Old Tappan Opens Season with 34-14 Win Over West Essex

High School Sports Elite • Aug 29, 2025

Photo Credits: Timmy Chun

It was the season opener for Old Tappan, and the Golden Knights started strong with a 34-14 road victory over West Essex on Friday night. Old Tappan built a 28-0 lead in the first half and controlled the game from start to finish.

Quarterback Zachary Miceli was nearly flawless, completing 15 of 18 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns. He connected with Leo Etter on an 80-yard strike in the opening quarter and later hit Joey Crescitelli on a 4-yard score. Crescitelli led the team with 8 receptions for 73 yards.

On the ground, Devyn Radoian ran for 82 yards and two touchdowns, while Damian Dutoit added 40 yards and a 1-yard score. Old Tappan’s defense also shined, with John Bilali making 9 tackles and Rocco Bartlemeo adding 7 with a blocked kick.

West Essex got on the board with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jake Long to Justin Perini before halftime, and Kristian Freeman’s 24-yard touchdown run in the fourth. Long finished with 68 passing yards and 88 rushing yards in the loss.

Old Tappan begins the year 1-0 with a balanced performance on both sides of the ball.

Source Link: https://highschoolsports.nj.com/game/1038128

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