The 7th seed River Dell Golden Hawks(7-3) pulled off a dramatic upset in overtime fashion, 36-35, over the No. 2 seed Mendham Minutemen(8-2) in the North Jersey Section 1, Group 3 Quarterfinals at Mendham High School in Mendham, New Jersey.
Early in the first quarter, turnovers were prevalent, with River Dell turning the ball over on a fumble on their offensive possession and Mendham’s defensive lineman recovering the ball.
However, the Minutemen’s first offensive series would be short-lived. On the second play, a fumble occurred, with Golden Hawks defensive lineman Youssef Ibrahim falling on the ball for the recovery.
River Dell, with outstanding starting field position at the Mendham 28-yard line, methodically advanced the ball further. The Golden Hawks converted a fourth down at the 18-yard line to keep the drive alive on a seven-yard run by quarterback Zion Yoon.
An eight-play drive chewing up four minutes of the clock resulted in Yoon plowing ahead into the end zone for the one-yard touchdown.
The Mendham offense rebounded and finally got on track, getting the ball back at their own 33 after the kickoff return. The Minutemen executed a simple blueprint by running the ball consistently as they marched down the field and into River Dell territory.
Early in the second quarter, Mendham punched the ball into the end zone on a two-yard score by running back Cole Capuzzi that tied the game up @ 7-7.
The back-and-forth action continued, with the Golden Hawks possessing the ball at their own 22-yard line after the kickoff return. A pass interference call assessed the Minutemen’s defense, providing some breathing room in field position for River Dell.
The Golden Hawks ran the ball on the first two plays, and then Zion Yoon got into the zone. He completed three consecutive passes that pushed the ball close to the red zone.
River Dell matched Mendham’s pound and ground running style as Yoon and Chris Kelm took turns getting the carries. An offsides penalty called against the Mendham defense placed the ball at the two-yard line.
On the very next play, Chris Kelm took the handoff and charged into the end zone, standing up for the score. This capped off a splendid 13-play, 77-yard drive that put the Golden Hawks back in front 14-7 with seven minutes remaining.
The Minutemen, unfazed by the deficit, stormed right back down the field behind a bullish running game and stout offensive line. Despite an unsportsmanlike penalty, Mendham still had the ball in River Dell territory.
However, the drive fizzled out on fourth down as Golden Hawks defensive back Dean Marucci chased after Minutemen quarterback Cameron Parrinello. Marucci hit Parrinello’s arm on an attempted pass that forced a deflection and incompletion, thus forcing a turnover on downs.
In the third quarter, turnovers came back to haunt Mendham again, including a fumble deep inside Minutemen territory, which River Dell linebacker Mason Nagle recovered.
The Golden Hawks immediately capitalized on the opportunity, with Chris Kelm bulldozing his way into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game, which extended the lead to 21-7 with less than 11 minutes left.
While facing a significant deficit, Mendham ignited a rebuttal even with a crummy starting field position at their ten-yard line. A pass interference penalty assessed against River Dell pushed the team beyond midfield.
The Minutemen could convert a critical fourth down play as running Cole Capuzzi gained five yards. Capuzzi finished the drive with a four-yard touchdown and concluded a terrific 12-play, 90-yard drive lasting almost five minutes.
Mendham’s defense fed off the energy provided by the offense and home fans in the bleachers, forcing the Golden Hawks offense into a quick three-and-out.
After a short punt, Mendham began their offensive series at the River Dell 45-yard line. Cole Capuzzi continued to run the ball vigorously, gaining 23 yards, which moved the ball inside the 20. On the next play, Capuzzi took the handoff and exploded through the line and into the end zone for his third touchdown, which evened up the score at 21-21 with three minutes to go.
With momentum clearly on the Minutemen’s side and the home crowd whipped into a frenzy, the Mendham defense forced the River Dell offense into another three-and-out.
The Minutemen offense began their drive at the 33-yard line. Medham faced a crucial fourth-down conversion inside its territory, and the risk paid off: a facemask penalty called on the Golden Hawks defense kept the drive going.
On the next play, quarterback Cameron Parrinello took the snap, then faked the handoff, ran through an open gap, and sprinted down the right sidelines and into the end zone for the electrifying 46-yard touchdown, which put the Minutemen ahead 28-21 with nine and a half minutes left.
The Golden Hawks’ offense struggled again, punting the ball away for a third consecutive time. However, the River Dell defense picked up the slack with a game-changing fumble recovery on Mendham’s end of the field.
A pivotal pass interference call flagged against the Minutemen nudged the ball to the 27-yard line. The Golden Hawks running game back in gear propelled the ball inside the five-yard line.
Facing a third and goal at the four-yard line, Zion Yoon took the snap then, faked the handoff, and rolled out to his right as Yoon fired a pass to Mason Nagle in the right corner of the end zone that tied the game up at 28-28 with less than five minutes remaining.
Mendham had one last opportunity to win the game in the closing seconds on a Hail Mary, but River Dell defensive back, utilizing all his 6’3 frame, knocked down the pass amongst a sea of players in front of the goal line as time expired in the fourth quarter.
The Minutemen got the first offensive possession of the extra session and threw a wrinkle into their schematics as running back Jordan Lieberwirth darted down to the Golden Hawks’ five-yard line for a 16-yard gain.
There was doubt about who would get the ball next, as the workhorse Cole Capuzzi got the ball on third down and goal at the two-yard line and smashed his way into the end zone as Mendham reclaimed the lead at 35-28.
River Dell answered back immediately on their offensive series. After an incomplete pass on first down, Zion Yoon, in shotgun formation on second down, dropped back in the pocket and lofted a high-arching pass toward the left corner of the field, where wide receiver RJ Weiss hauled in the spectacular catch while keeping his feet in bounds.
On first and goal at the one-yard line, Yoon took the snap and then kept churning ahead as the offensive line drove back the pile and snuck in for the touchdown.
Golden Hawks Head Coach DJ Nimphius opted for the two-point conversion instead of kicking the extra point. With the season riding on the line, the crowd was in a high-pitched fever, and air horns were blaring.
Zion Yoon lined up in shotgun formation secured the ball after the snap, then rolled out to his right and lobbed a pass into the end zone, where wide receiver Ryan Rossig snagged the catch. This set off a wild and jubilant celebration on the field with the River Dell players, coaches, fans in the stands, cheerleaders, and, most importantly, the awe-inspiring Golden Hawks’ 36-35 victory.
River Dell advanced to the North Jersey Section 1, Group 3 Tournament Semifinals, where they will face the third-seeded Passaic Valley Hornets(7-2) on Friday, November 8th, at Passaic Valley High School in Little Falls, New Jersey. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.