Pascack Valley at River Dell

When: Friday, September 8th at 6 p.m.

Location: River Dell High School

2016 Records:

PV: 4-6

River Dell: 10-2

Pascack Valley Perspective: Pascack Valley looks to win its season opener against River Dell, after falling 21-14 to them in last year’s opener. Throughout the preseason, PV has had an open competition for the starting quarterback job, with four different candidates getting reps. So far, Coach Len Cusumano has not publicly named a starter for Friday night but did say that all are in the mix and are working hard to win the job. On Friday, Valley could start junior signal caller Joe Campagna, who won the job last year, finishing with a .419 completion percentage, 5 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. However, Stephen Begen or Craig Moorehead could also get the nod as Pascack Valley has a history of starting sophomores at QB, with the hope of developing them to play with the first unit for 3 years. The final candidate is senior Sam Cassidy, who has some varsity experience and has proved himself to be reliable and a terrific leader. With question marks in the passing game, Valley could look to focus on the ground game.  With star running back Matt Urrea lost to graduation, the Indians could implement a “running back by committee.”  Cusumano indicated that Stephen Soravilla, Andrew Garcia, Greg Zoll, and Jake Williams could all get some carries. Defensively, PV will look to slow down a River Dell offense led by star dual threat quarterback David Estevez.  PV has a talented front 7 with Charlie Looes and Jordan Issackedes on the defensive line as well as Brandon Lin, Austin Piorkowski, and Chuck Viteritti at linebacker. Valley’s strong and experienced secondary, including Soravilla, Jake DeMillia, and Matt Ziccarelli, will look to shut down River Dell’s vertical passing game.

River Dell Perspective: River Dell, coming off of a North 1 Group 3 title last year, will look to continue their run of success this season.  Senior quarterback David Estevez will play a big part, just as he did last year.  During his junior campaign, he threw for 1,325 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also rushing for 1,324 yards with 15 touchdowns. The dual threat quarterback could present a tough challenge for PV, as they will have to stop him in the air and on the ground. Estevez has proven to be clutch in critical situations with his 362 total yards in the North 1 Group 3 championship game against Old Tappan, being a noteworthy example. If the Indians are going to win the game, slowing down Estevez will be crucial. While Estevez plays a major role in River Dell’s game, he has lots of help from both sides of the ball. Running backs Alon Kleiman and Kieran Hughes will help out of the backfield, replacing Alec Lanza and Nick Sirico, who were lost to graduation. The Hawks also have a strong offensive line, with two returning starters, and an experienced defense, especially at linebacker and in the secondary.  Cusumano believes that the basic fundamentals will be an important part of the game. “Who can tackle well? Who is going to make plays? Who is going to catch the ball? Who is going to be physical up front and block people physically?” Overall, if PV can hold Estevez in check and limit their mistakes, the Indians should have a good chance to win their season opener for the first time since 2015.

Be sure to check out our PV football season preview for more information.