River Dell Golden Hawks Freshman Football Team Dominates Old Tappan in the 2025 Home Opener

The River Dell Golden Hawks Freshman Football Team put on an impressive display, defeating the Old Tappan Golden Knights 34-0 at River Dell High School in Oradell, New Jersey.

The game began with a strong performance from River Dell's defense, which forced Old Tappan to a quick three-and-out on their opening possession.

The Golden Hawks seemed poised to score first after a spectacular punt return by Jaeden Raguindin, but an illegal block in the back nullified the potential touchdown.

Despite this setback, River Dell's offense took over at the Old Tappan 47-yard line. The offensive line excelled at creating significant holes, allowing running backs Jaeden Raguindin and Jake Van Wettering, along with quarterback Mark Spano, to gain substantial yardage.

With less than six minutes remaining in the first half and facing a first-and-goal situation at the nine-yard line, Mark Spano took the snap in shotgun formation, rolled out of the pocket, and connected with Jake Van Wettering, who dashed into the end zone for the first touchdown of the game.

In the second quarter, River Dell maintained excellent field position as they began their drive at their own 40-yard line. The Golden Hawks' offense continued to advance the ball effectively by mixing their running and passing plays. On first down at the Old Tappan 29-yard line, Spano delivered a precise pass to Brendan Komar, who sprinted past the defense and into the end zone for a touchdown with eight minutes remaining in the half.

River Dell's defense continued to assert its dominance, controlling the line of scrimmage and forcing Old Tappan into another three-and-out. The Golden Hawks quickly extended their lead when Spano rolled to his left and connected with Komar again, who raced down the left sideline for an impressive 79-yard touchdown, pushing the score to 21-0 with five minutes left in the half.

Old Tappan tried to regain momentum during their next offensive series. Still, Jake Van Wettering intercepted a pass deep in River Dell territory and returned it to the Golden Knights' 30-yard line.

With just over a minute remaining in the half, River Dell advanced further into Old Tappan territory, with Spano completing several passes, including a 19-yarder to Gabe Maya. On third down at the ten-yard line and with the clock winding down, Spano took the snap, scrambled to avoid pressure, made a few impressive moves, and rushed into the end zone for another touchdown with just 22 seconds left, bringing the score to 28-0 at halftime.

River Dell received the ball to start the second half and quickly showcased their quick-strike ability. Running back Jaeden Raguindin took a handoff from Spano, turned the corner on the left side, evaded a defender, and raced into the end zone for an electrifying 63-yard touchdown, which completed the scoring for the game.

The Golden Hawks will return to the field on Saturday, September 13th, hosting Paramus at River Dell High School, with kickoff set for 9 a.m.