Old Tappan dominates West Essex, wins North 2, Group 3 sectional title

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A year ago, standing on its home field, Old Tappan was stunned by what happened against West Morris in the sectional final.

Old Tappan let one slip away, losing in a game most expected the Golden Knights to win as a home favorite.

This year, Old Tappan made it a mission to get back to a sectional final and was going to make sure it wouldn’t let another golden opportunity slip through its hands against a different team.

That opportunity came on Friday, and Old Tappan made the most of it behind its ultimate Swiss army knife in senior Alex Orecchio, senior running back and linebacker Nick Rossi and a fabulous offensive line.

Top-seeded Old Tappan thumped West Essex, 41-13, in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 sectional championship game of the 2024 NJSIAA/Xfinity Football State Championship Tournament.

It’s Old Tappan’s fifth sectional championship in school history and its second in the past three years as it improved to 10-1 on the season. It was also the second time this season that Old Tappan beat West Essex after winning the first matchup, 19-7, back in Week 0.

“We’ve been working so hard for this since January, and this was the goal,” Orecchio said. “We still got more work to do, but this is where we wanted to be.”

Old Tappan will face a familiar foe in Pascack Valley in the Group 3 semis next weekend with a chance to play in the Group 3 championship on the line.

Pascack Valley, which defeated River Dell in the North 1, Group 3 final, handed Old Tappan its only loss of the year on Oct. 25, 27-21.

To get another crack at Pascack Valley, Old Tappan had to handle business first against a good and well-coached West Essex team.

Old Tappan dominated, scoring 41 consecutive points at one point after trailing 7-0.

Orecchio was dynamic catching and running the ball, a role he’s embraced this season after serving as the team’s quarterback a year ago.

He had touchdowns runs of 1 and 4 yards, while catching an 81-yard pass for another score. Oh, the senior also kicked two field goals, a 31-yard boot and a 33-yard kick, and was a perfect 5 for 5 on PATs.

“It feels great. These are hard to get,” Old Tappan coach Brian Dunn said. “Even with the last couple of years with them expanding (the state tournament), it doesn’t matter. These are hard to get. We’ve been through a lot of them and it takes a combined effort of a lot of players, a lot of kids, a lot of parents, a lot of coaches, a lot of people surrounding it.

“They’re not easy, so it feels great.”

Orecchio wasn’t the only star performer for Old Tappan.

Quarterback Zachary Miceli was efficient throwing the ball, connecting on 8 of 13 passes for 171 yards and rushing for 50 yards and a score on eight attempts.

“It was a team effort and the coaches did a great job coaching,” Miceli said.

Rossi had 132 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, while also recording 1.5 sacks on defense and recovering a fumble on special teams.

The offensive line, which featured (left to right) Caden Pemberton, Jack Horgan, Joseph Puccio, Ryan Miceli and Michael Gracey, consistently fired off the ball and pushed the pile for extra yards.

“I give all the credit to them. I would be nothing without them,” Rossi said. “They did their job and they did it with perfection, and that’s what showed.”

Rossi added that he thinks Orecchio is one of the best players in Old Tappan history and Friday’s performance added to his legacy.

West Essex (8-3) was a defending sectional champion and reached the Group 3 final last season. The Knights got off to a fast start, scoring on the game’s opening drive to take a 7-0 lead as Max Garcia ran for a 35-yard touchdown.

But Old Tappan adjusted and cleaned up some mental mistakes defensively after the first drive and hit big play after big play.

“When we get a chance to reflect once the pain goes away, which will be a while, they accomplished a lot,” West Essex coach Chris Benacquista said. “It hurts. Every year when you don’t win your last game, it hurts even worse. But these guys will bounce back.

“I’m very proud of the effort that they gave and they played hard for each other and for me every game.”

Old Tappan’s season continues next week with a chance to get back to the Group 3 championship after winning the first one ever two years ago.

Pascack Valley stands in the way and Orecchio and the Golden Knights will be ready.

“It’s going to take a lot of hard work and it’s going to take a lot of focus. It’s going to take everyone,” Orecchio said. “We need to play as a team, and it’s PV. It’s exactly who we wanted.”

Source Link: https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2024/11/old-tappan-dominates-west-essex-wins-north-2-group-3-sectional-title.html

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Old Tappan rallies past Ramapo behind Small’s four-touchdown night

Sep 19, 2025

Old Tappan earned a statement 28–24 comeback win over Ramapo, fueled by wide receiver Shane Small, who delivered one of the best performances of the season with nine catches for 127 yards and four touchdowns. First Half Ramapo opened the scoring on a 3-yard touchdown run from Gino Gorga, with kicker Devin Hunt converting to make it 7–0. Old Tappan answered in the second quarter when Zachary Miceli found Small for a 27-yard strike, tying the game at 7–7. Ramapo regained the lead on a 3-yard run by Liam Hayward, taking a 14–7 advantage into halftime. Second Half Old Tappan cut the lead to 14–13 when Small hauled in a 9-yard touchdown from Miceli. Ramapo’s Casey Grusser responded quickly with a 56-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 21–13. Miceli and Small connected again late in the third, this time on a 10-yard score, followed by a successful two-point conversion from Miceli to Devyn Radoian, tying the game at 21–21. Fourth Quarter Hunt gave Ramapo a 24–21 lead with a 25-yard field goal, but Old Tappan’s offense stayed hot. With time winding down, Miceli found Small for his fourth touchdown, a 6-yard pass, putting Old Tappan ahead 28–24 after Matteo Morrissey’s extra point. Key Performers Zachary Miceli (Old Tappan): 18/27, 263 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT Shane Small (Old Tappan): 9 receptions, 127 yards, 4 TD Casey Grusser (Ramapo): 13/18, 143 yards passing, 13 carries for 121 yards and 1 TD Liam Hayward (Ramapo): 20 carries, 93 yards, 1 TD Damian Du Toit (Old Tappan): 10 tackles, 1 sack Summary Old Tappan’s balanced attack and strong defensive finish proved decisive. Miceli’s poise under pressure and Small’s dominance through the air gave the Golden Knights control late, while the defense held Ramapo to a single field goal in the fourth quarter to secure the win.Here is a complete player stat summary from the Ramapo vs. Old Tappan game:Old TappanPassingPlayerCOMPATTYDSTDINTLNGZachary Miceli18272634148RushingPlayerATTYDSTDLNGDevyn Radoian1656013Zachary Miceli1374016Team Total29130029ReceivingPlayerRECYDSTDLNGDevyn Radoian321012Shane Small9127427Leo Etter221014Joey Crescitelli227022Christakis Nicolaou267048Team Total182634123DefensePlayerSTFLSOLOASTTOTFFFRINTSAFKBDevyn Radoian0.50.543700000Aidan Nally0020200100Shane Small0033600000Leo Etter0070700000Christakis Nicolaou0040400000Damian Du Toit11911000000Ryan Miceli11841200000Nick Blanchard0.50.5641000000Yucel Ekin0011200000Adrian Burke0001100000John Bilali0063900000Marco D'Amore0042600000Anthony Miceli0020200000Julias Lai0010100000Rocco Bartlemeo0021300000Walker Lynch0020200000ReturnsPlayerKOR/ATTKOR/YDSKOR/LNGDevyn Radoian23618Christakis Nicolaou11313Team Total34918Special TeamsPlayerFGMFGAFG/LNGXPMXPA2PTMatteo Morrissey000220Devyn Radoian000001PuntingPlayerPuntsYDSLNGIN 20Vincent Rossi399401 Ramapo Passing PlayerCOMPATTYDSTDINTLNGCasey Grusser13181430128 Rushing PlayerATTYDSTDLNGCasey Grusser13121156Liam Hayward2093123Gino Gorga1142111Team Total44256390 Receiving PlayerRECYDSTDLNGTyler Ramiccio118018Salvatore Livoti426013Joseph Yessis574028Liam Hayward1808Michael Ballan217012Team Total13143079 Defense PlayerSTFLSOLOASTTOTFFFRINTSAFKBTyler Ramiccio0036900100Joseph Yessis0031400000Liam Hayward0013400000Gino Gorga0142600000Michael Ballan0011200000Carter Cooney002101200000Jack Schneider0014500000Brian Shanley0010100000Jahzier Bryant0010100000Cole Seyffer0014500000Finn Kirwan0012300000Luke Gurba0002200000Brad Vierheilig0001100000Alexander Kavallieratos0001100000Harrison Kearney0002200000Scott Larsen0001100000Shane LaDuca0004400000 Returns PlayerKOR/ATTKOR/YDSKOR/LNGPR/ATTPR/YDSPR/LNGSalvatore Livoti11818388Joseph Yessis24334000Team Total36134388 Special Teams PlayerFGMFGAFG/LNGXPMXPADevin Hunt112533 Punting PlayerPuntsYDSLNGIN 20Tyler Ramiccio285472

Golden Knights Dominate Bergenfield 41-14 to Stay Unbeaten

Sep 13, 2025

Old Tappan stayed unbeaten with a dominant 41-14 road win over Bergenfield. The Golden Knights (3-0) used a balanced offense and a stifling defense to overcome an early deficit. Bergenfield struck first when Shameire Duncan returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, putting the Bears up 7-0. Old Tappan then locked in, scoring 41 unanswered points before a late Bergenfield touchdown in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Zachary Miceli was sharp, completing 9 of 10 passes for 210 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also broke loose for a 74-yard rushing score. Shane Small hauled in 3 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, while Leo Etter matched him with 95 yards and a score on 3 catches. Joey Crescitelli added 4 receptions, including a touchdown. On the ground, Old Tappan piled up 210 rushing yards. Devyn Radoian ran for 55 yards and a touchdown, with strong contributions from Julias Lai (45 yards) and Damian Dutoit (16 yards). Defensively, Old Tappan racked up 63 total tackles. Ryan Miceli led the way with 8, while John Bilali added 7 and Nick Blanchard forced a fumble. The defense shut down Bergenfield’s passing game, holding them to 60 yards through the air and only 60 on the ground. Bergenfield’s highlights came from Duncan, who finished with 116 kick return yards, and Zander Velez, who rushed for 53 yards and a late touchdown. Quarterback Xavier Valdez was limited to 3 completions on 10 attempts. With the win, Old Tappan improves to 3-0 and continues its strong start to the season, while Bergenfield drops to 1-2.Team TotalsOld Tappan (3-0) Passing: 10/12, 212 YDS, 3 TD Rushing: 22 ATT, 210 YDS, 2 TD Receiving: 10 REC, 215 YDS, 3 TD Defense: 63 total tackles, 8 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery Bergenfield (1-2) Passing: 3/10, 60 YDS, 0 TD Rushing: 29 ATT, 60 YDS, 1 TD Receiving: 3 REC, 60 YDS Returns: 6 KOR, 186 YDS, 1 TDOld Tappan Leaders QB Zachary Miceli: 9/10, 210 YDS, 3 TD; 2 CAR, 74 YDS, 1 TD RB Devyn Radoian: 8 CAR, 55 YDS, 1 TD RB Julias Lai: 6 CAR, 45 YDS WR Shane Small: 3 REC, 98 YDS, 1 TD WR Leo Etter: 3 REC, 95 YDS, 1 TD WR Joey Crescitelli: 4 REC, 22 YDS, 1 TD LB Ryan Miceli: 8 tackles (4 solo, 4 ast), 3 TFL LB John Bilali: 7 tackles, 1 sack LB Nick Blanchard: 5 tackles, 1 FFBergenfield Leaders QB Xavier Valdez: 3/10, 60 YDS; 2 CAR, -12 YDS RB Zander Velez: 16 CAR, 53 YDS, 1 TD; 1 REC, 17 YDS; 3 KOR, 52 YDS KR Shameire Duncan: 2 KOR, 116 YDS, 1 TD (95-yd return) WR Andrew Suero: 1 REC, 29 YDS; 3 tackles LB Jack Walsh: 9 tackles (4 solo, 5 ast)

Old Tappan Rolls Past River Dell 35-0

Sep 05, 2025

Old Tappan moved to 2-0 with a dominant 35-0 victory over River Dell on Friday night. The Golden Knights controlled the game on both sides of the ball, with big plays across the roster. Offensive Highlights Quarterback Zachary Miceli led the way, going 11-of-12 for 222 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with Leo Etter four times for 98 yards and a score, hit Christakis Nicolaou on a 73-yard strike, and found Nick Blanchard for a touchdown. Joey Crescitelli added three catches for 35 yards, and Aidan Nally hauled in an 18-yard reception to keep drives alive. On the ground, Devyn Radoian rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown, and Damian Dutoit added 40 yards and a score. Miceli chipped in 7 rushing yards to extend plays. Defensive Standouts The defense swarmed all night, piling up 87 total tackles. Blanchard was everywhere, with 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Etter made his presence felt with 9 tackles and 2 tackles for loss. Radoian and Dutoit each had 5 tackles, including stops behind the line. Adrian Burke and Ryan Miceli both stepped up with 6 and 7 tackles, while Marco D’Amore and Yucel Ekin combined for 13 stops in the trenches. Aidan Nally, Christakis Nicolaou, and Anthony Miceli added steady tackling in the secondary. Special Teams Kicker Matteo Morrissey was perfect, going 5-for-5 on extra points. Key Numbers Miceli: 11/12, 222 yards, 3 TDs Etter: 4 receptions, 98 yards, 1 TD; 9 tackles, 2 TFL Blanchard: TD catch; 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks Radoian: 73 rushing yards, 1 TD; 5 tackles, 1 TFL Dutoit: 40 rushing yards, 1 TD; 5 tackles, 1 TFL Old Tappan’s depth showed as contributions came from all over the lineup, with both sides of the ball producing big plays in the shutout win.