Shane Small

Articles of Shane Small

Final N.J. football Top 20 for 2024: Old Tappan #11

Dec 05, 2024

11-Old Tappan (12-1)Last week: No. 14The Golden Knights put a bow on an outstanding season with a 28-16 Group 3 championship victory over Mainland on Sunday at SHI Stadium. Senior do-it-all athlete Alex Orecchio threw a touchdown to sophomore Shane Small, ran in a score, and reeled in the game’s first touchdown for 21 points for the Golden Knights. Senior running back Nick Rossi added the team’s other touchdown on a 22-yard scamper. It’s the second Group 3 title for Old Tappan in the last three years after defeating Delsea in the 2022 final. The lone loss for the Golden Knights came in Week 8 of the regular season to Pascack Valley, which it went on to defeat in the North Group 3 semifinal 43-14.

Old Tappan Group 3 Football State Champions

Dec 01, 2024

In the 2022 Group 3 final, a 5-foot-6 sophomore quarterback came off the bench and threw a touchdown to give Old Tappan a two-score lead in an eventual championship victory.Fast forward two years later, and on the same field and on the same NJSIAA/Xfinity Group 3 championship stage, Alex Orecchio was the hero again for the Golden Knights.The senior threw a touchdown to sophomore Shane Small as part of a three-score day to lift NJ.com No. 14-ranked Old Tappan to a 28-16 win over No. 16 Mainland on Sunday at SHI Stadium on the campus of Rutgers University.“This says that we have a lot of men and women who do a lot of work to put these kids in a good position to win,” Old Tappan head coach Brian Dunn said. “We have kids who are just really committed and dedicated to each other. It’s a total group effort.”Orecchio was a quarterback in his first two varsity seasons – the backup to Tommy Caracciolo in 2022 and the starter last fall – but Dunn opted to make him his do-it-all athlete in his senior campaign.The Johns Hopkins commit threw the 14-yard touchdown to Small on his lone passing attempt to go with eight catches for 140 yards and a score receiving and 15 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown rushing. He also had five tackles, a 19-yard punt return and four extra points on defense and special teams.“I just leave it to the coaches,” Orecchio said. “They put us in a position to win. They did a great job today. If I was double-covered, someone else gets open and vice-versa. It’s just how this team has been playing. Everyone is able to make plays and execute. That’s what’s so special about this team.”Just like in the team’s state championship win over Delsea two years ago, Old Tappan was tasked with having to contain a volatile Wing-T attack.Mainland was the reigning Group 4 champion and carved up Ramapo in last year’s final in ridiculous 56-0 fashion. The Mustangs held their own against a grueling schedule this season and even though many pieces from last year’s team had graduated, their offense had long proven to be high-octane.Enter Old Tappan’s Joe Claus – the brains behind the Golden Knights’ defense and a known Wing-T destroyer. Aside from one run – a 73-yard touchdown scamper from senior Rocco DiBiaso – Old Tappan held Mainland’s offense in check and did the terrific job defensively it had done for all but one game this season.“All our coaches are great, but Joe is tremendous,” Dunn said. “He once again had a great plan. Most importantly, he gets the kids enthused. He has a great rapport with the kids and he’s a great teacher. I have a bunch of them on my staff, but I can’t say enough about Joe as a coach.”“He’s one of the best coaches there is if not the best coach,” added senior running back/linebacker Nick Rossi, who had Old Tappan’s other touchdown. “I give all my credit to him. I’d be nowhere without him. He has believed in me since I got here and I owe it all to him.”The game caps an incredible two-year run for Mainland, which included a 24-4 record and video game numbers on both sides of the ball.With just 13 seniors rostered, the Mustangs could very well find themselves back on this scene in 2025.“They ran the ball and did a great job of executing their game plan,” Mainland head coach Chuck Smith said of Old Tappan. “They milked the clock [and] they shortened the game up. They did a nice job being able to run the football when they had to and they were effective with their passing game. They stole the possession to start the second half [on a fumbled pooch kick], which was big because then they scored on that with a tied ball game. They took the lead and we just couldn’t get back from that.”“It’s tough one right now to swallow, but I’m very proud of the kids, the team, the coaches. We have a lot of kids coming back next year. I don’t think anybody expected us to be in this situation this year, and it’s a tribute to the kids, our work ethic and dedication, and the coaches. We had a tremendous run and just came up a little short today.”The touchdown from Small wasn’t his only highlight of the game. The 6-4 sophomore and younger brother of Duke freshman Jack Small compiled two sacks on Mainland’s final drive of the game to put a bow on the win.Orecchio was the sophomore hero in 2022. Could this be the blossoming of a potentially illustrious career for the Northvale native?“Shane has been hurt the last couple of weeks with a high-ankle sprain,” Dunn said. “We played really well without him, but he worked hard to come back and get healthy. The fourth quarter he had was tremendous. He had two big catches and two sacks. He was fantastic.”It all comes back to Old Tappan’s seniors though – the ones who had been around for both championships. It’s a tiny 2025 class for the Golden Knights of just 10 kids. It’s 10 kids who poured their heart and soul into the program and symbolized exactly what Dunn and his staff expect out of Old Tappan football players.Perhaps none achieved more than Orecchio, who wore an enormous smile below the dried-up blood on his nose and cheek.Perhaps there wasn’t a more fitting end to his high school career, and to Old Tappan’s 2024 season.“The kid has been spectacular for us for three years,” Dunn said of Orecchio. “That’s not easy to put into words. He does everything. We weren’t coming into this game without him being a huge part of what we were doing. We were going down with him or winning with him no matter what.”“This has been full circle and I’m forever grateful to be a part of this program,” Orecchio added. “It’s a special program. It’s an amazing coaching staff and culture. I bleed gold.”Full Articles, Box Score, and Photos

Shane Small earns 5 stars from Old Tappan vs. Mainland in the Group 3 state football final

Dec 01, 2024

Shane Small, Old Tappan, So. TE/DESmall finished with four tackles, two sacks and two tackles for loss and also hauled in two passes for 43 yards, including the game-sealing 14-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter.

Shane Small named to the Super Football Conference: Patriot Blue All-Division team

Nov 27, 2024

The Super Football Conference released its All-Division football teams for the 2024 season.You can find the selections for the Patriot Blue Division below.First Team OffenseQB: Adam Shaw, Pascack Valley, Jr.Skill: Kevin Regula, Pascack Valley, Sr.Skill: Ronan Malady, Old Tappan, Sr.Skill: RJ Weiss, River Dell, Sr.Skill: Dante DaCosta, Pascack Valley, Jr.OL: Michael Gracey, Old Tappan, Sr.OL: Jack Horgan, Old Tappan, Sr.OL: Shane Burke, Pascack Valley, Sr.OL: Josiah Ware, Teaneck, Sr.OL: Joshua Moore, Teaneck, Sr.TE: Shane Small, Old Tappan, So.At-Large: Zach Miceli, Old Tappan, So.

No. 18 Old Tappan routs No. 16 Pascack Valley, punches another ticket to Group 3 final

Nov 22, 2024

Alex Orecchio was told all week how NJ.com No. 16-ranked Pascack Valley was going to out-physical No. 18 Old Tappan for the second time this year.The Panthers won a 27-21 regular-season matchup between the two sides in Week 8, but the Golden Knights do-it-all senior and his teammates made sure they were the ones flexing their muscles in Friday’s rematch in Hillsdale.Old Tappan avenged that loss to Pascack Valley in emphatic fashion – a 43-14 rout in the NJSIAA/Xfinity Group 3 North semifinal to reach the state championship for the second time in three years.“That was the thing coming into this game and that was motivation,” Orecchio said of the naysayers. “We said, ‘We’re going to out-physical you guys.’ We came out and played a really hard, physical and fast game. We did what we were supposed to do and came out with a big win.”Orecchio ran for three touchdowns, sophomore quarterback Zach Miceli punched in a pair and senior running back Nick Rossi added a score of his own to round out the absolutely lethal rushing attack for the Golden Knights.In the Week 8 loss to the Panthers, the story was the opposite.Old Tappan was unable to contain the duo of quarterback Adam Shaw and running back Kevin Regula. Head coach Brian Dunn and company flipped the script on Friday with a combination of Xs and Os and challenging their kids to execute better than they did the first time.“We learned a lot about not being very good at blocking and tackling,” Dunn said. “It sounds stupid because it’s basic football, but they just whipped our butt up and down the field last time. It didn’t sit well with a lot of kids and coaches on our team. We had to do a lot better. We’re hitting on all cylinders right now.”Dunn knew months before training camp that he would be using Miceli under center. Orecchio was the team’s quarterback in 2023, but Dunn wanted both of his tremendous athletes on the field at once and he uses Orecchio all over the field.The John Hopkins pledge is utilized at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, linebacker, defensive back and he’s the team’s kicker.The saying goes, “When you have two quarterbacks, you have none.” Old Tappan has debunked that theory with the best one-two punch in the state, and perhaps the trait that makes the duo most special is their camaraderie and belief in each other.“Alex is a great kid and a great leader,” Miceli said of Orecchio. “He trains me every day practice and teaches me the way he was taught growing up in this program. Getting him the ball, it’s a whole different game. No one can stop him.”“Man, he’s one hell of a player,” Orecchio said of Miceli. “I haven’t seen a sophomore play like him in so long. It’s nice to be able to play with him. I tell him every week that I love him. I always tell him right before games, ‘Hey I don’t want this to be our last because I have a blast playing football with you.’”Miceli, Orecchio and Rossi combined for six touchdowns and an absurd amount of yardage, but the Old Tappan brass couldn’t stop praising the offensive line on Friday. It was one of the units with the biggest question marks coming into the year as the Golden Knights graduated the terrific trio of Jack Small, Dennis Delaney and Ryan O’Neill in the trenches.It’s safe to say Dunn has found his next core of people movers.“My brother [Pete Dunn] does a great job with them,” Dunn said of the offensive line. “They just plug day after day with repetitions. The five guys we’ve had playing have been consistent all year. We’ve had no substitutions or injuries there all year, but it wasn’t the five guys we thought going into camp that were going to be the guys. Some guys stepped up in our sophomore left tackle Caden Pemberton and at center, Joey Puccio has done a fantastic job. Pemberton is athletic and smart as hell and did a great job tonight and Puccio I give a lot of credit because he doesn’t escape getting coached every day.”This run has come without the services of senior WR/DB Ronan Malady, sophomore TE/DL Shane Small and junior WR/DB Aidan Nally – three very key contributors who got injured earlier in the postseason – which says a lot about where this squad is at.The Golden Knights draw Mainland in next week’s Group 3 title. They took out South Jersey power Delsea in the 2022 Group 3 final behind a heroic effort from Orecchio in the second half.Old Tappan hopes to flash some of that same championship grit at Rutgers next week and add to the program’s rich history.“I told the kids at the beginning of the game I’m most proud of the fact that of all the teams I’ve had, this has been a group contribution,” Dunn said. “It hasn’t been a senior class or a couple of stars – it’s a total team contribution.”“I’m just happy to play another week of football – to be able to come in tomorrow morning, watch some film and keep the grind going,” Orecchio added. “It’s a great feeling to get back to where we were, but the job is not finished.”

Old Tappan cruises passed Cranford

Nov 08, 2024

Sophomore quarterback Zach Miceli was a bit piece in Old Tappan’s playoff run to the sectional finals as a freshman in 2023, but the young signal caller has made his mark in 2024.Miceli ran for two touchdowns and connected with sophomore Shane Small for a passing score as top-seeded Old Tappan held off a late rally from fourth-seeded Cranford in the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 semifinals at Northern Valley Regional High School in Old Tappan on a windy Friday night and advanced to the sectional final with a 22-14 victory.Old Tappan’s (9-1) victory sets the stage for a rematch of the season-opening game against second-seeded West Essex, (a 19-7 Old Tappan victory) who defeated third-seeded West Morris 28-14 in its semifinal matchup.“They’re a great team but we want all the smoke,” Miceli said of the upcoming rematch with West Essex.“We‘re happy that they’re coming back here because we love that level of competition.”The level of competition that comes from a sectional final opponent is something Old Tappan has gotten used to, as 2024 will mark a third consecutive season hosting a sectional final game for the Golden Knights.Old Tappan was in command for the majority of the matchup against Cranford, scoring touchdowns in each of the first three quarters and holding a 22-0 lead thank‘s to Miceli’s trio of touchdowns.Miceli cedes some snaps at quarterback to senior Alex Orrechio in the Old Tappan offense, but Orrechio’s biggest contributions of the night came in other facets of the game. Orrechio led Old Tappan in receiving yards, recorded two interceptions on defense, and accounted for all of the scoring Miceli did not with a pair of extra points and a two point conversion.Injuries in the receiving corps pressed Orrechio into action away from quarterback more than weeks past, and Miceli detailed how the available personnel, as well as the defensive looks Cranford gave Old Tappan, played a key role in how the Old Tappan offense approached the matchup.“Earlier in the week we had two receivers that went down with injuries and Alex helped fill those spots,” Miceli said of Orrechio’s contributions to the victory.“We knew we had to also run it some more because we were going through the air more when (Cranford) was loading up the box and that opened up some holes. Once they started backing up we knew it was time to run the ball in the second half. That’s what we did and I think the blocking was great and we did a great job overall.”While Miceli focused primarily on the X‘s and O’s of how Old Tappan‘s offense attacked Cranford’s defense, head coach Brian Dunn pointed to the heavy winds blowing from left to right on the field as an external factor that needed to be accounted for as the game progressed.Old Tappan had that wind at its back in the third quarter when Miceli scored his second rushing touchdown and third overall of the game, but had to fend off both the Cranford defense and the excessive gusts of wind over the final 12 minutes of play.“Other than that, we played great defense and did enough to win”, Dunn said of dealing with the elements.Old Tappan’s defensive effort held Cranford off the scoreboard until the 1:26 mark of the fourth quarter when senior Amari Petgrave scored what looked to be nothing more than a shutout-breaking touchdown after Old Tappan recovered the ensuing onside kick and held a 22-7 lead.Looking to secure a first down that would run out the remainder of the clock, an Old Tappan fumble was recovered by senior Brandon Dipaolo and taken all the way to the end zone for a scoop and score with only 22 seconds of game time having elapsed since Petgrave’s touchdown.After recovering a second onside kick, Old Tappan was still in the position of needing to move the chains one final time or run out the clock in some other fashion, the Golden Knights opted for some other fashion on their second attempt.Kneeling out the clock out of victory formation, combined with Cranford’s two remaining timeouts, would not have used up enough time for Old Tappan to keep hold the ball without needing to punt on a fourth down. Dunn opted to deploy the veteran Orecchio at quarterback to run around the backfield for a few seconds at a time before sliding down.Orecchio‘s stat sheet may have taken a hit to the tune of 20 rushing yards lost over three scrambles and slides to run out the clock, but that’s a trade any team will make to wrap up a playoff victory.With Cranford in the rear view mirror and West Essex up next, Dunn acknowledged the quality of any opponent still playing football at this point of the season, and last season’s North Jersey representative in the Group 3 Final is one of the highest quality opponents one can run into.“It‘s the same teams that are in the mix every year, and we’ve just got to beat them to move on,” Dunn said.Cranford concludes its 2024 campaign with a 7-3 record, an improvement on its 4-5 showing in 2023.While the furious comeback effort fell short at the end, Cranford head coach Erik Rosenmeier, was proud of the heart his team showed in fighting until the clock showed 0:00 in the fourth quarter.Rosenmeier lamented the team’s self-inflicted wounds that created the 22 point deficit initially, but pointed to the compete level that the desperation of a fourth quarter deficit brought out in his players.“You play with desperation when you think the season is going to end, but the key for the coaches is to try and get them to play like that all season long,” Rosenmeier said.“Sometimes we were successful at doing that, sometimes we weren‘t. We didn‘t play with that same desperation in the first half. It should have been a 7-0 game and that’s the tough part of it. There’s no do overs, we just came up short.”Shane Small had a touchdown catch in the second quarter.

Old Tappan beats Weequahic in Quarterfinals

Nov 01, 2024

On November 1, 2024, the Old Tappan Golden Knights hosted the Weequahic Indians in a New Jersey high school football playoff game, securing a 19-11 victory. The game was the first round of the 2024 NJSIAA Group 3 playoff tournament. Scoring Summary:First Quarter: Weequahic took an early lead with a field goal, ending the quarter at 3-0. MaxPreps.comSecond Quarter: NV - Old Tappan responded robustly, scoring 19 unanswered points, bringing the halftime score to 19-3. Third Quarter: Neither team scored, maintaining the 19-3 lead for NV - Old Tappan. Fourth Quarter: Weequahic added a touchdown and a two-point conversion, narrowing the final score to 19-11 in favor of NV - Old Tappan. Key Moment:In the fourth quarter, with approximately 10 minutes remaining, NV - Old Tappan's #14, Christakis Nicolaou, intercepted a Weequahic pass on their own 13-yard line, thwarting a potential scoring drive by Weequahic. Next Game:Following this win, NV - Old Tappan advanced to face Cranford on November 8, 2024, in the next round of the playoffs.

Pascack Valley upsets No. 15 Old Tappan

Oct 25, 2024

Bergen County’s top-ranked public school has been toppled in the final week of the regular season.Pascack Valley and Old Tappan, ranked No. 15 in the NJ.com Top 20, clashed at Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale with as high of stakes as any regular season game can have. The Super Football Conference’s Patriot Blue division title was up for grabs, and playoff seeding in North Jersey Group 3 was still to be determined before top-ranked Old Tappan and third-ranked Pascack Valley squared off on Friday.Senior quarterback Adam Shaw accounted for three touchdowns, two passing and one rushing, and senior running back Kevin Regula paced a Pascack Valley ground game that converted a key fourth down late in the game to keep the ball away from Old Tappan and nail down a 27-21 victory.Pascack Valley’s offense spent the night moving the ball up and down the field, gaining 50 or more yards on five of its seven drives, with the other two drives being a kneel down at the end of the fist half and the final drive of the game for Pascack Valley (7-1).Shaw sandwiched his rushing touchdown between passing scores to junior Marc Dellaquilla and Regula to stake his team to a 20-7 lead midway through the second quarter, a lead Old Tappan cut into in the dying seconds of the first half with a Zach Miceli touchdown pass to Ronan Malady.Pascack Valley head coach Len Cusumano knew his team would have its hands full with Old Tappan entering the night. Carrying a three game shutout streak and seven game overall winning streak into play, Cusumano discussed the challenges Old Tappan presented to his team in a game that came down to the wire.“I give Old Tappan a great amount of credit, they’re the standard in Bergen County,” Cusumano said.“Our kids made the plays when they needed to. Our defense bent but didn‘t break, we had a few calls go our way, they had a few calls go their way so it was a game of momentum shifts. I’m proud of all of our coaches and players for accomplishing one of our goals of winning the division.”Cusumano‘s players are the ones that scored the points on offense and made the stops on defense, but it was a critical late game decision from Cusumano that proved to be the difference maker. A five yard rushing touchdown with 7:38 left in regulation to extend Pascack Valley’s lead to 27-14, but Old Tappan answered with a quick touchdown drive of its own to make it a one-score game once again.Three straight runs out of the Pascack Valley offense set up a fourth and two at its own 19 yard line. Deep in its own territory and having been stuffed for a loss of one on third down, punting the ball away and attempting to secure the win with a defensive stop would have been a reasonable choice.When the ball was set for the fourth and two play, Pascack Valley’s offense remained on the field. Shaw took the snap and handed off to Regula, who plowed ahead for the necessary yardage to move the sticks and all but secure the victory.Shane Small had a great game on both sides of the ball. Recording 2 receptions for 35 yards and 10 tackles.

Old Tappan posts third straight shutout, blanks Wayne Hills

Oct 18, 2024

Alex Orecchio excelled in all three phases of the game as he rushed for a touchdown, had an interception on defense and successfully made all five extra-point attempts to help lead Old Tappan to a 35-0 victory over Wayne Hills in Wayne. It is the third straight shutout for Old Tappan (7-0), which has allowed just 47 points all season. Orecchio‘s TD, a 4-yard run, gave Old Tappan a 14-0 lead with 9:10 left in the second quarter. Just a few plays later, the senior returned his fifth interception of the season all the way down to the Wayne Hills 6, setting up Nick Rossi’s second TD run of the night. Shane Small with a solid game on defense with 5 tackles. Two of them tackles for losses.

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

Oct 15, 2024

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.”

Old Tappan Shuts out Northern Highlands

Oct 05, 2024

On October 5, 2024, the Old Tappan football team defeated Northern Highlands with a final score of 27-0. The game took place at Old Tappan's home field. Scoring Summary: First Quarter: Old Tappan's Ronan Malady caught a 76-yard pass from Ryan Miceli (kick failed). Score: 6-0. Second Quarter: Old Tappan's Alex Orecchio caught a 30-yard pass from Ryan Miceli, followed by a successful two-point conversion with a pass from Orecchio to Shane Small. Score: 14-0. Old Tappan's Ryan Miceli ran for a 4-yard touchdown (kick failed). Score: 20-0. Third Quarter: No scoring. Fourth Quarter: Old Tappan's Nick Rossi completed a 1-yard touchdown run, with Alex Orecchio successfully kicking the extra point. Final Score: 27-0. Statistical Leaders: Passing Yards: Northern Highlands' Jack O'Callaghan: 158 yards Old Tappan's Zachary Miceli: 290 yards Rushing Yards: Northern Highlands' Chase Calarco: 58 yards Old Tappan's Nick Rossi: 51 yards Receiving Yards: Old Tappan's Shane Small: 51 yards Old Tappan's Ronan Malady: 93 yards

Old Tappan powers past Paramus to stay unbeaten

Sep 27, 2024

Zach Miceli threw for three touchdowns while Alex Orecchio caught three of them as Old Tappan remained unbeaten following a 45-0 win over Paramus in Old Tappan.Miceli connected on a 17-yard pass to Orecchio to open up the scoring early for Old Tappan (5-0) in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead before Nick Rossi embarked on a six-yard run into the end zone with about 2:22 left in the quarter.Rossi got his second TD on a run from about 15 yards to give Old Tappan a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter.Old Tappan took advantage of an interception by Christakis Nicolaou and Miceli threw a 60-yard bomb to Orecchio for a 28-0 lead with about 8:30 left in the half.Miceli again connected with Orecchio on a 13-yard pass for a 35-0 lead with about 5:17 left in the first half before Matteo Morrissey hit a 15-yard field goal for a 38-0 lead at the break.Damian Dutoit added another score for Old Tappan with 7:23 left in the game with a one-yard TD run for a 45-0 lead.By Nestor F. Sebastian | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Old Tappan defeated Ramapo 27-21,

Sep 20, 2024

In the September 20, 2024, high school football game where Old Tappan defeated Ramapo. Old Tappan edged out Ramapo 27-21 in a thrilling game. Alex Orecchio led Old Tappan with 138 rushing yards and a touchdown, The game was tied at 21 in the fourth quarter before Orecchio’s late touchdown secured the win. Ramapo had a final drive but was stopped on fourth down Old Tappan:Alex Orecchio (#12): Demonstrated versatility by completing 4 of 9 passes for 74 yards and 2 touchdowns, rushing 12 times for 138 yards and a touchdown, and making 3 receptions for 34 yards. Defensively, he secured 2 interceptions. Nick Rossi (#22): Contributed significantly with 18 carries for 127 yards and a 2-yard rushing touchdown. He also led the team with 9 total tackles. Zachary Miceli (#8): Completed 5 of 15 passes for 85 yards. Robert Agans (#11): Made a notable impact with a 46-yard touchdown reception. Devyn Radoian (#2): Recorded an 18-yard touchdown reception and contributed defensively with a sack.Shane Small (#13) Recorded 1 Catch for 22 yards and 4 solo tackles

Old Tappan scores 50 vs Bergenfield

Sep 12, 2024

Old Tappan defeated Bergenfield 50-6 in a high school football game. Old Tappan's Zachary Miceli led with 132 passing yards and three touchdowns, while Devyn Radoian contributed 86 rushing yards. Bergenfield's only score came from Nasir Evans, who rushed for 70 yards. Old Tappan dominated defensively, limiting Bergenfield to just one passing yard. Full game details and stats are available below.

Old Tappan picks up speed in second straight win

Sep 07, 2024

ORADELL – Northern Valley/Old Tappan overcame a slow start by utilizing an offense that put “the best kids on the field” then rallied to overwhelm River Dell, 44-13, Friday night in Oradell.“I think we started slow,” said Old Tappan coach Brian Dunn. “I don’t think we warmed up properly. I don’t think we were playing fast at the beginning. The other team came to play and they had some kids who were getting off the ball. Once we realized we had to jack up our speed a little bit we got our wits about us and did the right thing.”River Dell took the opening kickoff and marched 42 yards down to the Knights 24 in 9 plays, but two incomplete passes ended the drive and gave Old Tappan the ball. The Golden Knights kept the ball on the ground with senior quarterback Alex Orecchio gaining 27 yards on 2 carries and senior running back Nick Rossi rushing for 28 yards on 4 carries.On first down from the Hawks’ 19-yard line Orecchio connected with senior wide-out Ronan Malady for 5 yards and Rossi took the ball in from there to give Old Tappan an 8-0 lead. River Dell put together another drive, making it down to the Old Tappan 20 before Knights junior Aidan Nally intercepted a pass at the 5-yard line and ran it up to the 19.Part of the offensive strategy for Old Tappan this season is to employ a two-quarterback rotation. So it was not a surprise when sophomore quarterback Zach Miceli entered the game to call signals.“Coach Dunn puts us in a position to win no matter where he wants to put us on the field,” Orecchio said. “Having two guys who are able to throw the ball makes us a very versatile offense, hard to stop and I think that’s something he realized coming into this year. Age doesn't matter - he’s just going to put the best guys on the field. We’re winning and that’s all that matters.”“It extends the offense a lot,” added Miceli. “Alex can make plays anywhere on the field and it makes it hard for other teams to stop. That’s great for us. Whatever the coach wants to do. It works and I think it’s great.”After a 2-yard loss, a false start and a short gain Miceli faced a 3rd-and-9 from the 12-yard line. He dropped back and lofted a pass down the right sideline, which led Malady perfectly. Malady made the catch before being knocked out of bounds at the River Dell 37. Runs by Miceli and Rossi gave Old Tappan a first down at the 26 and then Miceli connected with Orecchio for 6 more yards.Rossi ran it in from there, breaking a tackle at the 14 and rumbling into the end zone for a 16-0 lead.“You don’t want to meet that guy in the hole,” Miceli said of Rossi. “He’s a big guy and he works hard every day. He brings the juice and we need that guy on the team.”“He’s a tank in the backfield,” added Orecchio. “He’s like a bulldozer. He comes to practice and he works so hard - he’s probably the hardest worker out here. It’s always a safety valve to hand him the ball and let him churn.”The next Hawks drive ended when Orecchio intercepted a 3rd-down pass. That led to Old Tappan increasing its lead to 23-0. After Rossi gained 3 yards, Orecchio hit junior receiver Joe Crescitelli for 8 more. Next Miceli connected with Malady for 29 yards and a first down at the Hawks 20.Miceli took the snap and pitched the ball to Orecchio, who rolled left and zipped a sidearm throw to Nally who sprinted into the end zone.“It’s a great designed play to spread out the offense and have a lot of different options,” Orecchio said. “Zach and I have the ability to run or throw and we have receivers who can go out and catch the ball. That’s what an explosive, versatile offense looks like. That’s something we have and something that’s going to be hard to stop.”In the game Orecchio was 2-of-3-for 30 yards and a TD passing, 2-for-27 yards rushing and 1-for-6 yards receiving. He also kicked three extra points and intercepted a pass.“This is a game I love,” said Orecchio, who will play at Johns Hopkins University next year. “I come out and play it every day. Just being on the field is what I live for. If that means having to play every snap and being gassed Friday night so be it. This is what I love to do.”“Last year he (Orecchio) didn’t play any defense,” said Dunn. “As a sophomore he played receiver and came in as a quarterback (where he threw the clinching touchdown pass in the 24-14 Group 3 state final win over Delsea). He’s always been multi-talented. He’s one of those kids who can play anywhere on the field. When you have rare kids like that you have to use them. And we also have a kid (Miceli) who is going to be really good. You don’t want to keep him sitting on the bench so we get our best kids on the field.” On its next possession River Dell lost a fumble that Malady scooped up to give the ball back to Old Tappan at the Hawks 30. Miceli found Crescitelli over the middle for 13 yards and tossed a 17-yard pass to tight end Shane Small to make it 30-0.Old Tappan got the ball back with 1:24 to go in the first half and went right to work. Miceli scrambled for 19 yards and three plays later hit Crescitelli for 15 yards and a TD to close out the half with a 37-0 lead.“There are a lot of receivers out there,” said Miceli, who completed 10-of-12 passes for 201 yards and 3 TDs. He also rushed for 23 yards on 3 carries. “We can rotate guys and they make plays. There is a lot of speed out there so if I get them the ball in space they can make plays.”Knights junior running back Damian Dutoit opened the second half with runs of 3 and 8 yards before Miceli hooked up with sophomore wide receiver Leo Etter for 54 yards and a touchdown to make it 44-0. After that the Old Tappan subs went in to finish the game. Hawks junior quarterback Zion Yoon scored on a 10-yard run in the third quarter and sophomore backup QB Jayden Kim raced to a 50-yard score with 1:35 to go in the game.Old Tappan improved to 2-0 while River Dell’s record evened out at 1-1.“We’re using personnel a little bit differently,” said Dunn. “It’s about getting our best kids on the field and figuring out the best way to do it.”“It feels great tonight,” Orecchio said of being 2-0. “Tomorrow we’re back to 0-0 and the next game [against Bergenfield Thursday]. We’re going to get into the film room tomorrow and fix our mistakes from today. [There are] a lot of things to fix and we’ll get at it and try to progress.”

Old Tappan rolls over River Dell as quarterback duo pays dividends

Sep 06, 2024

By Matt Bove | For NJ Advance MediaThe usual adage in football is when your team is playing two quarterbacks it’s because you don’t know if you have one.For Old Tappan, that is the complete opposite of the case. The Golden Knights are playing two quarterbacks because they are both elite talents.The production through two games for senior Alex Orecchio and sophomore Zachary Miceli cannot be argued. Old Tappan moved to 2-0 on the season with a 44-13 win at River Dell on Friday evening.“They’re both really good athletes,” Old Tappan head coach Brian Dunn said. “Alex is multi-talented, and we have to get our best kids on the field. Zach is really talented. He’s a young kid who will be really good. Alex and Zach are two of our best players, so moving them around and using them the right way is the smart thing.”Orecchio threw 1,532 yards and 21 yards as a junior in leading Old Tappan to the North 1, Group 3 title game. Not all seniors with that level of success would be comfortable giving up quarterbacks snaps to a sophomore. Yet, Orecchio has been a model teammate and has been able to be used all over the field as an offensive weapon.“Alex is a great teammate,” Miceli said. “He just wants the ball. He’s an athlete who can do anything. We have great chemistry, so when I get him the ball he can make plays. We can score touchdowns anywhere.”It also takes a special talent to get on the field at quarterback with Orecchio still on the team, which Miceli clearly displayed against River Dell. He went 10-for-12 for 189 yards and three touchdowns. Miceli not only showed off an excellent arm; his movement in the pocket looked very smooth and his eyes never dropped to the rush coming at him.“Every day in practice my coaches are preparing me for scramble drills,” Miceli said. “In the offseason, my trainer coaches me for all those pocket movements with people coming out of nowhere. That has helped me out a lot.”On his second pass of the game, Miceli threw a picture perfect go ball down the sideline to Ronan Malady for 42 yards. The drive ended with Nick Rossi running like a bowling ball up the middle for a 20-yard touchdown, his second of the game to give Old Tappan a 16-0 lead with 7:28 left in the second quarter.The power running of Rossi is a great complement to the dangerous Old Tappan passing game.The third score of the game for Old Tappan showed off just how dangerous Miceli and Orecchio can be together. Miceli pitched the ball back to Orecchio, who slung a sidearm pass to Aidan Nally for a 19-yard touchdown.Two plays later, Old Tappan forced and returned it to the River Dell 30-yard line. It only took the Golden Knights two plays to score from there as Miceli hit Robert Agans for a 11-yard touchdown and a 30-0 lead.“We just started a little slow from a speed and physicality standpoint,” Dunn said. “I wasn’t really thrilled with ho we warmed up. The kids realized they had to jack it up and that we have a legit opponent here. We stepped it up, obviously.”Miceli finished off the first half with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Troy Essman. River Dell dropped to 1-1 with the loss following a 42-7 win over Nutley in Week 1.Photo Alex Orecchio (12) of Old Tappan rolls from the pocket looking to pass during the football game between Ramapo and Old Tappan at ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes, NJ on Friday, October 13, 2023. Scott Faytok | NJ Advance Media

Old Tappan Football starts the season with a Win

Aug 30, 2024

Early turnovers help Old Tappan topple West Essex in clash of Group 3 titansNorthern Valley Regional High School in Old Tappan was the site for one of the best matchups North Jersey had to offer on Friday.The 2022 Group 3 champion Old Tappan Golden Knights hosted the 2023 Group 3 finalist West Essex Knights in a matchup of public powers, both teams facing as stiff of competition there is to be had in Week 0.A pick six on the opening drive of the game by Old Tappan senior Michael Gracey gave the Golden Knights a lead before their offense stepped onto the field, and two more turnovers in West Essex territory led to a pair of touchdown passes from sophomore Zach Miceli to supply all the offense necessary for Old Tappan to hold on for a 19-7 victory.Stepping onto the field for the first time in 2024 following a fumble recovery by senior Ronan Molady, the Old Tappan offense debuted a new wrinkle. Senior Alex Orecchio did it all for the Golden Knights in 2023, passing for over 1,500 yards and rushing for nearly 900 as a dual-threat playmaker.The first offensive play of the season saw Orecchio line up out wide, and it was Miceli making the first start of his high school career as Old Tappan’s signal caller. After throwing for 36 yards in mop up duty as a freshman, Miceli’s first pass of the season was a dart down the near sideline into the hands of a sprinting Molady, who had his defender beat and took Miceli’s pass into the end zone for a 39-yard score.Displacing a senior for a sophomore is the type of decision that could result in ruffled feathers, but Old Tappan head coach Brian Dunn has both quarterbacks, as well as the rest of his roster, bought in on the dual quarterback approach.“Coach Dunn knows what’s best for us, and Alex is a great athlete,” Miceli said.“We can put him anywhere on the field and he’ll make plays. We put him at receiver and he made plays, we put him at quarterback and he made plays, and doing that really expands the offense. It’ll keep teams on their toes all of the time and it’ll be hard to stop.”One of those plays Orecchio made came on Old Tappan’s following offensive drive, a 34 yard catch and run from Miceli to extend the Golden Knights’ lead to 19-0 a shade less than seven minutes into the contest.Orecchio would find himself back at quarterback throughout the night, attempting the occasional pass and using his legs to keep West Essex honest defensively. Whether it’s throwing the ball, running it, or catching it, Orecchio is up for the challenge of contributing in every way possible.“Wherever we are on the field, we’re going to make plays”, Orecchio said of his positional flexibility.“Zach’s a heck of a QB. He does it through the air, I try to do it on the ground for the most part but we both have that dual threat ability. He can still run and I can still throw. It’s a dual threat that a lot of teams don’t have, and I think that sets us apart and gives us a leg up on most teams.”