VIDEO: Sparta shuts down River Dell to win football section title | ||
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Sparta's main offensive weapon was largely contained by River Dell in its state sectional football final. But thanks to their defense, the Spartans still dominated the game and walked away with a 40-0 victory. With eight sacks and three forced turnovers, Sparta earned the North 1, Group III title at MetLife Stadium. It's the first sectional title for the Spartans since 2003.
River Dell focused its defensive game plan on Lucas Faria, the junior running back. And the Golden Hawks did what Englewood and Ramapo could not, limiting Faria to 86 yards rushing yards and one touchdown on the ground. Faria had compiled an astounding 923 yards in Sparta's first two playoff games (541 against Englewood and 378 vs. Ramapo) and scored nine rushing touchdowns. However, Faria still found a way to make a big impact on this game. Sparta split him out as a wide receiver several times, and Faria caught four passes for 83 yards and two scores. Matt Seville completed 12-of-17 passes for 190 yards and three touchdowns. Teddy Fischer had 93 yards receiving and a score. On defense, Kevin Foulds was a terror with five sacks, as the Spartans had eight sacks total on the day. The Sparta defense also scored when Nick Shlala scooped up a fumble and raced 21 yards to the end zone just before halftime, a devastating play that gave the Spartans a 27-0 lead at intermission. River Dell managed just over 100 yards of offense, much of it on two long passes from Pat McPartland to Max Weber. Those plays set up the Golden Hawks' only chances in the red zone, but the Sparta defense rose up on both occasions to turn the ball over on downs. The Golden Hawks saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end. River Dell finished 8-4; it is a young team with only four seniors and should be strong next year. Sparta ends up 11-1, with its only loss a nail-biter to Pope John. The Spartans lose a number of key players, but with Faria back next season, they should be a force to contend with as well. For sports video highlights of this New Jersey high school football state final, click play in the box at left. |