Old Tappan's football journey in 2022 was a remarkable one, as they became the first North Jersey program to win a public-school state title. Now, with a dynamic quarterback duo in senior Alex Orecchio and sophomore Zach Miceli, they have a chance to capture two crowns in just three years. In Friday's rain-filled Group 3 semifinal, their combined running prowess led to five touchdowns in a 43-14 victory over Pascack Valley.

Feeling of Redemption

Orecchio, a highly versatile player, played a key role in the 2022 title win. This time around, he ran for three touchdowns, caught a 2-point conversion pass, and kicked five extra points. "It's a great feeling to get back to where we were," he said. "But the job's not finished." Miceli also made significant contributions, running for two touchdowns and throwing the 2-point conversion to help Old Tappan (11-1) avenge their previous month's 27-21 loss at Pascack Valley.

Golden Knights' Resilience

Golden Knights two-way senior standout Nick Rossi put the game out of reach with a 20-yard run at 6:07 of the fourth quarter, giving Old Tappan a 36-14 lead. Coach Brian Dunn was proud of his team's performance. "We played an outstanding football game in all phases," he said. "We were hitting on all cylinders against a fantastic team that handled us the last time. I think our resilience and toughness showed today."

First-Quarter Tussle

Pascack Valley (10-2) tied the score at 7-7 in the first quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Adam Shaw. The Panthers pulled within 29-14 in the third on senior running back Kevin Regula's 1-yard touchdown run. Despite the challenges, Old Tappan remained focused.

What Lies Ahead

Old Tappan, ranked No. 14 in the USA TODAY New Jersey Super 25 rankings, will face No. 18 Mainland for the Group 3 title. Mainland beat No. 11 Somerville in overtime in the other Group 3 semifinal. Dates, times, and sites for the state finals could be announced as early as Saturday evening. Two years ago, Old Tappan won the Group 3 state title at Rutgers with a 24-14 victory over previously unbeaten Delsea. Orecchio entered as a sophomore injury replacement and threw the win-sealing touchdown pass.

Dream Realized

Meanwhile, Miceli was an eighth grader in the stands at Rutgers watching Orecchio and Old Tappan achieve that championship. "It was always a dream to get to that championship, and I knew watching in the stands that I was going to be there one day," he said.

By the Numbers

Orecchio scored on runs of 4, 5, and 49 yards. His 4-yard touchdown in the second quarter helped Old Tappan head to intermission with a 22-7 lead. His 5-yard score in the third extended the Golden Knights' lead to 29-7, and his 49-yard score came late in the fourth and closed the scoring. Miceli scored on first-quarter runs of 15 and 5 yards to stake Old Tappan to a 15-7 lead. His conversion pass to Orecchio came after his second touchdown run.

Words of Motivation

"We played physical, and that was the thing coming into this game," Orecchio said. "Everyone said, 'PV is going to out-physical you guys,' and that was motivation coming in. We said, 'Hey, we're going to out-physical you guys.' So we came out, we played a really hard, physical, fast game, we did what we were supposed to do, and we came out with a big win.""Weather was a big factor, but we focused all week," Miceli said. "And we knew this team beat us last time, and you don't want to go 0-2 against them. And we knew it was, 'Win or go home,' and we just focused, did our work, and the results showed."