North Jersey Male Athlete of the Week growing into a leader for young football team

Bergenfield football coach Rob Violante minces no words talking about Gabe Perez.

"It's impossible to get him off the field," Violante said. "It's his team. He's a great kid, a great leader and he impacts the game and the team in so many ways."

So it's no surprise that after Perez, a two-way player and the Bears' starting quarterback and linebacker, watched his teammates react to their 14-7 opening-game loss to Dumont two weeks ago, he wasted no time showing his influence off the field.

"We knew we had lost a very winnable football game and a lot of people were down," said Perez, a four-year starter on defense who took over the starting quarterback job a year ago. "I got the team together in the locker room and told them that we had to be more focused every time we stepped on the field for practice and for games."

Something clicked.

The baby Bears, with eight sophomores in the starting lineup, had a great week of practice and then beat River Dell, a program that has made it to the sectional semifinals each of the last 15 years. Perez gained 45 yards on the ground during a last-minute drive that culminated with a game-winning field goal by Josh Hur with six seconds to play.

"I knew that we'd drive down the field and win the game," said Perez, who's also a catcher on the Bergenfield baseball team. "I trust everyone on the field around me and I knew we could do it."

Perez's leadership skills are apparent as soon as you spend time with him.

"Football gave me more confidence in myself, even when I was a little kid," said Perez, who began playing junior football in town at age 5. "I learned that teamwork is the most important thing and that good leadership leads to good teamwork."

And Perez is able to keep his emotions in check on the field, even when he's taking big hits on every play.

"He plays quarterback like he's a fullback, and when he gets tackled, he's not getting tackled by one guy, he's getting hit three or four times every play," Violante said. "His football IQ is through the roof and he understands everything we're trying to do on the field. He's definitely a college linebacker in the making and maybe at a high-level school."

Ask Perez what foods fuel his energy and stamina and he's quick to credit the Dominican cooking that fills his home.

"My favorite pregame meal is mangu," he said of the Dominican specialty made with mashed plantains, eggs, cheese and meat. "I can't get enough of it."

And he also can't get enough football.

Gabe Perez

Sport: Football

School: Bergenfield. Age: 17

Class: Senior.

Accomplishment: Perez completed 11 of 19 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 174 yards on 21 carries for another score, as Bergenfield beat River Dell for the first time since 1959. Defensively, he made 11 tackles from the linebacker position, including two for losses.

Also nominated: Ayden Jones of Hackensack, Evan Brooks of Old Tappan, Kevin Regula of Pascack Valley, and Jonathan Palsi of Becton for football; and Piotr Widerynski of Lakeland for soccer.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen Record Male Athlete of the Week: Gabe Perez, Bergenfield