No.3 seed Pascack Valley vs. No. 2 seed Ramapo, North 1 Group 3 playoffs Semifinal Game

When: Tonight, 7 p.m.

Location: Ramapo High School

PV Record: 8-2

PV Results Thus Far:

Sept. 5: W @ Hackensack 34-29

Sept. 12: W against Montclair 20-13

Sept. 26: W against West Milford 35-0

Oct. 2: W against Wayne Hills 23-20

Oct. 9: W @ Bergenfield 49-13

Oct. 16: L against Northern Valley Old Tappan 42-14

Oct. 24: W @ Passaic Valley 35-6

Oct. 30 L against Ramapo 42-21

Nov. 5 W @ Northern Highlands 42-14

Nov. 13 W against Bergenfield 34-19 (Round 1 of North 1 Group 3 playoffs)

Ramapo Record: 9-1

Ramapo Results Thus Far:

Sept. 11: W against Bergenfield 42-6

Sept. 18: L @ Old Tappan 32-28

Sept. 25: W @ Teaneck 48-12

Oct. 2 W against Passaic Valley 53-0

Oct. 9 W @ Wayne Hills 34-7

Oct. 16 W against Indian Hills 49-32

Oct. 23 W against West Milford 42-6

Oct. 30 W @ Pascack Valley 42-21

Nov. 6 W @ River Dell 35-27

Nov. 13 W against Paramus 40-0 (Round 1 of North 1 Group 3 playoffs)

Rankings:

PV: No. 11 in North Jersey (The Bergen Record)

Ramapo: No. 2 in North Jersey, No. 10 in NJ (The Star Ledger)

Pascack Valley Perspective: October 30th was a night to forget for the Indians, as Ramapo came into Hillsdale and left in victory with a 42-21 win. One thing is clear for PV- things have to change. The atmosphere will be entirely different as the team heads to Franklin Lakes this time, and they will need to take the Ramapo crowd out of the game. The Indians have shined in similar situations this year, as they boast a 5-0 away record, with wins early in the season against two Group 5 teams in Hackensack and Montclair. Pascack Valley’s road perfection is, however, facing a threat in a talented Ramapo team. To win, PV will need to have arguably its best game of the year. Their first time facing Ramapo, the Indians had a hard time moving the ball, accumulating only 184 yards passing and 185 yards rushing. Meanwhile, the defense allowed 450+ yards to the Raiders offense. Quarterback Colin Dedrick threw three interceptions, the defense struggled to stop the run, and the Indians just looked unlike themselves compared to how they typically play. To win, PV will need to contain Ramapo’s high-powered offense. Their main focus should be containing rushers, using James Poggiogalle, Joe Figueroa, and the defensive line. The team cannot allow for as many rushing yards and big plays on the ground as they did in their first bout, especially to Ramapo QB Keith Woetzel, who had over 100 yards with his feet. Allowing Woetzel to convert big yardage plays and build his confidence will bring nothing but trouble for PV. As for the offense, the run game needs to get going. Dedrick struggled in his last matchup with the Raiders and got no help from the backfield. However, Valley’s group of running backs has proved to be more than capable of producing numbers and changing the game. Senior Andrew Flores is coming off of a stellar performance against Bergenfield, where he rushed 23 times for 136 yards. Junior Jack Jankowsky has seen an increase in carries over the past few games, and has produced well every chance he gets. Against Ramapo, Jankowsky rushed 14 times for 73 yards. Jake Giambona has proved to be a force at the goal line, punching in scores all season long in short yardage situations. If the run game can get going, there is a good chance PV can reach their 4th straight state sectional final game, going for their 3rd straight championship.

Ramapo Perspective: In their first meeting of the season, the Raiders came out victorious over the Indians. “Our history [on senior night] is that we come out slow,” said Pascack Valley coach Craig Nielsen after his team’s loss. It was that slow start that allowed the Raiders offense to thrive early and often. Leading the Raiders on offense were quarterback Keith Woetzel, wide receiver Greg Latushko and running back Joe O’Hagan. Woetzel and O’Hagan combined for 333 rushing yards on 20 attempts for the game and five touchdowns. Woetzel likes to run the ball when the pocket collapses, and he’s adept at it. He’s got over 750 rushing yards on the season, and on average is rushing for around 85 yards a game. Ramapo is also a stellar defensive unit, evident by the three interceptions Latushko recorded against Dedrick. Ryan Curtiss is probably the one that PV will have to watch, as while not a star like Woetzel or O’Hagan, he’s recorded five tackles for loss, three sacks, and one interception on the season. If the Raiders can score early, and pile up big run plays, it should be a victory for them.

Predictions:

Jake “The Snake” Aferiat: 42-28 Ramapo

Jimmy Dronzek: 38-28 Ramapo

Evan Jones: 35-21 Ramapo

Bobby Saul: 35-28 PV

Kyle Comito: 28-24 PV

Calvin Ralph: 35-34 PV

Celebrity Prediction:

Principal Tom DeMaio: 27-24 PV