After a 35-0 loss against Ramsey in last year’s opener, the Pascack Valley football team took revenge by beating Ramsey 34-21 to start 1-0 for the first time since 2021.
“It was all in practice,” Jr. RB Kevin Regula said. “We have been working at it since we stepped off the field at Summit.”
On both sides of the ball, PV aimed at avenging both the loss to Ramsey last season and the loss to Summit in the final of the Group 3 Invitational Tournament.
Regula led the offense for Valley rushing for three touchdowns and 141 yards on the ground. Sr. Captain Owen Deady provided sparks on both sides of the ball, including a 51 yard touchdown that gave Valley a 13-0 lead.
Regula’s first touchdown of the game came on Valley’s first drive of the season, thanks to the Panther defense forcing a three-and-out on the Rams opening drive of the game, giving Valley strong field position.
So. starting QB Adam Shaw had a promising debut as well, using Deady, Jr. Michael Fronzaglia and So. Dante Dacosta as his main targets. Yet, the main gains for Shaw came from using his legs, scoring a 33 yard rushing touchdown, which gave Valley a two-touchdown lead.
Big plays from the defense kept Valley in the game, including a fumble recovery with 11 minutes left in the fourth from Jr. Colin Krause, and a game sealing interception from Jr. Ashton Kazinci. Kazinci, So. Marc Dellaquila, Sr. Charles Haller, and Deady all made big plays in the secondary, breaking up passes and stepping up to make tackles.
Sr. captains Colin Foley, Jordan Inserra, and Joey Von Tobel all played up front, going head-to-head with a big Ramsey O-line, and making strong plays to stop runs. Jr. linebacker Dante Ricciardi made some big plays up front with multiple tackles for loss, and a sack as well.
Ramsey Sr. Aidan Sweeney cut the lead to 13-7 with a rushing touchdown to end the half. Sweeney finished the game with 93 total yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Different parts of Valley’s team stepped up when needed. The momentum was with Ramsey after their defense forced a Valley punt on the possession following the Sweeney touchdown, but Jr. punter Evan Starr pinned Ramsey back inside their own one-yard line, forcing the Rams to give the ball right back to Valley.
Regula sealed the game the same way he started, with a strong run and a touchdown. This 57-yard run gave Valley a 34-21 lead, and ultimately the win. The focus now shifts to next week, where the boys look to move to 2-0 on the season. Regula believes there is only one way to get there.
“Keep working every day,” Regula said.
Valley will host Paramus next week in its home opener. Paramus went 1-0 in Week 0 after defeating Hackettstown 10-0 and will take on Old Tappan in Week 1 on Friday night. PV will kick off their league play next Friday under the Valley lights.
