Valley Football Dominates Vernon, Sets Up Rematch with Wayne Hills

Pascack Valley, the top seed in North 1 Group 4, has the opportunity to do something that very few teams are able to do.

That is to beat the same team twice in one season.

After dominating 8th seeded Vernon 42-0, they set up a rematch against rival Wayne Hills.

Vernon was never a problem for the Indians. They dominated from the opening kickoff and cruised to an easy victory. 

The game was controlled by the Valley defense, who was able to block two punts and return them for touchdowns. Seniors Mike Manente and Ryan Foley supplied the blocks while Junior Brendan Morrissey took them both back to the house.

On the offensive side, it was business as usual. Kyle Schneider continued his success by completing 7 of 13 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown to Senior Billy Beattie. 

Down the road, things will only get harder for Pascack Valley.

After defeating Hackensack 35-0, Wayne Hills will come back to the Valley after falling short on their first visit.

The only difference this time is the return of Senior Quarterback Kevin Olsen. For the Indians to have success, it is imperative that stopping him is their first priority. 

Pascack Valley is undefeated and the top seed. Wayne Hills has reached the state final in 8 of the last 9 seasons. Who will have a chance to play at MetLife and capture a state crown?

Find out November 30th at the Valley, where the high school atmosphere is unlike any other.

Record: 10-0

Next Game: Friday, November 30th at 6 PM against Wayne Hills (Home)

Pascack Valley Falls in State Quarterfinals

**Editor's note: Since fall sports are coming to an end, Daily Recaps will resume once winter sports begin.**

After an impressive win against Northern Highlands in the second round of the State tournament, Pascack Valley fell short in the Quarterfinals.

The Indians fell to West Morris Central 25-15, 25-23 and just like that, their season was over.

Looking back, this team made great strides throughout the season. They opened the season with a huge win against Demarest and carried that momentum throughout the season.

With a final record of 16-8, this has been one of the best teams in recent memory. These seniors have had a great season and should be proud of what they have accomplished.

Although I have not been able to make many of these games, the few that I did attend were filled with excitement and energy. I enjoyed covering this team and was also sad when the season finally came to an end. This has been a great season and one I will truly remember.

Record: 16-8

Daily Recap: Monday, November 12

Girls Soccer

Northern Highlands 5, Pascack Valley 0

Pascack Valley Girls Soccer was faced with a daunting task on Monday afternoon: defeat a team that hasn't lost a game in over a year.

Although they gave it their best shot, the Indians could not compete with Northern Highlands, falling 5-0 in the second round of the State Tournament.

Instead of talking about what could have been, lets talk about what these girls accomplished throughout the season.

This is a team that finished with a record of 11-6-2 and gave everything it had in each and every game.

Looking ahead, this is a team that must find a new identity. This year's seniors created a winning environment and taught the underclassman what is needed to be successful at the varsity level.

After giving four years to the Pascack Valley Girls Soccer program, each of the seniors will be dearly missed.

I wish them luck with life after graduation and hope they realize that no matter what kind of problems they face down the road, they will never have to walk alone.

Record: 11-6-2

Girls Volleyball:

Pascack Valley defeats Northern Highlands 25-18, 25-22

Survive and advance.

That is just what Girls Volleyball was able to accomplish on Monday afternoon by defeating Northern Highlands in straight sets in the second round of the State Tournament.

Valley, the 7 seed, easily took the first set 25-18. The Highlanders could not stop the Indians' heavy hitters and suffered because of it. Senior Jessi Levine and Junior Chrissy Loganchuk each had multiple kills in the first set to propel the Indians to victory.

In the second set, it was Northern Highlands who quickly got out ahead, taking a 13-9 lead.

However, the next sequence was huge for Pascack Valley. They were able to win 11 out of 12 points in the middle of the second set to take a commanding 20-14 lead.

Leading 22-15, Senior Captain Chelsea Macchione suffered a head injury and was forced to sit the rest of the game. Northern Highlands took advantage by scoring 5 straight points and narrowing the Indian lead to 24-22.

In the end, Chrissy Loganchuk placed one in between two Highlanders to give the Indians the huge win.

With only 8 team left in the bracket, Pascack Valley has to be looked at as a serious contender to capture the state crown.

Record: 16-7

Next Match: TBD

Weekend Recap 11/9 - 11/11

November is here and fall sports are winding down. For all sports other than football, seasons are coming to a close as each round of the state tournament passes. For Pascack Valley, Volleyball and Girls Soccer are alive in their respective tournaments while Valley football begins its quest for a state title next week. It is a different attitude at this point because a win advances you while a loss sends you home.

Girls Volleyball:

Pascack Valley defeats Toms River 25-14, 25-23

Most of the teams in North Jersey are getting ready for their winter sports, such as Basketball or Hockey. That is not the case for Pascack Valley, who defeated Toms River in straight sets to advance to the second round of the state tournament. 

Toms River South, the 26th seed, could not be expected to be fully focused because of the damage that Hurricane Sandy did to that town. The fact that they drove about 2 hours to play is remarkable in its own right.

In the end, Pascack Valley got the win and will most likely play 10th seeded Northern Highlands in the second round.

Record: 15-7

Next Game: TBD

Football:

Pascack Valley 42, West Milford 0

With the one seed wrapped up in the playoffs, it seemed that there wasn't much to play for Friday Night against West Milford.

It turns out there was plenty to play for. First was because of the 30+ Seniors that have given countless hours to this program. It is because of them that Pascack Valley has had so much success.

The second factor regards the league title. By shutting out West Milford 42-0, the Indians won the league title outright instead of sharing it with Ramapo. 

Third, and perhaps most importantly, Pascack Valley got back into the feel of playing football. After being off a week because of  Hurricane Sandy, it was important to have a game before the playoffs.

Speaking of the playoffs, Pascack Valley will host Vernon in the first round on Friday Night. The rest of the pairings can be seen here. 

If the Indians can advance, they will play the winner of Hackensack and Wayne Hills. If they were to advance to MetLife Stadium, they would most likely be met by Old Tappan or Roxbury. 

While looking down the road seems tempting, Pascack Valley must stay on task and take things one game at a time. 

If one thing is for sure, anyone looking to win a State Title is going to have to go through the Valley.

Record: 9-0

Next Game: Friday, November 16th at 6 PM against Vernon (Home)

Girls Cross Country:

In the Girls Varsity State Sectional, Pascack Valley was shorthanded but still managed to make an impact.

The Indians were without Junior Madison Weis, one of the best runners on this Pascack Valley Team. 

Without Weis, the other runners were able to pick up the slack and placed 15th overall. Bessie Zavidow ran ad 21:24, Alice Urbiel ran a 22:04, Amanda Digiona ran a 23:42, Kayla Begen ran a 23:53, and Corinne Weir ran a 26:00. 

Overall, it was a successful season and the Girls should be proud of what they have accomplished.

Boys Cross Country:

In the Boys Varsity State Sectional, Pascack Valley was looking to make some noise behind Senior Star Ben Malone.

Although finishing with a time of  16:30 and earning 4th place, there seemed to be something wrong with Malone, and I'm not the only one who noticed. Whatever the case, Malone qualified for the State Meet and is still one of the best runners on the East Coast.

As for the rest of the team, Pascack Valley earned 13th place and finished the season on a high note.

Daily Recap: Monday, November 5th

After a week of heartbreak and a slew of damages across the East Coast, school was back in session at Pascack Valley. Not only were students back after a week off, but there were two state tournament games for Boys and Girls Soccer. Lets see how each team did.

Boys Soccer:

Northern Highlands 2, Pascack Valley 0

As the 12th seed in the state soccer tournament, this talented Indians squad was looking to make a Cinderella run at a state title.

Unfortunately for Pascack Valley, the shoe never fit and they fell to 5th seeded Northern Highlands 2-0 on Monday afternoon.

The game was even for much of the first half until Northern Highlands took a 1-0 lead with about 8 minutes left in the half. Late in the second half, Highlands added another, sealing the win and advancing them to the second round.

Although the defense gave up two goals, they played a solid game overall. The problem for the Indians was their offense. They could never get in rhythm and rarely put pressure on the Northern Highlands goalie.

Now being out of contention for both the state and county titles, Pascack Valley still has one piece of unfinished business.

They will play their last game against Bergenfield for the league title.

By defeating Bergenfield, Pascack Valley will complete a very successful season and put a banner on the wall that will be remembered forever.

Record: 9-5-1

Next Game: Against Bergenfield (TBD)

Girls Soccer:

Pascack Valley 4, Paramus 3

Never Walk Alone.

That has been the motto for the Pascack Valley Girls Soccer team since the beginning and has motivated them through what has been a very successful season.

However, Pascack Valley is certainly not done yet. On Monday afternoon, the 9th seeded Indians began their quest at a state title with a 4-3 victory over Paramus.

Goals were scored by Juniors Shannon Evans and Amelia Della Pesca, and Seniors Dara Liebeskind and Kelsey Witt.

The road only stiffens for the Indians, who will have to play top seeded Northern Highlands in the second round. (That game will most likely be played Thursday at 2 PM at Northern Highlands)

This might be asking a lot of Pascack Valley, but with the faith that these girls have in each other, anything is possible.

Record: 11-5-2

Next Game: Thursday, November 8th at 2 PM against Northern Highlands (Away)