River Dell Golden Hawks Varsity Football Team fires on all cylinders in victory over Fair Lawn

The River Dell Golden Hawks Varsity Football Team (4-2) won its second straight game, 35-0, over the Fair Lawn Cutters (2-4) at River Dell High School in Oradell, New Jersey.

River Dell quarterback Brooks Esler turned in another impressive performance, completing 12 of 20 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 88 yards. The team added 206 rushing yards overall.

Golden Hawks linebacker Luke Van Dam on the win: “Going into the game, we had no points scored on us at home, and we had played only one game, but we wanted to keep that goal. We said we’re not allowing them in the end zone, and the shutout is a huge goal for our defense, and we want to keep that going.”

The Golden Hawks followed a similar blueprint to their win against Teaneck, starting fast by receiving the opening kickoff and taking the first offensive possession.

Brooks Esler orchestrated a nine-play, 81-yard drive that chewed up almost five minutes off the clock, ending with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Mike DeGroat.

“We had a very good first drive. The receivers and running backs did a great job executing, and we were able to score,” Brooks Esler explained. “Mikey’s a big target, very good player, and made a good catch. Having the size of that guy definitely helps; he’s a huge target and hard to miss, and him being so tall makes it a lot easier.”

River Dell’s defense quickly forced Fair Lawn into a three-and-out on its first offensive series. The Golden Hawks offense, with excellent field position near midfield, methodically advanced the ball into Cutters territory.

Another long drive lasted 11 plays, including a crucial 14-yard run by Brooks Esler on fourth down at the Fair Lawn 2-yard line.

“I knew I had to get to the sticks, and we had a way to go and tried to pass the ball,” Brooks Esler said. “I didn’t like anything I saw, and I was able to run for it for the first down, and that was a big moment.”

On the first play of the second quarter, Esler took the snap in shotgun, dropped back in the pocket, and slung a 7-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Connor Gastin, extending the advantage to 14-0.

“Connor made a few great plays. He’s a really good receiver, even though he’s small, and he’s able to find space and catch the ball,” Brooks Esler said. “He understands football very well, and I was able to deliver the ball to him, and he made a good play.”

The Golden Hawks defense continued to excel, disrupting the rhythm the Cutters offense wanted to establish, highlighted by a sack from defensive lineman Ryan McNeel.

River Dell’s offense had the ball again near midfield with five and a half minutes remaining. The Golden Hawks mixed the passing and running game, pushed the ball deep into Fair Lawn territory, but faced another pivotal fourth down at the Cutters' three-yard line.

Brooks Esler took the snap, faked a handoff, and pitched the ball to Iain Rossig on the jet sweep. Rossig turned the corner on the right side of the line, cut under a defender, and lunged into the end zone for the score with three and a half minutes left.

“Iain really made the play there. He’s a very good player and got over the defender and into the end zone,” Brooks Esler noted.

The Golden Hawks defense wreaked havoc late in the first half, with Mikey DeGroat recording a pair of sacks and Benn Dapito adding another. River Dell led 21-0 at halftime.

“Mikey can do it all: offense, defense, and special teams, and he doesn’t come off the field,” Luke Van Dam said. “I don’t know how he does it, and his ability to get to the quarterback is impressive.”

“We had sophomores through seniors making plays and even got some freshmen in the game. It was great to see every grade level play hard.”

Fair Lawn received the second-half kickoff, and the River Dell defense, feeding off the momentum from the first half, forced the Cutters to punt.

The Golden Hawks offense wasted no time moving the ball downfield. A drive that lasted less than two minutes ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Jackson Lee.

“That was a great drive coming out of the half. The defense got the stop, we fed off that energy, and Jackson punched it in,” Brooks Esler remarked.

Fair Lawn’s offense finally managed a decent drive toward the end of the quarter, but the River Dell defense dug in and battened down the hatches. Luke Van Dam made a key tackle on a fourth-down pass play, forcing a turnover on downs.

“Fair Lawn started to drive the ball on us, but one of the things our defense emphasized is responding to adversity,” Luke Van Dam said. “Once Fair Lawn did drive on us, we were able to pick it up after they got past midfield, lock in, and get them off the field.”

In the fourth quarter, the Golden Hawks offense put a stamp on the performance when Jayden Kim barreled across the goal line for a two-yard touchdown.

“Jayden is truly a phenomenal player and can really do everything,” Brooks Esler said. “He has great knowledge of the game and offense and does so much for us that people don’t even realize he’s a really great player.”

Defensively, River Dell cemented its dominant performance when linebacker Noah Choflet recovered a fumble late in the quarter.

“That all comes from practice, and we practice loose ball, and everyone gets in the drill. It’s not just the varsity guys getting reps or seniors,” Luke Van said. “Everyone practices picking up the ball, knowing that can happen in the game, and we jumped right on it and recovered it well.”

The Golden Hawks continue their homestand on Friday, October 9th, hosting Sparta (1-4) with kickoff set for 6 p.m.

“We have to keep this going, and we have a very good opponent in front of us and have to win out from here,” Brooks Esler said. “We’re focused on Sparta and winning one game at a time.”

“There’s a lot on the line for the seniors, and as underclassmen it’s our job to give them our best effort every single day because they’re giving their very best and have only so much time left playing.”

Luke Van Dam on the upcoming matchup against Sparta and the remainder of the regular season, “Coach (DJ Nimphius) keeps emphasizing Sparta is well coached and go way back to playing them in the state sectional finals. We’ve only beaten them once, and we’re looking to pick up that second win. They’re 1-4, but the record doesn’t matter. They are a tough team and will play to the final whistle, and we have to be on our game.”

“We’re down to two more home games, and I’m thinking about the end of the season. I’m getting a little bit emotional, and high school football means so much. It’s just playing with your friends, and my goal is to play at the next level.”

“It’s amazing looking up and seeing the bleachers from bottom to top filled, and you got all the parents on the other side and teachers, and people lined up behind the fence. The energy playing at home is just something else. We have Ramsey on Senior Night, and it’s going to be packed, and I can’t imagine it. Having everyone there is an advantage and gives us so much more motivation.”

“I remember when I was exactly in their shoes, high fiving the players when they came out. It definitely means so much to the team and me because they came out of their way to watch us play, and we have to show out for them. It just means so much.”