HILLSDALE – Pascack Valley junior quarterback Adam Shaw took a knee with 28 seconds left in the game to seal a 27-21 victory over previously undefeated Old Tappan in a hard-fought, offense-dominated contest on Friday night. As the clock ticked down to 0:00 Pascack Valley improved to 7-1 and won the league title.
“Old Tappan is a hell of a team,” Shaw said. “They were 7-0 and we beat them. Beating them was incredible. This is for the league championship. It feels amazing.”
“Their coaches and players are the standard in Bergen County right now,” added Valley coach Len Cusumano. “It was a great game and we had a few things go our way so we took advantage of it. We bent but we didn’t break.”
The kneel down by Shaw was made possible after a risky 4th-and-1 play call by Cusumano on the Valley 19-yard line with 2:15 to go in the game.
“We weren’t getting much on defense - they were really shredding us,” Cusumano said of his decision. “So we had to take a chance. I’m really proud of our guys for executing. Our whole offensive line are outstanding kids who gave a great effort. Again you have to give credit to Old Tappan - they’re a tremendous program. We’re very humbled.”
Shaw handed the ball to senior running back Kevin Regula, who burst through a hole on the left side to gain 4 yards and a first down at the 23. Two more running plays by Regula gained 23 more yards prior to Shaw’s kneel down.
“No doubt we’re the toughest team - at least in North Jersey,” said Regula, who carried the ball 15 times for 108 yards. “I put my faith in all my linemen. I know I have to run hard. That’s how we execute each game and that’s how we’re going to go throughout the playoffs.”
“I think it starts with our coaching staff,” said junior running back/defensive back Kai Smith. “They are putting us in perfect positions where we can be a threat in every aspect - rushing the ball, passing the ball, play fakes. On top of having the best team in North Jersey we also have the best coaching staff. They’re really getting us there. We’re going to make it to the top.”
The season turned around for the Panthers after a 31-6 loss to Northern Highlands in the fourth week of the season.
“Five weeks ago we weren’t mentally there,” Smith said. “Northern Highlands, no doubt is a good team, but we didn’t bring what we usually bring to every other game. We needed that game - we needed to bounce back. We were 3-0 going into that and we never experienced a loss. I think that’s all we really needed - facing adversity. It’s helped us along the way and we haven’t lost since.”
“We were riding high,” added Regula. “We beat Westwood and Rancocas Valley - two highly ranked schools in the state - so we were riding high and we got humbled in that game. We didn’t have our best game and they’re a great team. But that’s what got us here and without that loss I don’t know if we would be the same team we are today.”
There were only two punts in the game, both by Old Tappan senior Ronan Malady as the two offenses drove the ball up and down the field all night.
The Golden Knights got the ball first, earning one first down before they were forced to punt. Valley struck first on its opening possession with a 6-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a 23-yard TD pass from Shaw to junior wide-out Marc Dellaquila, who made a great catch at the goal line. Senior kicker Evan Starr added the extra point and Valley led, 7-0.
Old Tappan started off strong with its next possession, as sophomore quarterback Zach Miceli hooked up with senior all-purpose back Alex Orecchio for 9 yards and senior running back Nick Rossi burst up the middle through a gaping hole for 24 yards. The Golden Knights continued downfield, despite three false start penalties, along with a holding call, to tie the game 7-7 on a 9-yard run and booted extra point by Orecchio.
It only took the Panthers 10 plays in 3:21 to regain the lead when
Shaw closed out the scoring drive by sprinting 12 yards into the end zone to make it 14-7.
After Old Tappan’s second punt, Shaw connected with Regula on an 8-yard swing pass to boost the Panthers’ lead to 20-7 in a 6-play drive that took only 2:01 to complete. The big plays were a 20-yard pass play from Shaw to junior wide receiver Dante DaCosta (5-72 yards receiving) and a 17-yard run by Regula.
Old Tappan got the ball back with just under 5 minutes to go in the first half and they made the most of their time. Junior running back Devyn Radoian ripped off a 17-yard gain and Miceli hooked up with Orecchio for 12 yards, junior WR Joe Crescitelli twice for 15 yards and Malady for 11.
With 12 seconds to go in the first half Miceli dropped back and lofted a pass toward the right side of the end zone where Malady dove and caught the ball for a touchdown to cut the Panthers lead to 20-14.
Several Valley defenders protested, claiming the ball had touched the ground, which would have made the pass incomplete. (A video, shot by a local reporter, appeared to show that the ball did hit the ground).
One player in particular who was upset with the call was Smith.
“I think I lost my cool on that,” Smith said. “It’s all mentality. There are going to be ups and downs all game. But we’re the strongest team - mentally and physically. It (the TD call) was unfortunate but we were receiving the ball in the second half. We were pounding them - passing the ball and running the ball the whole first half - and we had no doubt we were going to punch it in on the first drive [of second half]. We got a pretty bad call fumbling it at the 1-yard line, but whatever. We’re disciplined, we bounced back. We’re the strongest team in North Jersey.”
The first drive of the second half did end in a controversial fumble at the 1-yard line. Shaw started the drive with two straight runs of 8 yards each and later he connected with DaCosta for 16 yards on a 3rd-and-10. A series of penalties set Valley back and on 1st-and-25 Shaw hooked up with junior running back Colin McMorrow for 14 yards and one play later Shaw and Regula combined for a 25-yard gain with most of the yards gained after Regula caught the pass.
On 2nd-and-goal at the 2-yard line Shaw appeared to “break the plane” but when the bodies were unpiled in the end zone Knights senior defensive lineman Jack Horgan had the ball and the officials ruled a fumble recovered by Old Tappan at the 1-yard line.
“It’s what the refs say,” Shaw said. “You really can’t argue about it. You’ve just got to play the game and live with it.”
“We had to keep playing and battle adversity in this game,” Cusumano said. “It’s a humbling sport. If you let it get to your head bad things can happen. Our kids stayed mentally and physically tough.”
The Golden Knights moved the ball from the shadow of its own goal line to midfield with a series of runs and short passes. But a 4th-and-1 pass fell incomplete and the Panthers got the ball back at their 45.
Regula ran 4 times to gain 23 yards and Shaw hit DaCosta for 16 yards and Regula gained 16 more for a 1st-and-goal at the 5. Smith took it in from there and Valley led, 27-14 with 7:30 to go in the game.
Old Tappan had been moving the ball, too. It received the ball at their 22 and quickly moved the ball into Panthers territory as Miceli (20-23 for 199 yards and 1 TD) hooked up with Radoian, sophomore tight end Shane Small and several times to Orecchio. On 3rd-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Miceli floated a pass that was knocked away by Smith as he was falling backwards. Nevertheless, Orecchio ran it in on the next play and Old Tappan trailed by only 6, 27-21.
But that was the last time the Golden Knights touched the ball on offense as the Panthers ran out the clock.
“We were unstoppable tonight,” Regula said. “The offensive linemen dominated up front. Once we have that line I think we have the best skills in North Jersey. We just dominated - pass, run, everything - and we just took that for all four quarters.”
“It means we get to move up a couple of notches in the standings and see who we get in the next round,” Cusumano said of the win. “We’re excited. It’s a step forward. We can’t get complacent about it. We still have work to do. Our final goal is to get to the top of the mountain.”
Shaw finished with 108 yards rushing on 15 carries and was 11-15 for 157 yards and 2 TDs passing.
“After losing to Highlands - it was a big defeat - but it was a wakeup call,” said Shaw. “We knew what we had to do to become great and be the best. And that’s what we did today. It’s a great feeling that no matter what they do you can’t be stopped. We’ve been losing to them for 10 years and this year was ours. It’s a great feeling.”
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