River Dell Golden Hawks varsity football team recaptures the "Battle of Midland Ave." Trophy in a 42-14 victory over Paramus

The River Dell Golden Hawks varsity football team(2-1) squared off against the Paramus Spartans(1-2) in the "Battle of Midland Ave." Trophy game at River Dell High School in Oradell, New Jersey.

River Dell was coming off a 44-13 loss to Old Tappan in the 2024 home opener. Last year, in the "Battle of Midland Ave" Trophy Game, Paramus emerged victorious 27-13 in a driving rainstorm at Paramus High School.

On a magnificent night for football, with clear skies, golden sunshine, and warm temperatures, both stands for the home and away bleachers were packed to capacity. There was a standing-room crowd standing behind the fences.

Meanwhile, the River Dell student section donned red, white, and blue with a USA theme and waved the American flag.

"It was great to see all the families and student section come out and get that type of support from the town and they believe in us which is great and definitely helps," Zion Yoon explained.

The Golden Hawks were humming on all cylinders from the start of the game. On the Spartans' first offensive possession, a botched high snap resulted in River Dell senior defensive back Dean Marucci recovering the ball inside Paramus territory.

River Dell took full advantage of the opportunity as senior running back Chris Kelm took the handoff from junior quarterback Zion Yoon, then turned the corner on the left side of the line and bulldozed through a pile of players into the end zone with ten and half minutes on the clock.

After the Golden Hawks defense forced a quick three and out on the next Spartans offensive series, River Dell's offense was back in business and inside Paramus's end of the field.

One play set up a first-and-goal situation. Zion Yoon completed a pass to Chris Kelm, who darted 41 yards down the left side of the field. Behind a stout offensive line, Yoon plowed straightforward into the end zone for the seven-yard touchdown that extended the Golden Hawks' advantage to 14-0 at the ten-minute mark.

Paramus managed to regain their composure on the offensive end by marching down the field and aided by converting three critical fourth-down plays.

However, a 19-play drive over eight minutes of the clock ended in disappointment. A backward pass culminated in Dean Marucci showcasing his skill set during the play, scooping up the ball as River Dell took possession.

In the second quarter, the Golden Hawks defense stood tall by bottling up the running lanes as the Spartans went for it on fourth down inside their territory, stopping quarterback Cormac O'Hara short of the first-down marker.

Zion Yoon displayed his arm strength as he hurled a pass down the middle of the seam. Senior wide receiver RJ Weiss made a spectacular full-extension catch, diving to the ground, that advanced the ball into the Paramus end of the field.

River Dell then employed the pound and ground game, as Zion Yoon and Chris Kelm got the bulk of the carries in the running area. Facing a third down at the Spartans' 12-yard line, Yoon connected on a pass to Kelm, who evaded a couple of defensive players and scampered inside the right tower and into the end zone, widening the Golden Hawks' lead to 21-0 with five minutes left.

On the next Paramus offensive possession, it just took one play for River Dell to put points up on the scoreboard. Dean Marucci made his presence known again by leaping high on a pass thrown by quarterback Cormac O'Hara. Then, Marucci snagged the ball and dashed to the end zone untouched for the 29-yard pick-6 touchdown, making it 27-0 Golden Hawks.

With 31 seconds to go in the quarter, River Dell appeared on the verge of tallying additional points, but those hopes evaporated in a split second on a pass from Zion Yoon to Chris Kelm that was behind the line of scrimmage, as Kelm dropped the ball.

Spartans defensive back Mason Merkle picked up the ball and sprinted down the right side of the field to the end zone for the 88-yard touchdown with seven seconds remaining on the clock.

Just when it appeared the Golden Hawks would be taking a 27-7 lead into the locker room at halftime, the opposite occurred as junior kick returner Cain Lanza secured the ball at the 15-yard line on the ensuing Paramus kickoff.

Lanza turned on the jet burners straight through the middle of the field, then broke free from the rest of the pack and into the end zone for the electrifying 85-yard touchdown with no time left.

River Dell was not finished with the big plays as on the extra point kick, senior placeholder/backup quarterback Ashton Pastore took the snap, then got up and hurried into the end zone for the two-point conversion that expanded the Golden Hawks lead to 35-7 as the sidelines erupted in joy when running off the field and up the pathway to the locker room.

Zion Yoon capped off a stellar offensive performance in the third quarter under majestic nightfall and a bright moon, amassing his second rushing touchdown on a one-yard plunge that boosted the River Dell lead to 42-7.

The handshake line occurred once the clock hit zero in the fourth quarter as the Golden Hawks cruised to the 42-14 win. The River Dell players rushed over to the bench to lift the Battle of Midland Ave. trophy, and a jubilant celebration erupted by the cheerleaders and student section in the bleachers.

"We feel much better and confident about ourselves and look to keep it going with this momentum," Zio Yoon described. "We trusted our coaches and teammates and had no doubt in our minds that we could win this game." "It was very important for us come out and do it on offense, defense and special teams and we practiced and executed."

River Dell wraps up a three-game homestand when it hosts Parsippany Hills (0-3) on Friday, September 20th. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at River Dell High School.