Culicerto's Emergence as Lockdown Cornerback is a Huge Reason for Success of BHS Defense
By Chris Johnson on November 15, 2023
Multiple times this season Bridgeport’s opponent came with the tagline, “This is going to be a test for the Indians’ secondary.”
The general thought before the year started was BHS had the potential to be pretty good at stopping the run. And if anything, the Indians surpassed those expectations long ago as they are giving up just 54.6 yards per game and 2.2 yards per carry.
Along the way, the Indians have seen a variety of spread offenses with dual-threat quarterbacks or dropback passers, either kind with a contingent of talented receivers to throw the ball to.
With a 10-1 record heading into Friday’s Class AAA quarterfinal playoff game at Cabell Midland, the BHS secondary has passed every test it has been confronted with. And the play of senior Cale Culicerto at cornerback has been a major reason why.
“Cale has grown up tremendously,” BHS coach Tyler Phares said. “It’s been great watching him grow up from a a sophomore to a senior and really now is a kid a lot of teams are afraid to throw the ball at. He’s made huge plays not only defensively but in the return game. He’s a senior leader and we are excited to see what he’s got for us on Friday.”
Through 11 games, Culicerto has 34 tackles, two tackles for a loss, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 14 pass breakups.
“I look back at it now, coming in as an underclassman and it was pretty scary,” Culicerto said. “Coach Stew (BHS Defensive Coordinator Casey Stewart) has coached me along and put some trust in me. He’s really nurtured me through the process. I’m pretty pleased with the way this year has went.”
It’s not as if his junior season, when he became a full-time starter at corner, wasn’t without success as he posted 48 tackles, forced one fumble and broke up four passes. But the Indians had second-team all-stater Ty Martin at the other corner, who had two interceptions and 11 pass breakups.
In 2022, opponents tried to avoid throwing the ball in Martin’s direction, so Culicerto saw plenty of passes come his way and as is the nature of the position, some of them went for big plays.
Nobody has to remind Culicerto that he was in coverage on the only touchdown scored in last year’s 10-6 loss to Morgantown.
But it was all part of his learning experience.
“It affects you but you have to push past it and learn from it,” Culicerto said. “You have to forget about it and be ready for the next play, ready for the next game.
“I think even seeing Martinsburg last year, it’s a whole different game. They are so fast, so explosive, even their route running was impressive. It showed me how much I needed to improve.”
Earning the reputation as a lockdown defensive back isn’t easy but that’s where Culicerto is at and when a pass does come his way, it gets a little personal.
“I think every defensive back takes pride in not having a ball thrown their way,” he said. “So when they do, you take it as a challenge.”
Culicerto and Martin weren’t just teammates in the BHS secondary a year ago, they also made up half of the shuttles relay team for BHS Track and Field that not only set a new school record but won the Class AAA state championship and they remain good friends.
Good enough friends that Culicerto made sure that Martin was aware of his pass breakup total.
“I’ve let him know about it,” Culicerto said with a laugh.
Going back as far as 2010 in the cumulative defensive statistics, no other BHS player has had more than nine pass breakups. While Culicerto’s total of 14 may not offically be a state record, at the very least he has the most by anybody in more than a decade.
“I didn’t know that,” he said. “That’s actually kind of incredible to think about.”
There’s been plenty of other highlights this year, three plays in particualr would be considered signature Cale Culicerto moments.
“That interception against Fairmont Senior for sure,” he said. “That was the first pick of my varsity career and what better school to do it against than Fairmont Senior. The pass came across the middle and I tipped it to myself.
“Even the interception last week against George Washington. Abe Fenwick is going to William & Mary, so it’s kind of special to be able to say I pick one off of a Division I quarterback.”
Then there was the first play from scrimmage against Linsly. The Cadets tried a hook and lateral and Culicerto was there so quick to force a fumble that hardly anybody knew exactly what had happened right away, himself included.
“I didn’t even know they called it a fumble unitl a good 10 seconds after the play,” he said. “I just thought it was an incomplete pass. I saw everybody jumping around and we had the ball back. That play is definitely one that stands out."
Culicerto is also the team's primary punt returner, returning eight for an average of 18.6 yards with a long of 26. He’s been on the verge of breaking one for an even bigger chunk of yardage on at least half of those returns and he says that’s maybe the one piece missing from his season.
He isn’t the only BHS defensive back putting together a great season. Zach Rohrig has three interceptions from his free safety spot. Strong safety Cam Martin is one of the team’s leading tacklers and Grant Lively has come into his own at the other corner. Even backup corners Jack Spatafore and Alex Moses have played well when called upon.
“I think we have stepped up as a unit,” Culicerto said. “You hear about the blocking and the power football that Bridgeport has but you don’t really hear about the secondary too much. It was kind of our mission to make a statement this year and be seen as a big part of the defense.”
Mission accomplished and all the tests have been passed thus far. Another big one awaits this week against the Knights, who are the top-seeded team in the Class AAA playoffs. It’s a different kind of test though as Cabell Midland has a run-heavy offense led by quarterback Robert Shockey and tailback Curtis Jones, both 1,000-yard rushers and capable of scoring from any spot in the field.
Shockey played at Parkersburg South last year and was a first-team all-state selection. He threw the ball a lot more at South, but Cabell Midland throws just enough to keep a defense honest.
“He touches the ball a lot more on designed runs but he’s an explosive player no matter where he has the ball,” Culicerto said. “We have to contain him. They will throw and they are one of those type teams that you have to take away some of the laws you have on defense because they will run, run, run, run and then try to hit a big pass play.
“It’s kind of like what we do, so at least we see that part of it everyday in practice.”
The Indians defeated Cabell Midland in the playoffs last year, 48-13. They also beat Shockey and South. But Culicerto and his teammates aren’t taking anything for granted and realize what they did last will not dictate what happens on Friday.
“We have to show up ready to play,” Culicerto said. “And we have to keep playing the way we have been on defense.”
Editor's Note:Photos of Culicerto by Joe LaRocca.
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