Pascack Valley vs Dwight Morrow of Englewood

When: Friday Sep. 7, 6 p.m.

Location: Pascack Valley High School

2017 Records:

Pascack Valley: 2-8

Dwight Morrow: 5-5

Pascack Valley will open its 2018 season with a matchup against Dwight Morrow on Friday night at home. The Indians made the North 1, Group 3 Playoffs as the No. 8 seed last year despite recording just two wins, and now enter coach Len Cusumano’s third year at the helm of the program. Meanwhile, Dwight Morrow obtained the No. 6 seed in the N1, G3 playoffs last year and lost its first round matchup to Demarest.

Last year, PV relied heavily on its running game in order to pick up first downs and score points. Expect a similar gameplan in the season opener, with Jake Williams, who ran for nearly 500 yards and 4 touchdowns a year ago, leading the charge. “He’s the epitome of a football player,” Cusumano said of his junior tailback.

Valley will rely on Stephen Soravilla and James Allmers in the backfield as well. They will all run behind a strong, experienced offensive line that brings back four starters, including senior Andrew Demboski, a first team all-league nominee in 2017.

At quarterback, PV will likely have junior Stephen Begen start for the second straight season. While the passing game probably takes a backseat to the rushing attack against Dwight Morrow, Begen has a number of viable targets to throw to, including James Della Pesca, Mike Garay, Ian Valdez, and Jake Ciocca.

Defensively, PV looks to slow down a Dwight Morrow offense that averaged 27.4 points per game a year ago, albeit with a much more experienced roster. This year’s iteration of the Maroon Raiders will be much younger than the playoff team from last season. While Dwight Morrow does have a number of starters returning in 2018, many sophomores and juniors will see the field and play significant roles. That includes sophomore QB Jalen Hoyle, whose next varsity pass attempt will be his first after he only played running back and defense a year ago.

The most accomplished player on the Maroon Raider roster is senior Jihad Edmond. Edmond, a two-way player at tight end and defensive end, racked up 294 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns on offense last year, while he also compiled 62 tackles and 6 sacks on defense. He has received multiple scholarship offers from Division 1 FCS schools, including Bryant University and LIU Post.

“[They have] a lot of speed on the field,” Cusumano said of the Maroon Raiders. “They’re going to try and hit big plays when they have that opportunity to hit them. We’ve got to make sure we limit their playmaking ability.”