Sunday, September 16, 2007

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

Senior Matt Gray's first three touches of the game totaled 115 yards, including a 60-yard TD run 1:57 into the game that gave PV the lead for good.

HILLSDALE -- Some running backs get better as the game goes on. They take a couple of hits, measure the defense for holes to exploit later on and keep pounding away until they can finally pop one. And then there are those running backs like Pascack Valley’s Matt Gray, who put up an afternoon's worth of stats on just his first three touches on Saturday against Ramapo.

Gray’s first touch of the game, on just the second play from scrimmage at the PV 35-yard line, was a five-yard gain that he was a step away from breaking and going the distance. On the very next play he got it right, taking a draw on third-and-5 and outrunning the Ramapo defense to the end zone to give the Indians the lead for good just 57 seconds into the game.

Gray added a 50-yard jaunt to make it three carries for 115 yards and a score and set up a field goal as Pascack Valley cruised from start to finish in a 34-7 win in Hillsdale.

“You have to say that it was all about the offensive line,” said Gray, a senior. “You don’t get runs like that without holes to run through and the line sprung me every time.”

Ramapo QB Andrew Weiss was pressured all day and was also done in by the lack of a running game.

“It does make it a lot easier on the coach to call plays when you can run the ball the way we did in that first half,” said Pascack Valley head coach Craig Neilsen, whose team improved to 2-0 on the season. “We had to get Matty going because we had a couple of guys hurt, both teams had a couple of guys out, and it was a matter of who was going to rise to the occasion and I was pleased with the production we got from the kids that filled in.”

As long as Gray was at full speed, the Indians had plenty of offense. He carried the ball 9 times in the first half for 155 yards and finished the day with 214 yards rushing.

“We ran the ball aggressively; the line did a great job. If we can run the ball like that all the time we don’t even need to throw it,” said PV quarterback Donald Wiezik. “The last two years we have played Ramapo they were great games, last year it was 0-0 going into the half, so we always get excited to play them and it is nice to make a statement against them.”

Wiezik was not kidding when he said that there was barely a need to throw the ball as he completed two of his four attempts in the first half for 16 yards. He was most effective with his feet, rushing six times for 26 yards, including a 4-yard scramble for a TD with nine seconds left in the second quarter that gave the Indians an all but insurmountable 24-0 advantage.

Pascack Valley's JJ Moran running free toward the end zone after his second quarter interception.

Pascack Valley’s defense was stingy. The Indians allowed Ramapo only 64 total yards in the first half, just 11 of them on the ground, and, with the rushing game closed off, PV was free to go after Raider quarterback Andrew Weiss, who played well when given a chance to throw the ball.

PV scored a defensive touchdown with 9:48 to go in the first half when JJ. Moran crashed down the line of scrimmage from his defensive end spot. Moran was supposed to be cut on the play, but he shrugged off the block and leapt in front of Weiss’ attempt to hit his wide receiver with a quick pass in the flat. Moran took the ball out of the air and raced 30 yards untouched for the TD. Kyle Hartwick hit the ensuing extra point and was a perfect 4 for 4 on PATs in addition to nailing field goals of 25 and 27 yards.

The loss leaves Ramapo, whose only score came on Zach Moore's 83-yard kickoff return in the third quarter, at 0-2 on the season and the rebuilding Raiders are running the gauntlet of top NBIL foes to start the season. Next up is Wayne Hills and all the three-time defending state champion Patriots have done this season is outscore their two opponents this season by a combined score of 112-0.

Zach Moore accounted for Ramapo's only scored with an 83-yard kickoff return in the third quarter.

Pascack Valley, on the other hand, has high hopes with a 2-0 start adding confidence to their aspirations. The Indians have been to the state finals in each of the last two seasons and have lost both times by a combined total of 3 points. PV will play Ramsey on Friday in its continuing quest to go one win farther than they have in each of the last two years.

“Our goal is the state championship,” said Wiezik. “We’ve been there; we just have to finish it off.”

Nielsen would obviously like to win a state title as well, but two games into the season and with teams like Old Tappan and Wayne Hills looming on the schedule, he is not nearly that far ahead.

“Ramsey is next and they are a good football team,” said Nielsen. “We have too much to work on and we have too many kids to get healthy before we worry about Wayne Hills, a state championship or any thing else besides Ramsey.”

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