The Northern Valley Old Tappan Golden Knights (12-1) won their second Group 3 state championship title in the last three years in a 28-16 win over the Mainland Mustangs (10-4) at SHI Stadium on the campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey.
@nvotfootball defeats @MainlandRegHS 28-16 in the @NJSIAA #Group3Final this afternoon @ #SHIStadium @RutgersU @ONNJSports 🏈🏆 pic.twitter.com/ISSGI4v3h9
— Sports News By Sunil Sunder Raj (@SunilSportsNews) December 1, 2024
Old Tappan received the opening kickoff and marched down the field in nine plays and 80 yards, which took over four minutes off the clock. Quarterback Zach Miceli threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Alex Orecchio to cap off the drive.
@nvotfootball QB @Zach_Miceli 18 yd. TD pass to @alexorecchio against @MainlandRegHS in the first quarter 🏈 pic.twitter.com/CC8vbVfI1i
— Sports News By Sunil Sunder Raj (@SunilSportsNews) December 1, 2024
Late in the first quarter, the Golden Knights were on the verge of punching the ball into the end zone again, but Mainland defensive back Khaleeb Foster intercepted a pass at the Mustangs’ three-yard line and returned the ball to the 40-yard line.
Mainland fed off the momentum of the pick by quickly advancing the ball into Old Tappan’s end of the field. A five-play, 60-yard drive culminated in a 39-yard touchdown pass from quarterback John Franchini to running back Jake Blum that tied the game at 7-7 with 59 seconds remaining.
@MainlandRegHS QB @JohnFranchini13 38 yd. TD pass to RB @Jakeblum_5 against @nvotfootball in the first quarter 🏈 pic.twitter.com/8r0yKZY4Vu
— Sports News By Sunil Sunder Raj (@SunilSportsNews) December 1, 2024
In the second quarter, the Mustangs’ defense forced the Golden Knights into a quick three-and-out, setting their offense up with outstanding starting field position at the Old Tappan 47-yard line.
Mainland pounded the ball on the ground by running it five consecutive times pushing it down to the red zone. However, facing a fourth-down situation, quarterback John Franchini hurled a ball into the end zone, where Golden Knights defensive back Leo Etter made a spectacular interception while falling backward for the touchback.
@nvotfootball defensive back @Leoetter13 makes a spectacular interception in the end zone against @MainlandRegHS in the second quarter. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/LM2KdCQ0a0
— Sports News By Sunil Sunder Raj (@SunilSportsNews) December 1, 2024
With less than six minutes left, the Mustangs offense again had excellent field position, this time at midfield. Mainland moved the ball efficiently but faced a third and 15 at the Old Tappan 27-yard line.
Quarterback John Franchini heaved the ball into the end zone. The heave backfired as Golden Knights defensive back Christakis Nicolaou swooped in to make the interception which ended up as a touchback as Nicolaou kneeled in the end zone.
@nvotfootball defensive back #ChristakisNicolaou @christakisn17 elevates for the impressive interception in the end zone against @MainlandRegHS in the second quarter. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/TQSZztFFbr
— Sports News By Sunil Sunder Raj (@SunilSportsNews) December 1, 2024
Once the third quarter commenced, the Mustangs received the kickoff but got caught off guard as Old Tappan pooched the kick where a Mainland player fumbled the ball, and the Golden Knights special teams pounced on the ball for the recovery.
Starting at the Mustangs’ 44-yard line and full of adrenaline, Old Tappan marched down the field methodically. An 11-play, 44-yard drive that ate up over five minutes of the clock finished off with a three-yard touchdown run by quarterback Alex Orecchio, putting the Golden Knights ahead 14-7.
@nvotfootball @alexorecchio 3 yd. TD run against @MainlandRegHS in the third quarter. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/UF99To3nic
— Sports News By Sunil Sunder Raj (@SunilSportsNews) December 1, 2024
Mainland answered immediately with a solid 12-play, 44-yard drive that sawed off six minutes of the clock. The Mustangs offense was able to drive the ball inside the Old Tappan ten-yard line, but the Golden Knights defense dug a line in the trenches, forcing a Nate Kashey 29-yard field goal that trimmed the deficit to 14-10 with 46 seconds left.
@MainlandRegHS kicker @natekashey2026 29 yd. field goal against @nvotfootball in the third quarter. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/y8IsKmeuEI
— Sports News By Sunil Sunder Raj (@SunilSportsNews) December 1, 2024
In the fourth quarter, Old Tappan had the ball at its own 27-yard line. Behind a stout offensive line, it ran six times in a row, advancing to the Mainland 45-yard line.
On second down, the Golden Knights switched up the formula as Zach Miceli completed a 23-yard pass to Alex Orecchio. On first and ten at the 22-yard line, running back Nicholas Rossi took the handoff, burst through an open hole in the line, and rumbled to the end zone for the score that extended the Old Tappan advantage to 21-10 with less than five minutes left.
@nvotfootball running back @NicholasRossi26 22 yd. TD run against @MainlandRegHS in the fourth quarter. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/xo4iNVBiBK
— Sports News By Sunil Sunder Raj (@SunilSportsNews) December 1, 2024
The celebration would be short-lived as the Mustangs responded in a split second as running back Rocco DeBiaso took a handoff, then drove around the left edge of the line and sprinted down the left side of the field with nothing but clear daylight in front of him and into the end zone for the highlight reel 73-yard touchdown.
@MainlandRegHS RB @RoccoDebiaso 73 yd. TD run against @nvotfootball in the fourth quarter. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/ckupok5aVr
— Sports News By Sunil Sunder Raj (@SunilSportsNews) December 1, 2024
Mainland elected to try a two-point conversion attempt to narrow the gap even further, but Golden Knights defensive back Christakis Nicolaou broke up a pass by John Franchini near the goal line.
@nvotfootball defensive back #ChristakisNicolaou @christakisn17 breaks up a two-point conversion pass against @MainlandRegHS in the fourth quarter. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/ISGC9LlrDb
— Sports News By Sunil Sunder Raj (@SunilSportsNews) December 1, 2024
The back-and-forth action continued as Old Tappan’s offense quickly moved the ball down the field. Zach Miceli completed a pass to Alex Orecchio, and then the running game fired on all cylinders, tallying 16 yards.
Facing a third and eight at the Mustangs 43-yard line, Zach Miceli discovered a new target in tight end Shane Small as Miceli connected on a 29-yard pass to Small that pushed the ball to the Mainland 14-yard line. Miceli prospered through the air, completing 12-18 passes for 201 yards.
On second down, Alex Orecchio assumed the play-calling duties under center and capped off a tremendous offensive performance by taking the snap, then rolling out of the pocket to his right and slinging a pass to a wide-open Small for the score that expanded the Golden Knights advantage to 28-16 with two and half minutes remaining. Orecchio finished the game with a phenomenal 216 all-purpose yards.
@nvotfootball QB @alexorecchio 14 yd. TD pass to tight end @shanesmall0 against @MainlandRegHS in the fourth quarter. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/c89C4uKdbO
— Sports News By Sunil Sunder Raj (@SunilSportsNews) December 1, 2024
Old Tappan’s defense employed a potent rush in the waning minute of the game. Shane Small registered a sack, and then Small and Ryan Miceli combined for another sack.
@nvotfootball defensive end @shanesmall0 registers the sack against @MainlandRegHS in the fourth quarter. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/8qHD3cvAdv
— Sports News By Sunil Sunder Raj (@SunilSportsNews) December 1, 2024
The Golden Knights ran out the clock, setting off a jubilant celebration on the field afterward amongst the players and coaches.
