The Pascack Valley Panthers(6-1) won their third consecutive Rumble for The Rail Trophy in a 35-7 victory over the River Dell Golden Hawks(6-2) at Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale, New Jersey.
Pascack Valley’s defense forced the River Dell offense into a quick three-and-out on its first offensive possession of the game.
The Panthers offense benefitted from a short punt as they started near midfield. Facing a second and nine at the Golden Hawks 41-yard line, Pascack Valley quarterback Adam Shaw took the snap, then aired a deep pass that wide receiver Dante DaCosta caught in stride and strode into the end zone for the touchdown.
River Dell received a spark on the ensuing kickoff return, with Chris Kelm sprinting out to midfield. The good vibes would last shortly as Panthers defensive back Marc Dellaquila made a spectacular over-the-shoulder interception.
Pascack Valley’s offense started at its 15-yard line. Still, the offensive line opened the necessary holes on the ground as quarterback Adam Shaw ripped off a 19-yard run that advanced the ball into Golden Hawks territory.
The Panthers continued to pick up chunks of yardage through a stout running attack and aided by a personal foul penalty assessed against the River Dell defense; they moved the ball to the 31-yard line.
Despite being pushed back several yards, Pascack Valley had the ball at the 39-yard line, and on second down, Adam Shaw heaved a high arching pass to his favorite target in Dante DaCosta as DaCosta hauled in the catch while tumbling backward into the end zone with 37 seconds left that extended the Panthers advantage to 14-0.
In the second quarter, the Pascack Valley defense made a statement with a sack and then a fumble recovery at the River Dell 21-yard line.
Facing a third down and 13 at the 13-yard line, Adam Shaw took the snap and lofted a pass toward the left corner of the end zone. Wide receiver Michael Fronzaglia leaped into the air to snag the catch for the score, widening the margin to 21-0.
The Panthers’ defense was ferocious in its pursuit of the running game but also in the passing area, as it registered another sack. The Golden Hawks were again forced to punt the ball away.
Pascack Valley controlled the line of scrimmage as they started out near midfield again. The Panthers were able to move rapidly into River Dell territory. On third down at the 35-yard line, Adam Shaw took the snap, then faked the handoff, burst through a gaping hole in the line, and scampered down the right side of the field into the end zone for the score that expanded the lead to 28-0 with less than five minutes remaining.
After a scoreless third quarter, Pascack Valley struck gold. Adam Shaw fired a pass to Michael Fronzaglia, who shook off a defensive player, spun around, and rumbled to the end zone for the impressive 40-yard touchdown that stretched the lead to 35-0.
The Golden Hawks managed to avoid the shutout bid by the Panthers as Mason Nagle plowed through a sea of players for the 1-yard touchdown run.