Pascack Valley earned its stripes as the football team grinded out a 34-29 win this past Saturday at Hackensack High School. Colin Dedrick, senior quarterback, proved to be the star of the game, as he put together a 6-play, 41-yard drive to take the lead with about a minute left in the game. He was 5/5 on the drive with 37 yards, and his 16-yard TD pass to Mike Pimpinella capped it off.

Although Dedrick shined in these final minutes, the rest of the game proved how great the Indians are in almost every aspect of the game. It may not have been shown in the stat book, but the offensive line had a big part in the win over the Comets.

The game against Hackensack was this line’s first start together, as two of last year’s starters, Jake Padva and Jimmy Alburtus, graduated in 2015. In their places are junior center Mike Leicht and senior tackle Paul Catalano, who are both new to the starting lineup this year. Joe Figueroa, senior captain and fellow lineman, said the group had no problem in their first game together.

“We communicated well and executed well throughout the game, no matter what the situation was. It was a great test and I feel we performed well,” said Figueroa.

Going up against Hackensack’s defensive line is hard feat, especially when it’s a line’s first task as a unit. The Indians did a great job shutting down this skilled defense and key players such as All-County defensive end Winston Solomon.

And when PV lined up on offense, it was rare to see any Comets breaking through the Indians’ line. This brick wall gave the offense room to run and throw the ball at will.

Blocking for the run was one of the more important parts in the win. Over the past few years, PV has typically been a run first offense, and that held true in this game. The plan going into the game was to give the ball to senior backs Jake Giambona and Andrew Flores, and to have Dedrick throw the ball when needed. Behind the powerful o-line, Giambona rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns, while Flores ran for 28 yards. The Indians proved how much faith they have in this excellent ground attack.

When Dedrick dropped back to pass, the offensive line did an equally great job blocking. Hackensack only saw Valley throw the ball three times in the first half, so they came out covering the run. PV’s offense made good use of the play action and aired it out more frequently in the second half. The Comets had just as much trouble getting to the quarterback as they did the rushers, giving Dedrick time to find his targets, especially on the final drive. Dedrick’s stellar final stat line (11/19, 163 yards, 2 TDs) can be partly attributed to the offensive line.

Giving the rushers space to move and the quarterback time to pass certainly was a big factor in the Indians’ success against Hackensack. They deserve praise for a job well done and the hope is that there is more of the same. However, there were many other players and components that led to the team’s victory. “Everyone’s job was equally and immensely important whether it was cover Hackensack’s best wide receiver or it was block a defensive tackle,” said Figueroa. At the Valley, a win is always a team effort.

Mike Soravilla emerged as a top target for Dedrick, racking up 100 yards and a touchdown receiving. His movement prior to plays and number of targets throughout the game seemed to indicate that he is a main focus in this offense.

Jake Giambona was the feature back as the game progressed, leading the team in carries by double digits. Fellow halfback Andrew Flores’ six carries all came in the first half, while Giambona got the ball 12 times in the second half and 19 times overall.

The special teams highlighted the first quarter with a 93-yard kickoff return from Joe Colosuano and a blocked punt that was recovered by Cooper Frey. “Going out there out special teams, we always want to return kicks or block punts to get momentum and change the course of the game,” said Colosuano.

Pascack Valley’s defense showed up in a big way against the Comets, stopping the opponents running attack from getting hot. The team only allowed 90 yards rushing and held Justin Marin, a 1,000-yard rusher last year, to three yards on 12 carries.

Another note about the Indians defense was how much time they spent on the field, especially in the first half. After a long first drive by Hackensack, Colosuano’s return put the defense right back out on the field for another long possession.

Although the defense did allow 29 points, the score did not show how well they played. Scoring drives for Hackensack were often set up by big plays, such as the 41 yard pass from the Comet’s QB Bryce Drakeford on their first possession or the 39 yard run from their RB Marcus Gaspard in the second quarter.

Hackensack also benefitted from great starting field position, usually taking a squib on the kickoff to the 30 or 40 yard line. Despite such disadvantages, the defense played very well and helped pull out the win for the Indians.