River Vale Raiders tackle football teams all had a season to remember
RIVER VALE, N.J. — The 2021 River Vale Raiders tackle football teams had a very successful season. After the 2020 season was cut short, these athletes came ready to play and win in 2021! And win they did! The PeeWee, Junior, and Senior football teams all impressed and the Juniors and Seniors both brought Super Bowl trophies back to River Vale this season.
The season started in mid-August and all teams kept a disciplined practice schedule to be ready to compete on opening day. River Vale has a lot to be proud of when it comes to their sports programs and our River Vale Junior Football Association is proud that our football teams successfully added to that history of pride in 2021.
Our PeeWee team is made up of 3rd and 4th grade athletes. The highlight of the season, in the words of head coach Brett Rothenburger, “was a hard fought 6-0 win over Hillsdale in late November. Fighting for an undefeated season and the Division Title, the Pee Wee Raiders drove the length of the field to score a game winning TD.”
The PeeWee team ended their season with an impressive record of 8-1. When Coach Rothenburger was asked to sum up his 2021 team, he responded passionately, “The drive and passion that this veteran team displayed from the first day of practice to the last game was undeniably amazing. These boys fought for each other day in and day out, which led them to an undefeated regular season. Their powerful “ground and pound” offense rumbled on to score 150 points and were only overshadowed by their tenacious and gritty defense that went unscored upon. This team was made up of a group of caring and loving boys who will be back next year to avenge a title that was in their grasp.”
Our Junior team is made up of 5th and 6th grade athletes. Their experience showed this year as they were able to compete at a very high level and remain undefeated Super Bowl Champions for 2021. With a record of 11-0, this team is one to be watched in the coming years. Coach Moreda noted, “Just two years removed from their last championship, these Raiders rallied once again to claim the title of Super Bowl Champions in a 20-12 victory over Norwood. In a season where our #1 ranked offense and defense outscored our opponents 167-26, we knew going into the championship game against Norwood that we were the better team. Still, much can be said for the adage, ‘that’s why we play the game’, as this group learned all too well in 2019 when they upset the undefeated Hillsdale Hawks. Despite marquee wins like the hard fought 7-0 victory over Hillsdale to win the division or the two shutout wins in the early playoff rounds, these Raiders never wavered and showed up prepared and determined to hoist the trophy once again.”
Speaking of three-peats, our Senior Raiders ended their season with a record of 10-1. It’s hard to put into words how impressive this team really is. We spoke to Jeff Spezial, Senior Head Coach and President of the River Vale Junior Football Association. We asked him to speak about this season and he was able to capture the essence of what it means to be part of the Raider Family.
Coach Spezial noted, “The 2021 Raiders Senior team came to camp in August with only one goal in mind, to finish what they started and win a 3rd Super Bowl together. After going 21-0 the prior two years together, the team knew that there was a target on their back as the team to beat. They would need to work harder than other teams week in and week out to be ready for anything their opponent may throw their way. Every player on the team knew they would need to contribute in some way to achieve that goal and achieve that goal they did. After suffering their only ever loss in a close game in early October, it lit more of a fire under the team.”
They proceeded to roll off their next 5 wins, outscoring their opponents 144-32 along the way, to get to the Super Bowl again. Then, on a cold November night, in a hard-fought battle vs. a tough Westwood/Washington Township team; the Senior Raiders avenged their only loss and achieved their GOAL, winning that coveted 3rd Super Bowl in a 19-13 overtime victory that they will never forget.
Coach Spezial added, “The coaching staff couldn’t be prouder of how the boys came together this season. We’ve always taught them that they are a family and needed to look out for one another on and off the field and it showed. These young men ended their career together with 3 Super Bowl titles, 3 division titles, an overall record of 31-1 and outscored their opponents 861-144 in that time.”
This team had several very strong 8th grade athletes that carried the team to victory week in and week out. Let’s take a closer look at the individual 8th grade young men. It is safe to say that the commitment they showed to the organization over the years is admirable and their leadership will be sorely missed:
Lis Demaj
Lis has been a Raider for one year and he will attend PVHS next year. His favorite Raider moment was winning the 2021 Super Bowl.
Gavin Baroan
Gavin has been a Raider for one year and will attend PVHS next year. His favorite Raider moment was when he scored his first touchdown.
Gavin Group
Gavin has been a Raider for 5 years and he will attend PVHS next year. His favorite Raider memories include being a part of something truly meaningful and special, with great teammates, coaches, and families.
Adam Shaw
Adam has been a Raider for 5 years and he will attend PVHS next year. His favorite Raider moments were winning BCJFL Super Bowls in 2017 and 2019 and of course the three-peat in 2021!
Danny Moscone
Danny has been a Raider for 5 years and he will attend PVHS next year. His favorite Raider moment was winning the BCJFL Super Bowls in 2019 and 2021. We all saw it; HIS FEET WERE IN!
Alex Bainbridge
Alex has been a Raider for 6 years and he will attend PVHS next year. His favorite Raider moment was winning the BCJFL Super Bowls in 2019 AND 2021.
Jack Manna
Jack has been a Raider for 6 years and he will attend PVHS next year. His favorite Raider moment was coming back to the tackle program after a few years and being welcomed like he never left.
Michael Hurst
Michael has been a Raider for 7 years and he will attend PVHS next year. His favorite Raider moment was winning the BCJFL Super Bowls in 2019 and 2021.
Max Cannao
Max has been a Raider for 7 years and he will attend PVHS next year. His favorite Raider moment was making a big hit near the sidelines in a game in the 2021 season.
Brody Kidd: Marathon Player
Brody has been a Raider for 8 years. He’s a marathon tackle player and he will attend PVHS next year. His favorite Raider moment was scoring his first touchdown.
Damon Luciano: Marathon Player
Damon has been a Raider for 9 years. He’s a marathon tackle player, and he will attend Bergen Tech next year. His favorite Raider memories include tackling and making opposing players fumble.
Marley Smith: Marathon Player
Marley has been a Raider for 9 years. He is a marathon tackle player and will attend PVHS next year. Marley’s favorite Raider moment was holding up the championship belt after the 2019 BCJFL Super Bowl against Norwood.
Kai Smith: Marathon Player
Kai has been a Raider for 9 years. He is a marathon tackle player and will attend PVHS next year. Kai’s favorite Raider moment was winning his third Super Bowl with his team in 2021.
Colin McMorrow: Marathon Player
Colin has been a Raider for 9 years. He’s a marathon tackle player, and he is still deciding on where he will attend high school next year. His favorite Raider memory has to be overtime in the 2021 BCJFL Super Bowl.
Thomas Collins: Marathon Player
Thomas has been a Raider for 9 years. He’s a marathon tackle player and he is still weighing his options for high school next year. His favorite Raider memory is winning the 2017 Super Bowl.
Brendan Gaskin: Marathon Player
Brendan has been a Raider for 9 years playing 7 years of tackle. He’s a marathon tackle player and he’ll attend PVHS next year. His favorite memory was his interception with 3 minutes remaining in the 2017 NNJJFL Super Bowl. Brendan will miss his Raiders game day warmups and his team home game walk in with the boombox!
Rocco Spezial: Marathon Player
Rocco has been a Raider for 10 years! He is a marathon player who started playing football for the Raiders at age 4. Rocco is still deciding where he will attend high school. Rocco’s favorite Raider moments are winning the PeeWee Division Super Bowl, the Junior Division Super Bowl, and the Senior Division Super Bowl!
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