River Dell Hawks Junior Football Team Wins BCJFL Super Bowl

The following was submitted by the River Dell Junior Football Program: 

The River Dell Hawks Junior Level Football Team (5th & 6th Grade) won the 14 team Bergen County Junior Football League (BCJFL) Super Bowl on November 23rd by defeating the Cresskill Cougars 12-6 in Overtime.  The Hawks entered the playoffs as the # 3 seeded team and unexpectedly won all three playoff games to win the championship and finish with a 9-1-1 record.  Two of the three playoff games were won on their last play of the game.

River Dell’s Gunnar Nystedt scored the winning touchdown in overtime of the Super Bowl on a 17 yard run to clinch the thrilling game.  The powerful running back led the team in scoring and tackles during the season.  Cresskill came into the game having allowed only one touchdown in their last five games. The overtime was set up when River Dell’s Charlie Racine, with the Hawks trailing 6-0 and only 5 minutes remaining in the game, returned a Cresskill punt 50 yards after breaking several tackles for an electrifying touchdown that gave the Hawks life and sent the game to overtime.

The Hawks were led in the championship game by offensive linemen Matt Tibus, Billy Wiegand, Holden Brodersen, and Steven Yoon.  The stellar defense was led by linemen Tyler Pignio and Matt Kelm, linebackers Chris Orlando and Christian Hay, and defensive backs Gavin Simcox and Ryan Miceli.

The postseason started in dramatic fashion for the Hawks in their first round game against the Ho-Ho-Kus/Saddle River Indians.  With the score 0-0 and 4th Down with 10 seconds remaining in the game, River Dell Quarterback T.J.Buono threw to Tight End Ryan McCusker in the corner of the end zone for the winning touchdown.  Next the Hawks knocked off the # 2 seeded Norwood Raiders avenging  their only regular season loss with a shocking 26-13 win.  Nystedt ran for four touchdowns and a swarming defense, led by Hay, McCusker, Orlando, Tibus, and Simcox slowed the Raiders attack.

The Hawks special teams were outstanding during the playoffs and led by Ryan Wittkamp, Connor Locke, Shane Quinn, Kyle Vogel, Everett Reilly, and Matt Quinn. 

The Hawks also received important contributions from Bryan Bartels, Jason Rios, Daniel Lubben, Colin Chambers, Scott Garcia, Brendan Gillies, and Brendan Solinas.