Saturday, November 21, 2009

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

Despite a sprained ankle, Garrett Avitabile ran for two scores and had an interception as River Dell reached to the North 1, Group 2 state final with a 26-7 win over Glen Rock.

ORADELL -- On the first play from scrimmage in Friday night's North 1, Group 2 state sectional semifinal, River Dell senior Garrett Avitabile sliced through the Glen Rock defense of a 66-yard touchdown that gave his team the lead just 22 seconds into the game. On River Dell's second play from scrimmage, Avitabile injured his ankle on another QB keeper. Although he had to limp the rest of the way, his team did not.

“I told him he looked like Chester from Gunsmoke,” said River Dell head coach DJ Nimphius. “Those guys are going to have to Google that tonight because they don’t know what Gunsmoke is.”

Chester was a character on the television western that ran from 1955-1975. Avitabile was the winning quarterback in River Dell’s 26-7 victory that sends the Golden Hawks into the state sectional final where they will play the winner of Saturday’s game between Ramsey and West Essex, probably in Giants Stadium on December 5.

Brendan Miller was valiant in defeat as he scored Glen Rock's only touchdown and stood up to the relentless River Dell pressure.

And, as strange as its sounds, River Dell just about had the game in hand before Avitabile got hurt on the Hawks’ second offensive play. After he scored to open the game, the River Dell defense held Glen Rock to a three-and-out on its first offensive possession and the Hawks’ John Budka returned the resulting punt to the Glen Rock 28-yard line.

Avitabile carried on first down and was injured. By the time he returned on the first play of the second quarter, his team was comfortably in front, 16-0.

Derek Rodriguez took over the controls over River Dell’s triple option offense and in Avitabile absence and even though his fourth down pass fell incomplete, Hawks defense had Glen Rock pinned and Rob Galbraith then sacked Glen Rock QB Brendan Miller in the end zone for a safety that gave River Dell a 9-0 lead.

With the bonus possession, Rodriguez led River Dell on an eight-play drive, all of them running plays, that ended with Michael Weber’s two-yard plunge with 2:52 left in the first quarter that gave River Dell a 16-0 lead.

“We were just trying to do what we do every week no matter if I was in there or not,” said Avitabile. “We just wanted to have fun and stay positive and that is what we did.”

Michael Weber, just back from a knee injury, scored River Dell's second touchdown.

Dylan Smith kicked a 35-yard field goal with plenty of room to spare to open a 19-0 spread by halftime and River Dell’s defense did the rest. Glen Rock’s six first half possessions ended in three punts, the safety, an interception that Avitabile hauled in with one hand and then the halftime whistle.

“This is a ham-and-egg group. It’s a not a team that is spectacular, although Garrett is spectacular when he has both legs, but it is a great group of kids,” said RD head coach DL Nimphius. “We do what we do. We are a triple-option football team and we do our thing.”

River Dell is also an aggressive team and sometimes sees the punt as a last resort. Nimphius went for it on fourth down twice in the first half and decided to roll the dice one more time on a fourth-and-five on the last play of the third quarter.

The Hawks lined up in punt formation, but snapped the ball to the up-man, only to see it go high and off his finger tips. Glen Rock recovered on the River Dell 20 and put together its lone scoring drive. Miller, who was under pressure all night in the Panthers’ spread offense, threw an incomplete pass on first down, then scrambled out of trouble three straight times to advance the ball. The last carry was around the right side and he decided to through rather than around two River Dell defenders on the goal line and scored from three yards out.

Eric Jordan and Glen Rock finished with an 8-3 record.

Diamo Streaser added the extra point to get Glen Rock, the No. 8 seed with upset No. 1 Lenape Valley in the opening round last week, back to within 19-7 with 10:58 to play in the game, but River Dell, with Avitabile back at quarterback, responded with a grinding drive that lasted 15 plays, covered 69 yards and ended with Avitabile sneaking over the goal line for the game’s final score with 4:07 remaining.

“River Dell came out ready to play and, not to say we didn’t, but they did a great job and I tip my cap to them. They had a great game plan, but we didn’t go down without a fight,” said Jim Kurz, who finished his first season as Glen Rock’s head coach with an 8-3 record and a state tournament win. “It was a heckuva ride and I couldn’t be more proud of a group of people than I am of theses guys. Our backs were against the wall a lot of times and more often than not we fought back. We just ran out of steam today and we lost to a great team.”

River Dell (10-1) is the No. 4 seed, but that no longer matters as the state final is played on a neutral field and, after being upset by Jefferson in the semifinal round last season, is looking for its second sectional title in the last three years.

“I don’t care where we play. If [Giants Stadium] is where [the NJSIAA] sends us then that is where they send us, but I am just glad to be spending two more weeks with these kids,” said Nimphius.

As for going back to the state final?

“That is pretty cool.”

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