Valley defeats Hoboken in home opener, Messina and Flanagan provide needed light to spark the win for PV

Ethan Perlman, Assistant Sports Editor|September 3, 2021

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Valley runs through the banner as they start their season off right.

Valley faced the Hoboken Red Wings in the home opener for the 2021 football season, Friday, September 3rd, and won 49-13. The Valley football team was without fans at full capacity for 24 long months, but that ended Friday night. Valley pride showed through with green all throughout the stands.

Matt Austin
Valley’s crowd came with spirit as all of the bleachers were full. This is a monumental moment due to the inability to come to football games last year.

To start off the game, Sophomore Owen Deady had a 73 yard kick return which set up Nick Messina for an 18 yard touchdown the following play. Messina finished the game with 3 TD’s,137 yards, and one interception.

“I have been working my whole life for this moment [and] this whole off season,” Messina said. “I am just really happy it is starting to show off.”


Valley’s first defensive possession forced the Red Wings to go 4 and out which allowed Valley to capitalize in their next drive.

Matt Austin
Messina runs the ball as he sees open space ahead.

The second touchdown came from Ethan Silcher’s side-arm throw to Junior Quinn Flanagan putting Valley up 14-0. Silcher finished the game with 123 yards and went 9/12 in completions. This might have been his first varsity game due to a torn ACL all of his junior year, but he did not disappoint. 


Joaquin Grijalva, Valley’s kicker, converted all 7 extra point attempts ending the game 7/7.

Matt Austin
Nick Bruzzi hypes everyone up in the home opener. This is his first appearance on varsity and began it with his leadership.

Hoboken did come back, however, following a fake punt which gained Hoboken 70 yards, Dorien Moorman punched home the first touchdown for the Red Wings. Khalil Murray also had a touchdown following a 73 yard kick return from Xaiden Simmons.

In the second quarter, the score was 21-13 Valley, but Junior Brandon Flanagan had other plans as he switched the momentum towards PV’s side with a fumble recovery and a 65 yard return for the touchdown.

“Like coach always says, ‘scoop and score’, I was never going to dive on it. I knew no one was ahead of me, and I took it and ran,” Flanagan said.

After this, PV never took its foot of the gas as Messina followed this with a 33 yard touchdown run. Later on, Silcher and Dylan Hutchinson connected on a 30 yard last second hail mary play for a touchdown.


Valley ended the half with a 42-10 lead over Hoboken. Hutchinson and Silcher connected 3 times for a total of 63 yards as Hutchinson finished the night with the most receiving yards for both teams. 

PV kept the pressure on defense in the second half and Messina had another 40 yard touchdown bringing the score to 49-13. 

“Our captains, [Nick Messina and Steven Dembowski], always do a good job, [but] I think all of our seniors will continue to prove themselves on the field,” Coach Cusamano said. “We continued to progress week by week throughout the summer and we’ve become a true Pascack Valley football team.”

Pascack Valley will face Ramapo next, at home, on Friday at 6 p.m.

Matt Austin
Coach Cusumano cheered on his squad as they start the game off strong. Coming into his 6th year as head coach he looks to push his team forward and win the title.