For every team, in any sport, playing well in every game is nearly impossible. All teams have games in which nothing seems to work. It’s just the nature of sports.

Pascack Valley learned this the hard way on Saturday afternoon, losing 42-6 against Old Tappan at Pascack Valley High School. PV struggled in nearly every facet of the game, falling to 0-2 on the young season. Old Tappan had size and strength advantages at numerous positions, which wore the Indians down quickly on a hot and humid day. Old Tappan, the No.1 ranked team by NorthJersey.com, dominated from the start, showing everyone that they are worthy of that distinction with their strong play.

Following the game, PV coach Len Cusumano lamented his team’s performance.

“We have to be physical with those guys,” he said. “They are a very good football team, a very experienced football team. So we did not get the job done today.”

Valley’s defense struggled to contain the potent Old Tappan offense, that produced numerous big plays. In the first half alone, OT had gains of 43 yards, 36 yards, and a 50 yard touchdown by Aidan Bilali. Old Tappan utilized a balanced attack to keep the PV defenders off balance, making it difficult for Valley to guess if they were going to run or pass. Senior RB Marquez Antinori rushed for 147 yards, including a 75 yard TD, while QB Nick McNerney threw for 188 yards and a TD.

The Old Tappan defense also played another strong game, and nearly pitched a shutout for the second consecutive week. PV came very close to not scoring, as their only points came on a last minute touchdown by backup QB Sam Cassidy. The OT defense turned PV over twice with two interceptions, and controlled the line of scrimmage for nearly the entire game. Whereas PV’s offensive line consistently opened running lanes in the opener at River Dell, on Saturday, Old Tappan’s front seven smothered PV’s ball carriers and held them to mostly minimal gains or losses. With an ineffective ground game, PV tried throwing the ball more often, but with little time to scan the field and throw, QB Stephen Begen completed just 2 of his 12 pass attempts for 10 yards.

Throughout the game, PV struggled to get in any kind of offensive rhythm.

“Offensively, we just could not maintain any drives. They were big and physical up front, and we just did not match their physicality today,” Cusumano said.

After two straight losses to the current No. 1 ranked team by NorthJersey.com to start the season, Pascack Valley now looks ahead to its matchup against Nutley next weekend. The Raiders are also 0-2 to on the year, but beat PV 31-14 last season. The kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. next Saturday at Pascack Valley High School.