Sunday, December 2, 2007

By Jim McConville
NJS.com Staff Writer

Matt Connolly is pumped up after his 45-yard touchdown catch gave River Dell a 12-0 lead that stood up against Pascack Valley in the North 1, Group 2 state sectional final at Giants Stadium.

EAST RUTHERFORD -- Matt Connolly wasn’t quite sure where the ball was going. He wasn’t even quite sure where he was going. Then, he suddenly got a push from a Pascack Valley defender, and the ball was right there.

The resulting 45-yard touchdown pass gave River Dell a 12-0 lead, and when a team has a defense as strong as the Hawks’ has been all year, that becomes something of an insurmountable advantage.

Still, Pascack Valley made a run, and it wasn’t until Andrew Trass had gotten a hand on the final Indian pass of the game that the Golden Hawks could begin to celebrate their first state championship in 20 years.

It also completed an undefeated 12-0 season and sent Valley (8-4) to its fourth straight heartbreaking playoff loss in the last four years.

“I’ve been involved with six championship teams at Glen Rock,” River Dell head coach D.J. Nimphius said, “and worked (as offensive coordinator) under a great coach in Al Deaett. You learn from the best, and this was all about these kids and the work they put in to get here.”

PV's Matt Gray going in for the score that got his team to within 12-7 late in the fourth quarter.

Neither team seemed comfortable in its offense in the first half, with River Dell managing only 18 total yards and PV turning it over three times.

“First thing I did was yell at the offensive coordinator,” said Nimphius, who is the offensive coordinator. “After the kids told me to stop talking to myself, I told them we had to start to execute.”

The Hawks heeded the coach’s “advice,” taking the third quarter kickoff and marching 68 yards to the first score. B.J. Fowler, in for an injured Dan Chiarello (ankle), got to the outside and found 24 yards to the left and quarterback Blake Crouch hit Ryan O’Neill for a 32-yard gain, going out of bounds at the Indian 2-yard line.

After two plays lost a yard, Crouch went on an option left, got the corner and scored standing up. John Francin’s extra point was wide left.

After forcing a Valley punt, the Hawks took over on their own 11. They overcame a holding penalty with a Fowler 14-yard run for a first down, then got a 16-yard completion to Connolly and a 16-yard sweep by Fowler. That set up the key pass to Connolly with 4:40 left in the third quarter.

River Dell's Kevin Sonnet breaking up a pass during PV's final drive of the game.

“That was all Matt Connolly. I just threw it up there. It looked like a duck,” Crouch admitted. “He must have turned around about four times.”

“I was running a post,” Connolly recalled, “and I went to break off the pattern. I didn’t really see the ball at first, then I saw it and I went to adjust. I turned, and then had to turn again, and I got pushed. Actually, the (Valley defender) shoved me forward and the ball landed right in my hands.”

“Throw it to the 2’s,” Nimphius said of O’Neill (number 32) and Connolly (22). “That’s what we want to do, get it downfield to those two guys. When we do, you see what happens.”

“Our defense hasn’t allowed more than seven points a game,” Crouch said. “All we had to do was score twice.”

The Indians fought valiantly in trying to come back, mainly with Wiezik running strong on option plays after some deft ball fakes. They used 6:01 to get to the RD 15-yard line, but a fourth down sack by Jake Mauriello ended the march.
A three-and-out got PV the ball back, and this time the Indians found the end zone. Wiezik hit Matt Gray on a slant for a 7-yard gain on fourth and 6, then went on an option right for 15 yards to the RD 4.

PV quarterback Don Wiezik ran for 85 yards on 12 runs and was 4 of 14 passing for 50 yards.

Two plays later, Gray bounced in off the right side, and Kyle Hartwick added the extra point to put PV within five with 4:14 remaining in the game. A Kevin Rems sack forced a River Dell punt and put Valley in position to make a game-winning drive, and Wiezik had then in striking distance after a 16-yard run to the Hawk 26.

A two-yard run and a pair of incomplete passes left them needing another fourth down conversion, but Trass was able to knock Wiezik’s pass away, ending the Indian hopes.

“I was coming from the outside,” Trass remembered, “and I just stuck my hand up and felt the ball. That’s the greatest feeling. I looked to make sure that no one caught it.”

Gray was frustrated for much of the day, picking up 60 hard yards on 21 carries. Wiezik ran for 85 yards on 12 runs and was 4 of 14 passing for 50 yards with two interceptions, by Connolly and Rob DeFelice. Rems and Gray each had nine tackles for the Indians.

Trass had 11 tackles and a forced fumble in addition to his pass defensed and Devin Hudson (9 tackles) and Anthony DiBella (8) also made significant defensive contributions.

River Dell QB Blake Crouch was 8 of 12 passing for 115 yards and also scored a rushing TD.

Crouch was 8 of 12 passing for 115 yards, with Connolly grabbing 3 for 65 yards and O’Neill 2 for 37. Fowler had 9 runs for 49 yards

“The 2004 team, the guys from 2005 and 2006, I got so many e-mails this week, and a lot of them were here today,” Nimphius mentioned. “They were all a part of building to where we are today, and they all share in this win as much as these guys.

“I’m just so happy for these guys. Now, we have to get ready to try and do it all over again.”

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