The River Dell Golden Hawks(4-1) crushed the Morris Hills Knights(0-5) 56-0 at Morris Hills High School in Rockaway, New Jersey.
River Dell was off and running from the opening kickoff as Cain Lanza returned the ball to the Morris Hills 16-yard line. The Golden Hawks took full advantage of the excellent field position as quarterback Zion Yoon lofted a 16-yard touchdown in stride to wide receiver RJ Weiss.
The Golden Hawks offense continued to fire on all cylinders after the defense forced the Knights into punting the ball away. River Dell quickly marched down the field into Morris Hills’ end of the field and capped off by an eight-yard touchdown run by Zion Yoon.
Morris Hills’ offense faced a third and two inside their own territory, and a high snap enabled River Dell defensive back Dean Marucci to scoop up the ball and scamper into the end zone for the score that widened the Golden Hawks’ advantage to 21-0.
Late in the first quarter, River Dell was back in business on the offensive side of the ball. Zion Yoon connected on a 30-yard pass to RJ Weiss, advancing the ball inside the 20-yard line.
On second and goal at the six-yard line, running back Chris Kelm took the handoff from Zion Yoon and plowed straightforward into the end zone for the touchdown, expanding the lead to 28-0.
In the second quarter, the Golden Hawks continued to pour it on as backup quarterback Jayden Kim took the direct snap and barreled into the end zone for the four-yard score.
River Dell’s defense, dominating in the trenches, caused a massive turnover. Defensive lineman Nick Berberian jolted the ball out of the Knights’ running back’s hands, leading to Dean Marucci securing the ball and returning it 28 yards to the end zone for his second defensive touchdown of the game and third overall this season.
Morris Hills’s offense finally got into synch and moved the ball into Golden Hawks territory, but miscues plagued the Knights once again. On a running play, River Dell defensive back Gavin McKeon punched the ball out of the running back’s hands, and Jayden Kim recovered the fumble.
The Golden Hawks should have spent more time capitalizing on the turnover. Chris Kelm took the pitch from quarterback Ashton Pastore, bolted towards the left side of the line, and went into full turbo boost mode as Kelm sprinted past a pack of players to the end zone for the exhilarating 93-yard touchdown.
River Dell asserted its will once again on the defensive side. A huge scrum on a running play by Morris Hills led to the ball being ripped out, and the Golden Hawks’ defensive back snatched the ball for the recovery.
The Golden Hawks cashed in on the golden opportunity. Ashton Pastore hurled a 21-yard pass to Christian Pennetta, which completed a dominating 56-0 halftime lead and eventually victory, as River Dell won its third game in a row.