Jake Ciocca kicks off for the Indians during a game from earlier this year. Pascack Valley finished 2018 with a 6-3 record in coach Len Cusumano’s 3rd year at the helm.
Valley football ends season at 3-6
Indians fall to River Dell in state playoffs
Sport: Football
Record: 3-6
Coach: Len Cusumano (3rd season)
Key Players from this Season: Jake Williams (Jr., RB, LB), Stephen Begen (Jr., QB), Jake DeMilia (Sr., WR, DB), Stephen Soravilla (Sr., RB, DB), Jake Ciocca (Jr., WR, DB, K), Desmond Von Tobel (So., LB), Charlie Looes (Sr., OL,DL), Jesse Lagrosa (Sr, OL), Dylan Driscoll (Sr., OL), Andrew Demboski (Sr., OL, DL), James Della Pesca (Jr., TE, LB), Gio DeGiglio (Sr., WR), Joe Cuti (Jr., OL, DL), Andrew Martinez (Jr., WR, DB)
Key Losses for Next Season: DeMilia, Soravilla, Looes, Demboski, Driscoll, Lagrosa, DeGiglio
Season Overview: Valley finished its 2018 season with a record of 3-6, with wins over Dwight Morrow, Demarest, and Ridgefield Park. The Indians were able to advance to the North 1, Group 3 playoffs as the 6th seed, where they bowed to 3rd seeded River Dell by a final of 42-6.
“I thought the guys battled through some tough games, and some opponents that were very formidable,” Cusumano said. “…unfortunately, we didn’t earn a lot of those wins, but I thought we earned a lot of respect in and around the county.”
For most of the season, the Indians relied heavily on its running game and junior tailback Williams, who rushed for a total of 905 yards and 12 touchdowns. But as the year went on, the passing game and quarterback Begen became a more featured part of the offense. Begen finished his season with 596 yards and 6 touchdowns, including a career high 3 TD performance in an Oct. 19 loss to Ramapo.
Defensively, Valley was led by sophomore and leading tackler, Von Tobel, as well as Looes, who racked up 5 sacks. The defense was inconsistent, however, as Valley gave up an average of nearly 41 points per game in losses, compared to just 8 points per game in wins.
Best Win of the Season: Cusumano was happy with each of PV’s 3 wins in 2018.
“Every win is a best win,” he said.
What to Look Forward to for Next Year: PV returns a group that is mostly comprised of rising juniors and seniors, including Von Tobel, Begen, and Williams. The Indians may also have some sophomores contribute to the varsity level next year as well, after the PV freshman team finished 7-1-1 this year, including a 30 point win at New Canaan High School. Cusumano said he wants his returning players to improve in the offseason, both on the field and in the weight room. He wants his team to play with a hungrier mentality than ever before in 2019.
“We once were the hunted. But now were are the hunters,” Cusumano said.