River Dell Golden Hawks Varsity Football Team Wraps Up 2025 Season with Convincing Victory over Newark Central

The River Dell Golden Hawks Varsity Football Team (7-4) finished the 2025 season on a strong note, securing a dominant 48-8 victory over the Newark Central Blue Devils (6-5) at River Dell High School in Oradell, New Jersey.

Although Newark Central's defense recovered a fumble on River Dell's opening offensive possession, the Golden Hawks' defense quickly turned the tide. Mikey DeGroat intercepted a pass on the Blue Devils' first offensive series.

River Dell's offense advanced deep into Newark Central territory, led by running back Cain Lanza, who consistently gained significant yardage on the ground.

On a first and ten at the Blue Devils' 25-yard line, Jayden Kim took a pitch from quarterback Zion Yoon on a jet sweep. Kim cut back toward the line and sprinted into the end zone for a touchdown with eight and a half minutes remaining in the first quarter.

The Golden Hawks' special teams then made a critical play during the ensuing Newark Central kickoff return when Cain Lanza recovered a fumble at the Blue Devils' six-yard line.

Capitalizing on the turnover, Cain Lanza took the handoff and powered his way across the goal line, extending River Dell's lead to 14-0.

Newark Central's struggles continued on their next offensive possession. An attempted punt went awry as the ball sailed over the punter's head, leading to a scramble for possession. River Dell's Jackson Lee recovered the ball in the end zone, increasing the Golden Hawks' lead to 20-0 with five minutes left in the quarter.

Looking to regain momentum, Newark Central's offense faltered again when Zion Yoon intercepted a pass and returned it to the Blue Devils' 24-yard line. Yoon showcased his athleticism by breaking free for a 15-yard run to the five-yard line.

On second and goal at the two-yard line, Yoon took a direct snap and powered across the goal line for another touchdown, boosting River Dell's margin to 27-0 with two and a half minutes remaining in the first half.

Newark Central finally found success when quarterback Zahyir Taylor connected with wide receiver Tyshawn Bailey Jr. on a 33-yard pass that moved the ball to the Golden Hawks' 30-yard line.

In the second quarter, the Blue Devils scored, with Taylor firing a 10-yard pass to wide receiver Dishon Jerman. Newark Central opted for a two-point conversion, which was successful. Zahyir Taylor took the snap and sprinted to the left, sneaking inside the pylon and trimming the lead to 27-8.

River Dell quickly responded on their next offensive possession, converting a crucial fourth down with a run from Zion Yoon. On first and ten at the Newark Central 34-yard line, Yoon dropped back to pass and connected with Mikey DeGroat, who dashed to the end zone for a touchdown with nine and a half minutes left.

Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, their special teams suffered another misstep, this time with a blocked punt inside their territory. Youssef Ibrahim of the Golden Hawks scooped up the loose ball and crossed into the end zone for a touchdown.

Newark Central regained possession with four minutes left and finally found rhythm, methodically advancing into River Dell territory. They kept the drive alive on a fourth-and-one at the Golden Hawks' 17 with a 14-yard run by Zahyir Taylor. However, a delay-of-game penalty and several incomplete passes led to another fourth down that ended poorly, as River Dell's Andrew Wilhelm intercepted a pass in the end zone.

In the fourth quarter, Zion Yoon capped off his stellar career with the Golden Hawks by taking the snap and driving to the right side of the line to score yet another touchdown.