Sunday, June 16, 2013

Top 10 Moments

My name is Kyle Stackpole. I am a senior at Pascack Valley and run the twitter account @Feartheindian if you didn’t already know.

There have been so many great sporting moments throughout the year that it was hard to narrow it down to just 10.

 
10) Baseball: Pascack Valley’s Near Upset of Undefeated St. Joes: Coming into the game, Saint Joseph’s sat at #1 in the county with an unblemished record. No one gave the Indians a chance to win this game. Going against all of the odds, Pascack Valley gave St. Joes one of their best games of the season before falling 2-1. The Indians showed their true potential and almost pulled what would have been the upset of the year.

9) Softball: Pascack Valley Silences Old Tappan: The date was May 7th and the Indians had gotten off to a great start to the season. However, no one gave them the respect they deserved because their competition was sub par. That all changed after a 9-8 win over a ranked Old Tappan squad. From that point forward, Pascack Valley was looked at as a threat instead of a pretender.

8) Girls Soccer: Pascack Valley Earns State Tournament Win against Paramus: Coming into the game as the 9th seed, Pascack Valley was the underdog. Because of this being a state game, a loss would have ended the Indians’ season. Pascack Valley refused to let that happen by defeating Paramus 4-3. The Indians were led in scoring by Seniors Dara Liebeskind and Kelsey Witt and Juniors Shannon Evans and Amelia Della Pesca. With the win, Pascack Valley extended their season and lived to see another day.

7) Football: Pascack Valley Defeats Ramapo in the Battle of the Undefeated: Not only were both teams undefeated, but this game determined the league title. The stage was set for it to be one of the best games of the year and it lived up to expectations. After falling behind early, Pascack Valley roared back to take a 10-point lead. However, Ramapo scored the next two touchdowns and the Indians were in trouble. Kyle Schneider would not allow the Indians to lose. He led them down the field to regain the lead. On fourth down and Ramapo driving, the quarterback’s pass was knocked down by Nick Soravilla to seal the victory. This victory was one of the best moments of Pascack Valley’s undefeated regular season.

6) Ben Malone and Mike Manente earn “Athlete of the Week”: Rarely does a school have on recipient of this prestigious award. At Pascack Valley, there were two winners. In the fall, Senior Mike Manente earned this honor with his remarkable game against Wayne Hills in the playoffs. Ben Malone received his accolades in the spring after a remarkable track performance. Both of these athletes deserved of this award and have made Pascack Valley proud.

5) Boys Lacrosse: Pascack Valley Nips Fair Lawn to Enter Uncharted Waters: Pascack Valley had never before made it to the Bergen County semifinals. To accomplish that task, they had to defeat Fair Lawn, a team that gave them a tremendous battle earlier in the season. In the best lacrosse game of the season, Pascack Valley held off a late run by Fair Lawn to win 7-6. Anthony Setola made some unbelievable saves in goal while Mike Buldo Licciardi led the offense with 5 goals.

4) Boys Basketball: Indians stun Don Bosco to reach the Elite 8 of County Tournament: After falling to Don Bosco in the semifinals only two years prior, Seniors Nick Soravilla and Kyle Schneider were determined to get revenge. As the 14th seed, they did just that; defeating 3rd seeded Don Bosco 62-51 in what became the upset of the tournament. Throughout the regular season, the Indians have played the top teams tough but could not pull out many victories. This win showed that Pascack Valley was much better than what their record indicated.

3) Ben Malone Wins the Mile Run at the Millrose Games
At the 106th Millrose games at the Armory in New York, Ben Malone competed in the high school mile. This was a prestigious event, bringing the best runners from around the country to compete. After laying low for the first two laps, Malone began to gain on the competition. By the final lap, Ben Malone cruised by his competitors, winning with a time of 4:12.62. As a student of Pascack Valley high school, Ben Malone was able to represent at the highest level.

2) Football: Pascack Valley Ends the Olsen Dynasty with a Loss
Earlier in the season, Pascack Valley defeated Wayne Hills to cement their place atop the league standings. However, there was a catch. Wayne Hills was without their starting quarterback Kevin Olsen. The two teams met again later in the season, only this time for a chance to advance to the state title game. Before the season, the Indians had never beaten the Patriots. After a 20-11 win, Pascack Valley had beaten them twice and was well on their way to the championship game.

1) Jasper Reaches Incredible Milestone:
I decided to put this as my #1 moment because this achievement is something that Coach Jeff Jasper has been working at for decades. A 63-21 victory over Dumont in the first round of the Bergen County Tournament gave Coach Jasper his 900th win, a number that seems insurmountable to coaches around the area. Not only has Jasper led Pascack Valley to a successful 2012-2013 season, but has also put in dedication and hard work for so many years and deserved to be rewarded for his tremendous achievements. He truly is the meaning of a Pascack Valley Indian.


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