Pascack Valley vs. River Dell

When: Sept. 9th

Location: Pascack Valley High School

Time: 6 p.m.

2015 Records:

Pascack Valley: 8-3

River Dell: 10-2

PV Perspective: Pascack Valley (Ranked No. 9 in the Bergen Record’s Preseason Public Top 20) will look to start Len Cusumano’s head coaching career in style on Friday.  After being an integral member of the coaching staff since 2008, and serving as the offensive coordinator in 2015, Cusumano enters his first year at the helm for Valley after taking over for Craig Nielsen in May. Cusumano speaks with incredible admiration and deference for his predecessor. “I’m excited to follow in the steps of coach Nielsen,” he said. “If I can accomplish half of what he accomplished, that’d be incredible.” Valley will also have a new man under center following the graduation of Colin Dedrick.  Sophomore Joe Campagna will have a lot of weapons at his disposal both on the ground and in the air.  Senior running back Jack Jankowsky, will get the bulk of the carries after rushing for 270 yards with a couple touchdowns in restricted action last year.  The passing attack will be led by tight end Phil Wong, who caught three touchdowns in 2015.  Wide receivers Kyle Alvarado and Matt Novakowski will also be key targets for Campagna.  Defensively, Valley touts a strong linebacker corp, led by senior Tommy Uhl in the middle, and experience in the secondary.  The Indians’ special teams unit is headlined by kicker Matt Urrea, who is one of North Jersey’s best.

River Dell Lowdown: Although River Dell (Ranked No. 8 in the Bergen Record’s Preseason Public Top 20) is coming off of an appearance in the North 1, Group 3  Championship game, only six starters remain from that team.  Although this year’s squad features 24 seniors, only a few have seen significant playing time.  The Hawks are led by Dave Estevez, who plays key roles in all facets of the game.  Estevez will be the signal caller for River Dell, after spending the bulk of his time at wide receiver last season.  However, he did quarterback the Hawks’ season-opener against Paramus last season, where he threw for 90 yards (7-10), and used his speed to rush for 88 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.  In addition, Estevez showcases his wheels at free safety and as the kick returner.  Senior running back Alec Lanza and senior receiver Nick Sirico will be key for River Dell offensively, as they scored 8 and 4 touchdowns respectively last year.  Lanza and Sirico are both big contributors on defense, as well.  Lanza recorded 6 sacks at linebacker in 2015, while Sirico snagged 4 interceptions as a cornerback.  Ultimately, the Gold Hawks’ success and failure will depend upon the performance of their inexperienced players.  Head coach DJ Nimphius told NorthJersey.com that on some of their younger players will see the field, and doing so is “baptism by fire.”

Key Matchups:

Joe Campagna vs River Dell Defense: Campagna, a sophomore, inherits a Pascack Valley team that saw prior quarterback Colin Dedrick throw 21 touchdowns for over 1800 yards last year, as well as leading PV to consecutive North 1 Group 4 title games against Paramus in 2013 and 2014. Head coach Len Cusumano was quick to praise the sophomore signal caller saying, “Both he and Colin had room for improvement as sophomores, but Joe is performing well and has special characteristics.”  Campagna faces a tough test in River Dell’s stout defense, who allowed just over 16 points per game last season, a statistic boosted by 3 shutouts against West Milford, Ridgefield Park, and Ramsey, respectively.

Len Cusumano vs DJ Nimphius: Nimphius took over at River Dell in 2004, and in that span his Golden Hawks have made six total sectional finals appearances since 2007, including three straight (2013-15) and a victory over PV in 2007. Cusumano, on the other hand, is in his first season as head coach after spending the previous eight as an assistant, and last season as the offensive coordinator. With Cusumano in charge of the offense in 2015, the Indians averaged just over 29 points per game. Cusumano also has talented assistants, whom he called “outstanding.” As for having to play River Dell in his first ever game as a head coach, “I’m looking forward to seeing kids compete. We’re two very successful programs, but I know the players and I are up for the challenge.” Cusumano was on the staff for both of PV’s sectional titles and knows what a successful team looks like.