Section I, Group III Final: Hills 46, Par-Hills 0
12/3/05: Ray Van Peenen scored three touchdowns and Mike Peischl threw for two as Wayne Hills (12-0) pounded Parsippany Hills (10-2) to claim the Section I, Group III title. It was the Wayne schools third championship in four years and second undefeated season since 2002.
"It feels great to win back-to-back championships," Van Peenen said. "It couldn't get any better than that."
Van Peenen scored on runs of 1 and 5 and on a touchdown dart (27 yards) from Peischl.
“I just started rolling, and I saw Ray out in the flat," Peischl said of his touchdown toss to Van Peenen. “I was hoping he was going to see me and break to the end zone.”
“It wasn’t even supposed to go to me,” Van Peenen added. “I was just supposed to bring the corner out on me so Nick (Romeo) could get open. But I saw Peischl start rolling, so I just broke for it."
The quarterback also fired off a 34-yard scoring strike to Romeo. Romeo also scored on a 33-yard reverse. The receiver nearly had a third touchdowns, but fumbled as he crossed the goal line. Geoff Pruzinsky alertly scooped up the ball and dove into the end zone. Zach Mink returned a fumble for a 46-yard touchdown. John Ihne caused the fumble with a jarring tackle.
The Parsippany Hills defense came into the game having allowed just two touchdowns and having recorded 60 sacks in its previous seven games.
"We knew coming in about their sacks,” Hills coach Chris Olsen said, “but we’ve only been sacked three times all year. I just think we were too physical for them.”
Sure enough, Par-Hills didn't sack Peischl once. The Patriots gained 312 yards of total offense. Peischl completed 7-of-8 passes for 148 yards. Romeo had five catches for 118 yards. Van Peenen gained 124 yards on the ground.
"Nick Romeo is a dynamic player," Olsen said. "I told him that we had to get him involved early. We needed him to take the pressure off of Ray. And what can you say about Mike Peischl. You hear about Ray, you hear about the offensive line, but Peischl’s the key. He runs the ship.”
Dave Ogden broke the single season school record with his 16th sack of the year. Matt Fullam had 1 ½ sacks and 7 tackles. Justin Dubin also had 7 tackles. Romeo had two interceptions and broke up two long passes. Scott Schultz had a fumble recovery, which led to Wayne's first touchdown.
Par-Hills Coach Played For Wayne Hills
By Skiffo Drake
11/30/05: When Dave Albano's name gets announced at Giants Stadium Saturday for the start of the Wayne Hills-Parsippany Hills Section I, Group III championship game, he is likely to be greeted by a monstrous ovation.
In six years as head coach, Albano has built Par-Hills into a juggernaut. This year's team (10-1) will be seeking to knock off undefeated Wayne Hills (11-0) and, in the process, bring home its first such title in team history. This is the second straight year that he has taken the Vikings to the playoff. Last year, they lost to powerful Demarest in the first round.
Considering Albano's success, it's not surprising that he'll be well received by the Par-Hills faithful. What will probably come as a surprise to many, though, is that some of those cheers will probably come from the Wayne Hills rooting section. In fact, many of those decked out in Patriots garb may even stand and clap.
What some of the younger Wayne fans may not realize is that Albano is actually one of them. The Par-Hills coach grew up in Wayne and graduated from Wayne Hills 21
years ago. He was a star member of the late Ralph Polito's 1982 playoff team.
"I'm still a Wayne Hills fan," he admits. "This will probably be the first time I've ever rooted against them."
Albano still vividly and fondly recalls his days as on Berdan Avenue.
"We were actually better in 1981," he said. "We were 8-1, but didn't make the playoffs. It was a lot more difficult to make the playoffs in those days. Only four teams qualified. Our record wasn't as good in 1982 (6-3-1), but we still managed to get in.
"We were beating a very good North Bergen team at halftime, 7-3. But they scored twice in the second half and beat us, 17-7. At the time I was disappointed, but looking back it might not have been such a bad thing. North Bergen got hammered by Ironhead (Passaic's Craig Heywerd) the next week."
When Albano looks across the field at his former team, it'll be nothing new. In fact, it already happened two weeks ago. He started his coaching career with a one-year stint at Wayne Valley as an assistant under Dave McMahon in 1990. He went back to his old stomping grounds and led Par-Hills to a semi-final win over Wayne Valley. Brian Francis, one of his assistants, played for him on that 1990 Wayne Valley team.
"That was another great team," Albano said. "We went 10-0 and then lost to Pascack Hills in the final."
In addition to coaching against his former Wayne teams, he also has had the pleasure of catching up with former colleagues. In 1990 he served alongside Bob Bishop, who is still a Valley assistant. After the game, he ran into Dave Drozjock, the West Essex coach. Drozjock played and served as an assistant at Wayne Valley.
This week, he’ll likely renew more acquaintances. Hills assistant Wally Johnson was also on the 1990 Wayne Valley staff. Ray Riker, the longtime Hills assistant and one time head coach (1985-1986), coached Albano in the early 80’s.
"It's been a fun few weeks for Brian and me,” Albano said. “We saw a lot of old friends at Valley. I'm sure it'll be the same thing when we play (Wayne) Hills. They'll all be rooting against us, but that's all part of it."
By beating Wayne Valley, Par-Hills foiled the much-hoped for Wayne Valley vs. Wayne Hills championship game. Ironically, Albano admits to wanting to see such a game.
"I was at the 1991 Wayne Valley-Wayne Hills championship game (won by Valley, 7-0)," he said. "There were 10,000 people there. I've never been around a more exciting high school atmosphere. It'd be exciting to see that again, but just not this year.
"We actually used that to our advantage. We kept reminding our players that everyone wants to see the Wayne Bowl. Forget about that, I told them. Let's make it the Hills Bowl."
This time, unlike 1982, he'll be rooting for the Hills team from Wayne to lose.
Section I, Group III Semifinals: Hills 41, Ramapo 13
By Skiffo Drake
11/18/05: Wayne – The speculation started in early October.
This was going to the be the year that Wayne Valley and Wayne Hills played each other for the Section I, Group III championship.
Title expectations are nothing new at Hills. The Patriots have been to the title game nine times (1991, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004). They wound up winning it all in 2002 and 2004.
At Valley, on the other hand, the expectations have been minimal at best. Valley, likewise, has been to the final game on nine occasions, but none have been recent (1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992). They also have seven titles to their credit, but again none have been recent (1967, 1968, 1970, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1991).
Coming into the season, Hills was expected to again challenge for the title. Valley was not. The Indians came into the campaign off of three consecutive losing seasons. A year ago, they stammered to a 3-7 mark.
But all that changed after the Indians scorched to a 3-1 start. That put them in a neck-and-neck race with Hills for the top-seed in the Section I, Group III race.
Hills (No. 1) wound up barely nosing out Valley (No. 2) for the top seed. That placed both teams on a collision course for a championship game battle.
Unfortunately for Wayne fans, the game did not come to pass. Hills (11-0) kept up its end of the bargain by destroying Ramapo (6-4), 41-13. Valley (9-2), however, fell short of its lofty goal. The Indians suffered a convincing loss to third-seeded Parsippany Hills (10-1), 27-7.
As far as Hills was concerned, they put up a dominating performance.
Ray Van Peenen rushed for 301 yards and five touchdowns (27, 28, 2, 33 and 3 yards). He also caught four passes for 30 yards.
"Ray ran the ball hard," Ramapo coach Drew Gibbs said. "And we could not tackle him. That was the bottom line."
"I'm at a loss for words," quarterback Mike Peischl said. "It was the most phenomenal thing I ever saw."
"I have to give my line the credit," Van Peenen added. "They opened up wide holes, which helped me get into the secondary."
Van Peenen actually made his first contribution on defense. Ramapo drove the field on its first possession. Chris Hogan caught a pass near the goal line and tried to stretch the ball across. Van Peenen jarred the ball ball loose before Hogan could score. Zack Mink recovered the ball in the end zone for Hills. The Patriots then drove 80 yards for a lead they would never relinquish.
Hills also scored on a 37-yard interception return by Matt Fullam. Scott Schultz kicked five extra points. Hogan finished with two touchdown catches from A.J. Pisari.
Wayne Hills will play Parsippany Hills in the championship game on the weekend of December 2.
Section I, Group III Quarterfinals: Hills 40, Teaneck 6
By Skiffo Drake
Wayne – The chances of a Wayne Valley vs. Wayne Hills State Sectional football championship game increased considerably Friday when both teams won quarterfinal games.
Top-seeded Wayne Hills beat Teaneck, 40-6. Second-seeded Wayne Valley (8-1) downed Demarest, 12-3. If both teams win semi-final games this weekend, they will meet each other in the Section I, Group III championship game. It would be only the third time ever that the schools have played each other. That contest would be played at either Giants Stadium or Wayne Hills (the higher seed).
Hills will have to beat its arch-nemesis Ramapo (No. 4). Valley will have to beat Parsippany Hills (No. 3).
"It (a Valley-Hills championship) is always in the back of peoples minds," head Chris Olsen said. "People says it's not, but it is. It wouldn't be a game. It would be an event."
Hills moved closer to the match up by beating Teaneck soundly.
Ray Van Peenen ran for 211 yards and two touchdowns. Nick Romeo had 134 receiving yards and two touchdowns. On defense, he contributed two interceptions. Alex Gibson had four catches for 41 yards and one touchdown. Mike Peischl threw three touchdown passes.
Wayne Hills 67, Ramsey 14
11/6/05: Mike Peischl and Nick Romeo hooked up for three touchdowns (25, 17 and 91 yards) as Wayne Hills (9-0) pounded Ramsey (1-7). Peischl also ran for a 9 yard touchdown. Ray Van Peenen rushed for three touchdowns (34, 11 and 5 yards). Peischl finished with 165 passing yards. Romeo had 155 of the receiving yards. Van Peenen ran for three touchdowns.
Adam Fitzpatrick returned an interception for a 60 yard score. Dan DeCicco scored on a 15 yard rush. Tim Waller scooped up a blocked punt and ran in from 15 yards.
The Patriots now turn their attention to the Section I, Group III playoffs. Hills, the top seed, will host Teaneck (No. 8) Friday night. If they win, they will meet up with the Ramapo (No. 4)-Nutley (No. 5) winner.
Wayne Hills could conceivably meet up with Wayne Valley (No. 2) in the championship game. That game could be designated for Giants Stadium.
Wayne Hills 27, Ramapo 26
By Skiffo Drake
10/29/05: Franklin Lakes – When Chris Olsen sings the praises of the Wayne Hills-Ramapo football rivalry, it isn’t exactly something new. Olsen, the longtime Hills head coach, is on the record calling the annual skirmish “the best in the state.”
One of his favorite comments is “Wayne Hills-Ramapo . . . it doesn’t get any better than this.”
No one was surprised that Olsen said it again Friday night. What was shocking, however, was the timing. He said, before the outcome was decided.
Wayne Hills went into halftime trailing Ramapo by 19. The Patriots stormed back in the second half to take the lead with 6:01 remaining.
The go-ahead score came when Ray Van Peenan rushed into the end zone from nine yards out. Scott Schultz booted the extra point to give Hills the edge. Nick Romeo's interception led to the score. The senior also had a 37-yard reception from Mike Peischl on the drive.
Ramapo responded with a poised, answer back drive. Olsen delivered his “doesn’t get any better than this” evaluation with Ramapo in possession at the Hills 34-yard line and 1:04 remaining. The outcome was still very much in the balance.
As it turned out, Olsen had no reason to worry. Ramapo would go no further as three straight A.J. Pisari throws fell incomplete. Wayne Hills (8-0) held on to win, 27-26.
“I would have said that win or lose,” Olsen said afterwards. “This has been such an exciting rivalry. When you see another chapter unfold before your eyes, it’s hard not to get caught up in it. And, win or lose, its certainly accurate.”
Few could argue otherwise. Every year, the regular season meeting between the schools decides the NBIL Division I Championship and the No. 1 seed in the Section I, Group III playoffs.
This year’s game was no different. The victory gave Hills its first NBIL Division I title and its first No.1 seed since 2002. They went undefeated and won Sectional title that year. They won it Sectional title last year as well, but fell short of Ramapo for conference supremacy.
“This game means as much to me as any game we’ll play the rest of the year,” Olsen said. “This could be a defining moment in our season.”
Early on, it appeared that the “defining moment” would belong to Ramapo. The Green Raiders have uncharacteristically struggled this season. Many times, they go into the Wayne Hills game unbeaten. This season, they’ve already lost twice (Pascack Valley and Northern Highlands).
Despite these struggles, Ramapo (5-3) could have won the conference by beating Hills. For most of the game, it appeared that they would do just that.
Ramapo’s Chris Hogan owned the first half by accumulating 92 yards receiving and 34 yards rushing.
Pisari opened the scoring with an 11 yard touchdown yard. Wayne’s Justin Dubin blocked the extra point, which would eventually prove crucial.
From then on, the Green Raiders leaned on Hogan. On Ramapo’s next possession, Hogan scored on an eight yard pass from Pisari.
The Patriots then cut the deficit with an 80-yard, 12 play drive. Van Peenen scored on a 6-yard burst.
Ramapo came right back. On its first play of their next possession, Pisari fired a 50-yard strike down the middle to Hogan. That led to Hogan’s four-yard touchdown rumble.
Hogan then scored again on a 19-yard pass from Pisari with 29 seconds left in the half. Pisarri connected with Brian Tinsley for 20 yards and Dan Granatell for 9 before firing off the scoring strike to Hogan. A bad snap caused Ramapo to fail on another conversion.
It appeared that the second half would follow a similar course when the Green Raiders marched to the Hills 13. On third down, though, Mike Fullam sacked Pisari for an 11- yard loss.
In consideration of their previous kicking woes, Ramapo coach Drew Gibbs chose to go for it. The attempt failed when Romeo tipped a Pisari pass away from Tinsley.
“The game’s over if we put one in on our first drive (of the second half),” Gibbs said. “We knew that Hills was going to score. We had to cash in on each of our opportunities. We didn’t do that on that drive and it came back to haunt us.”
From that point on, Wayne Hills took control.
On its next possession, Peischl fired off a 30 yard completion to Romeo. On the following play, Alex Gibson grabbed a screen pass from Peischl and headed up-field. Hogan tackled Gibson, but took a knee to the head. A resulting concussion sent Hogan to the sideline for the rest of the night. Hills scored three plays later when Van Peenen carried it in from one yard out.
“He (Hogan) wanted to go back in,” Gibbs said. “He tried to fool the doctors, but they didn’t buy it. They told me he shouldn’t go back in the game. He really didn’t know where he was. It hurt us, because (Hills) was then able to put their best cover guys on our second and third guys. They took advantage of the mismatches.”
After holding Ramapo to a three-and-out, Hills was on the move again. Gibson followed a 19-yard reception with five yard touchdown reception from Peischl. The game winning-drive followed.
“We wound up winning because of our character,” Olsen said. “We could have pouted when we were down. Instead, we chose to be Wayne Hills and fight our way back into the game. We played hard and we played with pride in the second half. That’s how we closed the gap. That’s how we’re supposed to play.”
Added, Gibson, “We’re Wayne Hills. You can’t count us out. We have too much pride not to play our game.
Peischl finished with 13 completions for 200 yards. He completed his last 10 passes. Romeo had six receptions for 131 yards, most of which came in the second half. Van Peenen rushed for 111 yards.
The Patriot defense was led by Omar Rodriguez, who had nine tackles. Dubin and Zach Mink had eight apiece. Fullam had 2.5 sacks. Schultz had 1.5.
“At the end, we were almost in a zone,” Peischl said. “Once we scored that first time, we started rolling the snowball.”
Ramapo, meanwhile, was paced by Pisari, who had 159 yards passing. He only had 38 passing yards in the second half. John Kleinert rushed for 90 yards. Hogan had nine tackles.
“We’ve bounced back before and we’ll have to bounce back again,” Gibbs said. “We’ll have to get up off the turf, dust ourselves off and get back to work.”
This might not be it for the 2005 Wayne Hills-Ramapo rivalry. They have a chance of meeting up in the playoffs for the fifth straight year. Hills is assured of the top seed. Ramapo will likely end up as the No. 4 or No. 5. If both teams win in the first round, they could meet up again in the semi-final round. Hills, by virtue of its higher seed, would be the home team.
Wayne Hills 45, Mahwah 6
10/24/05: Ray Van Peenan scored five touchdowns for the second straight week as Wayne Hills (7-0) cruised to another easy win. The junior scored on runs of 1, 5 and 6 yards, then set a school record with a 99-yard touchdown sprint. He also scored on a 39-yard pass from Mike Peischl. Peischl also ran for a 49 yard score and passed to Scott Schultz for a 35 yard score.
Van Peenan finished with 185 ground yards. Peischl passed for 99 yards.
If the Patriots beat Ramapo Friday, they will secure the NBIL Division I Championship and the top seed in the Section I, Group III playoffs. Hills won the Sectional Crown last year. Their last conference title came in 2002.
Wayne Hills 47, Northern Highlands 0
By Skiffo Drake
10/18/05: Wayne – Every year there are new challengers.
The NBIL and the Section I, Group III championship, it seems, always comes down Wayne Hills and Ramapo.
Since 1995, they have been the only two teams to win the conference.
Since 2000, they have been the only two teams to win the State Sectional crown. Ramapo beat Wayne Hills in the 2000 and 2001 State Sectional final. Hills returned the favor in the 2002 final.
Ramapo triumphed over Hills in the 2003 semifinal. Again, Hills returned the favor in 2004.
With each coming season, though, a new, up-and-coming team is viewed as a contender. Each time, Wayne Hills or Ramapo has the final say.
Demarest was that team in 2003 and 2004. While the Norseman did put together memorable campaigns, they fell short both times. They lost to Ramapo in the 2003 final and to Wayne Hills in the 2004 final.
This year, those up-and-coming teams were reportedly Old Tappan and Northern Highlands.
Two weeks ago, Wayne Hills beat Old Tappan, 16-14. The narrow margin left observers wondering if Hills could be beaten this year.
“We’re a victim of our own success,” Wayne Hills head coach Chris Olsen said. “When we win a close one, everyone wants to know ‘What’s wrong.’
“It was as if we had lost (to Old Tappan). All week, you’d see somebody in a store, and they’d say, what happened last week. I told them that we’re 5-0.”
This past weekend, Hills served notice that they are still the team to beat. They clobbered Northern Highlands, 47-0. The Highalanders brought a 3-1 record into the game. One of those wins came against Ramapo last week, 20-17.
“We approached this game like a playoff game,” Olsen said. “It had a championship game feel to it. I told the kids to act like the regular season was over and that this was already the playoffs.”
No one took that plan more seriously than Ray Van Peenen (21). After fumbling in the first period, the junior bounced back in a big way. He rushed for 239 and scored five touchdowns as the Patriots (6-0) dominated from start to finish.
He opened the scoring with a 44-yard punt return early in the second quarter. That broke a scoreless tie and got Hills rolling.
“After fumbling the ball, I knew I had to come back and make a big play for my team,” Van Peenen said. “Once I ran back the punt, that set everything else up. I got an amazing block from Dave Ogden. If he doesn’t make that block, I’m probably down. But he cleaned the guy out and I took it all the way. When you start making big plays, eventually a team breaks.”
“There’s not a better all around football player than Ray; he plays on both sides of the ball and on every special team, “said Coach Chris Olsen.
On the next series, safety Zach Mink (11) intercepted a Northern Highlands pass attempt. Three plays later, Nick Romeo (18) caught a touchdown pass from Mike Peischl (13). The throw was intended for Mink, but never found its mark. Defensive back Matt Zanedis deflected the ball into Romeo’s hands.
“The defensive back made a great play,” Peischl said. “The ball fell right to Romeo, though. Sometimes you need to be a little lucky.”
“It was a heck of a defensive play,” Olsen said, “But you have to hand it to Nick. He never gave up on the play and made an athletic effort to get the ball.”
After that, Olsen consistently turned to Van Peenen. The tailback reached the end zone on runs of 3, 2, 20 and 78 yards. He now has 17 touchdowns on the season. Fullback Alex Gibson scored on a two yard rush. Scott Schultz converted six extra point attempts.
“It was intimidating watching them (Northern Highlands) beat up on Ramapo last week,” Hills offensive linemen Dave Ogden said. “We knew that they were physical up front and tough to run on. The challenge for us was to open up room for our guys to run. We proved how physical we could be too. ”
The Wayne defense was equally effective. Defensive linemen Ogden (55), Schultz (35), John Ihne (80) and Paul Jun (52) refused to give an inch. They combined for four sacks and prevented heralded Justin Pulgrano from eclipsing the 100 yard mark for the first time this season. The talented tailback gained just 95 yards.
Linebacker Justin Dubin (50) led Hills with 11 tackles.
“They were just better than us,” Northern Highlands head coach Steve Simonettie said. “It was their day. From the second quarter on, we got outplayed badly. They owned all aspects of the game. It wasn’t our day. But we might see them again.”
The win puts Hills atop not only the NBIL, but also the Section I, Group III playoff race. If they win out, they will take home the conference crown and the top seed in the playoff tournament.
Olsen, though, is not taking anything for granted. He still has an eye on Ramapo, who Hills plays in two weeks. The Green Raiders have already lost to Pascack Valley and Northern Highlands.
“We stubbed our toe last year,” he said in reference to last year’s regular season losses to Demarest and Ramapo. “That made us pick it up and take it to another level. We ended up winning it all. You always have to be leery about Ramapo. They’re where we were last year.”
Interestingly, Wayne Hill’s greatest challenger this year may come from within its own township confines. Wayne Valley (5-1) has quietly been lurking in the shadows after a four-year playoff drought. The Indians are currently in second place in the playoff standings.
Hills and Valley, which are in different conferences, have only played each other twice in 40 years. The two schools, located just three miles apart, could convivially meet up in the playoffs this year.
“There’s no logical reason for Hills and Valley not to play,” Olsen said. “We could work out an independent game. It would be exciting to play them in the playoffs.”
Wayne Hills 16, Old Tappan 14
10/9/05: Wayne Hills (5-0) held off battling Old Tappan Sunday to stay unbeaten. Old Tappan struck first when Nick Korsgen fired a scoring strike to Moe Ghotok. That marked the first time that Wayne Hills has trailed all year.
The Patriots scored the next 16 points. The touchdowns were scored on a Ray Van Peenan rush (13 yards) and on a bomb from Mike Peischl to Nick Romeo (58 yards). Scott Schultz booted a crucial field goal in the fourth period.
Old Tappan pulled within 16-14 when Korsgen threw a 32-yard bomb to Ryan Veselsky. A late Old Tappan drive was halted when Van Peenan intercepted a pass. Van Peenan also forced a key fumble earlier in the game. Old Tappan's gutty-effort was ultimately done in by four turnovers.
Hills, on the other hand, could not get much going on offense. Van Peenan, who rushes for over 140 yards per game, was held to just 30 yards by the Golden Knights. The Patriots offense generated just 151 yards.
Jamie Rowe led Old Tappan with 121 yards rushing.
Wayne Hills 35, Demarest 21
10/1/05: Ray Van Peenan ran for 226 yards and two one-yard touchdowns as Hills beat Demarest. Mike Peischl fired off three touchdown passes. Nick Romeo scored on receptions of 21 and 14. Scott Schultz had a 10 yard TD-reception. He also connected on all five extra point attempts.
Wayne Hills 55, Bergenfield 0
9/24/05: Ray Van Peenan ran for 111 yards and three touchdowns as Wayne Hills (3-0) clobbered Bergenfield. Mike Peischl threw touchdown passes to John Ihne, Scott Schultz and Nick Romeo. Dan DeCicco and Carlton Marcin also rushed for scores. Dave Ogden had seven tackles and two sacks. Adam Fitzpatrick also had seven tackles.
Patriots romp over outmanned Fair Lawn
9/17/05: Nick Romeo returned a punt 43 yards for the game’s first touchdown less than six minutes into the opening quarter and set up Wayne Hills’ fourth score with another return of the same distance early in the second quarter to lead the Patriots to a 48-0 whitewash over Fair Lawn (0-2).
The speedy senior wide receiver/ free safety totaled 105 yards in three returns and added two pass receptions for another 32 yards in just over a half of playing time as Hills rolled to their second straight lopsided victory to start the 2005 season. “Nick is probably one of the most dangerous kids in the state, people know he’s good but he’s probably underrated,” said Coach Chris Olsen.
Ray Van Peenan scored twice, first on a 30 yard sweep late in the first quarter, and again three minutes later as Hills opened the second stanza with a four play, 35 yard drive capped by Van Peenan’s one yard dive. The junior ran his TD total to six in two games, gaining 75 yards on just nine carries in the first half.
Senior fullback Alex Gibson bulled in from four yards out and junior TE Scott Shultz, who also booted five PATs in six attempts, caught a flip from quarterback Mike Peischl on the Patriots’ next two possessions to produce a 35-0 halftime lead.
Olsen rested his starters after the second half’s opening series. Several younger players combined to produce another two touchdowns in the second half. Sophomore quarterback Mike Giampapa hit junior speedster Anthony Chisholm with a 32 yard strike on the second series and sophomore tailback Carlton Marcin dashed in from nine yards out to complete the scoring less than four minutes into the fourth quarter. Another sophomore tailback, Danny DeCicco, gained 48 yards on nine carries, all but one coming in the second half.
Peischl, the starting QB, had another efficient day at the controls, completing six of nine passes for 69 yards with one TD and a lone interception, that coming when a Cutter defensive back Michael Keating out leaped Romeo in the end zone to grab the under thrown rollout toss to end the Patriots’ first possession.
The Hills defense held Fair Lawn, which has been blanked in two games by a combined 86-0, to 34 yards of total offense and a single pass completion by quarterback Vinny Graff who was harassed by the Patriots all night. The Cutters were unable to advance beyond their own 38 yard-line.
The Patriots travel to Bergenfield next Saturday afternoon at 1:30. The Bears (1-0) host Old Tappan (0-1) this Saturday afternoon.
Patriots rout Braves in opener
9/11/05: Wayne Hills opened their season with an easy 40-7 romp over outmanned Indian Hills (0-1) Friday night in Oakland. The Patriots led 40-0 at the half and then coasted as backups played most of the final half.
Tailback Ray Van Peenan led the potent Patriot offense with 146 yards on just 11 carries, scoring four touchdowns in the first half.
After being held to only 23 yards on his first seven carries, including two short power scoring runs in the first quarter, the junior showed off his speed on his next two carries, bursting past the Braves’ defenders on his way to TD jaunts of 44 and 58 yards in the second.
Senior WR Nick Romeo added a pair of TDs as the Patriots scored on all six of their first half possessions. Mike Peischl connected with his big play receiver on a 65 yard play as the fleet Romeo dashed 65 yards with a screen pass after being sprung by a perfect block in the flat by fellow WR Geoff Pruzinsky. Peischl was very efficient in his first varsity start completing six of eight passes for 177 yards and looked confident running the offense.
Head coach Chris Olsen praised Peischl’s play saying. “Mike managed the game very well. He threw the ball and changed plays when he needed to. He can be dangerous.”
Junior Dave Ogden, a two way starter on the lines, recorded five sacks among his team-leading ten tackles as the Patriots constantly harassed Braves quarterback Andrew Zupec. Indian Hills got on the board late when Zupec completed a two yard pass to Brad Zak late in the game.
Hills hosts Fair Lawn, a 38-0 loser in their opener at Ramapo, on Friday night. Game time is 7 pm at Patriots Stadium.
Hills retools for title defense
Wayne Hills rebounded from a disappointing 2003 campaign to capture their second State championship in three seasons last year. Head Coach Chris Olsen isn’t counting on that helping when his Patriots tee it up in this year’s opener at Indian Hills. He remembers well the stunning 21-7 loss the Braves dealt them during their previous season-opening visit to Oakland after the Patriots won their initial crown in 2002.
“There really isn’t any carryover form a prior year. We approach each season the same way,” said the veteran coach, who begins his 20th season at the helm on Berdan Avenue. “Our goal is to be playing football that first Saturday in December in a State championship game. Most of the time we’re there and that’s what we expect.”
The Patriots finished (10-2) in 2004, avenging narrow regular season losses to chief rival Ramapo and Demarest with playoff wins en route to the North One, Group Three title. Reflecting on last season, Olsen commented, “I like the way we responded the next week after we stubbed our toes in those two very close games. That was a real key.”
Olsen has offensive firepower returning this year but recognizes that he has holes to fill. Captains Joe Giampapa (FB/LB) and Kyle Cavanaugh (WR/S), both standout two-way performers and the leading tacklers, have graduated. “You don’t replace those kids as leaders; you try to but it’s very difficult,” he commented. The other captains, Pete DeCicco (RB/LB) and Bryan Altonjy (OL/DL) are also gone.
“We always graduate good kids and we think we have a group coming back who are ready to step in to lead. Our senior captains this year, Justin Dubin (OL/LB), Nick Romeo (WR/CB), John Ihne (TE/DE), and Pete Sarabia (TB/LB) are all experienced players who can step up. And Ray Van Peenan is certainly a leader as a junior.”
The offensive line is Olsen’s primary concern. “This is the first time we’ve ever graduated the entire line. As a unit, they were the best I’ve had.” Pete Staluppi and junior Matt Johnson, the tackles, look to be the anchors this year. Another junior, Frank Franco, will start at left guard with Dubin and junior Stephen Di Bianco battling for the other guard spot. Olsen expects the three pre-season scrimmages to help determine the line’s final makeup. One certainty is Ihne, who has great hands as a receiver and blocks well at the tight end spot, a key in the Patriots’ run-oriented offense.
At quarterback, senior Mike Peischl succeeds two-year starter Nick Worzel. “Mike has a solid arm and has worked hard and is a student of the game. He’ll be very efficient at running our team and the kids have confidence in him,” Olsen adds.
Sharing time at tailback, Van Peenan scored eight TDs, but he should get the majority of the work this season. He’s regarded as a “difference-maker” but Hills will also use Sarabia and senior Omar Rodriguez at that spot. Look for the Patriots to take advantage of the multi-dimensional Van Peenan’s skills by moving him around in the formations to challenge defenses. Alex Gibson, a solid blocker, will be the fullback.
Romeo, who caught 28 passes for over 500 yards and four TDs last season, and whom Olsen says “could wind up being the best receiver I’ve had here,” returns at one wide-out spot. Zach Mink and John O’Keefe will compliment him on the other side.
Olsen expects the defense to be strong with its good size and athleticism. The line has Ihne and junior Dave Ogden returning as ends. Staluppi and Johnson, who played a lot of minutes last year, are the tackles. At linebacker, Dubin and Van Peenan return along with Sarabia. Juniors Scott Schultz and Mike Fullham and senior Adam Fitzpatrick along with Gibson, give the Patriots plenty of depth at the position, with possibly Schultz moving upfront and Sarabia to the secondary.
Romeo, the lone returnee, will lead the secondary from his cornerback spot. Van Peenan will again be the punter with either Schultz or Romeo doing the placekicking.
Olsen, who expects to again battle Ramapo for league honors, concluded, “If the offensive line develops, I think we have a chance to be a typical Wayne Hills team and be there in the end.”
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