River Dell Golden Hawks Varsity Football Team Retains 'Battle of Midland Ave' Trophy with Dominant Victory Over Paramus

The River Dell Golden Hawks Varsity Football Team (1-2) successfully defended the 'Battle of Midland Ave' Trophy for the second consecutive year, achieving a commanding 49-14 victory over the Paramus Spartans (0-3) at Paramus High School in New Jersey.

From the very start, River Dell's defense made a strong impression by forcing an incomplete pass when Paramus gambled on fourth down in their own territory, resulting in a turnover on downs.

The Golden Hawks' offensive line showcased its strength, creating wide-open lanes for quarterback Zion Yoon and running back Cain Lanza, enabling them to gain significant yardage on the ground. Yoon converted a crucial fourth down with a run that advanced the ball to the Spartans' 17-yard line.

On first down, Yoon took the snap, burst through the middle, and dashed down the sideline into the end zone for a touchdown with six and a half minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Paramus quickly responded on their next drive. Quarterback Jakob Hosie completed a pass to wide receiver Mario DiNapoli, who sprinted all the way to the River Dell five-yard line. On first and goal, Hosie took a direct snap from the shotgun formation and pushed through a pile of players, stretching the ball across the goal line to tie the game at 7-7.

The action continued as Golden Hawks' kickoff returner Jayden Kim returned the kickoff to the River Dell 46-yard line, providing excellent starting field position. River Dell quickly advanced into the Spartans' territory. On second and ten at the 28, Yoon rolled out of the pocket after taking the snap and lofted a pass to Mike DeGroat, who dashed into the end zone for another touchdown with 42 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Golden Hawks' defense remained dominant, with defensive player Adam Ibrahim recovering a fumble inside the Paramus 20-yard line with 27 seconds remaining in the quarter. However, the River Dell offense could not capitalize on the opportunity and turned the ball over on downs. Despite this setback, the Golden Hawks' defense forced the Spartans into a quick three-and-out, highlighted by Luke Van Dam's sack of Paramus quarterback Jakob Hosie.

Once again, River Dell controlled field position, starting their next drive at the Paramus 48-yard line. Although a holding penalty pushed them back, Yoon completed a couple of passes, including a 21-yarder to Jayden Kim that set up first and goal at the five. Facing second and goal at the three, Yoon took the snap, faked the handoff, and connected with Mike DeGroat again for a touchdown, extending River Dell's lead with 6:40 left in the half.

The Spartans' offense struggled to find its rhythm as the Golden Hawks' defense continued to swarm, resulting in another three-and-out. The River Dell offense wasted no time capitalizing on excellent field position at the 44-yard line. Running back Cain Lanza took the handoff, bulldozed through defenders, cut back to his right, and sprinted into the end zone for a spectacular 56-yard touchdown.

Although Paramus finally managed to gain a first down on their next offensive series, their momentum was short-lived, culminating in a punt. Unfortunately, the punter mishandled the snap, preventing any advancement.

River Dell entered the red zone once again but faced challenges and was pushed back several yards. On third down at the 27, Yoon took the snap, faked the handoff, and dropped back in the pocket. He launched a pass over the top to Iain Rossig, who caught it and sprinted into the end zone for another score with two minutes remaining in the half.

In the third quarter, Cain Lanza demonstrated his speed once more, taking a handoff and weaving through traffic before gliding into the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown. Lanza's second score of the game increased the lead to 42-7 with four minutes left in the quarter.

The Golden Hawks' offense continued to shine, allowing backups to play significant minutes in the fourth quarter. Dominic DeMarco took a handoff from quarterback Brooks Esler, navigated through defenders, and found the end zone for the game's final touchdown.

After the post-game handshake between both teams, the River Dell players rushed to the goalpost, where they collectively retrieved the 'Battle of Midland Ave' Trophy, marking a triumphant celebration.

The Golden Hawks will aim to improve their record to 2-2 when they face Parsippany Hills (0-3) on Friday, September 19, at Parsippany Hills High School in Morris Plains, New Jersey, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.