminder of the competition gap between the Ironmen and everybody else, but they served one up for all in attendance inside the main ballroom at the Sheraton Crossroads Hotel in Mahwah. Fred Stengel's next-to-last day as the head football coach of Bergen Catholic was designed to be another celebration for the powerhouse program he helped build. Four of his star players announced their college choices, destinations varying from BCS contender West Virginia to academic institutions such as Pennsylvania and Holy Cross. ESS FRED STENGEL ART STAPLETON LOCAL SPORTS COLUMNIST Stengel spent 22 seasons as the Bergen Catholic coach, posting a 192-49 record. He led the Crusaders to the State playoffs for 21 straight seasons, winning 25 playoff games and nine State titles, the last one coming in 2004.

Bergen Catholic was 99-10 between 1990 and 1999, the win-ningest program in the state during that decade. The 1991, 1992, and 1998 teams were undefeated, and the 1998 Crusaders (12-0) finished No. 6 in the nation and were chosen as Team of the Century by The Record. Including his time as an assistant coach at Union High School, Stengel's teams have been in the playoffs for 31 of the last 32 years, See STENGEL Page S-ll By MARK J. CZERWINSKI STAFF WRITER Fred Stengel, one of the legendary coaches in New Jersey football history, resigned Thursday as head coach at Bergen Catholic.

Stengel was unavailable for comment, but instructed Bergen Catholic principal Tim McElhin-ney to share his brief letter of resignation. "I am resigning as head football coach for family and personal reasons," Stengel wrote. "I want to thank current and former administrators, players and coaches for 22 wonderful years of teaching young boys to become young men consistent with the values taught at Bergen Catholic." Life-sized color photos on banners hung behind a dais in North Jersey. Has the personality and smarts to handle the spotlight that comes with this job. Chris Olsen, Wayne Hills: Could the most successful and high-profile public school coach in North Jersey of the last decade be tempted into the world of non-publics? Tom Falato, Bergen Catholic: The in-house candidate.

He was Stengel's offensive coordinator, introducing the Crusaders to the spread offense. Mark J. Czerwinski Like many other schools across that featured 10 Division I signees North Jersey, the Crusaders could from an undefeated four-time not have been prouder. State champion that finished with Then Don Bosco went out lat- the No. 1 ranking in seemingly er Wednesday afternoon and up- every national poll this fall, staged them all, putting on a show See STAPLETON Page S-ll INDIANAPOLIS COLTS Sunday at Sun Life Stadium, Miami NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 6 p.m., TV: Ch.

2, Radio: WFAN-AM 660 Br ASSOCIATED PRESS Devils welcome llya Ko-valchuk, who has 31 goals and 27 assists this season. Devils' power play Grab Kovalchuk in blockbuster By TOM GULITTI STAFF WRITER NEWARK With his team struggling to put the puck in the net, Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello went out and landed the best available goal scorer in the NHL. Lamoriello swung for the fences in a blockbuster trade Thursday evening, acquiring superstar left wing llya Kovalchuk from the Atlanta Thrashers in a rental deal for a decent chunk of the Devils' future. Kovalchuk is a two-time 50-goal scorer with 328 goals and 615 points in 594 career NHL games, but is slated to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. For the 26-year-old Russian, the Devils gave up rookie right wing Niclas Bergfors, defenseman Johnny Oduya, prospect Patrice Cormier and their 2010 first-round draft pick.

The Devils also got back defenseman Anssi Salmela whom they traded to the Thrashers last season in a deal for the since-departed Niclas Havelid and the teams swapped 2010 second-round picks in the deal. Lamoriello said both players will make their Devils' debuts tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Prudential Center. Clearly, Kovalchuk was the centerpiece, though. "We felt that Kovalchuk was a player that could come and fill the See DEVILS Page S-6 ASSOCIATED PRESS SPECIAL TO THE RECORD RECORD FILE PHOTO Park Ridge native Brian Cushing with the Texans in the 2009 season, left; with USC in 2008, center; and with Bergen Catholic in 2004, right. BC wants to be LT Cushing believes he can be as great as Lawrence Taylor as a finalist for the league's Pepsi Rookie of the Year award, an honor ultimately granted the Vikings' Percy Harvin.

But after finishing second in the AFC with 133 tackles and after managing five sacks and four interceptions, Cushing wasn't about to take a short-term loss in the polls as reason to temper his long-term ambitions. As sure as Michael Jordan hunted NBA immortality, and as sure as Tiger Woods posted Jack Nicklaus' records on his childhood walls, Cushing is chasing the unmatched standard set by the one Giant who dramatically changed the game. "He's one of the reasons I wear 56," Cushing said of LT. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. No, Brian Cushing does not burn to be great.

He burns to be Lawrence Taylor great. The difference between great and LT great? Double the distance between Cushing's Park Ridge roots and a home in the Hall of Fame. But why shouldn't the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year shoot sky high? Why shouldn't Cushing embrace the possibility he can take his pro football career places even the indomitable LT couldn't reach? "I've got one life to live," Cushing said Thursday, "so why not try to be the best that's ever played?" Cushing arrived on the Super Bowl XLIV scene Taylor's one of the reasons the Houston Texans made the former Bergen Catholic star the 15th pick of the 2009 draft, and the first among USC's fearsome linebacker foursome to be taken off the board. Asked if he truly believed he could someday play in LT's league, Cushing said, "No question about it. There were times in college that I'd be in a room just watching him on old film, watching the mentality Taylor had.

"He had an attitude on Sunday where no one was going to block him no matter what he did. You can know he's coming, but no one's going to See O'CONNOR Page S-8 IAN O'CONNOR Osi won't back down WhBM Family first for Mannings Giants' Eli Manning pulling for his brother, Peyton, in big game Sunday. S-4 He's still got the leg Colts kicker Matt Stover, 42, will be oldest to ever play in Super Bowl. S-4 Osi Umenyiora loves the Giants, but stands by his "retire" remark. S-4 Devils' Patrik Elias returns to practice, read about it on northjersey.com.