River Dell Varsity Boys Basketball team races past Ridgefield Park in the Bergen County Jamboree

The River Dell Golden Hawks Varsity Boys Basketball Team (10-5) cruised to a 62-40 win over the Ridgefield Park Scarlets (13-4) in the Bergen County Jamboree Preliminary Round, held at River Dell High School in Oradell, New Jersey.

Iain Rossig led the team with a game-high 23 points, regularly attacking the basket and converting on drives and hitting jump shots. David Nunez contributed 16 points by sinking jump shots and pushing the pace on fast breaks.

River Dell Head Coach Ron Van Saders on the victory: “The kids played their best game of the year in one of the biggest games. We shot 60 percent from the field. Iain and David got us going early. That energy lasted the entire game. We played great defense and made things hard for Ridgefield Park. Overall, a very good night. We’re looking forward to playing Teaneck on Saturday.”

With an energized crowd from both fan bases and the River Dell student section, the Golden Hawks started fast. Iain Rossig tipped the ball to David Nunez, who passed to Nick Clark for a quick layup.

“We always run that offensive play where I tip it to David, then Nick. I feel that playing hard as soon as the game starts helps us and play better as the game goes on,” Iain Rossig explained. “I love our fans and the energy they bring. It helps feed off the way our team plays the game.”

After a closely contested start, River Dell led 5-4 with under five minutes left in the first quarter. Then, the Golden Hawks took control with a 12-0 run.

David Nunez sparked the run, hitting two three-pointers and scoring on a fast-break layup. River Dell hit shots from behind the arc. Iain Rossig and Charlie Lo Presti added threes.

The Golden Hawks moved the ball well. They executed from both the perimeter and the paint while playing relentless defense. This led to a 20-6 lead at the end of the quarter.

The Scarlets had a brief 5-0 run in the second, but River Dell regained momentum. Iain Rossig scored six points inside and outside. The Golden Hawks easily capitalized on fast breaks and transition. Charlie Lo Presti hit his second three, giving River Dell a 31-16 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, Iain Rossig maintained his momentum, putting up 14 points by driving to the basket for layups and hitting mid-range jump shots. He repeatedly broke through Ridgefield Park's defense, widening River Dell's margin to over 20 points.

“We have a fast-paced team and can move in normally and then in transition,” Iain Rossig described. “The team was able to get me the ball in the post. Then I made a fadeaway and knew I was going to keep attacking.”

David Nunez expanded River Dell's lead during the second half by sinking two more three-point shots, bringing his total to four threes for the game, and adding eight points overall with aggressive moves and smart positioning.

“He does everything for us, passing and rebounding the ball. He has great court awareness and can make the shots where he needs to,” Iain Rossig noted.

Iain Rossig capped River Dell's dominant third quarter with a breakaway one-handed dunk. This thrilled the student section. The Golden Hawks' lead grew to 56-27 by the end of the period.

Despite a low-scoring fourth quarter, River Dell's bench players made an impact: with Dariel Liranzo Aiden Trujilo Anthony Perreira chalking up points.

River Dell's formidable defense limited Ridgefield Park's Nick Cartagena to 10 points. They held Jeremiah Rementilla to 2 and Francisco Then to 13.

Reflecting on their defensive performance, Iain Rossig said, “We don’t take any opponent lightly. We practice defense every day and take pride in not allowing points. We focus on being in the right positions."

River Dell next plays fourth-seeded Teaneck Highwaymen (14-2) in the First Round at Tenafly High School on Saturday, January 31st, at 11 a.m. Teaneck has four straight wins and four top scorers. Mickell Taylor Jr. has scored 435 points this season.

Iain Rossig is focused on the challenge ahead. “It’s a great opportunity for us, since we haven’t been to the Jamboree in a few years. We face another great opponent,” he said. “We need to play strong defense, control our pace, stay composed, and keep playing our game.”

“We have a talented group. David (Nunez) has been playing here for three years. Joe Saylik is always vocal and a team player. He does everything the team needs. Charlie Lo Presti and I are playing as sophomores. Nick Clark is always there, shooting lights out all the time."