River Dell’s 28-13 win over Mahwah last Friday night put the Golden Hawks atop the Big North Division VI league standing and well positioned for earning a State playoff berth.
It was the first meeting of the two teams in several decades, and with the victory River Dell remains undefeated at 6-0 in league play and 6-1 overall. Mahwah falls to 4-2 in the league and 4-3 overall.
River Dell head coach D. J. Nimphius, is focused on his team winning the league championship before entertaining any thoughts about the State championships.
“You’ve got to take care of what you’ve got to take care of,” Nimphius said. “Right now we’re worried about winning the division. If you get in the playoffs, you get in. It really does not matter.”
The coach was pleased with his team’s performance against Mahwah.
“It was a good effort,” he said. “They hung in there and when the going got tough they hunkered down and got the job done.”
The Golden Hawks found themselves in the same position as in last week’s tough 38-30 loss to Pascack Valley, scoring early, jumping out to a 20-6 half time lead and then watching it slip away in the second half. However, this time they were up top the challenge and prevailed.
“The difference was this week we responded after they marched downfield and scored,” said defensive lineman Bob Croonqiuist. “At times we were a little shaky, but the defense stepped up when it counted.”
Mahwah came out fired up in the third quarter, going 72 yards in seven running plays on the opening series, getting a touchdown to shrink the margin to 20-13. Dan Buonocore provided the bulk of the Mahwah offense, rushing 23 times for 98 yards and ran back some kickoffs and punts.
The Thunderbirds offense moved the ball on their next two possessions while the defense twice forced the Golden Hawks to give up the ball on downs. River Dell’s defense then stepped up and stopped Mahwah while the offense rolled on the rest of the way.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, River Dell quarterback Brian McGoey fired a pass to Mike Oliver who hauled it in and raced 63 yards for what proved to be the winning touchdown.
Earlier in the first half, McGoey opened the scoring with a pair of long touchdown passes. After Bob Croonquist’s fumble recovery gave River Dell the ball, McGoey found Mike Purciello wide open behind the defender for a 40-yard touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead.
In the final seconds of the first half, after completing a couple of short passes, McGoey found senior end Dave Crouch in the corner of the end zone for a 24-yard scoring strike that made the score 20-6 at the break. Crouch went up high, made the grab and held on to the ball as he came crashing down in the end zone just inside the left pylon. “The defensive back was fighting me for the ball. He tried the wrestle it away from me, but I held on to it,” Crouch explained.
Sandwiched between those scores was a second quarter touchdown scored by McGoey on a one-yard run.
On the ensuing kickoff, strong-legged kicker Dylan Smith put the ball in the end zone for a touchback. Mahwah got the ball on their own 20-yard line and, with Buonocore virtually rushing the ball on every play, moved 70 yards in 11 plays to a touchdown at 9:07 of the second quarter. Buonocore’s extra point kick was blocked and the Thunderbirds trailed 14-6.
Buonocore, the heart and soul of the Mahwah team, late in the fourth quarter took a big hit and had to leave the game.
“I won’t know how bad he was hurt until he gets back from the doctor, but it appears to be that he has a concussion,” Mahwah head coach Jeff Remo said after the game. “We were pretty well prepared for this game but we had a couple of breakdowns in our secondary that went for some big plays.”
McGoey said his team was also well prepared for the game, having studied films during the week.
“We saw what their safeties would be doing and knew we would have the play action passes available to us all day,” McGoey said.
McGoey completed six of nine passes for 188 yards and ran for 50 yards on 14 carries. River Dell rushed for a total 198 yards on 38 rushes. The defense got a pair of quarterback sacks by Croonquist and Kevin Barry.
The Golden Hawks next face Ridgefield Park at home on Friday night.