11/8/2011 - Vikings Back in The Big Dance
It was almost exactly a year ago Vernon football coach Chuck Tepper and myself were standing on the High Point sideline prior to the Wildcats’ state game with perennial power Wayne Hills.
We discussed what a great job High Point coach Jim Delaney did with the Wildcats to get them into the North 1, Group 3 semifinals and that it had been five years since Tepper’s Vikings had made it to the “Big Dance.”
Although the Vikes were going to lose their All-State quarterback Matt Soltes to graduation, Tepper was excited about the 2011 campaign even though it was November of 2010.
He told me, “We are going to be better. We have a real nice group coming back. This junior group will be ready to go as seniors.”
Yes, they were.
With the fine play of the experienced seniors and the emergence of junior running back Ryan Ward the Vikes have made it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2005 and ironically Tepper will be on the visitors sideline once again at top-seeded Wayne Hills Friday night, but this time as a coach not a fan.
The Vikings (5-4) earned the No. 8 seed by posting a 5-3 mark at the cutoff something they had done several times in the past and did not make the states and we all know the reason why: The Vikes were a Group 4 school playing Group 3 and 2 schools in the old Sussex County Interscholastic League.
But after three years of realignment and an enrollment decrease that led Vernon to drop to Group 3 the Vikes are back in states.
Tepper had always maintained that realignment would help the Vikes make states because the old SCIL never provided enough power points for a Group 4 school.
But things didn’t look good for Tepper when the Vikings went 1-9 and 4-6 the last two seasons playing larger schools.
Tepper, however, never gave up the belief that his program would benefit from the realignment, but being a Group 4 still hurt the Vikes.
He always said playing schools the same size would help the Vikes make states and when they became a Group 3 this season, Vernon did.
In my opinion, Tepper’s previous concerns were validated and his scrappy Vernon team proved him right.
“It gets us to where we can start thinking about the next level,” Tepper said of the playoff berth. “We want to get in every season and make a run. The kids are real excited and happy to be playing a meaningful game in November.
“We know Wayne Hills is a great program and Coach (Chris) Olsen does a great job,” he added. “But to be the best you have to play the best. It is a good thing for our program.”
It certainly is.
Tepper took a lot of heat from some circles after the last two seasons. Critics would say Vernon would post those six, seven-win seasons because they played small schools in the SCIL.
That has changed and Tepper has the program back where it was for most of his tenure at Vernon, near the top of their league and in the state playoff hunt.
Good for you, Chuck.
But I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the 99 power points the Vikes earned this season would have been good enough to gain a bid to the North 1, Group 4 playoffs this season.
But that is a story for another day.
Here is a quick look at the local state tournament matchups this weekend.
NORTH 1, GROUP 3
(8) VERNON AT (1) WAYNEHILLS--- On paper this is a mismatch, but Wayne Hills (8-1) is not the same Wayne Hills from a year ago when it won the title with the “Meadowlands Miracle.”
The Pats nipped Old Tappan on the final kickoff of the game when Brian Dowling lateraled the ball to Troy Zaffino for the game-winning TD although many people (i.e. Old Tappan fans) felt that either Dowling’s knee was down or the whistle had been blown.
Regardless, the Pats won their seventh section crown in the last nine years.
They are paced by outstanding junior quarterback Kevin Olsen, the coach’s third son who will play at the D-I level. Olsen has thrown for over 1,000 yards with 15 TDs. Andrew Monahan plays the Dowling role this year as an all-purpose back.
Vernon will try to run the ball with Ward, Tom Higginson and Tyler Parrish. Chris Gonzalez paces the defense.
PICK—WayneHills 28-7
(7) OLD TAPPAN AT (2) SPARTA---What a tough draw for the undefeated Spartans who went 9-0 and won the American Division of the NJAC for coach Frank Marchiano.
Old Tappan (5-3) is on a roll and features one of the top QBs in the state in the dynamic Devin Fuller.
Fuller battled a hamstring injury earlier in the season but he is healthy and dangerous as Ramapo found out last week when he went nuts with four TDS and well over 300 yards rushing in the Golden Knights 46-27 win which got them into the playoffs.
Dan Falkernstern is a terrific linebacker and coach Brian Dunn is one of the best in Bergen County.
It will be interesting to see if the team with the best player can beat the team that is all about being a team in Sparta. There are no superstars on the squad but a group of blue collar kids who get the job done led by their quarterback Jake Melville who makes the Spartans go.
This matchup reminds me of an Old Tappan-Sparta matchup in basketball about 15 or so years ago. Remember when hoops stud Lenny Cooke from OT came to town for a state game?
Cooke was considered one of the top players in the nation before flaming out in college and the pros. But on that day, Geoff Wendel of Sparta outplayed him and the Spartans won.
Could it happen again this Saturday?
PICK---Sparta 35-34.
NORTH 1, GROUP 2
(5) PASCACK HILLS AT (4) LENAPE VALLEY—Lenape Valley (8-1) turned in another fine season for Don Smolyn and were a couple of yards away from topping Madison to win the Freedom Division.
Last year, the Pats limped into the playoffs and need a huge second-half rally to top Pequannock before losing big to eventual champ Lakeland.
Not going to happen this year. Behind a huge offensive line and 1,000-yard fullback Nick Rafferty the Pats will muscle their way into the semifinals and beyond.
The Pats’ defense is paced by Dante James and Andrew Labell and will contain Tom McCullough, a 1,000-yard rusher, and his running mate Mike Polaway of Pascack (5-3).
PICK---LENAPE VALLEY 28-14
NON-PUBLIC GROUP 3
(6) POPE JOHN AT (3) RED BANK CATHOLIC---Pope John’s last trip down the Parkway resulted in a heartbreaking loss to Holy Spirit in the semifinals and it turned out it was head coach Vic Paternostro's last game after a incredible 43-year run and 373 wins.
Well, the Lions (5-4) won’t have to go as far down the Shore but the challenge will be just as hard against the undefeated Caseys (8-0).
RBC, a perennial Shore Conference power, looks to running back John DiStefano and QB Ryan Spahr to the lead the way.
Pope John played well in a loss to East Orange last week and has Noah Brown back in the fold after missing most of the season due to injury. PJ will play hard behind Malachi Moore, Randy May, Matt Illuani, Johnny Holden and Cory Bell. But will it be enough for the upset?
PICK---RBC 21-18
That’s it for now, see you on the sidelines.
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